63 A Serpents Cry and a Dragons Help (2/2)

While not anywhere near as magical as the dragon in front of him, his blood too was filled with the power of Mana that naturally radiated from his body. And now, with [Arcane Invigoration] running through his body, he tried to mimic the little dragon.

He breathed in and out, matching the quick breaths of Tiamat. His blood flared with the slightest power, responding to his command and his knowledge of a skill that would have cost 1000 points to reach level 2.

A large breath entered his mouth as the presence of Miasma flooded him, and changed into Mana, just as it did with Tiamat.

[Spell Gained: Miasmic Conversion lvl 1/10]

Rainer wasted no time greedily absorbing the power around him. [Arcane Invigoration] flared to full power, with him now having the resources for [Arcane Awakening] as well. His [Miasmic Conversion] started outpacing the curse as he allocated and infused [Arcane Invigoration] with more power, now aimed not only at containment but true healing.

Slowly but surely the curse was no more, as Rainer looked at the title he gained.

[Title Gained: Draconic Magus]

[Draconic Magus: A Mage who has transcended the bounds of their race and wielded the Magic of Dragons. One who wields the power of Dragons with their blood and surpass the normalcy of Magic. 25% Experience Bonus. 20% to all Blood related Magic]

Thinking of his upcoming Trial, Rainer knew already one class he'd be looking to change to and level for a future subclass. He could only hope that a class existed to match the title that did deferred experience even for the 2nd Tier.

[Experience Gained: Deferred, Deferred]

[Spellbook: Draconic]

[Tier 1: XX]

[Tier 2: Miasmic Conversion lvl 1/10]

He hugged Tiamat close to him, the small dragon nuzzling against not minding the strong hold.

”It seems I owe my life to yet another of Familiars…Family,” He said glancing at Tiamat before looking toward Jor who happily twisted in the air around its master.

Several minutes passed before a strange numbing feeling brought Rainer out of his reverie. Activating [Arcane Invigoration], he found the skill incompatible with [Miasmic Conversion], any Miasma taken in would simply be removed.

Yet that strange numbing was a leftover of the Draconic spell, clearly not meant for humans or perhaps even normal dragons, as Rainer discerned. Deeply merged with his blood and flesh were traces of Miasma, that took quite some time for Invigoration to clear up.

Rainer continued his run down the tunnel, unbothered. Even just a few minutes of Miasmic Conversion would put him at maximum Mana. A small side effect was the least of his worries.

He not only survived but now had a source of power rivaling what the [Devil King]s had in this forsaken plane.

He need only to complete the spell he already knew he could create. As his thoughts turned to a world of Ice, the very air around him chilled.

With Miasma flowing into his body, Rainer was no longer afraid lacking Mana, leaving him to use his flight spell without pause. Even the occasional ambush that canceled it no longer bothered him. He still held a bit of caution for after effects of the [Miasmic Conversion], but otherwise, he saw nothing that wasn't cleared with [Arcane Invigoration].

The few times he met with the patrols of shadow transported Devils, they seemed to almost run at Jor, who would pop out occasionally when the serpent had recovered, opting for a more defensive approach in protecting Rainer.

He blazed a path forward to the fortress, yet even at this speed, it took half a day before he reached the midway point between the city he came from and the Fortress. He was met with another set of enchanted doors, these with another large circular hole in the center, perfectly carved out.

Jor appeared soon after but before he could leave Rainer stopped the serpent.

”Just hang out around me, alright?”

The serpent shrunk from its otherwise larger form and wrapped itself around Rainer's arm.

With Jor on guard and his armed [Arcane Bolt]s around him, it wasn't long before he entered [Sleep Learning] once more.

In the white void, Rainer recreated the haphazard spell formula. Recalling his previous failure, he thought it over, before deciding to attempt it several more times.

In front of him, a compressed packet of Mana started to form before Rainer quickly lost control. And with a blast of frost and raw Mana he was sent tumbling back.

Sitting back up, he thought over the many issues.

While it was quite possible it was his own lack of ability in casting, seeing the spell fail in such a way after only 60 points of Mana left him thinking it was his formula at fault.

First was the unstable Mana Packet, and the second was the fact he had no idea how he was going to aim the spell.

[Deliverance] was a beam spell, and [Frozen Sun] used a Mana channel to spread its Ice Magic at a further distance, relying purely on the caster's ability not to freeze one's self.

”But to truly damage the horde…”

Rainer spoke to himself. Using hundreds if not at least 1000 points of Arcane Power was no longer something he could simply will not to affect him. While he hadn't given up on the idea of using a compressed Mana Packet, more so for lack of anything else, he thought there needed to be a step afterward, to deliver the spell around him rather than around the Mana Packet.

But for now, Rainer would settle for adjusting the spell.

With even the smallest changes and tweaks he'd practice it numerous times. Attempts that often resulted in either the Mana going out of control or suddenly finding himself completely frozen.

He repeated it over and over again honing the spell as he was able to put more and more mana into it before it collapsed. Even the slightest change could alter that completely, but with no limit in what he could test he slowly brought the spell to a higher and higher level.

Any time he adjusted the spell he would practice with Arcane-Ice as he gradually came to an understanding. After accidently freezing his own fingers he watched the flow of Magic with [Arcane Sight] and saw as the Ice seemed to feed off the Mana that was naturally present in a Mage's body.

Such a discovery saw him look over the [Frozen Sun] and [Arcane Frozen Sun] and continue to make further adjustments.

Every cast brought him closer to his goal, even if he lacked the final step.

Soon, he found himself waking.

He shot up, preparing for the worst, but instead, he found himself well rested. Wasting no time, Rainer continued to fly toward the fortress. A day passed in his travel, and he entered [Sleep Learning] once more.

The spell became closer and closer to causing an attack of Arcane-Ice, rather than a failure of Mana compression.

But he was still left with the same problem, how to attack with it. Rainer found his thoughts drifting towards chants, but not only that but the spell the Devil Mage seemingly cast on him with the [Devil's Soul Language].

Rainer cast his mixed spell once more, compressing the Mana in front of him. He found using his hands to aid in the compression, while blowing off his hand a few times, improved the spell in every way.

Yet, no matter how much he compressed or used the spell, it lacked a means of activation, leading him to the thought of a chant in the first place. In the end, chants assisted with guiding Mana input and output, so Rainer wondered why they couldn't do so after the fact and help guide the Mana Packet.

Rainer sat in thought and pursued over his knowledge of chants, and while he had a disdain for them, he was still filled with the countless knowledge of numerous spell tomes and their chants.

But, no matter what, his thoughts kept returning to how a curse was cast on him with a Magic Language.

Rainer stood once more, [Arcane Awakening] flaring to the maximum as he brought his hands together. The air around him grew heavy as more and more Mana was compressed.

Slowly, he spread open his hands and brought Arcane Power to his voice with the strength of his Soul, mimicking how he spoke the [Devil's Soul Language].

Words flowed through his head as he searched his native tongue for what he'd use to alter this spell. He needed the Mana packet to somehow expand outward away from him. Even putting it above his head still gave him the backlash from undeath.

”Surround me,” A magical voice intoned. And yet, Rainer felt it lacked the sort of power a Magical Language would have. His only hope in this was to bridge the gap to a Magic Language that could also serve as a chant with the [Archon] class bonus.

As he spoke the words, he imagined a ring of Mana surrounding him, and he tried to will the compressed Mana to that shape. It started spreading out in a crescent before it abruptly exploded backward.

Rainer suddenly awoke by the firing of one of his armed [Arcane Bolt]s and the slight burning from Jor's Rune.

In his sleep, the Devils caught up with him, with a small nudge from Jor waking him. Rainer once more fought off the living bombardment of the Flying Devils as they dropped off their allies to attack him. He hurried as best he could before he finally found the place he was looking for.

Two massive gates and a hum of a dying but the still powerful enchantment filled the air.

Without pause, he tried to Void-walk past it.

Rainer grit his teeth as the enchantment seemingly surrounding the whole cavern behind the door resisted his entry. His [Arcane Awakening] flared to its maximum, and with [Miasmic Conversion] he felt safe burning more Mana than he would otherwise.

He pushed through the dying barrier and found himself standing in front of a true fortress.

Black metal walls rose hundreds of feet in the massive cavern. Twisting towers had strange objects on top of them pointed towards the entry. Rainer temporarily squashed his curiosity as he rushed into the city. Massive pillars supported the Cavern and had strange Runic carvings Rainer ventured served a purpose long ago.

I need to finish the spell

Rainer thought in a panic as he soon heard the scratching on the other side of the wall. He hoped the enchantment that tried to block his [Void-walking] was enough to keep the Devil Mages out for now.

He found a spot on one of the tallest towers. He flew up the top and gave into the urge to simply collapse and lay down.

He grimaced as he felt his numbed body from the constant use of [Miasmic Conversion]. The calming power of [Arcane Invigoration] healed him as he gently fell asleep, Jor's ever watchful eye guarding alongside his armed [Arcane Bolt]s.

He wasted no time casting the spell as he entered the White Void of [Sleep Learning]. Violet Runic lines glowed across Rainer's body as Arcane Power and Mana alike compressed into a single Mana Packet.

He tried different shapes, some forming a shield or even a spear in front of him but nothing stopped the spell from still blowing back on him.

Hours flew by as he altered the formula and altered the words he spoke. But suddenly he rethought his words. Chants and even the Magic languages were not just direct translations. And so he thought over just what his new spell would be called.

As he came with up with the words, he spoke aloud, commanding the compressed Mana Packet. His Magic shifted, and the Arcane Power in his voice altered as his [Archon] class assisted him in reaching the first level of the skill he seemed to be attempting.

A ring of Mana surrounded the [Archon]. Rainer grinned as a flash of Mana and a stream of messages appeared.

Leaving [Sleep Learning] after a few more tests, a lingering fear in the back of his mind faded.

For the first-time Rainer did not awake abruptly in this forsaken place. He did not awake to the presence of Jor nor Devil. But he awoke with conviction.

Only the violet of the Arcane lit up the dark fortress. It was time to wait. And bring about death.

Rainer stood on the tallest twisting tower of the fortress. Tiamat, not her playful self, was awake but patiently waiting within his overcoat. His hands were pressed together and his eyes glowing with Mana as he stared out. A faint numbing spread across his body, but he ignored it for now.

Loud sounds reverberated in the background as the massive enchanted doors resisted entry, but he could feel it weakening. He would be prepared.

The metal buckled and the doors swung open as Rainer compressed more and more Mana. A horde of [Deviling]s, [Devil Worms], and an assortment of others rushed into the massive cavern in front of the wall fortress.

Only Jor's presence kept the endless horde that now filled the cavern back. It seemed that even the mindless horde could eventually know fear, many recoiling as Jor hissed.

Behind the Horde, at the very entrance to the fortress cavern, stood a motley crew of Devils.

Devil Kings…

Rainer thought grimly. Each far different than what he came to expect. One was no different than Agmar, nor the Devil he fought long ago within a dungeon, larger than Kara in her wolven form.

Though he had three twisting horns around his head as if a crown upon his dark gray skin. Aura practically oozed from the powerful Devil, leaving Rainer to understand he was a step above Agmar. His sharp teeth shined in a grin.

Another looked like a demented form of an elf. Spikes grew out from his spine and joints, and he had a third eye on his forehead.

Rainer spared them no more attention, as they watched Jor fly around him. He could tell, even the Devil Mages, one of which had caused Jor harm, seemed to fear the serpent. At least, for the moment. Until their greed for whatever they desired from Rainer overcame an aversion to magical beast.

It took everything Rainer had to keep the grin off his face and focus equal parts on the spell he was casting and the Arcane Energy he drew in the air around him to mask it. The Miasma flowed too, empowering the spell heavily, and leaving his body numb.

Rainer drew on the Miasma quicker and quicker, have long since lost count of the amount of Mana and Arcane Power he powered into his spell.

He saw the group of Mages from earlier suddenly appear. He tensed for a brief moment but didn't lose control his spell.

They whispered something before he watched one of them turn wide-eyed. Spatial fluctuations rippled as their supposed leader vanished.

Rainer stood unbothered as his armed [Arcane Bolt]s assaulted the teleporter, forcing him to dodge.

The [Archon]'s pressed together hands opened with a methodical slowness. The otherwise invisible Mana packet was concentrated with so much power it appeared liquid as the spell followed Rainer's command and formed a circle around him.

The Devil Mage began to yell in the [Devil's Soul Language] attacking Rainer, only to be met with a tail whip from Jor during his distraction. Rainer buckled for a brief moment under the assault, but months of death and pain in [Sleep Learning] left him more than prepared to endure the discomfort and pain of the spell.

Mana laced with Arcane Power and made material shined around him. The Arcane Energy in the air flowed to Rainer's voice as he hummed with power. A ring of power surrounded him. A violet and white light shined amongst the cavern, the power of the spell distorted the very space around it.

Even as the Devil Mage called for support his followers found their teleports failing and could not reach him.

And in a language, that transcended all boundaries, fueled by the power of an [Archon], Rainer ordered the mountain itself and Devils within to an everlasting Ice age.

”Absolute Frost.”

The ring exploded outwards with Magic, the sheer pressure of the Mana distorted air and space alike. The Devil Mage who tried to stop Rainer was forced out of his teleport and crashed into the ground. The [Deviling]s dotting the fortress and the walls beneath collapsed.

[Devil King]s that varied in size and strength alike tried to turn and flee, but it was too late.

A violet and white frost followed the expulsion of Mana and all was frozen in an instant. Those who resisted with Aura found their very power turned into their own prison, freezing along with them and fueling the Arcane-Ice of the Spell.

Tens of thousands of souls cried out in their icy death.

A landscape painted entirely of Magic.

The Frost did not stop in the Fortress Cavern but seeped into the very stone of the mountain and the tunnels around, consuming even those behind. Ice shattered as flying Devils broke against their own companions and fell from the air as if their strings were cut.

Rainer looked out across. The entire cavern was painted with a white and violet Frost, only the top of the tower surrounding him free from the effect. Even just the residual cold sent him shivering as he tucked Tiamat closer to his body. Messages flew by him, and even with the experience brought to a combined number, there was still much to look at.

He cast his flight spell and soared from the tower. He spared neither a smile nor any expression on his face as he saw the frozen horde. He blew past the frozen leaders, causing them to shatter as he flew down the cavern. He knew not how much of the horde he truly removed, but he had feeling it was enough.

He marveled at the strength of the spell, even if he understood he couldn't wield even a fraction of its power without Miasma present in the air or having the source of Arcane Energy so close to draw from. But it did not detract from the slowly building feeling of calm, of success, and judgment.

Recalling his interrogation of the Devil Mage who hurt Jor, he set a new course for outside the mountain and towards the Abyssal Dungeon. He even held a silent hope there was still more after him.

After all, he had much to prepare. And Devils without their Kings could serve many purposes.