"Holy shit, what's happening?"
Light struggled to comprehend what had occurred, his consciousness wavering. The animals had long disappeared, his chest had been sealed, and the symbols had seeped into his skin. A terrible headache tormented him, as if a heavy liquid was pressing down on him, sometimes feeling like sharp daggers ready to cut him.
[Congratulations! You have ranked up!]
[None -> Initiate]
[A new skill has been acquired]
[Mana Manipulation]
[The celestials eagerly await your next feats!]
"Damn... I've unleashed another anomaly. Now even evil gods are aware of my existence. Triss is going to kill me for this..." he thought, imagining the scolding he would receive.
***
Name: Light
Title: [None]
Status: Servant of Azrael
Rank: Initiate
Race: [Unknown]
Aura: 0
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Endurance: 2
Mana: 0/100
Mana Control: 1
Mana Quality: 0
Skills: Mana Manipulation (Uncontrolled)
Characteristics: Fear Resistance (Angelical),Pain Resistance (High), Divine Spark, Stairway Key,Mental Resistance (Low), Fragment of %&#@!
Observation: Light is an insignificant being, without any distinction that would justify attention. However, a sequence of improbable events led him to interfere with celestial beings, turning his misery into a slightly less pathetic existence.
***
"Calm down, my sweet" a sinister voice whispered beside him. It was the witch, emerging from the shadows with an enigmatic smile. "You need to get used to feeling the mana and taking it for yourself. But don't worry, it shouldn't be too difficult."
She helped him up, supporting him and guiding him to a nearby chair. Then she brought a small, glowing blue crystal and placed it in his hands.
"This should help a bit" she said, with a look that mixed understanding and challenge.
Light looked at the crystal, feeling an instinctive repulsion. 'I hate gemstones... especially bright blue ones,' he thought bitterly. Inside the crystal, a small thread of mana wandered aimlessly, as if searching for an exit.
"Imagine you're pulling what's inside," she instructed in a soft voice.
Light took a deep breath, trying to focus. With effort, he visualized himself pulling the energy from the crystal.
[Absorption Attempt in Progress]
[Failed]
"Damn... this is harder than I thought," he whispered, feeling the frustration grow.
"Calm down," the witch said with an almost maternal calmness. "Breathe steadily and try again. Keep going until it works."
[Attempt in Progress]
[...]
[...]
[Success]
[Mana 0 -> 10/100]
[Mana Quality 0 -> 1]
Light felt the small thread of energy seep into his body. It was a gentle warmth, almost comforting, spreading slowly.
"Very good," the witch praised with a satisfied smile. "I'll teach you the other processes gradually. For now, just try to move the mana inside you."
Finally, Light broke the silence. "How do you know so much about mana? I don't sense any in you."
The witch sighed, with a distant look. "Witches are born with a natural connection to mana. But... I lost that connection when I fell." The sadness in her voice was palpable, though she tried to hide it behind a dark smile.
"Mana is an extremely useful energy, capable of many things. Its main use is control over the forces of nature, though it can have other uses to a certain extent."
Ruari approached a shelf of ancient books, and after selecting a few, she turned back to Light.
"Here are some exercises for developing control over it and some basic spells" she said, handing the books over.
Light took the book but soon realized that the language it was written in was completely unfamiliar to him. A feeling of discouragement began to rise, but before it could take hold...
[Installing Witch Reading and Writing]
[Completed]
Suddenly, Light felt a clear understanding of the language. Now, he could read everything in the book without any difficulty. Flipping through it quickly, he saw that it contained techniques ranging from the basic to the advanced. Some of the other books Ruari handed him also briefly discussed rituals linked to evil entities.
Concerned, Light asked, "Do you serve those entities?"
Ruari let out a short laugh, noting the anxious tone in his voice. "No, I don't serve them. I just perform certain rituals in exchange for specific favors. Advances, for example, are the hardest rituals to perform, but they are also the most useful. They greatly facilitate the creation of magical tools."
Light relaxed a bit but still had doubts. "So, to advance, it's just about accumulating mana, improving control, and quality?"
"That, and a bit more," she responded thoughtfully. "Knowledge is also essential for mastering new skills. But most of the time, if enough resources are available, it's better to perform another ritual. That way, you can acquire other forms of energy and become capable of learning new abilities."
She paused before continuing, "There are several rituals available, and the ones I know are in these books. The sacrifices vary in importance depending on the ritual. A central mystical creature is required, and the more powerful it is, the more significant the result will be."
Light pondered for a moment and decided to set the matter aside. 'Forget about that... for now, I just need to survive. Going beyond might be too dangerous.'
"Thank you very much for the wisdom, Miss Ruari" he said, bowing his head slightly in respect.
"You're welcome. I'll be here to answer your questions whenever you need. And if you're willing, I can take you as my student" she offered with an enigmatic smile.
Light considered the proposal for a moment, but the idea worried him. 'A student of a witch... Azrael would probably kill me before I even had the chance to explain.'
"Unfortunately, I'm on a journey right now and won't be able to accept such an honor" he replied politely. "But, if you don't mind, I'd like to return here eventually to ask some questions."
Ruari nodded. "Don't worry about the details, boy. You'll always be welcome here. But, by the way, what is this journey about?"
"We're after some artifacts for my captor... sir. To move forward, we need you to lift the curse on the people of Dirgrad."
"I don't understand why that would be necessary, but I don't mind removing it as long as those old bearded men grant me access to their library and some animals for breeding."
Light was surprised by the simplicity of the request. "Is that all? Nothing else?"
"That should be enough for now..." Ruari replied with a calm smile.
"Alright, I'll negotiate with them on your behalf. Don't worry too much, I'm sure I can convince them!" he promised confidently.
I stayed a little longer and extracted as much as I could from the witch, then left with the books and newly acquired knowledge. The sun was setting as I approached Rorik's house.
Knock knock
he knocked on the door a few times, calling out for them, but there was no response.
'Strange... why would they leave?'
decided not to wait outside. The door was locked, so he entered through one of the windows. As soon he was inside the house, I realized something was wrong. No one in sight, and the place was in chaos. The furniture was out of place, and there were broken glasses scattered on the floor.
'Signs of a struggle...'
Cuts had left deep marks on the walls, running from the floor to the ceiling.
'There are two suspects currently: either the city guards found Triss and captured her, or the hooded figure from yesterday returned and caused a mess this time.'
The situation was alarming. 'Either they fled, or they were captured... Maybe they're already dead' I thought, as a sense of urgency grew within me.
'If Triss is alive, she'll surely come after me, so for now, I'll wait. If she doesn't show up by tomorrow, I'll head to the city to see if anyone among the dwarves knows anything. If not, I'll contact Ruari.'
'I'd like to take this opportunity to escape, to be honest, but they're certainly watching me, and escape won't be tolerated.'
While rummaging through the old man's belongings, he found a short sword and armed himself with it.
***
Item: Short Sword
Rarity: Common
Category: Melee Weapon
Damage: 5
Durability: 30/50
***
Light decided to wait in the house, knowing that night would bring dangers. As the sun set, he settled into a dark corner, holding the short sword he had found among the elder's things. His expression was cold and patient, his eyes fixed on the darkness. He didn't allow himself to sleep; the risk was too great.
Light sounds broke the silence outside. Small footsteps in the grass alerted Light, who immediately stood up, moving cautiously to the windows. In the middle of the darkness, a small red light flashed ominously. Before he could react, something launched itself against the glass, shattering it with a crash and invading the room.
"Hellhound!" Light muttered through gritted teeth.
***
Name: Grimm
Title: Violent Hunter
Status: Pet of Phantaminum
Rank: Initiate
Race: Demonic Dog (Inferior)
Aura: 20
Strength: 5
Agility: 7
Endurance: 3
Skills: Flame Manipulation, Infernal Flames, Dash,Bite (Voracious).
Characteristics: Loyal, Aggressive, Deadly
Observation: Grimm was raised from birth by Phantaminum to be a great hunter. Despite his size, he is an inferior specimen of his species and still a pup.
***
Light danced around the shards of glass, shaken but recovering, and he stood between the invading demon. In his hands, the short sword was steady. Grimm's eyes seemed to have hot coals within them now, and he let out a low growl that seemed to feed the flames. The heat in the room grew nearly unbearable, like the air itself was on fire. Flames surged forward in an ignited whirlwind about the demonic dog.
Feeling the danger, Light acted upon his instincts. He dashed all around the room, moving agilely between the wreckage as Grimm did his concentrating for that dark infernal energy. In just an instant, Light dove behind a nearby table, flipping it with a kick to use as an improvised shield.
[Grimm cast Infernal Flames]
Grimm released the banked flames in an explosion of pure destruction. It was powerful enough to make the table quiver, with the flames dancing along its edges and scorching the wood. Light filled the room with an intense orange, and the heat ramped up even more.
He could hear Grimm, the padding of the demon dog's paws heavy on the floor as it charged in. Closer this time, its eyes locked on its prey. The demon sprang forward, flaming claws outstretched, but Light had seen it coming. He swung his sword in a swift arc, just evading the attack.
The blade brushed against Grimm's flank, but the demon dodged, avoiding a deeper cut. Light didn't retreat, using the proximity to attack further. A series of quick strikes and Grimm was forced to back away, flames around the dog wavering as it moved.But Grimm wasn't ready to give up
[Grimm uses Dash]
its form blurring with almost superhuman speed. It appeared beside Light, trying to sink its burning fangs into the arm holding the sword.
[Grimm uses Bite (Voracious)]
Light dodged the attack partially but felt the teeth tear through the fabric of his clothing to rack his skin with sharp pain.
Light retreated from the monster, part panting but also a glitter of determination in his eyes. He felt he couldn't keep defending forever; he had to find a way to defeat this demon. Watching the fire and Grimm's movement was where an idea started forming.
Waiting for a moment of distraction, Light feigned as if he were going to retreat further. Grimm, feeling superior, charged forward with all its might as if it were expecting an enemy that was fleeing. And Light was ready. Using his entire strength, he drove the sword into the ground and quickly pushed a nearby shelf right into the path of Grimm.
The impact was violent. Laden with weight, the shelf fell upon the demon, pinning it for that crucial moment. At the opening provided, Light pulled the sword from earth and charged at Grimm, striking neatly at the creature's neck.
Grimm howled with pain; his flames began to die. The rusty blade bit deep, and Light felt the fighting at the end of the sword weaken as the demon grew weaker. Gathering his last strength, Light twisted the sword, cutting open the wound further, and Grimm collapsed on the ground, his flames finally extinguished.
[The strong fall, and the weak prevail!]
[You killed Grimm, the Violent Hunter]
[Aura 0 -> 2]
[Your glory reaches the gods!]
[Aura 2 -> 4]
Panting, Light stepped back from the defeated body, the room now engulfed in shadows and ashes. He kept the sword raised, watching Grimm's corpse carefully, ready for any sign of life. But the demon was defeated.
Silence returned to the house, interrupted only by Light's heavy breathing and the crackling of the charred remains. Knowing the battle was over, he lowered the sword, feeling the weight of victory and exhaustion on his shoulders. The night was still long, but for now
Light had prevailed