Chapter 449 - Erupting Core

Hope you like the chapter! The next day, Bud and Emilia were on their way out the door when Bud opened it to see Dylan arriving on the other

Hope you like the chapter! The next day, Bud and Emilia were on their way out the door when Bud opened it to see Dylan arriving on the other

Hope you like the chapter!

The next day, Bud and Emilia were on their way out the door when Bud opened it to see Dylan arriving on the other side.

“Morning,” Emilia beamed at him. “So, it went well with Lorissa, I take it?”

Dylan smiled, seeming more relaxed than Bud had seen from his friend for a while. “It did, yes. I think the flowers helped, thank you.”

“We weren’t sure you would be back,” Bud said. “I’ve agreed to join Emilia’s father for training now.”

“Well don’t let me stop you!” Dylan said. “You both have fun. I’m going to take the day to myself and enjoy my last dredges of freedom before we’re stuck at the palace.” Dylan clapped Bud on the shoulder and walked past. “But first, a bath.”

Bud watched his friend go, disappointed that he did not even have a chance to try and convince the druid to come with them. On most days, it was time Emilia spent with her father, so Bud left her to it and got on with his own training with Dylan. Today, was different. It was the last day of their stay before they were to move into the palace for the foreseeable future as bodyguards of Prince Gregory.

It seemed Lord Rike had something in mind for them today.

Bud had trained with the Emilia’s father a few times already, and while he was not quite warm to him yet, Bud had noticed a shift. The man seemed to have let go of his offence regarding the… complications around Bud and Emilia’s engagement. Between his presence now, and Emilia sweettalking behind the scenes, some sort of understanding had formed between them. From a military man and noble of his statue, Bud felt like that was a small victory.

The repairs to the estate were finished now, the lawns pristine, the gardens looking magnificent, and the private duelling ground rivalling any Bud had trained in. It was there they spent most of the morning, though for the most part Bud watched as Emilia and her father sparred.

Emilia had pushed herself hard lately. Her father had been trying to push her to break through to the next step of Transcending Blade. She was the only one of them that had not reached Rank 5 yet, and Bud knew how much that bothered her even if she didn’t talk about it.

“Is this it?” Lord Rike barked. “I have seen you move faster.”

Emilia gave no reply. Her posture shifted. The calm focus that Bud had come to admire settled over her like armour. The moment the duel began, Bud found himself holding his breath.

They moved in flashes of red lightning, so fast Bud could barely follow. Steel clashed, ringing clear and sharp through the air. Emilia danced on the balls of her feet, always just out of reach, her movements fluid and sharp as her blade. Her father countered every advance with ruthless precision, putting to use the buckler he had in his offhand to deflect Emilia’s attacks and strike back with his own.

Yet each time, it was like he had issued a challenge to show him why she had thrown away her shield. To show him why she fought with her sword alone.

Each time, she moved faster. The blur of red that followed her movements painted lines in the air as if through flesh.

“Faster!” Lord Rike roared. “Break through, Emilia. Show me the Red Horizon.”

Emilia screamed. It wasn’t a cry of pain, but something primal and fierce—a call to something deeper. Her body surged forward, faster than before. Blindly fast. Her feet no longer seemed tethered to the ground. Bud blinked and she was behind her father, then above, then striking from the side. It was as if gravity no longer held any sway over her.

Lord Rike stumbled back, his buckler raised—but Emilia had already stepped past him, her rapier at his throat.

They both froze.

The match was over.

Lord Rike’s eyes widened slightly… then a small smile crept across his lips.

“Well,” he said. “It seems you’ve finally done it. Not even your brothers have come this far.”

As they stepped from the grounds, Emilia’s mother appeared with a graceful smile and a tray full of refreshments. She was a regal woman, composed and kind, with the same discerning eyes as her daughter. Yet even after a few weeks, she still seemed so frail, the loss of one of her sons still haunting her.

“I will be sad to see you both go,” she said warmly, handing Bud a glass. “Truly. Once all this chaos is behind us, I dare say we will need a wedding to lift the spirits of the city.”

Bud nearly choked on his drink. He glanced at Emilia who had turned scarlet.

“Mother!” she snapped.

“Oh, come now,” Lady Rike said with a delicate wave of her hand. “I can see you two have become close. You are engaged, after all. Engaged couples get married.”

Thet two of them shared a quick, flustered glance. Bud opened his mouth to say something—anything. He saw Lord Rike staring at him.

Bud’s heart raced but he swallowed his nerves. “Perhaps it is time.”

“Perhaps it is time?” Emilia scowled. “How romantic.”

“I just mean…”

“I know exactly what you mean, Robert,” Emilia said. “I will not have anyone push us into this. Mother, Father, you will stop poking at us and wait until we are ready.”

Emilia’s mother pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh my.”

***

Hump met Aldric at the Dragon’s Head inn just after breakfast. They didn’t waste any time on pleasantries before activating the passageway into the Sanctuary of the Three Eyes.

His previous visits had been quiet, but not this time. Wizards in robes bustled through the corridors, arms full of books and scrolls, voices hushed but frantic. The great achieve echoed with footsteps and the rustle of parchment as dozens of practitioners combed through texts.

“What’s going on?” Hump asked as they marched through the halls.

“Looking into the information we gained from Menos,” Evros said. “Those maps were more useful than we first realised. We’re working through our neighbouring realms to learn who we’re up against. Some of the others are looking into old histories, any reference to the Path to Heaven. We need countermeasures.”

Aldric led him through the growing chaos without pause, down a quieter hall, and finally to a wide arched door. With a flick of his wrist, the door creaked open, revealing a vault-like library, its shelves packed with leather-bound volumes and stacks of rolled scrolls.

“We know where the warlocks will strike,” Aldric said. “Their target is the Seal of Elenvine. They failed to destroy it before as their force was split. This time, with Godfrey, the Order of Ancients, and the demon forces aligned, the danger is much higher.”

“What of the stronghold?” Hump asked. “A substantial portion of their army should be there.”

“Their army is not the real threat, is it?” Aldric said. “It is the same as our own, as disappointing as it is to say. Battles are fought by soldiers that hold little individual strength, but they are won through the decisive manoeuvres of the powerful. Still, Wizard Melissa has gone to the Dukedom of Yore in my place to lead an attack from our realm on the stronghold. Perhaps we will get lucky and defeat the warlocks in the Remnant Realm, but we are betting on it being a distraction. Meanwhile, a powerful, concentrated force will target the seal.”

“And you want us to help to prevent it?” Hump asked.

“No. Your task is already set. Others will keep the seal safe. You must protect Prince Gregory.” He reached out, gripping Hump’s forearm. “You must be careful, lad. Kassius may already be in contact with Anthony, or even Godfrey himself. You’ve grown stronger, but you cannot face them.”

“Believe me, I know,” Hump said. “With any luck, they will be occupied elsewhere rather than trying to kill the prince.” He paused. “This is why I’m really there, isn’t it? To be eyes and ears inside the palace.”

Aldric shook his head. “Prince Gregory’s request was true, and he needs guards. This is just a convenient little coincidence.”

“And what do I do if they do show up?”

“You get Prince Gregory and yourselves out of there or make enough noise to bring half the city to the palace doors.”

A cold silence settled between them. Then Hump frowned, something clicking in his thoughts. “Aldric… where exactly is the seal?”

“If you were to hide a divine treasure, where would you put it?”

Hump considered it. “It would need to be somewhere old,” Hump said. “So not the palace. Perhaps a secure location beneath one of the temples, the King’s Hold, or the Royal Armoury.”

Aldric gave a small nod. “The Royal Armoury is correct. Which means that when the attack comes, which it almost certainly will, the Temple District will be the battle ground, from the King’s Hold to the palace.”

“A good time to take out Kassius,” Hump said quietly. His thoughts shifted. Kassius had been in the warlock stronghold. He might know where Mav’s sister had been taken… and if Hump could find him, maybe he could find her too.

“If the man holds half the grudge you think he does, I’m sure the opportunity will come,” Aldric said. “It’s a good thing you ranked up the other day.”

Aldric turned and led Hump to a narrow, enchanted door at the back of the room. A few murmured words unlocked its seal, and it creaked open to reveal a smaller, private chamber lined with tall shelves and the scent of parchment aged beyond centuries. The air was thick with essence.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Hump asked.

“Indeed,” Aldric said with a smile. “Do you have access to spells? In here are spellbooks containing Tier 5, 6, and 7 spells,” Aldric said. “I’ve been permitted to grant you three.”

Hump’s eyes ran over the many spellbooks. He had never seen so many high tier spells in one place. “You must have every Tier 7 spell in the kingdom here.”

“Almost,” Aldric said. “Few wizards ever achieve Soul Domain. For the last millennia, only a few dozen wizards have succeeded. For those that failed, Tier 7 is the furthest their magic ever goes. And with that comes a fair bit of choice.”

Hump had found a similar case in the Book of Infinite Pages. Now that his soul had advanced, there were more spells available to him. An entire catalogue of Tier 7 spells at his fingertips.  In truth, he did not need more, but he would never say no to looking.

“Do you have some suggestions?”

“I have some ideas,” Aldric said. “You want something you can learn relatively quickly. Something that will allow you to harm even the strongest of foes. For that, your options are more limited, but there are some.”

They sifted through the spellbooks together. Some were beautiful but impractical. Other were clever but too slow or fragile, or simply not strong enough. And then many were grand in power but ill-suited for combat. Hump wasn’t looking for a spectacle. He needed something simple, efficient, and deadly. A spell suited to kill a single, powerful target. And as far as he could tell, he would not find anything here to match the spell in his book.

“What do you think?” Aldric asked. “I’ve never seen a wizard look so disappointed to come in here.”

“It’s fascinating, but I think I already have a Tier 7 spell that beats the options here,” Hump said.

Aldric smiled. “I’ll admit, I am eager to see the spells kept in that book. Would you care for an opinion?”

“That would be brilliant,” Hump said.

He opened his spellbook to his new spell. It hadn’t taken him too long to narrow it down to this one. While there were many options, they became limited when narrowed down to his skillset. This one had called to him the moment he had read it.

He ran his hand over the complex spell formation that formed inside. Looking at it again, he was still unsure if it was something he could learn anytime soon, even with its intent captured in the runes. He felt nervous even reading the spell. It sounded… devastating. To cast it didn’t simply require power, the caster had to maintain it for a prolonged period, condensing essence into a singular point. Hump knew how difficult such a task was usually, but when combined with the furious, energetic heat of lava, it sounded truly dangerous even to learn.

But if he could use it in battle, perhaps it would have finished off a warlock like Menos. Given time and skill, maybe he could pump enough essence into the spell to kill even a demon like Karlac.

“This is it,” Hump said, holding the book out for Aldric to see.

SPELLBOOK

Erupting Core

Evocation | Battle Magic | Tier 7 | Range: Short

Description

A molten bead forms at your command, pulsing with unstable energy as it draws essence from both caster and surroundings. With each passing moment, it compresses layers of essence and pressure into a single volatile point. When released, the core erupts in a controlled blast of searing magma and concussive force, sending an explosion of liquefied stone and molten rock in the target direction. Failure to maintain the spell will result in an uncontrolled eruption in all directions.

Wizard Aldric’s eyes studied the page with deep interest. He stroked his beard, nodding or frowning every now and then.

“That shimmer I see—that is the intent required for the spell?” Aldric asked.

Hump nodded. “Yes. I can use it to guide my study.”

“No wonder you learn spells so quickly. I can see why the options here didn’t capture your interest. This one will be devastating.”

“You approve?” Hump asked.

Aldric snorted. “You’re a Rank 6 wizard now, Hump. I’m sure you know better than anyone what spell fits you best. But yes, for what it’s worth. This is an excellent choice.”

“It still gives me confidence to hear that,” Hump said. “I’m not convinced I can learn it.”

“They key with magic like this is to break it down into sections.” Aldric pointed at the centre, where three separate spell circles formed the core of the spell. “Separate each of these, master them, and then combine only afterward.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Good. One last thing.

Hump looked at him expectantly.

“If you blow up the palace, make sure you don’t tell anyone I condoned the spell choice.”

“I can do that, but in exchange, can I still pick out three spellbooks?”

Aldric chuckled and shook his head. “Master Dorn did offer. It would be rude to refuse now.”

Hump grinned. “Brilliant.”

***

Hump arrived at the palace for his new duties early in the morning. It was interesting to enter the grounds alone. They were shown to a small side gate rather than the main entrance, though it was no less guarded. Hump sensed the many enchantments around it as soon as he approached.

Prince Gregory was already in the training grounds when Hump and the others arrived, his sword out as he engaged in combat instruction. At the sight of them, Prince Gregory halted their session and walked over to meet them. A servant handed him a towel for him to wipe off his sweat.

“Welcome,” Prince Gregory said warmly as they approached.

They went through the usual greetings. Bud and Emilia had dropped a little of their formalities, but both still gave a rather deep bow that Prince Gregory brushed aside. Hump and the others nodded, doing their best at decorum, though Hump found himself once again forgetting the correct form of address for a prince. In the end, he decided to leave it out entirely and avoid a mistake.

“I was pleased to hear that you accepted my invitation.”

“Even I am not so foolish to turn down such an invitation,” Hump said. “Though I am curious why you sent for us.”

Prince Gregory smiled. “Perhaps I was simply impressed during our time together in the Fallen Lands.” He turned to Nisha. “Or I wanted to spend a little more time with a dragon. Who, if I am not mistaken, is significantly larger than when last we met.”

“She’s a fast grower,” Hump said.

“You asked why I sent for you,” Prince Gregory said. “It is because I think Prince Kassius wants you for something, He hid it well, but his eyes kept finding you that night at his party. I am hoping that having you close by may encourage… errors.”

Hump sighed. Of course, the prince had a plan of his own. “I hate being bait.”

The prince raised an eyebrow.” You’ve done this before?”

Hump nodded. “Yep.”

“Worked out well last time,” Celaine said, holding up her Shadow Cat Cloak. “I got this cloak out of it.”

“Excellent!” Prince Gregory said. “Such experience will make this far simpler.”