Chapter 420 - The Veil of Infinite Reflections

Quick Note - Wizard Charles was Wizard Gregor from the Three Eyes before. I remembered Prince Greggory exists and had to change it. Hope you like the chapter!

To breathe the air of Elenvine again was… not exactly unpleasant. It certainly wasn’t Hump’s first choice, but after an entire day in the Remnant Realm, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the relief that came with it. The essence-starved world drained his strength. Each and every time, it left him parched, his limbs aching with exhaustion that was more than physical. Without essence to draw upon, his body burned through its own reserves faster, leaving him feeling hollowed out.

Of all of them, Emilia managed the easiest. Hump suspected it was likely because he and Celaine possessed dragon blood, which required them to consume more sustenance, while the Chosen’s connection to the gods was weakened away from Alveron.

They were growing used to it. this marked their third expedition to the fissures that week, and each time they pushed farther. Another trip or two and they would reach the limit of what could be explored in a single trip without staying the night—something Marshal Anara was still trying to avoid. But even with the aid of a Chosen of Seres to speed their travel, the fragmented land around the fissures was vast.

Dylan slumped against the wall, his usually vibrant energy dulled. Of them all, he suffered the most. The lifeless nature of the Remnant Realm weighed on him more than the rest, sapping his strength as if the absence of living essence gnawed at his very soul.

“You alright?” Hump asked.

“I will be,” Dylan said. “Just sick of all this desert time. Two days off will do me some good.”

“It’ll do us all some good,” Emilia said, rolling her shoulders. “Let’s eat somewhere nice tonight.  My treat. Bring Loressa if you like.”

Dylan smiled. “That’s kind. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”

“That sounds brilliant!” Hump said, then hesitated. “But you can’t pressure me to drink. If I show up to my training hungover, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to face the Three Eyes again, let alone be able to count on their aid.”

Emilia laughed, but Bud’s grin was far more sinister. “Now that sounds like a challenge.”

Hump shot the knight a wary look. Bud had the terrifying ability to absorb alcohol like it was nothing, and he was so earnest about getting people involved it was hard to say no. “Please… show some mercy, Sir Rusty.”

There was a sparkle in Bud’s eyes. “Not a chance.”

Celaine stepped beside Hump, slipping her fingers between his. “I’ll make sure you get back in time.”

Hump smiled, squeezing her hand. “At least I have someone I can count on.”

Bud groaned. “Ugh. Look at you two being all touchy.”

Hump smirked at him. “Jealous?”

Scoffing, Bud started walking, shaking his head. “There shall be no mercy tonight, my friend. None!”

***

Hump climbed the winding staircase of one of Elenvine Academy’s tallest towers. At the top, he reached an open polished oak door, inlaid with the name: PROFESSOR CHARLES HOTH.

“Ah, Wizard Humphrey, do come in,” Wizard Charles greeted. He was seated behind his desk, appearing just as regal as when Hump had met the man a week before, dressed in deep purple robes embroidered with gold thread. A ring adorned each of his fingers, each a precious gem filled with essence.

“Good morning,” Hump said with a smile.

“And a fine morning it is,” Charles said. He gestured at the chair opposite him. “Do sit. Do you take tea?”

Hump took the seat. “Erm. Sure. Yes please.”

“I have a special brew. Opens up the pores and lets the world right in.” A teapot floated beside him, filling a cup as he spoke with a pale red liquid before setting it before Hump.

Wizard Charles’ office was as extravagant as Hump expected. The circular room offered a spectacular view over Elenvine, stretching from the docks to the city walls. Morning light spilled in through the arched windows, lighting up what may have been an even more spectacular view.

Lavish furniture, tapestries, and artifacts cluttered every available surface. The desk alone was a masterpiece—carved with runes and spell formations, and depicting scenes of wizards in battle, duelling atop mountains, summoning storms at sea, or fighting monsters. A chandelier of floating essence stones bathed the room in warm light, its orbs drifting in slow, cyclical loops.

Shelves lined the walls, brimming with books, vials, and all sorts of ornaments. Rings, bones, fossils, trinkets, paintings—horded and crammed in wherever they fit. It was quite the collection.

“Thanks again for doing this,” Hump said, taking a sip of the tea. It was the perfect temperature, though he wasn’t too sure about the drink. It had an acrid taste to it, concealed by what must have been a ludicrous amount of honey.

“A pleasure, truly,” Charles said. “Now before we begin.”

With a flick of his fingers, the door thudded shut and a shimmer passed through the room. Hump sensed the subtle shift in the air—wards sealing them in. He couldn’t tell the function, but they seemed complete. If he were to hazard a guess, nobody would see, hear, or sense a thing in this room until Charles decided it be so.

Considering he was a mysterious, powerful, and mostly unfamiliar wizard, Hump couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable. There were few things as unpleasant as feeling trapped, even if by a supposed ally.

“Right,” Charles continued. “That will keep things private. It is rare Aldric asks me a favour, so he must have taken quite the liking to you. I’ve been looking forward to seeing what the ‘Bearer of Infinity’ is capable of.”

He said the title with some amusement, though it seemed well intentioned.

“Before that, I had a question if you don’t mind,” Hump said. “By any chance were you the one that saved Wizard Aldric’s life?”

Charles paused at that. “He spoke to you about that, did he?”

“Not explicitly,” Hump said. “But he said you’re an expert on the soul and spoke of the damage that was done to him. It seemed logical that you were the one that gave him the help he needed.”

“Ah, an astute observation. You are correct. And a fortune that I found him in time—Alveron would be a worse place if Wizard Aldric were not in it. He has become a dear friend of mine. You will do well to stay on his good side.”

Hump’s mind wandered to his master. He wondered if the old man might still be here if he had received such help, though knowing how stubborn he was, he couldn’t imagine him trusting an organisation like the Three Eyes. Still, it seemed wrong that help was so close at hand yet he didn’t know.

Hump smiled at that. “I’ll do my best.”

“That is all one can do,” Wizard Charles smiled back. “Now then, I suggest we begin your training with a demonstration of the Prime Stages. That way, I can get a better sense of your foundation. I have some ideas for what will be most beneficial to you, but this will help me to be more certain.”

Hump searched his memory for the familiar term, almost stumped by the academic phrasing before it came to him: Perception, Manipulation, Projection, Manifestation—the progress of one’s soul as one advanced as a wizard.

This was something he knew well. It was little more than shaping exercises, and something Vivienne had made them all practice when they were at Fishers Lake. Hump turned his focus inward, visualising the well of essence within his soul, steady and vast. He took his time, making sure Charles could observe the process.

Next, he drew on his reserves, manipulating it through his body with River and Waves, building up his strength before projecting his essence from his body, shaping it into a sphere of intense energy and intent.

Then, with a single thought, Hump manifested his soul. The room shifted. A pulse of violet energy surged from him, surrounding him in a flickering blaze of essence. The essence in the chamber twisted to his control, the air churning with intent, growing thicker and charged, as if reality itself trembled beneath his will. Flickering purple light danced in Wizard Charles’ eyes as he observed with a quiet intensity.

“Is that as far as you can go?” Charles asked after a few moments.

Hump frowned. “There’s more?”

The man chuckled. “As a Rank 5 wizard, you should already be familiar with Soul Expansion. Infuse more essence into your manifested soul. Expand your sphere of influence.”

“Oh.” Without hesitation, Hump channelled more power, his aura stretching, unfurling into the room like an expanding tide. “I didn’t realise that was a formal stage. I’ve been able to do that since manifesting my soul.”

Charles arched a brow. “Interesting.” The older wizard circled him, muttering a few incantations. He explained his process as he went, describing the spells he was using to analyse Hump’s soul and flow of essence.

As Charles walked, Hump asked, “Just out of curiosity, are there more Prime Stages I should be aware of? I didn’t exactly have an academic tutelage.”

“There is one more you should know, and most would believe is myth. To become a Rank 6 wizard, one must master Soul Supremacy—complete dominance over the essence in one’s domain. To reach beyond that, one must form a Soul Domain—a true extension of your being.”

Hump digested that with a slow breath. He did not know for certain if Wizard Charles was of the seventh rank, but considering Aldric’s testimony of the man, he could only assume he was. Or perhaps he was even greater.

“Could you conceal your soul,” Charles instructed. “Withdraw your manifestation and maintain only your standard state, as if you were home and maintaining a passive guard.”

Hump did as he was told, pulling his presence inward, relying on the Eclipse Brooch and his own discipline to control his essence and keep it contained.

“Now hide it from me entirely.”

This time, Hump focused deeper, withdrawing every trace of himself, retreating into the quiet of his own being. His soul was a lake, sealed shut behind thick walls of his will, like a dam blocking a flood. Nothing could break free.

Silence stretched between them, but Hump hardly noticed, his focus only on one thing.

“Very good,” Charles said. “In this state, your enemies would struggle to find you. I would never speak of such a matter with absolutes, but I’m not sure I could detect you, even if I knew to look.”

Hump exhaled, relieved. “So it’s working?”

“To an extend,” Charles said. “But the moment you spoke, your aura flickered. Your control is admirable, but maintaining it requires your entire focus. That just will not do if you are interested in having any sort of life.”

A few moments passed as Charles studied him, stroking his chin in thought. Then he finally sat down, regarding Hump with something akin to curiosity. “Very interesting. I must admit, I have never seen a soul quite like yours. You share two bonds—with your dragon, I presume, along with the book. I also see the scar of the imprint you mentioned, but there is more. Tell me, have you been subjected to any spiritual trauma in the past?”

Hump hesitated. “I was captured by a gorger for a number of days. It was not the best of hosts.”

“Ah.” Charles inclined his head. “Forgive me. I see an interesting soul, and I cannot help but pry.”

Hump suppressed a shudder. Now there’s a phrasing I don’t appreciate.

“I believe I see where the issue lies,” Charles continued. “You are trying to make yourself invisible.”

Hump frowned. “Isn’t that the point?”

“No, the point is that you go undiscovered.” Charles leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “If you could maintain complete invisibility, that would be incredibly effective, of course, but the body and soul are not perfect vessels. They have flaws—openings. It is how we draw in essence, but it is also how our essence signature leaks out. to forcefully withdraw your aura into yourself is unnatural. It requires immense focus because you are fighting against the nature of the world. Instead, you must learn to blend. Camouflage is significantly more efficient than true invisibility. In nature, how many magical beasts do you know that can truly vanish?”

Hump shrugged. “Very few.”

“Precisely. Most conceal themselves by adapting, becoming one with their surroundings, whether that be vegetation, shadows, or bending light around them. The same principle applies to your aura. Rather than forcefully containing your presence, learn to disperse it through the world around you.”

Hump absorbed his words carefully. He’d spent so much time learning to pull his essence inward, to seal his presence away like a locked vault, but now Charles was telling him to do the opposite—spread himself out.

“I don’t understand. If I’m giving off all this essence, won’t I be even easier to track? How is this better than a few fluctuations when I’m focusing on keeping it all contained?”

“For one, few know such a thing is possible. Fewer still know how to detect the method. Beyond that, it comes down to the process. There are three steps to this technique. I’ll simplify them for now for the sake of brevity. The first is to bend the essence of your soul, much like when casting a veil you would bend the essence of the world. By altering the way essence disperses, one can appear scattered, like a reflection upon a lake.”

Hump was unconvinced. “But when light reflects off a river or lake, it shimmers and is bright and visible.”

Charles shook his head. “There is such a thing as taking the analogy of water too literally. This is a soul, not a body of water. If you like, think of it instead as water near the shoreline where the surface is still enough to reflect what is around it. The water underneath is still moving, unnoticed.”

“I see.” Hump massaged his temples, already getting a sense of how painful this technique was going to be to practice. Anything to do with the soul always was, and this seemed… complicated.

“Second and more complex, is Soul Splintering,” Charles continued. “It sounds more intimidating than it is in function. The soul is made up of a billion complexities, but fundamentally it is a pool of essence and intent. The goal here is to release once’s essence as just that—essence. And this is done by breaking down everything—your affinities, essence, and even the subtle imprints upon your soul—into its most basic form. Something that cannot be identified as your essence signature, though at this point the technique is incomplete.”

“And finally, this comes together as the Veil of Infinite Reflections, where you become one with the world around you. By synchronising one’s essence with the essence of the world, one can disappear into it entirely. For this, not only must you master the previous techniques, but also understand the Will of the World.”

Hump’s heart thumped with excitement. He couldn’t believe it. “I have heard of a technique called One with the World that sounds very much the same. Though I was taught this as a way to compound my own essence with the essence of the world to produce more powerful spells.”

“Fascinating,” Charles said. “This may come more swiftly for you than I thought. I wonder if this is a case of convergence or if the technique was passed down through multiple sources. Let’s see how you get on and how similar the process is. This may be easier for you to master than I anticipated.” Wizard Charles took a leather bound book from his desk and handed it to Hump. “I prepared this for you. Examine the technique, and we can begin practice immediately.”