Draith

Chapter 162 - I Believe I Can Fly

The robe was little better than rags. It'd been soaked through with the most foul substance I'd ever smelled. It was worse than tar on a tin roof in triple digit weather.

Despite the stench, I couldn't help but laugh. Then I cast Water Breathing, which effectively prevented the stench from reaching my face.

"What in the Front is that smell?" Nexxa asked, her nose wrinkling as she lo...

Chapter 161 - Stay A While

As I stared at the note in Bevel's analysis, I shook my head. If there was a tier higher than Dragon-soul, that was… well, I'd never heard of anyone at said tier, but maybe there was a reason Dragon-souls like Morgath Starforge left Ro'an behind.

Plus, after people reached Dragon-soul might’ve never bothered to inform the rest of us mere mortals if they Ascended further. Considering t...

Chapter 160 - Back Beneath

Doing the trial with Tamrie at my side turned out to be rather entertaining. Her coordination was…

Well, she didn't spend time on the nets unless she absolutely had to, and it showed.

Yet she didn't give up, or show any sign of frustration other than short and simple nods to herself before trying again.

It took us a while, but we completed the final cliff challenge together,...

Chapter 159 - The Nearest Tree

Conflict stopped, turning to look back at us after I’d asked if it had nabbed a person. Behind it, the rollerbugs remained still with what seemed to be a humanish body slung between them.

"It is one of the servant units," Conflict answered, turning away.

At that, the rollerbugs set the body down. Closer inspection with Eagle Eyes revealed that it was mechanical. In fact, I realize...

Chapter 158 - Building Better Tools

Despite my resolve to throw down railroad tunnels, I didn't immediately leave the trial. There were still experiments to run, parts to test.

Specifically, I wanted to build better tools.

There was a lot that could be done by a well trained machinist, even if they didn’t have magic. If I could provide Inertia with proper presses, lathes and a welder…

Well, we were going to ...

Chapter 157 - Not Too Consequental

Having a kaiju sized metal devil join my trial was a little unexpected, but ultimately, turned out to be not too consequential.

For one thing, it wasn't able to scale the peaks. It's roars were inconvenient, since they were loud enough I almost wished I was working next to Conflict as it snapped its fingers. Meanwhile, the kaiju devil’s breath when directed in my general direction was e...

Chapter 156 - Crushing With Style

Despite Fang's increased speed, we were the last to arrive at the entrance to Conflict's tunnel. Vaserra and Nexxa were waiting nearby, the storm giving them room as if afraid. I know its just whatever spell Nexxa is using, but the way she and Vaserra are chatting on the back of Frost Lily, their sheer presence combined with seeing rain falling on either side…

Yep, looks like the storm�...

Chapter 155 - Out Of The Loop

When we went to Esbee's End of The World Tavern — which was the name inscribed on the new sign hanging out front — we came across Bevel's sister, who was there talking with Esbee and Banya, though even as we approached, Esbee moved off to deal with one of her customers.

Keria raised her head, sparing us a glance before returning to the books spread on the table.

Seeing how full ...

Chapter 154 - A Path Twice Tread

Despite my immense relief at Bevel being alright, I might've been having a bit of a panic attack as what she'd called me soaked in.

Only later would I even think about how Tamrie might react.

In that moment, I was instead very much focused on how she couldn't have chosen a worse person to be her father.

Okay, even in my panic, I realized I wasn't actually the worst she could'v...

Chapter 153 - Growing Pains

As soon as I was through the doorway, I recognized the feeling of my mana being blocked. Yet it didn't block the enhancements to my mind. Maybe it couldn't, or maybe only mana would interfere with whatever improvements the trial would give us.

The green flame I'd stepped through clung to my skin for a second before fading into near-invisibility. It didn't burn, but I could feel it there, ...

Chapter 152 - Poorly Tended

"That is not why you are here," Tender said, drawing my attention away from the door.

"Wouldn't be so sure about that," I muttered as Tender moved from the back of the forest-triceritops. To my surprise, it landed lightly, then sprang forward towards the first door on the left.

I was left gawking at its smooth movements, which reminded me of a deer more than an eight-foot tall vine...

Chapter 151 - Outer Halls of Final Rest

While I was definitely curious about what lay at the bottom of the Final Rest, I wasn't super excited about bringing Bevel along.

Not that I had much choice in the matter.

There was a reason I didn't try to force her to do anything, and the speed with which she was able to blast herself over towards the open tunnel, despite the many forest-raptors milling about between where we’d ...

Chapter 150 - Lame Plant Staff

After finishing the lame plant staff, Bevel decided she wanted to come along with me to deliver it to Vaserra. Or in her words. “It’ll be more fun than sitting around by myself.”

Which meant we were both riding shotgun with Calbern out past the bluff less than two days after I'd returned.

Tamrie's only request was that I not go riding on Frost Lily for some reason.

Consi...

Chapter 149 - Dangerous Playspace and Playmates

Don't know why, but I was certain Vaserra was going to say Detroit. There was no good reason for it. Even if I’d been pressed to guess a planet, my guess would've been Mars.

At no point would I have guessed Venus as a possible place of origin. Would’ve guessed Venice before Venus, and that would’ve been a long way down my list.

“So… this ‘Stranger from beyond the stars? ...

Chapter 148 - Stroll Through The Garden

The next few hours were a positive blur of activity as Vaserra set people to organizing. She didn't limit herself to the northern vale, which was called Sheep's Home by the locals, sending off other members of her pack to prepare the other vales. When I'd explained exactly how much help I could provide in a few hours, Vaserra had stared at me blankly for several seconds, as if struggling to bel...

Chapter 147 - Checking on the Sheep

After Inertia and I recovered, Calbern explained that he intended to get a new set of upgrades installed, and that he felt it best to reclaim the materials Conflict had used.

Considering the high quality of the material, Inertia didn't hesitate.

Fearing for my safety, I darted down the stairs, leaving the two of them as they tore Fang apart side-by-side. Nodding to the sentries who ...

Chapter 146 - Taken Apart

"What… was that?" I asked, looking down at the body.

"Fifth former warlord of the day," Xelinda said, shaking her head. "Least this one didn't kill anyone before I got to him."

"I… former warlord? People died?" I asked, while staring at the man who’d been taken apart with a single swing. "How is this something I didn't know about?"

"It only happened a few hours ago," Xel...

Chapter 145 - Off The Top

While Nexxa flew off to save the world, or at least as much of it as she could reach within half a day's worth of Lightning Transit, I prepared for the next departure. The outpost was secured enough for the moment. If we were going to continue to ferry people east, there was a lot that needed to be done back in Cape Aeternia.

Collecting Bevel required first extracting her from the group o...

Chapter 144 - People Are Hard

After Bevel's little speech, I found myself tearing up a little.

Wasn't the only adult to do so.

The boy wasn't as impressed. He'd snorted and stomped off, muttering to himself.

"It was a good attempt," I said while healing the bruised boy as the other children left, several of them glancing back at her.

"Stupid," Bevel said, crossing her arms. "People are hard."

"...

Chapter 143 - Storms Outside and In

The next morning, the storm continued below us. After finishing with the well, I'd gone on to convert what looked like it'd once been a performance hall into a greenhouse. On its own, it wouldn't even make a dent in the food needed for all the refugees. But combined with Nexxa and I using Bloom, we were able to add some produce back in folk's diet.

It was a nice bump in morale but hardly ...

Chapter 142 - Not Blending In

Author's note: Small edits to chapter 140 and 141

Chapter 140 in the paragraph:

The week passed with my day split between repairing the greenhouse and doing spot enchantments on the airship, and my nights spent with everyone outside, enjoying the reprieve from the storm.

...Add...

Even snuck in another visit to Conflict and traded the favor to get a bunch of lightweight ...

Chapter 141 - Inaugural Flight

As if in defiance of my desire to find Nexxa, the storm howled its rage below us, the calm of the last week wiped away beneath its fury.

Still, we didn't need it to be calm in Cape Aeternia. We were setting out to find Nexxa along the high road, and the storms always lost some of their strength by the time they'd been torn apart by the mountains on the west edge of my territory.

Com...

Chapter 140 - The Old and The New

There was a lot of stuff on the interface that I'd missed. Bevel and I spent the next half hour sussing it all out. It seemed that other than the map, everything else was visible only to me.

Which, while good for security, did take some of the fun out of it for Bevel.

In addition to the functional Ascendancy landmarks, the Golden Halls, the Infinite Furnace and the Final Rest, there...

Chapter 139 - Interdimensional Chop

The next morning, life continued.

As did the storm.

It had been a constant presence through the last several months. Sometimes it whispered, and others it howled, yet always it was there, outside.

I'd thought I understood how bad the storm could get. The constant lightning, the perpetual rain, and the unending booming of thunder.

It had all been on the level of a storm I...

Chapter 138 - New Doors

Despite the way Keria stormed off, I felt satisfied with how the meeting had gone. Honestly, I'd expected far worse.

With that out of the way, my next stop was to talk to Inertia about the airship. Tamrie was waiting just outside the tavern.

I hadn't told anyone else about the capabilities of the Golden Halls. All I'd told Tamrie was that it looked promising but that there was a lot...

Chapter 137 - Progress Quantified

After recovering from the wave of relief that swept through me, I made my way over to the display related to my mind.

Mind - Tier 2 - Refinement

Unlike the vague promises from the initial diagnostic, the scan indicated exactly what had been upgraded. The first thing I noticed was that my reaction times had been improved by five percent.

I held up my hand, then...

Chapter 136 - The Golden Halls

The center of the building was a walkway around a circular platform that was raised a few feet above the bottom. At the center of the platform was a blank control panel. Like one of those fancy touchscreen pads they'd installed in the mall shortly before I'd died, except without any local advertising or the mall map.

"That was a rather unique experience," Calbern said, his voice rather up...

Chapter 135 - Down Where It's Wetter

Instead of leaving that evening, we decided to wait until morning. Mostly so I could tell Tamrie myself and spare the poor sentry. Though I did get a good story out of the exchange.

Turned out people thought I'd already made her into a mage…

Much as Calbern grumbled, Fang wasn't a good choice of conveyance for getting to the Golden Halls. The ridges that direction were even roughe...

Chapter 134 - Cracking The Spellcode

I've heard it said that you're often forced to choose between what you want and what you need.

What I wanted was to solve Balthum's Spellcode to the Golden Halls of Ascension.

What I needed was to not upset Tamrie and Bevel by spending the entire day locked away with Keeper by myself.

Thankfully, it was one of those situations where what I wanted could accomodate what I needed...

Chapter 133 - More Good News

With Conflict’s trial complete, I returned to my body, my hand still upon the door. I barely caught the distinguished tones of Calbern starting to speak when the aftereffects of my trial kicked in.

The burbling mess I was reduced to wasn’t much of a surprise.

That I got to watch Calbern in super slow motion as he took a single step towards me was. With the agony burning up and d...