23 Finding the Formula

Now, while I wasn’t exactly a genius, I understood when a situation exceeded my pay grade. After rereading some of the sections and double checking myself, I left my cavern towards Torix. By now, the ancient lich jotted down notes while messing around with a few potions. Many bowls rested on his runic table, the various liquids containing the conduit ichor from earlier.

Several of Torix’s minions assisted in the process, handing him knickknacks and thingamajigs for his use. He kept those experiments centered on both Althea and my blood. Torix kept his gaze centered on his work while I walked up. I raised a hand to him,

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Torix turned towards me, "Tell me, does it matter if I mind? I do believe you’d ask regardless."

I tilted my head, “Oh, I see the runes haven’t given an inch, huh? Is that why you’re working on potions?”

Torix sighed before placing a vial down, “Hypothetically speaking, let’s assume you’re correct. There is more than one manner in which to understand my son’s handiwork after all. Regardless of my intentions, what precisely have you come to ask about this time?”

A glint of excitement traced his voice, and I held back a smile at the lich’s antics. He held questionable moral and ethical standards, but the guy loved teaching, whether he gained from it or not. That might’ve been why he amassed so much knowledge in the first place. He may have wanted someone to share it with.

And yet, for some reason, Torix kept his guard up regarding his past. Not wanting to pry, I kept my questions centered on topics he enjoyed sharing, like magic and histories outside his own. Either way, my current query required urgency. I frowned,

“It’s important, I think. I've been having dreams, almost nightmares, but not quite. They're less horrifying and more...haunting. Eerie. You know, menacing."

Torix crossed his arms, “Any content to said dreams worthy of note outside of a general malaise?"

I whirled my hands, fear leaking out of me, “So, I’ve been hearing a phrase in one of the dreams - Embrace me, my child. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but I started reading about Etorhma. You know, the Old One. After a few passages on the subject, I thought it was a good idea to tell you about it."

Torix gave me a knowing look, "Ah, a cause for concern to be sure. Are you absolutely certain the voice said those exact words?"

I spoke my words with a frantic edge, "Yeah. When I heard its voice, it was like my entire being was vibrating. Even if I was deaf and blind, I would still hear its voice in my mind. It was that piercing."

Torix spread his hands, "Well of course it is, because that is Etorhma.”

My stomach sank as Torix continued, “Etorhma, while not the most active of the Old Ones, does maintain a steady presence. It maintains several cults, each with unknown goals. I've traded with them before, though mainly for experimental material. For this reason, I know that Etorhma contacting mortals isn't all that uncommon. It beckons those most likely to follow it or those it desires.”

Torix leaned over me, “Tell me, do you have any desire to become its plaything?"

I raised up my palms in my defence, “Hell no. In no capacity, shape, form, function do I want to be near it."

Torix stood upright, "Good. Now, Etorhma may keep contacting you, due to your unusual origins. Ignore it, but do not openly defy that entity. Etorhma has made even rulers of worlds insane with just an utterance in their dreams."

I grimaced, "Noted. I'll see if I can avoid that."

Torix nodded, "It’s wise of you to tell me about this. Like you, Althea dreamed of Etorhma beckoning her as well. I've even dreamed of it after having met with one of its many cults. That should ease your concerns."

I sighed, releasing the tension in my shoulders. Knowing about Althea's involvement helped quite a bit with my nerves. Reading the scriptures nearly gave me a heart attack. As I turned to walk away, Torix raised a hand,

"To reiterate the point of madness, allow me to share a few words that a cultist spoke to me when he and I met. I spoke of the speed at which the guild operated. This person replied, ‘They say there's nothing faster than light. They’re wrong. No matter where light goes, darkness is already there...And it is waiting.'"

I gulped. "Oof, sounds insane."

Torix’s fire eyes narrowed, "He had the clearest eyes of anyone I've ever met. Be careful of Etorhma. It will change you if you allow it to."

I gave Torix a thumbs up, "Heard. Etorhma reminds me of Baldag-Ruhl. Honestly, Etorhma sounds like an overgrown eldritch."

Torix shrugged as he stared back at his alchemical set, "If so, he is the largest and oldest of them all."

I left the lich to his devices. Passing by the colosseum, I found Althea in a sort of meditation. As always, her form trembled and writhed under her robe. She remained tranquil, letting the reformations split her form apart. It hurt, I knew that, but she trained her tolerance for those transformations.

Something snapped, and her serenity shattered. Althea lurched up. She turned towards Torix, hobbling over. I skipped down the colosseum’s steps, putting myself between them. At the sight of me, she took heaving breaths. A blood mist sprayed from her deforming face. Charging at me, I lifted my hands for another round of fights.

Instead of her and I colliding, Althea stopped herself mid charge. As if being pulled back by a rope, she jerked herself back. Landing on her back, she rolled around, her inhuman howls grating my ears. A minute passed, and her body restored itself to normal. I put my hands on my hips,

“Well damn, you’ve come a long way.”

Althea’s light skin and lavender hair shone a bit under Torix’s torch light. She brushed some sweat off her brow, “Yeah...Uhm, you know, thanks to you.”

I frowned, “Heh, I don’t think so. I’m not the one dealing with all of that. You are.”

She peered down in shame, “What? No, I’m barely holding myself back here. This is really hard.”

“Yeah, but that’s what makes it impressive.”

From the corner of her eye, she peered up at me, “You think so?”

I raised a hand, the pointed ends of my finger tips wiggling back and forth, “Of course. If I’m honest, your struggle made me want to get control of my armor.” I gazed into the distance,

“You know, it’s like we’re both dealing with a piece of ourselves that we hate. I mean, I’m not getting rid of this armor. From the look of it, you’re stuck with that reformation ability too. Seeing you embrace that part of yourself, despite all the terror that entails...It makes it easier to accept this part of me too.”

Althea stood up, and she peered at the back of her hands. She waved them with a bit of disgust, “Ok, so like, embracing this part of myself might be an exaggeration.”

I rolled my eyes, “Alright, maybe so. My point is, you’re not running anymore. I don’t want to run from myself anymore either.”

She grabbed her hands behind herself, staring down, “Really?”

“Yeah.”

She smiled, “Heh. I didn’t think I’d make that kind of difference.”

I raised a fist, “Me neither. All I did was beat you up.”

She turned to Torix, “Yeah, it hurt and all, but I don’t think I would’ve gotten control of this any other way. These transformations hurt like a heavy hailstorm. They batter me all the time. I was awash in the pain, and it always just took me out. You took the monster I became and beat it.”

Althea raised both her hands, bouncing a bit on her toes, “That was, like, a wakeup call or something. It let me know that it could be beat, you know? So I just followed that path. And you believed in me too, so that helped. Now I’m able to take it down and out with a mental beating of my own.”

I smiled, “See? I told you so.”

She looked away, “Heh, yeah...You did.”

A silence passed over us before Althea raised her hands as fists, “Well, uhm, we can have our battle now or whatever. I’m trying to figure out how my cannon works, so that’ll help me stay on even footing. It’s actually pretty interesting, if you want to talk about it.”

I furrowed my brow, “Huh? We aren’t having our battles anymore?”

Althea let her hands drop, and her eyes widened, “W-we aren’t?”

“Of course not. The whole reason we had them was so that we’d get you under control for interrogation. Now you’ve got it under lock and key, so we don’t have to do that anymore. I’m pretty sure you’ve already told Torix and I everything you know anyways.”

She looked to the side, scratching her cheek, “Yeah...I guess I have.”

I spread out my hands, “So if Torix is ok with it, you can just head back if you want. I don’t think you’d throw us under a bus after leaving anyways.”

Althea swayed her weight back and forth, from her heels to her toes, “Huh...I guess I could just leave. I didn’t really think about it.”

I lifted a hand, “Well, I’d definitely give it some thought. Anyways, I’m going to go train some. Cya later, Althea.”

She raised a hand as I turned around. She murmured, “Uhm...Bye. And make sure you show me bingo. Whatever it is.”

I rolled my shoulders, “I will.”

After reaching back into my own side cavern, I created a list of various common skills. Those skills centered on closing the distance between my foes and I. With all my emphasis on melee, gap closing became vital. That list included Blitz, Burrow, and Jump at the top of it. Throwing offered some utility too.

By comparison, my magical options idled far off in the distance. Sorcery, as a concept, tempted me, but it did so far off on an unseen horizon. At that time, I lacked any true understanding of mana and spells. Torix shared his knowledge on magic willingly, but I wanted him finished with his experiments. For that reason, I kept my questions targeted so I didn’t waste his time.

Lacking other avenues of growth, I focused on charging into a wall for Blitz and Burrow. Using my captured bat, I dodged its slow tackles by charging at the wall. Once enough crags of rock built up on the floor, I tossed them at the bat, aiming just over its head. The stones whizzed between its ears like a field goal.

I ended up hitting the bat once or twice, but the creature's innate tenacity shined through. After several hours of this, I kept my armor off my face while tossing the stones. I gained quite a few tree points in the meantime. Dominion of the Mind, Throwing, Blitz, Burrow, and Jump all leveled from the training circuit. Torix even created a sound proofing web of magic so my incessant banging leaked into his work area less.

I counted his annoyance as progress.

In time, my actions gew more fluid. Minutes of training turned into hours, and my random, haphazard tasks turned into a synchronized dance. The bat charged. I rolled under or around it before jumping up into the wall. Lodging myself a bit, I pulled myself from the wall, dipping down. I grabbed stones, tossed them over its head, and readied for another dive of the bat.

That rate of exertion exhausted me over time. After seven or so hours of this training, I poured sweat and my limbs burned. As the tension and tiredness mounted, so did my skill gains. When my lungs began burning, my skills leveled faster. As my limbs weighed me down like iron plates, I gained skills even faster.

At some point, I breached a threshold. While aiming my stones, I fumbled my shots. They clapped against the wall as my eyes glazed over. I breathed out before rolling under the bat’s dive again. I clasped my fists, banging my head against the wall. The slight pain cleared my mind, reminding me of what the training aimed for - avoiding death and finding my friends.

I furrowed my brow at the emotions racing through my head. Survival spiked more motivation than before, but finding my friends gave me less oomph. Peering down, I gazed at broken stalagmites and stalactites. They bunched up in a powder below, different sized pieces laying at my feet. My motivations were the same.

Some desires swelled while others waned. I lifted my head, closing my eyes. Centering myself, I gave myself a few reminders. Right now, every twelve skill levels equaled one more attribute point, all because of Obliterator. For my perks and my future, that tree and its completion took priority. Knowing the necessity of this tedium, I shook off my fatigue and pressed on.

I practiced long into the night, my stamina depleting as I heaved for breath. While finding myself just within my limits, I smiled. I shouldered my responsibilities, and it felt good. No, great. While feeling a little too good about myself, I slipped during one of my charges. I fell and crushed my training bat beneath me, blood splattering everywhere like a red tube of toothpaste.

I pushed myself up, the steaming pile of entrails beneath me grotesque and uninviting. My armor reached out with a maw, indulging in the pile as I pulled myself to my feet. Whenever I walked up towards Torix, the necromancer leaned back from me,

"Even though I am undead, your hygiene disgusts me. Have you no shame?"

Feeling tired, I raised a hand, "Shame is for the weak and people with low self confidence...That being said, I want to be clean for other reasons, like being able to eat without throwing up at the smell."

Torix flicked his finger, casting a spell. The gunk all over me disappeared in an instant. I gawked at the results, "Is there any way I can learn that spell anytime soon?"

Torix raised a hand, "It requires precise handling of spatial manipulation and a pocket dimension you enchant into a ring. It should only take a few months to master, if you're talented that is."

I nodded, "So I'll take that as a no."

I left Torix before practicing my Pull Ups, Push Ups, Jump, and Rock Climbing skills. With a summoned skeleton from Torix, I sped up the process by avoiding the brittle bones’ attacks all the while. During that ordeal, Torix gazed over and chuckled, my entire regime ridiculous to behold.

Ridiculously effective, that is.

Shrugging Torix’s scrutiny off via awful puns, I pummeled away for a couple more hours. At that point, I finally gained enough points for another rank in Obliterator.

The change you usher, comes with the cost of sacrifice. As an obliterator, you can afford no mercy. You do not cull your enemy, you erase them completely.

+1 attribute point per 5 levels. Effect is retroactive for all levels before 100.

| Note - Total increase is +2 attribute points per 5 levels | Example - In ten levels, you will gain fourteen points instead of ten.

Twenty points of sweet justice came sweeping my way. I invested eight of those points into perception, and the other twelve into luck. The perk screen appeared, my dungeon cores ready and waiting for use.

[Clear-Sighted(Perception of 25 or more) - Your perception is incredible. Adds 1/10th of perception to charisma. Capacity for comprehension doubled. Radius of awareness doubled. Traps and enemies are color coded on your minimap.]

[All-Seeing(Perception of 30 or more) - Another 1/10th of perception added towards charisma. Additional comprehension, sensory excellence, and awareness per level. +5 mana per point in perception. Doubles mana cost.]

[Lucky(Luck of 10 or more) - Your luck is good. Doubles money found.]

[Fortunate(Luck of 15 or more) - Your luck is admirable. Doubles chances of rare events.]

[Rigged Dice(Luck of 20 or more) - Your luck is amazing. Doubles the increase of odds being in your favor. You're more likely to meet the right people at the right time.]

Burning through my stash of dungeon cores, I selected them all and finalized my decision. Energy rippled into my frame, ripping and tearing the fabric of my being apart. It recreated me into a different image, a better one. As if my eyes opened for the first time, I stood tall and looked around.

Tiny squawks from bats ebbed into the colosseum. Their cacophony of calls hummed in my ears. The air currents around me pressed onto my skin. Each piece of wind carried a different temperature, spawning from above or below. Those sensations gave me an idea where those fluxes flowed. I waved my arms around, and that awareness faltered in the face of my arms’ disturbances.

I grinned. I still had a ways to go. Testing out my other senses, I opened my mouth, and the air carried a few flavors on it. Subtle and changing, these tastes singled out as certain materials. Iron laden clay, wafting dust, and the putrefaction of old blood, those odors and scents sauntered around me.

With that rush of awareness came the strengthening of my arcane bonds. Giddy as the sun on a

Daniel Hillside, The Harbinger of Cataclysm | Character Screen

Health - 2,606/2,606 | Health Regen - 357.2/min | Stamina - 1,040/1,040 | Stamina Regeneration - 31/sec | Damage Resistance - 96.5% | Mental Resistance - 96.5% | Physical Power - (+)350% | Damage Increase - 5% | Evolution - 360,067/4,000,000

Aura - Oppression | Current Damage: (6,000 + 20% of your health)/minute within a 120ft radius.

Level 103 Attribute Menu

Strength [30] | Constitution [36.3] | Endurance [51] | Dexterity [30] | Willpower [30.3] | Intelligence [30] | Charisma [9] | Luck [21] | Perception [30]

Only two leveling perks escaped my grasp now: charisma and luck. After that, I wanted endurance to be my primary attribute. Determinator augmented the attribute, and it cascaded points into willpower then intelligence then luck and finally charisma. This cascading system of points made endurance hyper efficient. With Blood Magic, endurance bolstered my magical output as well since I drew from health instead of mana for sorcery.

All these multiplying benefits dumbfounded me, the system’s inputs becoming complex. Taking a step back from it all, endurance and constitution stuck out. They both started chains of attributes. That made them both lucrative, but why Schema designed the system like this left me pondering.

If I guessed right, it was because of the defense both of those attributes offered. Even at my level of bulk, creatures still hurt me. A normal person without the 95% damage resistance and extra health of endurance would shatter like glass. If I considered each leveled up person as an investment, it made sense that Schema incentivized security in those investments.

In that way, having a higher leveled individual die would be a blow to Schema.

My Determinator tree turned the endurance incentivization into outright abuse. A fully unlocked Obliterator tree plus the perk points converting would also result in two attributes gained per level. For me at least. Combine that with my armor and my two extra leveling perks, and I’d be unstoppable, like a walking storm.

But other people could be walking around with all kinds of trees and perks of their own as well. Assuming I had a leg up was short sighted; for all I knew, I could be behind the curve. Wielding my lack of confidence like a sword, I paced up towards Torix,

"Yo, Torix."

He still worked with his potions, "Your eyes are different now. Interesting. What do you need?"

"Can you lend me a death knight? I need one for practicing a couple skills."

Torix leaned back into his mana blot, turning to me, “What is it with you and this incessant training? I couldn’t hear myself think with all of the banging you made earlier.”

I met his eyes, “I don’t want to be helpless. I want to control what happens to me and my situation. Right now, I have a say in what happens to me. After having a taste of that, I’m not going to let it go. Not out of laziness at least.”

I frowned, “And why are you always questioning what I do anyways? You give me a lot of pushback for someone who enjoys teaching.”

Torix crossed his arms, “Perhaps you misunderstand my meaning. It’s not that I don’t approve; indeed, it’s quite the opposite, in fact.” Torix leaned forward, pressing two fingers together,

“Just as you are curious about magic and Schema’s system, I am curious about you. After all, you are a mere youth from a backwater, newly systemized world. Most are left wide eyed and awash in wonder. You are different. There is a lethality to your focus. There is an urgency behind your eyes and actions.”

He gave me a slow, begrudging nod, “I, for one, enjoy seeing it. I’m merely left wondering as to the ‘why’ of it all. Your answer just now satisfied that latent curiosity.”

I took a step back, not expecting him to say all this. I flushed, “I, well, thank you.”

Torix stood, peering at me with a look of consideration. Variables flashed across his ever shifting eyes, and his presence reminded me of the level gap between us. At that moment, I felt small and tiny and insignificant. He gestured a hand to me,

“Would you like to be my disciple?”

I shook my head in disbelief, “Me? Your disciple?”

Torix closed the offered hand slowly, “Oh...I see.” His eyes shrunk, “Ahem, I had thought it pertinent to offer, but obviously, I mistook the situation. Don’t fret over your decision. I understand. You shall forge your own path and all of that.”

He turned, but I grabbed his arm, “Wait a minute. That’s not what I meant. I’d like to be your disciple.”

Torix’s face didn’t meet mine, but even without seeing his eyes, they flared bright as I spoke. He spoke without any tone in his voice, “You’re certain of that? I am a mage, and I lack much in the way of physical knowledge.”

I spread out my hands, “Psh, that’s exactly what I need. I already know how to fight physically. I need tutoring on all of this magic stuff.”

Torix turned towards me, his confidence returned and his hands interlocked behind himself, “Then you have chosen the right master. My lessons shall be rigorous. Are you ready for that?”

I tapped the edge of my head, “Hah, I just spent hours banging myself into a wall for the Burrow and Blitz skills. I think I’ll manage.”

Torix lifted a hand, “Well, I most certainly can approve of your tenacity.” Anticipation leaked into Torix’s voice, “Ah, but your lessons shall need to be different from most. You do have Blood Magic after all. They will require a more physical inclination. Hm, there are many variables to consider.”

I waved my hands, “Actually, that’s why I came to talk to you in the first place.”

“It is?”

“Yeah.”

Torix tapped the side of his head with two bony fingers, “Ah, yes. I forgot about your need for a death knight.” He clapped his hands, and a portal spawned. From it, one of his legion of death knights walked out. Torix stood over me like a professor handing his student a priceless book,

"The other death knights you killed were disposable. This one is not. If you kill it, I may do the same to you. Remember that for later."

Giving him a thumbs up, I smiled, “I know, I know. I’ll be careful.”

Torix swiped his hand, and a notification pinged in the corner of my vision.

Torix Worm, of Darkhill | Level 1,236 | Disciple Request - Do you accept? Y/N

I clicked yes, and an icon for Torix appeared in my minimap. The lich gave me a knowing nod before stepping towards his place of work. Turning towards Torix’s minion, I eyes the death knight. It stared back with a black slit for eyes. It walked up, its interlocking plates shifting and its sharpened sword gleaming. It made for an intimidating sight. I beamed at it, while rubbing my hands together,

“Over here.”

The knight and I walked over towards the center of the arena. Once there, I turned my hands to it, "Can you understand me? In detail?"

The knight nodded. I put my hands on my hips, "Good. Charge and try slashing me. Do it slowly at first. I need a bit of practice before we ramp things up."

The knight nodded once more before dashing towards me. Instead of dodging his blow, I angled the back of my fist towards the edge of his sword. The blade slid off my sleek armor. We did this a few dozen times, one of its swings lodging right between two of my finger knuckles. A painful reminder of this insane training, we took a break after pulling the blade out. After the breather, we carried on.

Over the next hour, I kept going at it until I got the hang of everything. The process proved technical and nuanced, as expected. However, the perception perks gave me the ability to see the once blurred blade. My dexterity perks allowed me to line my hands up by fractions of a degree, angling my forearms in line with the sword. Constitution and my armor made my hands dense and hard, so the blade slid on me instead of slicing through.

All the factors culminated with me throttling sword swings with my bare hands. Everything lined up, and I opened my hand wide. Palming the dull edge, I banged the sword away mid swing. With a few more tries, I gained a skill for my efforts.

Skill gained! Deflection | Level 1 - You force what fights you to move, instead of moving from what fights you. +1% to hand speed and reaction times while deflecting strikes.

Considering the absurd requirements, this skill paid out dividends for the risk involved in learning it. Having in my repertoire, I deflected and redirected the knight's blows time and time again. In response, the death knight sped up with me while I gained level after level in Deflection.

We kept at it, and the knight changed the angles of its swings with wilder variances. It aimed for lethal spots, its first of which swung at my neck. I freaked out at first, terrified of the edge. In time, I took comfort near that wicked blade. Using my shoulder spikes, I leaned away from the blow and shrugged. The sword caught on my spikes, slipping up the armor of my arm.

That took a while to adjust to. Once I got the hang of that maneuver, I timed my shrugs, hitting the blade on top of re-angling it. That caused the knight’s precise, tight slices to veer over my head. When the blade whirled wide, I swung in quick counters at its gut. Only pretending to hit it, of course.

Hours passed, and I gained further control. Instead of just knocking the blade away, I aimed where the blade zipped off to. If the knight swung at my feet, I palmed the sword towards the ground. The sword would dig deep into the earth, ruining the weapon. If the undead sliced at my stomach, I grabbed its wrist and redirected the momentum of its swing.

I learned these tricks and many more little tidbits for helping my parrying. Each swing gave me greater insight into how a sword sliced. Its strikes never blurred in the air anymore. Every shift in angle or movement flashed in my eyes with clarity. In fact, they became so clear it was as if they moved in slow motion at times. The attacks turned sloppy and untuned.

Having disregarded the poor creature completely, the knight collapsed from exhaustion. Apparently, even the undead suffered from stamina limitations, just like the rest of us. I heaved the knight over my shoulder before carrying it towards Torix. The lich glared at me as I tossed the poor guy into a portal.

I wiped my hands off, "It passed out from exhaustion. It’s totally fine. Totally."

"You had better pray that you’re right, Daniel."

I scratched the back of my head, my armored hand scraping my helm, "Is it okay if you lend me another knight, this time experienced in archery?"

Torix tapped the table, “Is this another antic of yours? Exhausting poor death knights of mine?”

“I mean, if they tire this easily, that’s their weakness, not mine.”

Torix gazed off, “Hm, I suppose so. Perhaps I should lighten their armor. Anyways, I can give you another one. Why must it know archery?”

I grabbed a hand out in front of me, “Imma catch the arrows.”

Torix's gaze turned curious, "Catching? You intend on catching its arrows?"

"Yes."

"Well then, let me know if it gouges out your eyes. I have several potions planned, and a few of them require the eye of a troll. Perhaps your eyes should suffice."

My face dulled, "Thank you so much for your support."

Torix cackled before turning back to his work, "I do try from time to time. Good luck, disciple."

A portal appeared before another knight wearing the same armor walked out. In its hands, a crossbow glistened with several bolts in it. A loaded quiver hung from its back, and it turned towards me with the same competence as the knight before it.

We walked into the middle arena before I smashed my hand into the ground. The stone cracked under the force of my blow. A few more clashing blows, and edges of the stone bent upwards in sharpened crags. I cupped a few of them in my hands and tossed them toward the knight.

"Throw these at me. I'll be catching them. Toss them harder and harder over time."

It set its crossbow down on its side before tossing the stones at me. The process repeated, just like with the deflection training. I gained the skill Catching before the knight chunked stones like a pitcher in baseball. A few more hours of this passed before we swapped to arrows.

Ok, so, I may have taken a few arrows to the knee before I started catching them. I ensured my safety that way by asking the knight to aim at my legs. The progression for my skills began once more. We hammered away at the task, and the training turned into a routine for several days. As Torix forewarned, the remnant friend took her sweet time arriving.

Torix embittered at that fact, but he kept his words about her tame. Ish. In the meantime, the lich kept his eyes on the runes to uncover the ritual’s secrets. He took samples of my blood, running different tests on it. Alongside the necromancer’s machinations, Althea tinkered with her cannon. She inched closer to recreating it, exploring the machinery’s mechanics.

She practiced her meditative restructuring during her downtime, gaining greater control of her forms. Her lapses turned rare then disappeared altogether. She and I talked during breaks, and we discussed the outer world. To my surprise, Torix joined in, and both he and Althea cared a lot about Earth and its customs.

Simple concepts like cars, fast food, and stoves set their eyes aglow with curiosity and bewilderment. To them, I lived in an ancient, undeveloped world, and for that reason, they hungered for humanity’s history. We’d all sit together and talk about it while roasting a bear harvested by Torix’s minions. Althea and I ate while Torix listened. Those were good times.

I laughed more than I thought I could during those talks.

They proved to be brief respites in my harsh training schedule. Torix kept the pressure high by adding requirements here or there. When a single knight couldn't challenge me anymore, Torix placed two. Then three. Althea joined in on the fun at that point, though she only practiced for a few hours a day. Her progress exceeded my own because I hit a sticking point.

Torix and I both recognized that I plateaued against the minions. All these skills I learned, they came together somehow. I could feel it, but I just hadn’t taken the final step for a unique skill's completion. Althea, on the other hand, thrived by using her reformation abilities. She created massive claws and whipping tendrils all while staying sane. It left me intimidated by her at times, but in a good way.

I wanted to know if I could win a fight against her now.

Tumbling through my mind, those thoughts raced during my practice rounds. Althea and I handled a group of knights surrounding us. Torix lectured us in the meantime, the lich having taken a break from studying the runes. He drilled us in tactical combat, ensuring we handled mages well.

Against a caster, I ducked under a bolt of ice before the ghoul in front of me froze in place. It snapped me out of my combat flow, the ghoul’s muted, petrified forms unnerving. I turned around, finding all the ghouls frozen along with Torix. I turned to him, “What gives?”

Torix turned to Althea, “It would seem your employers want you back.”

Althea’s eyes hollowed, “They...They do?”

Torix lifted an arm, an undead BloodHollow bat landing on his arm. It let out its shrill screeching, and Torix nodded, “Indeed. If anything, they’re more ravenous for your presence than expected. It’s quite a conundrum, in fact. You’re anything but highly leveled, and you lack combat experience.”

Torix glared at Althea, “Is there anything you wish to tell me?”

Althea took a step back, letting her arms fall to her sides, “Nothing that you haven’t already heard. I told you guys, I literally know nothing. It’s like my life was a haze before coming here. This is the first time I’ve ever heard real sounds or tasted real food. I’ve always been in my armor, sedated till I couldn’t even think straight.”

She blinked, peering around in a panic. As if underwater, she gasped for air, “I-I don’t know why they want me back. I don’t want to go back. I really don’t.”

She trembled, but not from her transformations. A deep fear, one carved into her mind by unseen people, it lashed at her. It turned her strength into weakness. Althea’s face flushed and her eyes watered. Torix stepped up, placing a hand on her shoulder,

“It’s quite simple, my dear. If you wish to return, do so. If you do not, then don’t. Why are you acting as if you have no say in what happens to you?”

Althea shook off her panic, Torix’s words calming her down. She turned a hand to him, “I can’t stop them from taking me back.”

Torix spread his hands to us both, “We are here to help you, should you need it. Aren’t we, disciple?”

I gave her a thumbs up, “Eh, why not. It gives us something to fight.”

Althea rolled her eyes at me, “You battle crazed lunatic.”

I pointed at her, “Hey now, you’re the one that made all these enemies. I’m just finishing them off.”

Torix scoffed, “I’ll be doing most of the work here. Now-” Torix opened his hand, creating a sphere of pure white with jagged edges. It spun with great force, until the edges no longer blurred. Torix pulled his hand back, recoloring the sphere with an area outside the cave. Two robed beings inspected the area near where Althea and I fought.

One stood tall as an elephant, massive veins throbbing underneath its robe. The smaller one glowed a reddish aura with a fist-sized, black crystal in his hand. Torix leaned over them, “Ooh, they appear to be holding valuables.”

Above their heads were two messages, telling me next to nothing about them outside of their levels. Torix opened his status while murmuring, “They’ve cast masking magic for their statuses. We’ll capture them and interrogate them forthrightly.”

Althea raised a brow, “I mean, you guys aren’t exactly the best at interrogating.”

Torix’s eyes flared red, “Oh darling, there is nothing that escapes me...And I mean nothing.”

My skin crawled at that. Panning my thoughts back, Torix’s trust in Althea hadn’t added up since the beginning. The lack of security, Torix accepting her answers, even his friendly demeanor, none of it made sense. Torix turned himself into a lich for security’s sake. He was a cautious man, and he treated Althea like a book he’d read front to back. It was like he read her mind. Under the lich’s piercing gaze, I gulped.

He just might have.

Torix flipped his status to us, “That lack of escape includes their status updates. You both may read mine.”

Elthodriss, Berserker of Yawm | Level 672 - Elthodriss is a devotee to Yawm of Flesh. Elthodriss is one of his upper advisors, and a member of a race of giants. Elthodriss specializes in strength and constitution, being a brute for Yawm.

With his overwhelming stature and brutality, Elthodriss can crush most enemies with ease. He’s been granted pieces of dark magic forbidden by Schema. Elthodriss connects with unknown methods for excessive flows of energy. He engulfs in madness, becoming insanity incarnate, a being without control or reason or mercy.

Elthodriss fights with Kelto Drainer by his side. Kelto controls Elthodriss during this berserker state.

CHANGED FOR USER: At your current level, one swipe of his fist would splatter you against the wall. Pray that you die, or else you will be taken back to Yawm of Flesh. Far worse fates awaits you there than mere death.

The first status spawned a roaring unease in my chest. I murmured, “So, Torix, these guys are a pretty high level.”

At ease, Torix lifted his chin high, “Which is precisely why I’ll handle them.”

I read on.

Kelto Drainer, Endower of Yawm | Level 459 - Kelto Drainer is a devotee to Yawm of Flesh. Kelto acts as a sort of puppeteer for the brutes within Yawm's ranks. Kelto uses mind magic for controlling them when they are channeling the magic of the Old Ones.

Despite his role, Kelto is more than able when it comes to fighting on his own. He uses mind magic mostly, focusing on bending the user's will to his own. His elemental and dark magic are of particular note as well. Kelto can overcharge a user with energy and mana as well, making them oversaturate. This makes Kelto dangerous in close combat.

CHANGED FOR USER: Avoid facing it at all costs. You are but fodder for him.

I narrowed my eyes at the mention of mind magic, but I lacked time to explore it further. Torix pushed up a pair of imaginary glasses, turning to us both,

“Hm, it would appear you’ve fallen into the grips of Yawm of Flesh. You mentioned a plant and the name Alm. They were close approximations.”

Althea’s eyes widened, “Exactly. I wasn’t lying.”

Torix peered up, deep in thought, “Hm, this is troubling. I only know of Yawm through rumors and hearsay. There’s not much known or openly recorded on him by Schema, and what I do know of isn’t pretty.” Torix shook his head at me,

“My condolences for your homeworld for having attracted his attention.”

I waved my hands, “Wait a minute...World? You mean the planet?”

Torix stayed silent, a tense moment passing over us. I spread out my hands, “Torix, come on. Answer me.”

Torix sighed, and he placed a hand on my shoulder, “We’ll speak of it later, along with the consequences therein. Know this - this Yawm fellow may have set his eyes on this planet ever since the dimensional rip within BloodHollow.”

My jaw slackened, “You’re serious? I couldn’t have stopped this?”

Torix pulled his hand back, “I don’t believe so. I know this is a lot to take in, but we have very little time as is. Right now, these are soldiers from a far greater force. They may have landed here, unbeknownst to me. These may be mere scouts searching the nearby area.”

I put my hands on my head, “Wait...You’re telling me there’s more of these things?”

Torix peered at the tunnel, “Indeed, and this also verifies my suspicions about Althea. Her energy signatures are unusual, and I believe that the Old Ones are involved, somehow.” Torix eyes Althea, “Isn’t that right?”

Althea frowned, “Uhm...Probably?”

I looked at my hands, the armor wriggling, “What kind of energy is my armor absorbing from her then?”

Torix stepped onto a blot of dark mana,

“I don’t know anymore.”