Liam awoke sometime later to a thunderous headache, cramps, and other pains. He opened his mouth to take a breath. He shook as a coughing fit wracked his body. Coughing soon became retching as he struggled to expell dust and rock-chips from his mouth and nose with empty lungs.

Finally he calmed, and caught his breath. He opened his eyes, carefully brushing them free of the dirt caking them. Shaking his head to clear the fog from his thoughts, Liam tried to remember what had happened.

His hand brushed a rock, and events came into focus. He’d collapsed a cavern.

It took him a moment longer to remember why.

Fear gripped him for a moment as he remembered the troll, but it passed quickly. He remembered the huge rock smashing its skull into pieces. He was certain that was not something even a monster possessing regeneration could heal from.

Liam breathed out, calming himself by regulating his breathing. A four-count in. Hold for a four count, then out and release for an eight count. His heartbeat slowed, and he recalled losing his leg. He wasn’t in any pain, and he thought he could still feel the limb.

While he’d seen that Iain had lost his arm and his level increase did not regrow the limb, Liam hoped that for whatever reason, his situation would be different. With a dreadful hope, he reached down, only to find his hand blocked by a large outcropping of stone. The stone lay over his hips, held up by the Mythril structure of his armour. The plates that saved him from being crushed were also pinning him in place.

Liam cursed and then smiled.

At least his jaw was healed. He wondered if he would have been better after all, choosing the Telekinetic spell form that allowed a greater weight to be moved. It would certainly come in handy here.

He recalled that he’d levelled and assigned his attributes. When he finished, he looked over his statistics.

Titles: Page, Primus, Guest of Glitnir.

Name: Liam Lamberton

Levels: 32

10 (Race Tier 2: Human 10, Demi-Ascended 1)

3 (Harbinger Page)

9 (Magismithing)

9 (Archimancy)

Genetic Heritage: Davidic Scion

Class: Harbinger Page (Davidic Order)

Crafting Classes: Magismithing, Archimancy

Age: 16

Tribulation Experience:

Demi-Ascended: 166/1164

Harbinger Page: 103 / 244

Magismithing: 183/745

Archimancy: 28/745

Health: 440

Magic: 1820

Stamina: 100

Attributes:

Strength: 55

Agility: 51

Vitality: 44

Intelligence: 71

Wisdom: 84

Charisma: 35

Luck: 42

Faith: 33

Will: 91

Skills:

Sword: 20

Swimming: 12

Manners: 16

Tactics: 13

Animal Husbandry: 10

Light Armor: 8

Riding: 10

Carpentry: 22

Chivalry: 7

Reading: 44

Stealth: 4

Wood Chopping: 22

Writing: 18

Housekeeping: 31

Languages: 71

Maintenance: 26

Athletics: 20

Mathematics: 21

Harp: 19

Music: 23

Heavy Armor: 4

Polearm: 15

Shield: 23

Lance: 6

Climbing: 18

Fishing: 58

Cooking: 33

Design: 24

Smithing: 31

Mining: 33

Meditation: 6

System Lore: 15

Spells:

Ward: Level 2

Healing Song: Level 5

Telekiesis: Level 7 ==> Telekinetic Field: Level 2

Flame Level 8 ==> Inferno: Level 2

Magic Sight Level 1

Abilities

Feinting Slash: Level 1

Covered Strike: Level 1

Shield Parry: Level 1

Epic Crafter (Passive)

Inspired Design (System Effect)

Epic Designer (Passive)

Magic Sense (Passive)

==>

Magic Attunement (Passive)

He’d levelled Harbinger three times, but his Demi-Ascended class had only increased once. Liam saw that the experience cap from his racial attribute had transferred over to the new race.

Liam had gained thirteen attributes in each, and placed his twelve available attributes into strength, boosting it up to fifty-five. Quickly checking, he found that the system estimated he could lift nearly 1700 pounds of weight at his maximum capacity. While it seemed a great deal, he could only achieve this in the best of circumstances.

He felt that the increases in his ability were enough now to shift the stone pinning him in place.

He reached down once more, and his fingers brushed the item he sought. Its sturdy wooden frame held up well through his many misadventures so far, and he hoped it would remain so through many more.

Gently, his fingertips wrapped around the spine of the Harp of Bragi and brought it up to his chest. He was about to cast Flame when he thought better of it. If the chamber were sealed, casting Flame would simply burn up all his air supply.

Instead, Liam activated his Magic Sight ability. He could see around him that the small refuge in the rock where his upper body lay was quite large, at least enough for him to crouch within. An enormous block of stone had impacted about a yard from the wall of the chamber and now leant against it, forming an open space.

If Liam could wriggle himself free of the stone pinning his waist, he might find a way to dig himself out.

Gingerly, he tried to lift the stone over his waist. It gave slightly to his strength, but not enough for him to get free.

Liam thought to use his armour as a support for the rock and quickly stripped his arm plates. The vambraces alone were longer than his hips lay, and so if he could wedge them beneath the rock and heave, he might gain clearance.

Liam found he could make some headway with this approach and soon had enough room to slide his body through the narrow space. As he slid his body through the gap, his arm brushed a sharp stone and blood welled from the minor wound. He ignored the pain as best he could and was soon safe within the larger chamber.

He’d worked in darkness for most of the time to conserve his Magic, but now re-activated his Magic sight to look beneath the boulder that had trapped him. Another chamber lay beyond.

This one was much smaller than his current refuge, and so he retreated, leaving his vambraces trapped in the rock.

He’d come back for them later, as he would for the Volcanic Hammer.

For now, he needed to discover a way out of this predicament. His magic sight showed the flows of the magic in the air, and a small current seemed to lead to the surface through a thin gap in the rock.

Liam stood on his remaining leg, carefully brushing dust and gravel aside so he could see through the gap. Beyond, he spied piles of rubble and the remains of the chamber. The rocks before him were all much smaller than the boulder that sheltered him, and soon he’d removed enough of them to crawl to the surface.

He laughed as he lay on the shattered rock face of the cave-in, for he now looked upon the materials he’d ever need. Above him was a vast wealth of Aesium, Mythril, and Adamanthil. All this time digging through the rock, he’d been less than five meters from the greatest deposit of ore he’d yet seen.

Staring up, Liam watched the Aesium as it pulsed gently with magic. After a moment’s consideration, he realized that this was the solid anchor he’d found for his mind when he pulled the ceiling down upon the Troll. It had only been his luck that prevented him from being crushed to death as well.

His Magic was running low, but he took a moment to inspect the area with Magic Sight. All kinds of ore were present here. Gold, Silver, Iron, Nickel, Zinc and Copper. If this had been on earth, Kings and Emperors have fought wars for one tenth as much resource as was available here.

Liam sighed and sadly looked down at his missing limb. He paused, surprised to see that it seemed intact, as though it remained a part of him.

He turned off his Magic sight to check again, but the limb disappeared from his view.

Liam frowned. What the hells is going on?

He activated his Magic Sight again, and sure enough, the lower part of his left leg was still there. He tried to wiggle his toes, just to check, and while he felt the ghostly sensation and saw his toes move, they moved straight through a rock.

Am I seeing my spirit?

He moved his hand through the limb and watched as ambient magic seemed to bounce off the limb as he stirred the air.

So, my spirit is solid in relation to magic, but incorporeal and invisible when seen with natural vision, just as magic is.

Liam pondered that for a moment. He wondered how healing worked, and if he could re-grow his missing limb.

He felt a pang of pain from his arm and turned it to see the wound. Blood still ran freely, and so with his Magic Sight active, Liam cast Healing Song.

He watched in fascination as Magic appeared from within his own body to close the wound. Liam pondered for a moment before reaching down to his Spirit Nexus and moving magic through his body to his maimed limb.

He could feel the way the magic flowed, but as soon as it touched his skin, it stopped, as though the portion of his spirit that extended beyond his skin was behind some impenetrable wall.

For hours, Liam tried different ways of sending his body’s magic to heal his limb, but nothing worked. Finally, with throat dry from thirst and his muscles cramping from a lack of sustenance, he gave up and made his way back to the surface.

As he left the mine, Liam stripped his remaining armour, placing the Harp of Bragi and Camwennan on the pile. He hopped eagerly into the river, soon losing his balance to fall face first into the shallows.

Opening his parched lips, Liam spent long moments drinking deeply of the fresh water. Sated, he swam out to deeper water, fully immersing himself. He swam for a while, which felt strange with only one leg and soon turned over onto his back.

Liam lay there for a long time, idly paddling and pondering the events of the day.

He knew he’d made a mistake thinking that he’d be capable of fighting the creature. Eight levels of power difference were not insignificant, even if he was in armour and had levelled multiple classes. It made him wonder if this part of Bragi’s goal was to test his prudence.

Liam wasn’t even sure what the classes of Troll were. A Cave Troll could have been a far more powerful entity than the name and level suggested. Stupidly, he’d sought battle instead of planning a more effective hunt.

He sighed. There was no point blaming himself. It only mattered that he could still learn from it. Stick to your plan, even if you are proud of your ability, and don’t bite off more than you can swallow. He thought. He recalled the moral of the Song of Sigurd that Bragi had played for him.

But learn to heed impatient pride and linden leaf befriended.

Liam had put too much faith in his perceived ability to stay safe, regardless of his foe's strength. It was his linden leaf, and imprudent pride was the fatal chink in his armour.

Liam hadn’t listened, and it ended up costing him his leg, and nearly his life.

I know I’m on the right path to regrowing my leg, but how do I pass the barrier? He wondered.

Even now he felt sure that he was missing something fundamental when it came to healing his missing limb.

An unintelligible voice came to him through the waters, and he opened his eyes.

“Great-father!” He said, surprised at the presence of the spirit.

The ancient king stood on the surface of the water, looking down at him with an angry expression. “What in the hells happened to you, boy? I assume you didn’t achieve that wound in your crafting?” He asked.

“There was a Level 33 Cave-Troll trapped in the lowest areas of the dungeon. It seems it dug its way from the Falls below and into the mines. I heard its roaring and went to investigate. While down there I thought to mine some Aesium, unfortunately the monster got behind me.” Liam explained. “It was cunning and pretended to be unaware of me until it could ambush me in a large chamber.”

“We fought, but I could barely hurt it with spells before it changed tactics. It smashed the roof, raining debris on me and injuring my jaw. As I could no longer talk, I engaged with my blade.”

“You did what?” Liam’s Great Sire demanded. His tone disapproving. “That was imprudent.”

“I attacked with my sword.” Liam said. He’d been hoping that David would admire his courage. After all, hadn’t he faced Goliath? “I made a mistake, and the beast grabbed me by the leg, crushing it to pieces as it hurled me around the room. It was only because it threw me I could find the time to act and killed the monster by collapsing the cave.”

“That is something at least.” David said. “I suppose you burnt its remains or saw its head destroyed?”

Liam nodded. He hadn’t considered burning the remains, but he had seen the Troll’s head explode like rotten fruit when the ceiling began its collapse.

“Good! Now then,” David said, looking him over, “it seems you have healed the wound, but why haven’t you regrown the limb?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how I can. I’ve tried every way I can think of to draw the energy from my Nexus into the spirit limb, but it’s as if a wall blocks the magic.”

“That is because your body ends at the stump. If you want to push your magic into your spirit, you will need to open a path for it to flow.”

Liam looked at him askance.

“You will need to re-open the wound!”

“You want me to cut into my flesh to heal it?” Liam asked in surprise.

“It is the simplest way. It will take some time and will require you not to level unless you want to have to cut open the wound again.” David confirmed.

Liam thought about it for a moment. Then pulled himself from the river and sat upon a stone next to his gear. He reached down and pulled Camwennan form her sheath.

“Any advice on how to do this?” Liam asked, as he placed the knife to the unbroken flesh.

“Quickly.” The spirit replied with a smile. “The other way, of course, is to learn the spell. But that would require a knowledge of anatomy and the harmony of the body that you don’t presently have. You may learn it through the process of your own healing, however.”

Liam placed the knife against the stump and cut quickly. The pain was excruciating, and soon he lay gasping in a pool of his own sweat as his blood poured out of the wound. He reached down with both hands and wrapped his shirt around the stump.

David looked on impassively. “Good. I see you have the spell Healing Song. Cast it on the wound. It will slowly regrow the limb by itself. You must be vigilant, as the spell will seek to close the wound rather than regrow the limb. It will require you to guide its effect with your own body’s magic so that magic flows into your spirit limb. Your Healing Song will then find the wound and regrow the limb.”

Liam did as instructed and soon was channelling magic through the open wound and into his spirt limb.

He watched as the flesh resisted briefly, trying to close into a stump once more, before it extended out, stretching down ever so slowly along the outline of his spiritual form.

The bleeding had stopped by then, thanks to the Healing song, and Liam continued to focus on regrowth.

He grew more confident in the process and soon felt able to ask David a question that had been nagging at him for a while. “It seems to me that the system uses magic to control events in the world. When I can sense and see that magic, I can manipulate it with my will–so why do we need songs?”

David smiled. “That is perhaps the best question you could ask.” He said with a hint of pride. “Magic is simply another word to describe workings of the System. It is universal, and present in all things. You can feel it through walls if you have enough of an affinity. The flows you sense are the connections between the magic and the physical world. The harmony is the balance between the magic and the world. When you cast Sung Spells, you insert yourself within that balance, and those connections become a focus of your will.”

“When you sing a spell, you add to the harmony of the surrounding magic, building it into a crescendo that is released to focus whatever magic you store out and into the world.”

Liam listened, trying to understand. “So, a sung spell is simply a design meant to be replicated for the same uses?”

David nodded. “Exactly. They allow anyone to use Magic who can channel will through a song, but for those who seek to use true magic, their value is minimal.”

“What then of Called Magic?” Liam asked. “Bragi spoke of it as a dissonant craft, used by evil beings.”

The spirit scoffed at that. “It can be, but it’s also used by all the most powerful beings within the System. Called magic is taking the harmony that already exists and composing a new balance with the magician as its focus. It is how God created this sector from nothing.”

“If you wish to use Called Magic, you must be able to sense the magic and how it balances the world around you. The more you understand of the world, the more you can change it.”

Liam was awed. “If God used it to create the earth, how can it be evil?”

David smiled at him patiently. “By the user ignoring the balance.”

“If you use called magic to start a fire in wood, it will burn. It can burn, and so it will. If, however, you try to make water burn, you are forcing a dissonance in the surrounding harmony. While the water will burn, the cost will be significant.”

“Significant in what way?” Liam asked as he shifted his weight slightly to better see his leg. His continued focus had grown the limb about an inch. The progress bringing a small smile to his lips.

“You may set fire to all the water around you as the system adjusts the harmony to the new paradigm. If you change the pattern to allow water to burn, all water must then be able to burn.” David replied, and Liam’s eyes widened as he saw how that would quickly become a problem.

“It’s really that dangerous?”

Liam watched as his ancestor shivered with remembered horror. “Worse.”

“You can protect yourself from these events by forcing the system to accept the harmony around you, but the costs to your own magic will be significant. It is the reason God has kept beings like the Aesir from this Tribulation. While they might maintain the balance themselves, the Arch-Demons ascended would certainly not. The risks of a catastrophic event are too great.”

Liam frowned. “You know of the Aesir?” he asked.

David went silent for a moment, pondering the question. Liam took the opportunity to investigate him through his Magic Sight.

The pain was sudden. His eyes felt like someone had rammed sand into them, and his head ached as he tried to comprehend what he had seen.

The spirit was beside him in a second, supporting him with…

Warm hands.

“What did you do, foolish child!” King David demanded.

Liam’s mind was a scattered fugue for a long moment, before his vision came back into focus. He blinked, looking into the green eyes of his ancestor, present in the flesh beside him.

“You’re… real?” Liam searched for words. “And you’re here… Really here?”

David looked at his descendant for long moments, seeming to consider his response.

“I am, and I suppose that in this dungeon, your knowledge of me will not matter. Once you leave, however, it creates more problems. Either way, I doubt we shall not speak for a long time.”

Liam frowned as he continued to regrow his limb. His momentary shock and pain caused his internal magic to falter and the Healing Song started closing the wound. After some momentary discomfort, Liam corrected the spell, pushing his magic back through the wound to cover his spirit limb.

Once he had settled into the process once more, he turned back to David. “But how? Are you my spirit guardian or not?”

“Any response I give will be correct. Yes, I am. No, I am not. Maybe.” David smiled tiredly.

“As your most powerful ancestor, the System called me to respond to your summons.” He continued. “But due to who I am and my history in God’s realms, I cannot interfere as a true spirit might. There are agreements and contracts you do not know of that prevent me from direct interference within the realms of YHWH.”

“So, your impatience the other day was because you were otherwise engaged? But how? I thought the dungeon was Time Locked?” Liam asked, remembering his ancestor’s odd behaviour from the past few weeks.

“YHWH is not the only God within the system, nor is He the greatest. Many other Gods of more significant sectors across the universe are also engaged in Tribulations, and at least in those I am deemed welcome.” He answered bitterly.

“When I leave you, I shall return within another one of these bubbles in time. Time is not stopped beyond this dungeon. It just seems that way. Within this dungeon and other time-locked regions, we move at much faster relative speeds. For the outside world, a second might pass, but within here, that second takes four years. It costs far less magic to speed up time than it does to slow it down.”

Liam didn’t fully grasp the concepts of relative time and would think on it later. For now, his confusion extended to other topics, and he needed answers.

“You are speaking like God is merely one of many?” Liam said. It shocked him that such a powerful figure of biblical fame should speak so blasphemously about the Lord God.

“He is one of many!” David replied.

“You must understand Liam. The Multi-verse is a massive place, and the System controls it all. To the System, God is merely one facet of a much larger jewel. To me, he is still my God. I respect his power, but it became clear almost two millennia ago that our intents are in conflict. It is why He exiled me seven hundred years ago.” David said.

He looked into Liam’s eyes and saw only confusion there.

“David is not the only name by which I am known. I have carried many over the centuries. Aeneas, Vithar, Myr ad’din and finally, Myrddin. It was in that time I first came to your homeland and eventually I found a wife and sired your line.”

Liam listened intently. The names sounded strange to his ears. But one thing shocked him more than anything else. “Myrddin.” Liam rolled the name over his tongue. It sounded familiar.

David smiled at the remembered name. “I was in a new land, like I had been many times before. People always get your name wrong. I had introduced myself by the name Myr ad’din. It means man of God in your tongue and had been granted to me by a Prophet in the deserts East of Jerusalem. When I arrived in the land you call Wales, the people there welcomed me and took to calling me Myrddin. I played the harp for them, and soon they took me to their King in Caerleon, where I became his bard.”

He paused and waved a hand. A small sphere of water rose from the river and the ancient being drank deeply.

“God had sent me to Gwent–as it was called - to build him a fortress to withstand the coming of the Tribulations. He had chosen the land and the people to establish a great empire. I was to redeem myself for my failures in Rome. Our Lord God selected a worthy prince to induct into the system, a young man by the name of Artwys.”

David smiled as he remembered days long past. “He was much like you to begin with. Bold, stupid and often too eager, but over time, he learned prudence and other virtues. When his father died, he took over the kingdom and soon built a city the world has not seen the likes of which since the glorious days of Troy.”

“But then came the Saxons, and the lands fell to war. Artwys did his best to hold the kingdoms united, and even defeated the Saxons, but eventually his downfall was at the hands of his own kin.”

“After Prince Artwys fell to the blade of the Bastard Mordreth, I left my daughter and her young son in the hands of Artwys’ family. At some point they must have taken lands in Scotland, and through seven hundred years, you are before me. My descendant.”

It suddenly clicked in Liam’s mind as David finished. “Myrddin. Merlin!” He nearly shouted the name.

The sudden shout caused King David to start in surprise. “Why, yes? I have heard they made some stories about me using that name. Unflattering ones too, I hear.”

“You should know that all that storytelling is a pure fiction. I knew ‘Arthur’ and his knights, Mordred and his Saxon ‘friends’. I knew Gwynetheir too, who was Lancelot’s sister.”

Liam protested. “But all the stories say that she was Arthur's wife!”

Merlin’s face scrunched in anger. “She was nothing to Arthur. Why would he care at all for the ugly step-sister of a foppish clod? No. It was my daughter, Morgana, who–together with Prince Arthur–founded your line. They were a happy couple, and their children were brave, and strong.” David choked up for a moment before continuing.

“It was a tragedy when Arthur was deceived, begetting that bastard Mordred on his friend’s sister. I still suspect Lancelot’s hand in that. He was a wormy bastard, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was rutting with his kin.”

Liam was shocked by how much this story angered his ancient ancestor, and how much it differed from the tale Princess Margaret had told. This story, however, rang of truth. As he considered the tale of Lancelot and Guinevere, it made more and more sense. “But why would people lie about Morgana?”

“The lies began later, trying to smear my daughter’s honour and that of her husband by suggesting that Morgana was his sister. I suppose they thought they could hurt me by hurting her.” Tears formed in his eyes.

“The church at the time saw her as a sorceress and went to great lengths to stop her marriage to Artwys. Of course, she was only mortal, but as she was my daughter, they claimed her to be a witch. She was a beautiful child and a better woman, undeserving of scorn.” The ancient being’s breath caught for a moment before he looked into Liam’s eyes. “I miss her.”

David cuffed at his eyes, wiping the tears dry, and coughed to clear his throat. “I was meant to redeem myself in the eyes of God for past transgressions but received exile for my failure instead. Arthur was supposed to be the best of men. He sired the worst of them in Mordreth.”

The two sat in silence for a long while. Soon Liam could take it no longer.

“May I call you Merlin, great-sire?” Liam asked, suddenly nervous to be in the presence of such an esteemed being from myth.

His ancestor, torn from his reflections by such an odd question, suddenly burst into laughter.

“I am content with any name you choose to give me, boy. I know who and what I am. The noises that you choose to know me by are of no matter, although I did like the name from which it comes.” David said with a smile.

He looked at his descendant with a fond smile. “What is more important for now is that you learn as much as you can before you finish your time here. I won’t be able to assist you beyond this dungeon. When you leave, I will not be able to answer your summons until God grants me a reprieve or you leave this sector.”

Liam frowned. Something had been confusing him. “Would God not know of your presence here?”

“No, while YHWH may be far beyond me in power, his reach does not extend within zones the system has assigned for individual temporal control.” These words only confused Liam more. “Dungeons.” Merlin clarified, seeing the blank look on Liam’s face.

“So why are you concerned with me knowing your true identity?” Liam asked.

“Because if anyone were to even hint that I had been on this realm to any who could hear, my life would be forfeit.

“God would truly slay you for defying his exile?” Liam asked, re-casting Healing Song.

Merlin nodded. “My transgressions from my reign, as you know it from the Bible, may have been forgiven. What happened between myself and Artwys is yet to be absolved. For now, we must focus on making you competent in understanding and manipulating the harmonies and dissonance of the system.”

For the next few hours, Liam listened as Merlin spoke about the ways of Magic and its connection to the system, allowing Liam greater insights into the pattern, and thus how he could use Called Magic safely.

As he reached the effects of dissonance, Liam remembered that he’d used called magic on the ceiling of the mine-chamber.

“I may have used called magic on the ceiling of the chamber in a dissonant way.” Liam admitted, slightly ashamed of how long it had taken for him to make the realization.

A thunderous expression crossed Merlin’s face. “Wait here.” He disappeared into thin air a moment later.

As Liam awaited his return, he continued to regrow his limb. After re-casting Healing song, he looked at his progress.

A long time later, Merlin appeared once more. His rage was palpable.

“You fool. Did no one ever teach you not to toy with things beyond your power?” Merlin demanded. He took a moment to collect himself before he continued.

“I have repaired the damage you caused to the pattern, but that wasn’t the problem! The ripples along the Aesium were speeding up, and when it reached a critical point, the Aesium would shatter and release the magic.”

Merlin looked at his scion’s surprise and confusion. “It was mere moments from causing a cataclysm that would have torn apart the dungeon and a large amount of the lands beyond.” He explained.

“By some horrific twist of bad luck, you increased the flow of magic along the Aesium. It was pooling at a point further into the mine and could not find a way past a section that had somehow broken off. I replaced the damaged section and repaired the issue. It appears the Troll discovered how to cut Aesium, although why even a dumb brute like a Troll would do something so imbecilic…” His voice trailed off as he looked at Liam’s guilty expression.

His face had paled as he realized Merlin spoke of the section he’d removed. Liam admitted his fault, and almost wept as a withering glare with thousands of years of experience behind it burned into him like a hot iron.

“YOU FOOLISH BOY!” Merlin roared. Dust billowed from the ground as a small fraction of his power released. Liam fell off his seat and looked at his ancestor in terror, seeing him for the powerful being he truly was for the first time.

Merlin, seeing the terror in his scion’s eyes, disappeared from view once more. When he returned, he exuded a strained calm. “Do you not know how to harvest Aesium?”

Liam shook his head nervously.

Merlin continued to glare at him, and Liam felt the temperature actually drop around him. His breath frosted in the air. “Do you honestly think that the only thing I am dealing with in this universe is you?” Liam’s ancient ancestor asked in a low tone.

Liam shook his head. “Of course, not. Although I hadn’t really considered that you might have been alive!” He replied. “I’m sorry, Great-sire.”

Merlin’s face smoothed, and he reached out, placing a gentle hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I am too. It was an intemperate act. I suppose it is because I have too long been surrounded by those who are similar to my strength and experience.”

Liam grinned. “Well, you can make it up to me by teaching me!”

Merlin chuckled at that. “Yes, well, perhaps one day I can! I apologise to you, Liam Lamberton. It is my fault for not trusting you with more information sooner.” He bowed to his scion and Liam inclined his head in return. Merlin approached to take a seat beside him.

Liam had continued to regrow his leg through the past hours, and now was working on his ankle. Merlin, however, seemed impatient with the process, and reached out one hand. He ran it along Liam’s leg and the rest of the Limb regrew before his eyes.

A vision appeared before him.

You have gained the Spell:

Regrowth Level 1

Regrowth is a sung spell, enabling its user to regrow limbs at a rate of 1 lb per minute.

Regrowth is a channelled spell.

Cost: 100 Magic per minute.

“I just received the spell!” Liam said, and Merlin smiled at his enthusiasm.

“If you find yourself in a situation to use Regrowth often, view it with your Magic Sight and investigate how the pattern shifts. The longer you spend understanding how the pattern moves, the more you will understand how to anchor it to your will. The same applies to your other spells. But only do so when training. In combat, focus on survival.”

Liam nodded and looked down at his foot. From the knee down, no hair grew from the new skin.

It was an odd sensation, but as he wiggled his toes–his real toes–in the water once more, he couldn’t help but giggle at how ridiculous the gap in power between Merlin and himself.

Merlin looked at him and smiled. “Once you learn more of the harmony and patterns of the system, you will be able to manipulate it far more. Aesium is one of the three elements of the universe that serve a function beyond that of a mere resource. The other two, Magic and Time, are powerful in their own right, and many Gods cannot affect more than two of the three. The complexity is far too great for even their power.”

“YHWH has the power over Magic and Time, but when all three elements are combined in dungeons, even Gods cannot see within.”

Liam grew suddenly suspicious of this being. “So, you say that our Lord God is not perfect?”

“Well, He isn’t. Although within his own realms, he defines what perfection is. God is God. There is no denying his suzerainty over these realms. The air you breathe, the food you eat, even the cloth you wear was all provided and at some point, created by God.”

Merlin sighed. “You suspect me. No, Liam. I am no demon. I am merely a man who has lived too long and learnt too much. For over four thousand years, I have been a chosen champion of our God, even though I have failed him.”

“His exile of me was more to prove his point. That the only way to end the Tribulations is to conquer the multi-verse. Only then can He protect us. In some ways, the exile was a meant to force me to travel beyond one sector, freely exploring the truth for myself.”

“Then why would he kill you if you returned?” Liam asked.

“Rules.” Merlin replied. “It is the one thing that we both disagree on. He sees rules as absolute, Sin as absolute. It is why He has come so far in such a short time. Usually, one realm takes tens of thousands of years to conquer. Our Lord has taken control of eight in less time than many Gods prevail over one.”

“For me, the rules of the system are more like guidelines. No one can develop a good moral character without failure or mistake. Our God has been too perfect for too long. He forgot what it is to be a mortal!”

Liam pondered the revelations for long moments, praying on the matter as his mind contemplated the implications.

After allowing Liam to meditate upon his words, Merlin changed the subject. “You have made one mistake already with Aesium. Do you wish to see how to harvest it safely?”

Liam nodded eagerly and after Liam gathered and equipped his armour once more, they made their way down the mineshaft. Liam was feeling the strain of his day but knew that if he were to succeed in this dungeon, he could hardly afford another mistake.

As they entered the chamber where Liam had slain the Cave-Troll Kgoral, Merlin looked up and levitated towards the Aesium. Liam looked dumbfounded that his ancestor could so easily read the patterns of nature and use them so freely. Then he remembered how the mythical figure had healed his leg.

Merlin looked down at Liam. “Activate your Magic Sight.” He commanded, and Liam did so. This time, Merlin’s radiance was much diminished. His ancestor turned, and reaching out a hand, levitated the dirk at Liam’s waist into a waiting hand. Liam watched in awe. Magic had swirled as Merlin’s will became the centre-point of a new harmony.

Soon, he was peeling slices from the Aesium. Each slice fell gently to hover a few inches from the floor, and Liam’s ancestor soon followed.

“You peel the vein as you would when planing a piece of wood.”

Liam nodded. “Will the Aesium recover?”

“In time, but for now it will maintain the flows of magic through the dungeon.”

Liam nodded. “So, the Aesium is a conduit designed to keep time flowing within this area of Vanaheim?” He deduced.

Merlin smiled. “The only other I’ve met who understood these concepts so quickly was Arthur himself! You have a great potential if you can survive to your next ascension.”

Merlin closed his eyes for a moment, and Liam was sure he was sensing the environment beyond the dungeon. “Hmm, the Troll below is a far more powerful being than you are right now. Perhaps the question you need to ask is if facing it is still necessary. Either way, you’d best start planning on how to use all your skills to reach Journeyman before the time expires.”

“You’re not going to help?” Liam asked.

Merlin gestured at his leg and the strips of Aesium hovering above the ground. “What do you think I was doing?” He asked with a smile. “Explore your own path, Liam Lamberton. We will not meet again until you have ascended fully. Once you gain the ability to travel beyond the sector, send a message and I will find you.” He disappeared from the dungeon.

Liam grunted as the veracity of his ancestors’ words hit home. Liam stretched his newly regrown leg once more, marvelling in how good it felt to be walking again. He began breaking up and clearing the stones in the hall, recovering his Hammer and greaves. Finally, he dug at the location where Kgoral had died. An immense boulder had crushed the cave-troll like a bug, and it took Liam some time to find the remains. He inspected and looted them, finding only two items.

You have received:

1x Monster Core

1x Portal Sack

Liam inspected the Portal Sack.

Portal Sack (Rare)

This portal sack provides a method for storing items larger than the bag itself can contain. When opening the bag, a portal is created into another space where items can be stored. You may bind the portal to a new location once per year.

Limitations: The Portal will only function with the same realm.

Warning: When the new Location is set, the portal will shift, leaving any items at the old storage location in situ.

Liam opened the sack and reached within tentatively. His hand found large piles of moss. Then his fingers ran across something smooth. Gently, Liam ran his fingers across what felt like long, round stones. He pulled some of these out and dropped them immediately in horror.

Bones.

Human bones.

Liam was tempted to close the bag and re-bind it, but he spotted something within the bone pile he’d removed. It glinted with gold.

Liam reached down and picked it up, having to shake it free from the bone.

The bracelet was of exquisite design and jewels bedecked it. Turning the jewel, Liam could see an inscription within. An inscription written in Arabic.

كل شمس يجب أن تغرب

Liam translated the words: Every Sun has to Set.

He stared as he looked at the words. He’d seen this before. The design for this bracelet had been in one of the Folios he’d seen in the tower.

These remains were from men who had come before him, only to confront the Trolls and be slain!

Liam reached through the portal and withdrew more and more items and coins.

A rusted Adamanthil centurion’s helm, its transverse crest of horsehair rotted by the centuries still visible despite the years. Next he withdrew a Scimitar of Mythril, its blade adorned with runes that had cracked, ruining the blade which otherwise looked recently made. This was followed by a Kopis made from patterned steel, which had rusted badly, and some spearheads of Mythril. These were still in good condition, although the shafts were long decayed. Liam continued, finding two rings of different types and finally, he removed the remains of the items' owners.

Liam lay them respectfully on the floor. There were four skulls, some more badly damaged than others.

From what Liam could see, all of his predecessors in the dungeon lay before him, except for one. The writer of the Hebrew text above the fireplace.

His ancestor. It all clicked into place; the small hints Merlin had dropped about having been here before. The way he’d moved around the Smithy as though he owned it.

Liam groaned. I even saw him pick up a design and didn’t bat an eye!

Liam inspected the items at his feet, but all were too badly rusted. Only two of the rings had survived the years, both made of gold and adorned with runes.

Liam inspected them.

Ring of Storage (Epic):

This ring allows its user to store items within the Loot screen.

Warning: Maximum of 25 items. If loot exceeds this amount, the items within are destroyed.

Magic Cost: 20 per item.

This was a much better item than the Portal sack. It would allow him to store significant amounts of wealth, and given that the items were of one type, he could easily store vast amounts of coin and materials.

Liam opened the item, but oddly found it empty except for one book. He removed the book and leafed through the pages. This was a journal from some long-passed Arabic warrior. Determined to read it in full later, Liam replaced it within the Storage ring.

He inspected at the other ring.

Health Ring (Rare)

Doubles maximum health of the wearer for a short time (Duration based on Vitality where 1 attribute point = 1 minute).

Warning: If maximum health is below 50% at time of de-activation, the wearer will die.

Magic Cost: 500

The Ring’s capabilities impressed Liam, although the knowledge that he would die if he didn’t heal to above 50% before the effect wore off wasn’t too comforting. Still, at his current level of Vitality, the effect would last for forty-four minutes. Enough for time for most of the battles he’d been in to end, giving him plenty of time to cast Healing Song or Regrowth.

He put both rings on. One upon the ring finger of each hand and inspected the golden arm-ring.

Ainsijam (Mythic)

Stabilizes the surrounding Magical Harmonies within 50 yards. Within this range, no magic can be cast.

This effect can be dispelled at a cost of (Magic Cost + 10%), or upon removal of the item from the body.

Duration: 1 minute.

Magic Cost: 2000.

Liam’s eyes boggled at this. By activating this effect in battles against a magic user, it would force everyone within 50 yards into a physical contest. Even if the spell was cancelled, the added cost allowed whoever activated the ability an advantage in Magic reserves.

This was a powerful artifact indeed! Its name meant Harmony. A fitting tribute to its purpose.

The effect only lasted one minute, but this Arm-ring must have been the work that allowed his Arabic predecessor to gain his Journeyman rank.

Liam placed the ring on his arm and took the time to bury his predecessor's remains. They deserved the respect of a proper grave, at the very least.

Once he finished, Liam said a brief prayer over their remains. He would come back and mark the grave later with a cross.

Done with the remains of the Troll, Liam surveyed the room, deciding then to excavate the room once more. After all, he needed to get his items back.

Liam returned to the surface. Removing his armour and taking up his old pick, he returned to the caved-in chamber and set to work.

It took four long days to clear the rubble, but eventually he’d recovered his vambraces and the Volcanic Hammer.

As he inspected the items, he discovered the hammer had been significantly damaged. It was still shaped like a long-sword, and the impacts from the cave-in had warped the blade under tonnes of rock. Liam considered how he would remove the bend and then remembered the Tool Shaper function.

As he reset the weapon to its original hammer form and back into the long-sword once more, he noticed that the damage had disappeared. He sighed with relief and turned to his armour.

He put the armour on, then activated it's self repair ability. He watched as the dents and scratches left by the Cave-Troll’s claws and the cave-in faded, his armour returning to a pristine condition. Liam spent the next few hours repairing his clothing, before returning to the Tower.

As he sat in the comfortable leather chair to read the Diary, Liam pondered Merlin’s words. Did he truly need to face the Troll? He now knew much of the world and had even explored Magic to a level he’d never dreamed possible.

Also, the harp worked to create magic, even if all of its statistics were not available to him just yet.

Liam grinned. Bragi had never put a timeframe on his quest either, and with his Realm-Walker ability, he could return to this realm at a later time to finish the quest.

The matter settled in his mind, Liam decided that when he finished the Dungeon, he would use his Realm-Walker ability and travel back to Scotland rather than face the troll. While he wished to test his strength. Attempting to battle a creature so far above his level would be suicide.

He opened the page and read.

What he found there shook him to his core.