One of the most frightening things Michael had ever seen was during the last couple of seconds before Hamil’s Spell took him away. He distinctively remembered seeing the old mage die. Something that looked like a miniature Ctulhu punching straight through him and aiming magically-manifested limbs towards him. But the Spell activated just in the nick of time.

Compared to that, the ride was almost boring. Sure, it felt like he was no-clipping through the academy and he had the distinct feeling that things were backwards, but it didn’t hurt. It was just somewhat disorienting.

More disorienting was when the Spell actually finished. He found himself standing in a positively cavernous room. Broken magic all around him. The scene of a disaster, complete with moaning bodies on the stone floor. And in the centaur of the room…

Narh!

The centaur was huffing and his skin seemed distorted. He was laying on the ground, slowly getting up. Opposite him, a… humanoid monkey was doing the same. Covered in blood as well. But it was probably not their blood, considering how between them kneeled a familiar orc, turned into a veritable pincushion by the spikes bursting out of his body.

Even as Michael watched, the spikes shortened and grew smaller, until the fell off, turning into small wooden fragments.

Michael wanted to move, or talk. But he felt a familiar feeling. Gnosis was holding him back.

Gnosis. What happened here?

A wiggle. Fear.

What do you know? Can you tell me? Is Keunad dead?

More wiggling and a general shudder. Fear, compounded by reluctance.

Michael was getting better at interpreting what Gnosis tried to tell him, but he still didn’t get the picture perfectly. So he waited and listened.

“K- kind of you to give me that hint.” Narh wheezed. “But may I ask, how did you know?”

“I’m a genius.” The monkey-man said, nursing a burned arm.

“…right. Err… I guess I’ll leave it at that for the moment.”

The other grunted.

“I was right then? Your stave left pieces of itself in Kelunad’s flesh?”

“I left pieces of my stave in his flesh. I already said it’s not an artifact. I did it back when it first spiked him.”

“Right. I congratulate you on your foresight.”

“Yeah. Elders’ tails, it’s gonna take me years to attune a new stave.” The monkey-man complained.

“I will help you, in any way I can.” Narh said, sounding honest. “And look at it like this. You just downed a legend. I take no credit in this.”

“…yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” He said, perking up again. “Mighty Kelunad, brought low by Clicko. I’m gonna get all the fur when I go back ho-“

“|Retribution of the Fallen|”

Michael jerked as he saw both Narh and Clicko fall to the ground again, blood sprouting from dozens of newly opened wounds.

Kelunad stood, slowly and even from a distance he could see that the orc’s injuries were closing.

“…bullshit… …Skill.”

“H- how…?” Narh croaked.

“I’m high-level.” The orc said, rolling his shoulders. “Or are you asking how I survived? Always check for passive Skills. There are Spells for that.”

He lumbered forward, not as spry as he usually was and came to stand before a metal shell.

The amulet.

He tried to move, but Gnosis was still holding him back. And hiding him, given how he could no longer see his own body.

The orc used his famous Skill and severed the artifact in two. Inside was the amulet, which Kelunad promptly took and laid across his chest.

“Ah. Better.” He smiled, as every injury he suffered started to erase itself from his body. “It even replenishes blood. Has the old elf told you of this effect? Or are you still to be kept in the dark?”

“You… you will be stopped.”

“By who? You?”

“Fuck you!” the monkey-man swore.

“Eloquent. Very well, then. If you survive, await my reckoning.”

He turned to leave, but he stopped before he moved. His head suddenly turned and his gaze locked itself on Michael.

“|Dispel Magic|.” He said and Michael became visible again. “Ah. I see you’ve found a way to skip your exams. I expected better from you, Michael. Education is important.”

“Kelunad.” Michael said. “There must be-“

“I have not been swayed so far and I will not be swayed now. My challenge is upon me. I have told you, Michael. Do not interfere. If you do, the consequences will be out of my hands.”

So saying, he looked up and floated towards the ceiling. And straight through it.

Right, the amulet. Fuck!

Michael ran towards the downed duo, Healing Potions already in his hand.

“Thank you, Michael.” Narh said, drinking greedily.

“Thanks, kid.”

The two drank and soon they seemed better. Well, they still looked like they were on the verge of passing out, but they looked a lot better than everyone around them, comparatively.

“So. This is Regitris’s last hope? A First-Year?”

“Mage Michael is a mage of surprising talents.” Narh said.

“Yeah, well, unless he’s one of the miracle workers of old, I think we’re all already fucked.”

“Sir.” Michael said, addressing Narh. “I have to stop Kelunad. Where’s Regitris?”

“We don’t know, Michael. He feared oracular Spells, so he didn’t tell even us. Kelunad has… allies.”

“I’m aware. Ok, then, can you tell me where the room with the artifact is?”

“|Memory Transfer|. I regret not being able to help you, dear boy. Our faction… is in ruins.”

“It’s ok, sir. I’ll manage.”

“I take it ‘ok’ means fine?” the monkey-man asked. “You know, there’s something funny about you.”

Michael just looked at the mage, his nerves getting the better of him.

“You’re a talking monkey and I’m the weird one?”

“Fair.” He laughed. “I like you, kid. Name’s Clicko.”

“Michael. Alright, then… I guess I’ll go after him.”

Narh must have sensed the desperation welling up in Michael, because he spoke.

“Kelunad is not going there, not right away. Right now, he’s going after Sinestra. And even if I don’t know, I believe Regitris probably has something set up in wait for him. You have time. And if you can get to the room first… This isn’t how we wanted to do things, but it’s our last chance. Use your communion, Michael. Try to shut it down. Disrupt it, if you can’t.”

“My… communion?”

“Use Gnosis, kid.” Clicko shrugged. “Narh here think I don’t know. But I know everything.”

“Of course, you do.” The centaur sighed. “Yes, Michael. Use Gnosis. Ask it to shut that artifact down. To move the room. Anything.”

“I will. Will you two be alright?”

“We’ll be ok.” Clico said. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll start waking the others up. Happy travels!”

“Best of luck, Michael.”

The young man nodded and sped out of the room, leaving the two behind.

“You believe he has a chance, right, Mage Clicko?”

“…I wish I got laid more.”

***

Michael ran on, on his way to… to…

To the sixth floor.

He knew the general route there, the one taken by the original exploring team. It was supposed to be safer than a normal route to a Level that high, but that didn’t mean it was safe. Narh’s memory taught him that this secret hadn’t been shared with others. So Kleunad would be taking the long way around, on top of his detour for Sinestra. But the orc had the amulet and even if that thing had to recharge, wich he didn’t know, he could still cut straight through the ceiling. Not that it meant he’d always arrive on an upper floor by doing that.

Never thought I’d be grateful for dimensional magic.

So he ran, deep in his thoughts and shrieked higher in pitch then his pride ever allowed him when someone called out to him from an adjacent corner.

“Keep it down. None of us are supposed to be here.”

“Wh- Alex?”

His friend glanced both ways, before walking over to him. He wasn’t dressed in a white robe, but instead in armor, like in his time as a Martial. Only his armor was metal now, not leather. Glowing runes bordered the edge of the pieces of armor.

“Like it?” he grinned. “I never get to wear it and I’ve had it since the end of last year.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in the hall, taking your exams.”

“I got out.” He shrugged. “Erea caused a distraction. You needed help, right? Well, here I am.”

After all that had happened, it was an understatement to say that Michael was touched.

“But… You’ll fail your exams. So will you and here you are. Besides, if Kelunad gets his way, one of that will matter anymore.”

“Right. I can’t believe you managed to sneak out. That hall is warded-proof even for a high-mage. And… how did you know what I was planning to do?”

“Eh, Erea’s particularly good at causing a ruckus.” He grinned. “And you weren’t exactly subtle about your plans. But, shouldn’t be, you know, running?”

“Right.” Michael said, waking up from the shock. “Follow me.”

They started running and Michael filled Alex in on what happened.

“So, every Ascentionalist is down. That… will be a problem even if we make it. At least we have a head start, what with Sinestra and all.”

“Not really sure about that. Kelunad’s amulet will let him phase through walls. While we have to actually run all the way there.”

“Yeah, but you’re in luck. Because I’m the captain of a team that roamed these hallways for three entire years. I know a few shortcuts that might come in handy.”

“You can get us to the sixth floor?” Michael incredulously asked.

“Err… more like the fourth. After that, we’ll wing it.”

I mean, it might a be a half-baked plan, but at least it’s a plan.

They ran from floor to floor. Alex was right, his knowledge of the terrain and the shortcuts allowed them to cut back on valuable travel time. After that… well. It got tricky. They last two floors must have taken at least an hour, even if the course consisted of basically just a set of stairs, half a corridor and another set of stairs.

Michael had no idea what Skill or Spell Alex used to guide them, but he wanted it. And for all that short distance, they still burned through their vast majority of potions and scrolls. Not to mention mana reserves. Traps, animated constructs, monsters. You name it. Michael got to see for himself why the upper floors were off limit except for only the most capable.

Alright, one more flight of stairs. Nearly there. Breathe!

They’ve made it to the top of the stair and Michael looked up to see the room. Which was when Alex tripped and fell down on top of him.

“Damn. Sorry Michael, I’m still getting used to running in this thing.” He huffed.

“It’s alright.” He said, wincing at the cut on his forearm. “Though maybe you should dull the edges of your armor a bit.”

His friend just grinned and shrugged.

“So. This is it, isn’t it?” Michael asked, walking forward.

The entrance to the room was opposite the stairs, consisting of a pair of doors. A pair of massive, metal doors, easily twenty feet in height and almost as wide. Even from some feet away, the air around them felt charged.

“Guess the enchantments is what’s holding the monsters and other lurkers at bay.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Michael said.

“Hey, are you feeling alright?”

“Uhm, yeah. Why?”

“Oh, nothing.” Alex shrugged. “You just seemed off a little.”

“Oh. No. No, I’m just thinking how to approach this?”

“Did Regitris gave you something? An artifact or a bound Spell?” he asked.

“No. Uhm, I basically have to wish really hard. Or… think about it.”

“…really.”

“Yeah.” Michael said, thinking about how it sounded. “I guess you could say it’s an innate talent.”

“Oh.” Alex said, frowning. “Can you do it quickly?”

“Don’t think so. I have to focus. Can you say on the lookout?”

“Sure.” His friend smiled.

Michael stood and thought. After which he sat down and thought. Thinking, pleading.

Come on, Gnosis. I know you can hear me. Why aren’t you answering?

Gnosis felt… sluggish. Like it was half-asleep.

Please? If we don’t do this, Kelunad will case havoc. Kill students, probably. Hurt then, if not.

More of a response, but still… faint.

Gnosis. Please… help?

His own thoughts felt sluggish. For a second, Michael thought it was because of Gnosis, but then he looked at himself and his vision swam.

I… No. Gnosis is slow… but… so am… I?

“What’s the matter, Michael?” Alex asked from behind him. “Felling a little off?”

“A-lex. I… not feel good.”

“Oh, I can imagine. The poison is slow to act, but powerful once it gets a chance to affect the body.”

“P- pois… eunh.”

Michael toppled over. His mind was wavering, is thoughts fragmented. But he could still think. Which was a lot better than what his body was doing, which had completely lost any ability to move.

“The cut on your forearm. I don’t trip just because I’m running in armor, Michael. Really.” Alex said, sounding amused.

“I see it is all done.” a new voice sounded from behind him.

Michael couldn’t turn.

“It is, Mage Narana.”

Narana!

“Good. I trust you had no trouble from the obstacles I left standing. I had to sell the act.”

“Nothing except minor injuries. But I did make sure Michael used all his scrolls and most of his potions.”

“Good. Take no chances. And has he had any success with… whatever his plan was?”

“None that I could see, Mage Narana.”

“Good. Well, that just leaves waiting for Kelunad. You did good, Alex. You will be greatly rewarded for this.”

“Thank you, Mage Narana.”

Michael heard footsteps and soon he saw his friend crouch in front of him, smiling down at him.

“When you make an enemy of a Martial, Michael. Make sure you finish them.”