It turns out that magic-casting can be pretty complicated. For the spells that I don’t have through the obelisk, I have to keep track of all the different components of the spell.

For a [Fire Bolt], that’s no big deal. It’s just three primary components: the fire effect, the direction, and the propulsion.

However, if I had ever bothered to look at [Foresight] during my time as the Demon Lord of Pride, I would have realized the absolute headache I was inflicting on the poor researchers who were shanghaied into my service.

There’s no way to beat around the bush when it comes to time magic. It’s the equivalent of casting in 4 dimensions instead of 3. It not only matters what you cast but also when you cast it.

That means that [Foresight] (or maybe [Temporal Slow] if someone is way smarter than I am) is about the limit of what one person can cast without learning the spell through the obelisk.

Thank the heavens, or the System, or whatever the frick is in charge of all this random magic nonsense, that there are ways to get around that.

Rituals. I knew they would be important from the first time I saw one used, but I underestimated their necessity for time magic.

All a ritual does is chop up the mana costs, the calculations, and the headache into smaller bits that can be done over a longer stretch of time. It’s kinda like solving a math problem, but instead of trying to keep track of every step in my head, I get to write it down.

However, just because it was a necessity for time magic didn’t mean that time magic was all it was good for…

Excerpt from my journal

-------

April 4th, 180 AA – A few weeks after the [Demon Lord’s] return

Cameron Leach was a [Magic Researcher].

Not by choice, but because the [Demon Lord] demanded [Magic Researchers] to look into time magic, and no one would willingly use the magic that had a chance of turning parts of their bodies to dust from sheer age.

However, he had no one to speak up for him because he lost his parents the day the [Demon Lord] took over Gram. When the [Guards] and [Soldiers] came for the poor son of two deceased [Servants], he had nothing that he could do but go along with them to his delayed death sentence.

To put it another way, he hated the [Demon Lord] doubly.

However, every cloud has its silver lining. It wasn’t often, but the [Demon Lord] occasionally visited the research labs. And that meant that Cameron had opportunity.

“Now, watch closely, plebians, and copy down this spell as I teach it to you,” the arrogant monster stated the first day Cameron saw him. “[Teach Spell]. [Foresight].”

Cameron wasn’t level 3 in [Magic Researcher] yet, so he got to simply watch as the poor saps who already had that level frantically tried to copy down the entirety of the spell.

He also paid careful attention to the brown-nosing that all of the attendants and overseers did towards the [Demon Lord] and his pleased response.

“This is the simplest of time magic spells,” the [Demon Lord] stated. “Learn it, figure out its structure, and then maybe you’ll have a chance of being useful someday in your pitifully short life.”

Cameron raised his hand. The room nervously shifted away from him because no one wanted the [Demon Lord’s] attention.

If there was an affront, the [Demon Lord] didn’t show it. He just raised an eyebrow. “Yes, peon?” he asked.

Cameron swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat and managed to ask his question in a level voice. “Your imperial highness,” he started. The [Demon Lord] preened at that address, and Cameron felt sick. However, he powered through. “As the foremost expert on time magic, could you perhaps provide us lowly beginners with a few more details about the spell you’ve demonstrated to us?”

The [Demon Lord] laughed. “I suppose you’re right. You all are nothing but novices compared to me, so some questions should be expected. What does your tiny brain wish to know?”

“Anything that you would care to enlighten your lowly servants with,” Cameron stated. He almost choked but managed to disguise it as a cough. “Perhaps just the basics? What is the purpose of the spell? Its spell school? Its mana cost?”

“Pay attention because I will only say this once,” the [Demon Lord] continued. Then he paused. “In fact, take notes and send them out to the research labs in Pumil and Dryadal because I meant that. I will not repeat myself.” He cleared his throat. “[Foresight] is a fairly useless spell. It allows you to see one second into the future for one second. It is in the [Temporus] school of magic, which is the primary one that you peons should be studying. Finally, it has a cost of 100 mana.”

There were some murmurs in response from the gathered researchers.

“100 mana?”

“I don’t even have a quarter of that.”

“That’s a beginner [Temporus] spell?”

Meanwhile, the gears were spinning in Cameron’s head. One second into the future. It’s not much, but at the same time… That could be everything.

The [Demon Lord] frowned at the attendants. “I asked for your best [Magic Researchers],” he stated. “Is this truly the best your pitiful nation could put forward?”

“Well… you see… your highness,” the attendant stammered.

Cameron stifled the smile that tried to come over his face at his captor’s discomfort.

“Our experienced mages are already specialized!” [Overseer] Mills came to his rescue. “We wanted to give you our best and our brightest of our experienced mages, your highness, but many of them are already locked into classes like [Fire Wizard] or [Elemental Sorcerer]. Since we knew of your desire for time magic, we thought it best to bring our brightest young pupils who don’t have the same restrictions.”

There’s no way he’ll buy that. Cameron thought. Practically every mage in the army has [Message]. Surely he’ll know that and figure out that we’re being held-

The [Demon Lord] sighed. “Oh well, what’s a few more decades to wait for my vision to be complete? If we have to wait for some of these brats to grow up, I suppose I can wait.” His gaze darkened. “So long as they don’t disappoint me.”

The entire room collectively swallowed.

Cameron toyed with a plan where he let the [Demon Lord] know that they weren’t the best and the brightest in Gram so that he would deal with their captors.

However, given the disdain he looked at everyone with and that unspoken threat, Cameron felt that he would end up as collateral damage if that particular truth got out.

“Now, I’ve used enough of my valuable time here,” the [Demon Lord] stated. “Get to work on your research, and I expect to see [Time Wizards] by the time I check on you next. [Teleport]!”

The [Demon Lord] disappeared, and the group of researchers was left abuzz.

Great. Cameron thought. Not only do we have to research time magic, we have to pick up an advanced class for it too.

Meanwhile, the [Overseer] was sweating profusely and whispering to one of the attendants.

Cameron leaned in and managed to overhear a bit.

“[Time Wizards] by the time he’s back?” the man whispered. “When will he be back!?”

“Not sure,” the attendant whispered. “It could be months. It could be as short as three days.”

“System help us. We need to level them to 10 and determine the criteria for a class that may or may not exist in three days?”

“Well, what are the requirements for [Fire Wizard]? Surely, [Time Wizard] should be similar, right?”

The [Overseer] chewed on his lip. “They need to know two fire spells and know only fire spells.” He went white. “The [Demon Lord] only taught them one time spell. We need to have them figure out another in the next three days!?”

Cameron couldn’t help the slight smirk that came across his face. He didn’t know the consequences of them failing their impossible task, but he took comfort in knowing that the main person behind his death sentence would at least face the brunt of it.

Unfortunately, Cameron must not have been doing a good enough job of hiding his eavesdropping because the [Overseer] and attendant noticed.

The [Overseer] scowled as he came over and shook Cameron.

“You think this is funny, boy!?” he yelled. “If we disappoint him and he chooses to make yet another example, your neck is on the line too!”

He let go of Cameron and shoved him to the ground. Then, turning to the rest of the room, he continued his threats. “And that goes for all of you, too! We all are prisoners in this mess, so if you want to make it out alive, get working! Take that new spell you were taught and make a new one based on it! I don’t care if it’s the same spell for half the duration, but get a new time spell created now.”

He turned to the attendants. “You, get me a [Recruiter] from the army. It looks like they’ll be inducting some new [Wizards] today.” He pointed to another. “You, requisition a ‘babysitting’ squad from [Commander] Gallagher. In fact, ask for two. We need to clear a dungeon ASAP.” He turned to a third. “And finally, you, get word to the [King]. We need royal permission to clear the nearest dungeon to our capital. If we try to go through the normal red tape, we’ll never make it in time.”

The people he commanded looked at each other.

He clapped his hands. “Move it, people! We need to get working now.” He paused and then finished with a grimace. “Unless you want to get the firsthand experience of smelling your own burning flesh when the [Demon Lord] gets back.”

That was finally enough to launch everyone into action. Messages and [Messages] were sent to secure everything the [Overseer] asked for. Meanwhile, the [Magic Researchers] all were put to work on the impossible task.

Cameron poured over a copy of the notes one of the other researchers managed to take down on the [Foresight] spell.

This is less than half completed. He realized with a frown. And we don’t have anyone here with enough mana to cast the spell, even if we learned it from the capital’s obelisk. He chuckled darkly. Though I guess that will change once we’re inducted into the army as [Wizards]. I don’t know how they’re planning on keeping a bunch of level 10 [Wizards] locked up, but I don’t envy them.

He didn’t know how right he was. He was shaken out of his thoughts when a young woman approached him.

“Hey, mind if I look at that with you?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Sure, though if anyone can get a spell out of this half-finished scribble, they’re much smarter than me.”

She laughed and pulled out her own sheet. “And that’s why it helps to have multiple perspectives on a problem.” She sat down next to him and whispered in a dead-serious voice that contrasted with her somewhat carefree attitude. “We’re planning a breakout once they make us [Wizards] and get us to level 10. You in?”

Cameron debated that for a moment. On the one hand, he didn’t want to be forced to use time magic until his body gave out. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure their breakout would succeed.

There was also one final matter.

If I become a fugitive, I lose my opportunity. But, if I stay here, I may be able to get Gram to foot the bill for the power I need. He grinned. “Sure, I’m in,” he lied. “What’s the plan?”

------

The next several days were hectic. The researchers spent almost every moment poring over the [Foresight] spell, trying to figure out anything they could. Well, every moment that they weren’t sleeping, being forcefully inducted into the army as [Wizards], or being shipped out to a dungeon to level.

As for the leveling process, it wasn’t as harrowing as Cameron expected. He always heard about how dungeon bosses were the main cause of death for adventurers, so he had gone into the fight with the giant serpent with a fair bit of trepidation.

However, it turns out that when you have a group of 20 level 15 and above soldiers escorting 10 [Wizards], it doesn’t matter that the [Wizards] are only level 1.

Cameron’s only contribution to the fight was casting [Mage Bolt] with the other members of his party en masse when the boss monster got down to low HP.

“Now, remember,” [Overseer] Mills said. “Pick up the [Foresight] spell and nothing else. Only upgrade your class once you have [Time Wizard] available.”

The [Magic Researchers] turned [Wizards] all agreed… even Scarlet, the young woman who had approached Cameron earlier.

She shot him a wink, and he gave her a slight nod.

It barely needed saying, but Scarlet would not pick up [Foresight]. Her plan involved spending her newly acquired spell points, picking up [Air Bolt] and [Air Cutter], and becoming an [Air Wizard]. She had half a dozen others who would do the same thing with different classes and spells. Then, they plotted to use their newly-acquired combat prowess to break out.

However, Cameron knew that the new classes wouldn’t matter much. They might have become level 10 overnight, but none of them had the skill levels to match the [Soldiers] and [Guards] that were watching over them.

In other words, it was doomed to fail even if he wasn’t going to inform the [Overseer] of the attempt.

He mentally apologized to Scarlet as he picked up the [Foresight] spell and nothing more. I’m sorry, Scarlet. I need power to take down the [Demon Lord], and your way won’t give me enough.

They teleported out of the dungeon and rode back to Gram in silence.

Well, mostly silence.

“Once one of you figures out a second time spell, we’ll have you pick it up from the city’s obelisk immediately,” [Overseer] Mills said. “We’ve received permission from the [King] to expedite your access to it whenever needed.” He paused. “We’ve also requisitioned staves for all of you. No craftsmen, living or dead, has made a time magic one, but at the very least, we can get your mana high enough to cast that [Foresight] spell a few times.”

That caused quite a stir. Cameron knew that the staves the [Overseer] was talking about weren’t cheap, especially if they were powerful enough to grant a few hundred mana.

If they’re willing to spend that much on this, the [Demon Lord] has them even more under his thumb than I thought. Cameron thought with a grimace. After a moment, that turned into a sly grin. But that will just make it easier for me to take him down.

The first step was to play the part of the obedient servant. To that end, Scarlet and the others were captured during their escape attempt just two days later, thanks to Cameron’s tipoff.

-----

April 11th, 180 AA

“The [Demon Lord] could be back any day!” the [Overseer] said as he frantically paced. “Are you sure you haven’t figured out another spell?”

Cameron scowled. Getting into the good graces of the [Overseer] had secured him the first staff that had come in, but he wasn’t sure it was worth the headache that being the go-to [Magic Researcher] was giving him.

“It takes time to make a new spell, especially one in the [Temporus] school,” Cameron explained for the dozenth time. “Moreover, we’re still working out the basics of the [Foresight] spell. Until we get that figured out, we stand no chance of making our own.”

“Then, is there any way that you can cast that more? Have more people use [Copy Spell]?” he asked hopefully.

Cameron simply stared at the [Overseer]. The man eventually shifted and looked away.

The reason for that was simple. It hadn’t even been a whole week since Cameron could cast [Foresight], and he was already showing the side effects of using that dangerous school of magic. His left eye was no longer functioning, and he had been asked multiple times by the other researchers to not stare at them with his glassy, lidless eye.

He would have loved to have it [Restored], but apparently, the damage caused by time magic wasn’t reversible. It functioned just like old age.

So, since he was stuck with it, he figured he might as well use its full unnerving power.

Unfortunately, Mills’ fear of the [Demon Lord] trumped his hesitation to look at Cameron. “We could… have others borrow the staff and cast it?” he asked.

Cameron sighed. “Look,” he said as he pulled out multiple copies of the [Foresight] spell. “What do you see?”

“I… don’t know,” [Overseer] Mills replied after a moment.

Cameron snorted. “Of course not, so let me explain.” He spread them out on the desk he was at. “Each of these sketches is different, but each one is correct because they were made directly with the [Copy Spell] skill. So, tell me. How is that possible?”

“It’s possible to cast it multiple ways?”

Cameron laughed. “No. We tried to free-cast every one of these. It’s nowhere near the right mana consumption and has no effect whatsoever.” Cameron scowled. “The best we can tell is that all of these are pieces of one larger puzzle, and we have to put them all in place, but nothing we do fits!”

In a fit of pique, Cameron swept the sheets of paper off his desk.

The [Overseer] said something after Cameron’s outburst, but Cameron didn’t hear. The sight of the falling papers transfixed him.

Two, in particular, passed through his vision one after the other. The two were the most similar of the batch.

Cameron froze, even as Mills berated him with words he couldn’t hear.

“That’s it!” Cameron screamed as he hurriedly pulled sheets of copied spells off the ground and frantically re-arranged them.

“[Guards]!” the [Overseer] called. “Get a [Priest]! One of the researchers has lost it!”

“I don’t need a [Priest]!” Cameron snapped. “I need more paper! And get everyone else in here! I’ve had a breakthrough!”

The spell structure changes during the cast. That’s why none of us could pin it down! He thought as he finally arranged all of the sheets of paper in order. It’s not pieces of a puzzle. It’s all the same picture, just at different points in time!

Meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the room. He paid them no mind and pulled out his staff.

Here goes… “[Foresight]!” he cast.

It took him nearly a minute for his free-cast to complete because the spell was so complex, but at the end, a smiling Cameron took in the shocked room.

“I just free-cast [Foresight],” he said. “Everyone, we may have a chance after all.”

-----

Over the next two frantic days, Cameron created the spell [Shortened Foresight].

Ironically, the shortened version had a longer chant than the regular version, but otherwise, it did exactly what it sounded like.

It was also enough to warrant a trip to the obelisk.

Despite creating it, he hadn’t mastered his own spell enough to count as “knowing” it, so he purchased it. Then, after picking up the [Temporus] skill, he chose to upgrade his class.

Upgrade Wizard to:

High Wizard

Time Wizard

That was the first time Cameron had seen red text from System. He hesitated only briefly before stating, “[Time Wizard].”

System: Warning! Time magic is dangerous and forbidden. Are you sure?

He took a deep breath to steel himself and then nodded. “Yes.”

System: New Achievement. First Time Wizard. Temporal Resistance Increased

That was a welcome surprise, assuming it did what he thought it would. However, the rest of the class mainly did what he expected. He could no longer cast spells that weren’t [Temporus] ones in exchange for his [Temporus] spells being more potent.

He went back into the spell list to see if the new class gave him anything, and he got another pleasant surprise in the form of [Time Shear].

The first step is done. He thought. Now I just need to find a way to kill that monster.

It was a near-insurmountable task if even this generation’s [Hero] wasn’t up to it, but Cameron didn’t let that phase him.

After all… he had time.

------

Over the next several years and a multitude of brief encounters with the [Demon Lord], Cameron probed at the monster to see if he could find some type of weakness.

Not that he did so directly, of course, but it turned out that he could chain [Shortened Foresight] into [Foresight] and try his “assassination attempts” in the safety of an unwritten future.

The first thing he tried was holy water. It was a known weakness of the [Demon Lord]. At least once, he managed to secure some history books on that matter.

He made his plan. He cast [Shortened Foresight] with the intent of casting [Foresight] immediately after and then spilling his open cup of holy water onto the [Demon Lord].

He fought through the headache that always accompanied his recursive spell casting and was disappointed with the results.

The [Demon Lord] immediately backhanded him, but there seemed to be no indication he took any damage. In other words, the anger wasn’t from pain. It was likely due to the monster’s arrogance and not wanting to have water spilled on him.

That put Cameron back to the drawing board.

He tried poisons, even paralytics, instead of damaging ones. That was even less fruitful.

Finally, in desperation, he even tried different weapons. With no weapon skill, it was obvious what the result would be. Every one of his attacks bounced off with no indication that it even bothered the [Demon Lord].

There was one last hope. He still had [Time Shear].

It functioned a bit like a bolt spell, but with the added capability that it could be sent forward in time to deal its damage later.

Unfortunately, that extra utility gave it a huge mana cost of 500, despite only dealing somewhere in the ballpark of 100 damage.

Even with his staff and levels, Cameron could barely scrape together that amount of mana. So, he watched, waited, and then pleaded to get even more equipment that gave him mana.

As the lead researcher, his words carried some weight, and he eventually got his wish.

After an excruciating wait, he had enough mana to cast his [Shortened Foresight] into [Foresight] and then finish it off with a [Time Shear]. In fact, he even managed to [Overchannel] it a bit.

That led to another failed theoretical assassination attempt. However, there was one crucial difference. The [Demon Lord] destroyed the spell instead of simply shrugging it off like the others.

That means that, whether the [Demon Lord] consciously knew it or not, he was afraid of the spell that Cameron cast.

And why would he be afraid of something unless it could damage him?

There were several issues with that route to revenge. First, the mana cost was too high. There was no way Cameron could cast it enough to kill the [Demon Lord]. Second, it would take too long even if he had the mana. He wouldn’t survive in direct combat with the [Demon Lord] more than a few seconds as a [Time Wizard].

Ironically, the [Demon Lord] ended up supplying Cameron with the answer in an effort to speed the researchers’ efforts.

A copy of the [Necromancer’s] journal.

It was written in a cipher that took years for Cameron to crack, but when he finally did, he was treated to a treasure trove of information.

He found studies on time magic (that would have been helpful a decade ago), but more importantly, information on a ritual.

One that would replace his frail and aged body with the unageing body of an undead… and that, if done properly, would render him the most powerful spellcaster in the world.

The immortality was honestly just a side benefit.

Cameron was sure it would take a lot of effort to pull it off. He knew that with the world’s history with the undead, no one wanted to create another [Necromancer]. He also was positive it would take a while to persuade the [Demon Lord] since he and the previous [Necromancer] had even been enemies.

Imagine his surprise when the [Demon Lord] agreed with barely a second thought, and the ritual was decided to take place in the deathlands as soon as it could be put together.

--------

May 2nd, 212 AA – 32 years after the [Demon Lord’s] return

“I am still unclear,” the [Demon Lord] stated. “Why do I need to be here for this?”

“Your imperial majesty,” Cameron replied. “This is a crowning achievement of magic and will surely be a great step towards your ultimate goal. If you don’t believe you should be here for this, I am not sure what you would wish to see.”

Of course, Cameron was lying. He wanted the [Demon Lord] here because he was taking that monster down as soon as the ritual was complete.

The [Demon Lord] yawned. “You see one lich ascension, you’ve seen them all. Oh well, I suppose there is nothing more pressing to take care of. Go ahead and get this all over with,” he stated as he made a shooing motion with his hand.

Cameron strode back towards the other [Magic Researchers], who were near-frozen in terror around all of the undead.

The soon-to-be-lich didn’t blame them. It was a disgusting and distressing process to get all the bodies they needed to form the ritual they were about to perform. However, it was time. Cameron took up his position.

“Death and the siren song of the grave, I offer this feeble body in exchange for the undying. End the useless cycle of life and bring forth the everlasting grave,” he intoned as the undead boss monsters moved slowly in his direction. “[Undead Ascendancy: Lich, King of the Undead]!”

A sea of undeath swallowed him. His entire body cried out in pain and a feeling of wrongness. He knew that this was not supposed to be done, and he could feel the strain snapping his brain that had been able to endure even the stresses of time magic.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, he rose into the air.

He laughed, even as a part of him demanded that he destroy all the living.

I start with him. He thought as he locked eyes with the [Demon Lord].

The new deranged part of him seemed to find that acceptable, and it quieted.

“Now, [Demon Lord]!” he shouted. “Prepare to face the pinnacle of magic! I am-“

“[Hell Blaze].”

A black ball of flame hurled in Cameron’s direction, and he didn’t dodge in time.

The flames licked over his body as he screamed in agony.

The [Demon Lord] wasn’t done. He followed it up with a second… and a third… and a fourth.

It wasn’t until the 6th cast that Cameron was finally able to grit his teeth against the pain and fight back. He was able to instinctually cast some form of [Death Bolt], so he threw that at the [Demon Lord].

However, it was hard to see through the flames, much less get a hit on the [Demon Lord] who was blinking around.

At the very least, he needed to start dodging. Cameron did his best to evade the [Demon Lord’s] casts and even dodged a few of the attacks thanks to his flight.

“Finally learned how to fly? Pity. I suppose I’ll have to change things up a bit, then,” the monster called out to Cameron. “What is that skill you [Wizards] love so much?” Cameron shot another [Death Bolt] at him, but he just blinked away. “Ah, yes. [Overchannel]!”

Cameron’s eyes went wide as he could feel the vast amount of mana that the [Demon Lord] was pulling in, even at a distance. He frantically shot more [Death Bolts] at him and even managed a [Time Shear].

Not a single attack landed.

I need to get out of here! Cameron thought. Whatever the next attack is, I can’t afford to be hit by it!

He flew up into the air, but the [Demon Lord’s] laugh followed him.

“Sorry, but you can’t dodge this one,” he jeered. “Power of light, restore health to my ally.” Cameron’s eyes widened at the chant of a spell he never expected from the [Demon Lord]. “[Cure]!”

The [Cure] spell looked more like a lance made of light than anything as it quickly closed the gap.

The spell entered his body… and the next thing Cameron knew, he was on the ground with the [Demon Lord] leaning over him.

“I’ll be back,” Cameron sneered. “I’m a lich! You can’t kill me! I’ll-“

He was interrupted once more. This time by the [Demon Lord] thrusting a gleaming silver sword into his body.

“Before I kill you, let me just clarify one thing,” the [Demon Lord] smirked. “What are you?”

“I am the first [Time Wizard]!” Cameron raged. “I am a lich! I am the one who-“

The [Demon Lord] picked him up off the ground and laughed. He leaned in menacingly. “No. You are nothing more than a footnote in a history that will never be written.” He snapped with his free hand. “[Disrupt]!”

The skill tore through Cameron. He could tell this was the end.

However, he had one last breath.

“Curse you,” he said. “Curse you and all you touch. Curse you and everything you ever hold dear. May the touch of undeath follow you always, even beyond the grave.”

“[Overchannel]. [Hell Blaze],” was all the [Demon Lord] replied.

Then, Cameron knew no more.

------

In a far off realm, Primavia watched the going-ons through a [Scry].

“Enjoying the show?” Titus asked the other [Scry] spell that was lingering there. Primavia could practically hear the panic as the [Scry] cut off.

Human daws. Doth thee not knoweth to lodge thy [Scry] farther hence from a perceptive target? She sighed. She had traced the [Scry] just for fun and found it led back to the human capital. They had an entire underground facility for their peeping but somehow were still so naïve and untrained.

“That goes for you too,” Titus sneered as he looked across the distance directly into her [Scry]. “Don’t follow me, or I will find whoever is on the other end of that spell and dispose of you like I did this undead trash. [Teleport].”

How malapert. I believeth I like not this new Titus. Primavia thought as she moved the [Scry] elsewhere.

She, along with the rest of the fey forest, was still getting her bearings after hibernating for the past few decades. It seemed that they had gorged themselves a bit too much on Titus’ stories, and the entire realm had collectively needed to sleep it off for a short while.

She returned to find yet another lich, people working on time magic, and an unkillable [Demon Lord].

She was worried enough that if that all kept up, she might need to take action in the next century or so.

Nay need for haste. She assured herself. The workings of time art not so easily unravel’d. Besides, thither is eke a [Hero] who is’t shouldst arrive to save the day any moment anon.

Years passed as the fey watched idly by. Primavia kept a lookout for the [Hero] but didn’t see even a passing glance of him.

That continued until the [Demon Lord] gathered all his fledgling mages into the elven capital and began casting a grand ritual.

“This is the perfect setting f’r a [Hero]!” Primavia said. “Whither is he!? What hast he been doing these past decades?”

“Mine own mistress,” one of the other fey interrupted. “We may has’t a did bite of a problem.”

“What beest the problem?” Primavia asked as she flew over to the other [Scry].

“I has’t hath found the [Hero],” the other fairy stated plainly.

Primavia looked and saw an old drunken beastman with a grey mane who was near-collapsed on a bar.

“Seasons preserve us. Yond is forsooth a problem.” She paused and then sighed. “Mine own court, assist me. I am bending our rules. I shalt calleth yond [Hero] to his adventure.”

There was little time left, but the other fey assisted her with her glamer, and soon enough, a fairy [Queen] disguised as an elf walked into a bar.

-----

January 29th, 230 AA – 50 years after the [Demon Lord’s] return

Garrik Valhice was a [Hero]. At least, that’s what his status claimed.

He was pretty sure that he was actually a [Drunk]. Or maybe a [Failure]. Perhaps even a [Disgrace to the entire nation of Dryadal].

At least, if any of those were actual classes.

Either way, he found himself at the bottom of yet another tankard in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.

He waved off any questions by just saying that he was a [Retired Soldier]. He kept to himself and was sure that he would eventually reach the end of his wretched life.

Then, she approached.

“Brave [Hero],” stated the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “Please, I am in desperate need of your aid.”

He looked at her for all of a second before turning back to his drink. “You must have me mistaken for someone else,” he stated with a gravelly voice. “I’m just a [Retired Soldier].”

Her eyes flashed. “Impertinent oaf!” he barely caught her whisper under her breath. Then she cleared her throat. “Please, even so, I beg of thee. If you do not help, tragedy will surely overrun me and mine kin!”

He rolled his eyes. I guess I can at least hear the crazy woman out. “Fine. What do you want?”

“Thank you! Thank you!” she said as she clasped his hand. “There is a grand ritual being prepared in the capital, and if you do not stop the [Demon Lord] from casting-“

The [Hero] pulled away from her hand and turned back to the bar. “Barkeep, another round,” he called.

“Insolent bafoonish knave!” the woman shouted. Then as if realizing the words that came out of her mouth and the attention she attracted from the rest of the bar, she clammed up. She cleared her throat again. “Why art… you afraid of the [Demon Lord]?” she asked in a whisper. “Are you not the [Hero] meant to slay him?”

Garrik gave a long mirthless laugh. “I’ve fought the [Demon Lord],” he finally answered. “He can’t be killed. Not by me, not by anyone.”

“Just because thee has failed once or twice doesn’t mean-“

“Once or twice?” Garrik asked. “Once or twice?” he repeated in disbelief. “I challenged that monster to combat 25 times!” he roared as he slammed his fist into the counter.

Said counter crumpled and collapsed, but Garrik didn’t notice as he turned to the woman.

“13 times I was brought to the brink of death, 7 times my faithful companion’s life was leveraged against me, and 5 times the [Demon Lord] simply got bored and left,” he continued. He looked around at the rest of the bar that was staring at him, and he felt ashamed.

He tossed a 200 gold coin to the barkeep for repairs and then turned to leave.

He paused at the door. “So, if you’ve come to me looking for the [Hero], you’ve found him—the first [Hero] to ever be a failure. The first [Hero] to lose to a [Demon Lord]. And the first [Hero] who will die an ignoble death as a washed-up drunk and failure to his people.”

He slammed the door on his way out.

His horse was tethered outside, and he pulled a carrot out of his inventory to feed his faithful companion, even as the horse nuzzled him.

“At least you will always be there for me, Earthquake,” he said as he patted the horse on the head.

With a minor bit of difficulty, due to being partially inebriated, Garrik managed to mount up and prepare to ride off.

“Wait!” the elven woman called as she ran in the path of his horse. “If thee doth not wish for an ignoble end, why not give thine life in fighting the [Demon Lord]?”

Garrik laughed dryly. “So that’s your pitch? If you think you’re useless, go and die for me instead?”

The woman opened her mouth and then closed it.

Garrik sighed. “I must admit. I have thought about it. I don’t hold my life so dearly that I wouldn’t be willing to give my life like Elluin the Hunter.” He paused. “But I have one question for you. What is the maximum lifespan of a Dryadal Stallion?”

The woman’s brow furrowed. “Why would I know that?”

“50 years,” Garrik stated.

“And why does that-“

“Take a guess,” Garrik said over her response. “How old do you think my companion Earthquake is?”

She furrowed her brow. “If the maximum is 50, and the beast appears hearty and hale, I would suppose it could not be more than 25?”

“108,” Garrik stated. “Earthquake was only 8 years old when I began riding him. That was nearly a century ago when I was just a boy of 26.”

“How is that even possible?” the woman murmured.

Garrik laughed. “[Armored Mount Pact: My Mount’s Life is My Own]. My horse will not die so long as I live. And live I shall, for only System knows how long because of the racial perk System blessed me with.” Garrik was near a breakdown, and he felt unshed tears in his eyes. “[Long-lived]. I have watched my fellow riders die, one by one, and I will be the last to go.”

Garrik wiped at his eyes and then asked. “So, do you understand? I don’t value my life so much that I would not lay it down for our people. But the moment that I do-“

“Your stead will die alongside you. Of old age,” the woman finished softly.

Garrik laughed bitterly. “And so you see my torment. My bitter curse that was caused by my greatest blessing. I can’t do my duty because I am not willing to sacrifice my closest companion.”

The woman went silent, and Garrik assumed their conversation was over. He nudged Earthquake to go around the woman when she spoke again.

“Suppose… Suppose that thine death would not be the end of thy stead. What then?”

Garrik shook his head. “The pact can’t be transferred. It’s permanent and-“

The woman shook her head. “Not that. What if the beast’s life could be extended?”

Garrik eyed her suspiciously. “Is such a thing even possible?”

“Seasons preserve us,” the woman muttered. “We doth not has’t time f’r this.” In a flash, the woman was gone. In her place flew a much smaller woman.

“I am Primavia. First of her name, [Queen] of the fey,” she stated. “Extending a mortal life may beest beyond thy po’r attempts at sorcery, but t is not beyond the power of the fey.” She stretched out a tiny hand. “Cometh with me and mine own court shalt ensure the beast’s life.”

Garrik hesitated. Very little was known about the fey, just what information the previous [Hero] Elluin had given before his death. However, Garrik didn’t hesitate for long.

He didn’t have anything to lose.

“Very well, whatever the cost may be to me, if you can save Earthquake’s life, I shall pay it.”

She grinned at him with serrated teeth. “Valorous. Anon, we wilt maketh haste. The [Demon Lord’s] ploy nears fruition.”

Garrik took the fairy’s hand, and she said only two more words. “[Grand Teleport].”

-------

Primavia took only a second to smile as the [Hero] gaped at the fey forest, then she called out.

“Mine own court!” she started. “Hearken to me! We might not but putteth into effect grand magics, and we has’t dram time!”

“Grand magics?” one asked. “What is this thee speaketh of? And how didst thee convince the [Hero] to cometh fain to us?” The speaking fairy floated closer to the [Hero] and his stead until Primavia cut her off with a telekinetic chop to the head.

“Thither shalt beest none of yond!” she chided. “The [Hero] cometh to us as a guest, and his stead coequal moreso. At the [Hero’s] bidding, we shalt turn the dumb mount into the white beast of legend!” Primavia paused. “Cometh, mine own court! We race ‘gainst the [Demon Lord]! Ritual ‘gainst ritual! Spell caster against spell caster! And fey ‘gainst mortals! We wilt turn the stead immortal ere the [Demon Lord] can maketh a mess of time!”

The gathered fey cheered… most of them.

“Mine own [Queen]! They has’t hadst days to did cast their spell, with years of preparation ere! We standeth nay-“

Primavia cut her off. “Then we shalt has’t a fair competition. Showeth those mortals the meaning of magic!”

Primavia herself started weaving her magic, even as other fey flew to and fro, placing down pieces of the forest in a wide area around Garrik and the horse.

“Primav- your majesty, is there anything I can do to help?” Garrik asked.

Primavia was about to tell him the answer was to sit there and be quiet, but she realized better.

“Stories,” she stated. “Bid us stories of thee and thy stead. Thee shall loseth those with the telling, but they would greatly increase our chance of success.”

And so, Garrik did his part. He unmounted from Earthquake and told them stories for the entire time they spent casting the ritual.

How Earthquake was named.

His unlocking of the class and first cavalry charge.

Even mundane things like feeding the mount carrots and sugar cubes.

To his credit, he stayed up the entire time, even though the ritual was complex enough that it took even the superlative spellcasters of the fey a full 24 hours to complete.

“Mine own mistress,” one fey reported after checking in from a [Scry] spell. “The [Demon Lord] draws ev’r closer to completion. We wilt did cast now ‘r we may beest too late.”

Primavia nodded. “Positions, everyone!”

“Cometh forth seasons, cometh forth fount of memories. I calleth unto thee to welcome a brother into our ranks. Forever stand ho the flow of time. Forever welcome him into the halls of the fey. Forever grant him the title of immortal,” Primavia chanted out as she sculpted the magic. “[Fey Transformation: The White Beast of Legend]!”

Lightning flashed in the sky, despite the clear night. The beast glowed bright white, too brightly for even Primavia to look at. Every piece of the fey forest that was included in the ritual burst into flames that floated up into the sky.

Through it all, the [Hero] never left his mount’s side.

Then, finally, it was done. Gone was the chestnut stallion. In its place was the white beast of legend. It neighed and reared back as it displayed its pure visage and proud horn and…

“What daw graft’d wings onto the unicorn?” one fairy exclaimed.

“Unicorn?” another asked. “Wast we not creating the white beast of legend, the pegasus?”

“Since which hour is the pegasus known f’r immortality? Yond is the domain of the unicorn!”

“But what daw would maketh an immortal without wings? The [Demon Lord] hast those not, and thee see how he did turn out.”

Meanwhile, Primavia was battling back the fairy godmother of all headaches.

“[Appraisal],” Primavia cast. After taking a second to review the beast’s status, she nodded. “T matters not, we did succeed, and the beast is immortal.” She turned to Garrik. “Anon, wend apace! Thee wilt stand ho the [Demon Lord]!”

Garrik nodded resolutely and mounted up. “Come then, Earthquake!... No. Where you once shook the ground, now even the sky shall shake. Come, Skyquake! We ride together to the end of the [Demon Lord]!”

The hors- unico- pega- …The unicornisus neighed in agreement.

“Cometh anon, I shall sendeth thee as close as I can,” Primavia said. They came closer, and she tried to cast. “{Grand Teleport>.” She tried once again. “

T is mine own recompense f’r flaunting our laws. She thought grimly, but she tried one last time. “[Teleport}.”

Even that simple spell was beyond her.

“Thee wilt maketh thy own way thither,” Primavia told the [Hero] and Skyquake. “Thither remains not the charm to sendeth thee.”

“But, mine own mistress!” one of the fey protested. “The journey is moo than a hundr’d leagues!”

The other fey clamored. They didn’t want their hard work to go to waste, just for the [Hero] not to make it.

However, Garrik interrupted them all.

“Point me in the direction of the [Demon Lord], and we will make it!” Garrik thundered. “For this will be… [A Hero’s Last Ride]!”

Primavia could tell by the nature of that skill he had purposefully left off the beginning. [Heroic Sacrifice: A Hero’s Last Ride]. He had already committed himself fully to the cause.

It was all Primavia could do to stay upright, but she saluted the man and beast as they flew off together to the east… with a multitude of shining figures following in the clouds behind them and with a trail of fire being left at their feet.

Then, the [Queen] of the fey collapsed to the ground.

“Mistress!” came the shouts of dozen of fey. They propped her up and tried to heal her, but she was suffering from something beyond even the remedies of the fey.

“Mine own court, I standeth did convict of breaching our most sacr’d of laws.” Primavia stated softly. “I has’t meddl’d with the story of the ordinary outside this forest. I knoweth not, if’t be true ‘r at which I shalt awake. As such, I decree…” she took a deep breath. “Tamara! Fly ere me!” The timid fairy flew in front of her, and Primavia continued. “Thy name shalt anon beest hath lost to time. Thee art Secondavia, second of thy name, [Queen] of the fey! Glory to her reign!”

“Glory to her reign!” the other fey shouted through tears.

And that was the last Primavia heard before falling into a deep and dark sleep, which she knew not if she would return from.

---------

“It will be just a few more hours, my lord,” one of the [Time Wizards] said to me. “We are finishing the final preparations, and then we will gather everyone to cast.”

“Good,” I nodded curtly. “It’s about time.” I didn’t know that I was even capable of introspection in that form, but my thoughts were surprised as the Demon Lord of Pride looked off into the distance. “I can finally save her. I can finally put right the injustice that was done to her and me. We can finally be together, as we were always meant to be.”

However, my soliloquy was interrupted by an extra. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was already sunrise!” one of the researchers exclaimed.

“Imbecile,” I retorted. “The sun doesn’t rise in the west.” However, I looked in that direction and saw light, which was rather concerning. “[Scry].” I cast. I somewhat carelessly shoved it off in that direction to get a better look. What I saw left even a Demon Lord of Pride speechless.

The [Hero] was riding a horned pegasus in the clouds with an army of angels at his back.

We are so screwed. I thought.

The Demon Lord version of me didn’t agree. “[Hell Blaze]!” I yelled in the direction of the incoming [Hero]. I [Overchannelled] it and heard some cries of distress from the other participants in the ritual as I ripped some of the mana from the air, but I didn’t care. I had to take out the [Hero] immediately.

A white shield sprang up in front of the [Hero], and my black flames shot above and beneath him with no sign of damage.

“The time has come for your reckoning, [Demon Lord]!” the [Hero] shouted, and I could somehow hear his words, miles away though he was.

The Demon Lord version of me now agreed with my internal monologue. “Preparations are done! We’re finishing the casting now!” I shouted.

“But, my lord-“

I didn’t bother hearing out the reply. I began gathering the magic and forcing it to flow.

“Not yet! We aren’t ready!”

“Shut up!” I snarled in reply. “Just follow my lead!”

Meanwhile, the army of Heaven approached ever closer. 10 miles. 5 miles. 1.

I took the ritual to the final step.

“You maniac!” a researcher shouted. “At least do the chant! It’s already unstable!”

“We don’t have time,” I snarled. I imposed my will on the gathered mana and forced it into place with a clenched fist. The [Hero] was just a few hundred feet away, but it was enough.

“Too slow!” I jeered at him as I raised my fist to the sky and cast the spell. “[RESTART]!”

The world shuddered to a stop.

I frowned. “That’s not right,” I said.

Then I looked down and saw the flaming lance that was frozen in time, mere inches from my chest.

I gently pushed that out of the way and looked around.

“I do not appear to be 220 years into the past,” I stated the obvious. I examined the ritual but couldn’t sense any mana from it. “Did those imbeciles give me a bad spell?”

However, if I was wondering what was going on, I didn’t have to wait long.

If time had shuddered to a stop before, the best I can describe after is that time… exploded?

A shockwave rippled outward from the ritual’s center, and everything it touched became… wrong.

Buildings crumbled to dust as they were simultaneously built. The researchers and [Hero] teleported around as if they were characters in a particularly laggy multiplayer game that couldn’t decide where they belonged. The angels flickered and then winked out of existence.

It was about then that the screaming started.

I watched in morbid fascination as the people around me aged into skeletons in moments, or turned into youths, then babies, and vanished.

I have no idea how long I stood there, but eventually, I was left alone.

I surveyed the ruined area around me that seemed to flicker through different moments in time. “Well, you can’t make a temporal omelet without breaking a few eggs,” I chuckled. “[Teleport].” I ignored the devastation and began heading to Gram’s capital.

With no regard for the lives that I had taken, I was already making plans for the next ritual.

“I’ll just have to make sure to take care of any pesky interruptions beforehand,” I said with a grin. “The next ritual will work for sure.”

Meanwhile, internally I was still processing the horror of what I’d done.

System… Please… Send someone who can defeat me. I begged. I don’t know how, but someone has to be strong enough to take me down, or I’ll ruin this entire world and my chances at saving Megan. Please. Send a [Hero] that can kill me!

At that point, I didn’t know what kind of [Hero] it would take to bring me down. Pride had taken on all comers and been left unscathed.

I was sure the System knew what [Hero] to send against me, but little did I know…

The OmniverseEngine was just as stumped as I was.