Killian exploded from the brambles like a fired arrow, aimed directly at his target. A body slowly learning it’s strength, and a mind figuring out how to keep up with it. He unleashed Pyre, feeling heavier as her talons released him and she ploughed through the first fungolem. The second was sent flying, smashed into chunks of mushroom as it’s squat body struck a tree.

The swarm would begin closing the net now. The second phase of attack began, signalled by a whoop and a silver flash of light as Jol dived in amongst the growing mob of mushroom men. He put a hand to each one and then he chanted. Jol had evolved during the bonding ritual with Pyre, and an instinctual understanding of his new abilities came with it. With a surge of force, Jol flared his mana and each spot he had touched became a jet of air. Strong enough to either lay the fungolems down or send them flying.

It had been three weeks since the gnoll attack. Killian had finally accepted that being an adventurer was at least a “positive career choice”, as Ophana had put it. He had agreed to join the Fangs of Pryviow but he didn’t remember agreeing to life or death combat training.

Yet pushed to the brink is where he found himself. A rock smashed against a sturdy tree, splinters flying and missile lodging into old wood. Killian’s complaints could wait, he needed to focus. The fungolems were stronger than he was, and looking away at the wrong moment could be fatal. It wouldn’t be real training otherwise, apparently.

He mustered his mana, feeling the strange heat of it spread from his core and seeing the dip on his Display. He hadn’t used the spellbook yet, having been advised to wait until he had gathered all his Aspects. The book would apparently be more of a burden than a help until he was a true bronze. Still, he’d learned some things all the same.

The manafire flowed along his arms and between his fingers. He grabbed the mana, visualising the form. Blades of flame erupted from his knuckles, forming into sharp, throwable phoenix feathers. Splaying his hands as he threw his arms wide, the feathers launched at the assorted mushrooms. As they landed in the soft flesh of the fungolems, they stuck in and ignited. They didn’t feel pain, being magical constructs, so they continued a slow march as they burned away.

Killian could create four feathers at once for now, two in each hand. Due to the Aspect of Destiny attached to his Will attribute, his mana pool and mana regeneration rate were close to a bronze rankers. He wasn’t as strong yet, or as fast, nor did he have a body that could withstand the punishment theirs could. What he did have was a nearly endless supply of small, unstoppable fires he could launch.

Using that as the base, Killian had started to gain an appreciable style of fighting. He had seen Dack go up against the fungolems, and Killian had been overcome with envy. His armour was like living rock, allowing full movement but dampening anything but staggering bludgeoning damage. He ran through the squishy mushroom men like running through curtains.

Killian slid on the slick ground, still wet from last night’s rain. With no small pride, he aimed perfectly and his slide carried him through a knot of grasping brambles, before flying down an incline. All the while he maintained a pace, continuing to launch his feathers. Four feathers formed and thrown, a deep breath to allow his mana to reignite, and then form again.

He was lost in the flow. The adrenaline and the exertion enhancing the thrill of the chase, Killian danced. Pyre added to his mobility when he began to get surrounded, lifting him with her deceptive strength and allowing Killian to jump clear of danger. Jol continued applying disruptive wind magic, as firm a part of the pattern as Killian or Pyre.

The battle ended as the trio broke through to the encampment where Lady

Syb, whom Killian had taken to calling such, even in his mind, and Dack were waiting. They both wanted to appraise the performance. Killian had decided to keep it a secret that he’d received a quest from the System to compete against Lady Syb.

-Quest-

| Guild Quest: Prove thy worth, worm |

The Fangs of Pryviow have challenged you to prove yourself.

Sybould Abnoba, the Mushroom Witch, is a stern teacher and her lessons should be well learned. As long as you survive, she will make you strong.

Objective: Perform the gauntlet of the Fangs of Pryviow

Quest Reward: Ring of Will

“So,” Killian’s first word came after a few minutes of gasping at air on the wet ground, face up. “I definitely did it that time.” Killian had barely gotten his breath under control but he was already on his knees. He wasn’t even sure he was loud enough for his two taskmasters to hear him but he was also partially begging the System too. That had to be enough, right?

Sybould Abnoba had agreed to train him after a lengthy apology between the two of them. As such, she was his mentor, and her opinion was the one that mattered here. Still, Killian couldn’t help but fill with pride as he saw Dack’s excited expression and the exclamation point icon that said he’d completed a quest.

He looked to Lady Syb, and saw an altogether dampening expression. Her disappointment and pity were both clearly evident and Killian balked. He couldn’t understand why, considering the quest had been completed. Looking from her face to the quest page, he grimaced. The quest had been completed, yes, but only partially. The updated text was daunting.

-Quest Updated-

| Guild Quest: Prove thy worth, worm |

Bonus Objective: Sybould Ubnoba’s gauntlet has been bested, but she is still unimpressed. Will you do more, or be content with less?

Objective: Find a way to impress Sybould Ubnoba

Quest Reward: Improved reputation with Sybould Ubnoba

“I’d have you on my squad!” Dack boasted happily. If the pair had intentionally chosen to be positive and negative respectively, they were doing a great job. Happy at the praise, Killian still looked to Lady Syb for her verdict.

“What are you, Killian?” Lady Syb’s manner was straightforward, her question expecting an actual answer.

“I am a novice adventurer.” He had learned to answer with the most base understanding possible, and the lesson would follow. This time was no different.

“Do you think so? That makes sense, you act like they do already. One thing works, so it must be enough.” She left that statement in the air, waiting for Killian to digest it. Dack shifted uncomfortably, stopping himself from cracking his knuckles as he did out of habit. That may have struck a nerve for more than just Killian.

He was only just starting out, he bemoaned internally. Having one thing is more than he had ever had before. He could do magic now, it wasn’t his fault he could only do one thing with it.

Like a slap in the face, Killian shook his head. That was exactly it, obviously. It was his fault, and his excitement over learning how to deal damage with his magic had overwhelmed his desire to try other things. The magic of the Phoenix flowed through him. It allowed him offense, and staggering regeneration when he had the mana to burn. That wasn’t his fullness though, was it? An obvious answer, confirmed by what could only be described as a glitter falling on his mana.

“I think I understand.” Killian couldn’t help but laugh at the wording of his next phrase. “I need to stop ignoring my Destiny.” He grinned at his wordplay, but the weight of it felt right too. His eyes refocus, his intense thought glazing them. Looking at his teacher, he saw a small, curious grin on Lady Syb’s face.

“Teacher,” Killian said, his confidence growing as clarity formed. “I have an idea and I don’t want to let this feeling slip away. Can I try again?”

All fatigue had left Killian’s body. He was able to slowly turn mana into stamina as a form of healing with his phoenix magic. Killian forgave himself for not seeing the obvious, when his Aspect of the Phoenix constantly did so much. He was sure this would work though. Lady Syb gave Killian an appraising look. She seemed to be happy with whatever she saw in Killian’s eyes.

“Kil, I’m not sure I can go again just yet.” Jol did not have Killian’s ability to recover stamina, and had used almost all of it in the final dramatic moments of their fight. Pyre said nothing, but there was hesitance in her aura. Killian pressed her emotions back with a feeling of anticipation.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to go alone this time.” He slipped a ring onto his finger from his storage space, told Dack to watch closely and made his way back into the swamp.

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Killian stood in the darkening forest, eyes scanning and ears focused. He had travelled the few miles that their battle would take place over, and waited at the starting line. The goal was simple. Make it back to camp without being overrun, captured or incapacitated by the fungolems. This would likely be much harder in the dark, but that was the point. Killian also had some hidden advantages.

As he looked through a thicket to his left, he saw them. Small pages of writing that weren’t affected by the sunlight. A small army of small pages atop small mushroom bodies.

-Creature-

| Fungolem |

A construct created by Sybould Ubnoba, The Mushroom Witch.

Slow, but sturdy, they boast immense physical strength.

Disposition - Construct

Dozens of the icons were appearing as they slowly crept into range. Killian began moving towards the camp. A simple escape isn’t what he was looking for though. Using the pages of writing as markers, Killian started gathering his mana. Conscious of his own intent, he could feel the mana move differently. He sent it not to his fingertips, but collected it in his eyes. He scanned his eyes over a portion of the slightly visible fungolems, and his mana dipped on cue.

It was working, and Killian was again grateful to have found such an incredible teacher.

Keeping the mana around his eyes, feeling like small pins and needles in his cheeks, he then began summoning his fire. The feathers formed in his clenched fists, and he let them fly freely. Earlier in the day, and since he’d first thrown them, Killian had been using them like throwing knifes.

Now, they attacked like small flame sprites. Killian had the Aspect of the Phoenix, but also the Aspect of Destiny. By marking a target with his destiny mana, he imbued his thrown feathers with the power of fate. His feathers flew true, striking each mushroom fighter once and setting them ablaze. Arcing through the air, weaving around obstacles, he could no longer miss.

-Skill Unlocked-

Bronze | Destiny Magic | Will

Destiny is a fickle thing, for most. For you, it can be molded into a form more pleasing.

Effect: At Bronze rank, you can channel your mana, shifting fate.

At higher ranks, your understanding of this magic will increase.

Amid throwing his arms out, launching flaming arrows of certain death for the fungolems, Killian continued scanning around. His mana, he could see in his Display, was barely dropped at all. He felt as though he was using twice the amount as before, but he thanked his new ring and kept raining fiery assault upon Lady Sybould Ubnoba’s army.

-Item-

| Ring of Will |

A signet ring, with the design of an owl’s eye. It shows loving craft and immaculate attention to detail.

Effect: Wearing this ring will drastically improve the users Will attribute

Drastic was definitely the word Killian would use. He had contained himself to four feathers before, as that was around the same cost of mana as he regenerated. He would have to get used to his new baseline later. For now, he used the excess mana to keep his breathing steady and mind clear. As he no longer had to be so close or so direct, with the fungolems, Killian was in less danger of a thrown rock or branch hitting him.

The addition of his second Aspect had moved the scale on this challenge from difficult to laughable. Killian supposed that was exactly the lesson that he was intended to learn, and also likely why he was told not to rush gathering his Aspects. He may simply have never thought to try something else if he hadn’t found the need to innovate and impress.

Lesson well learned, Lady Syb. Killian easily coursed through the rest of the distance needed to find the camp. He didn’t consider it cheating to get Pyre to fly into the air and flare her light to guide him as he got close. He hollered out the password to the scouts, though as Pyre flew to join him it would be obvious who it was.

“Lady Syb!” Killian shouted confidently. He strode into camp with Pyre alighting on his shoulder. Killian had been stubborn. He had thought mostly about the quest and its reward, but he didn’t even bother to open the prompt telling him he’d finished. He looked for the tall, grey goliaths, an easy landmark to pick out amongst the crowd.

When he finally reached his teacher, they both stood silent for a moment. Killian knew that she could see through her warriors. The fact his Display had already told him she was impressed didn’t matter. He waited.

“Now,” The beaming woman proclaimed. “You can call yourself an adventurer.”