Chapter 17: Calm Before the Storm ii

Irelithe and the man, Xuan he calmed himself, left the scene by literally just walking away. Irelithe did feel a bit bad for Warren and the other adventurers but she prioritized herself first. Though, thinking back on it, Xuan held her life in his hands.

“So do you know where we are going?”

Irelithe asked Xuan again, their footsteps muffled by the soft soil on the mountain trail. They had been traveling like this for the past few days. Xuan had pretty much destroyed anything that crossed their paths with his invisible power which gave Irelithe plenty of time to recharge her artifacts.

“I told you before haven’t I? We’re just going to get a lay of the land.”

“And you expect us to climb a mountain just for that?”

Xuan gave Irelithe a small shrug before continuing on. Irelithe stood there frustrated before begrudgingly following behind. They were currently halfway up the trail of the tallest mountain of the Balros Mountain range. Irelithe could even spy the baronies and Lanchester from where she was, though, the awe she felt right now couldn’t compare to when she was flying. Speaking off…

“Couldn’t you just fly all the way to the top?”

“I could, but that doesn’t mean I will.”

“Why?”

Xuan stopped on the path causing Irelithe to bump into him slightly. He turned around slowly, visible displeasure splattered across his face.

“Are you a child? Just how many questions are you going to ask?”

He began telling Irelithe off. Sure, she was technically a child by Elven standards but his mocking tone seemed to tug on Irelithe’s strings a bit too much.

“I never asked to be saved okay? You’re the one that did this all on your own.”

Xuan let out an exasperated sigh, his right hand holding onto the bridge of his nose.

“Do you even know what you are?”

The abrupt personal question struck Irelithe hard, she didn’t know how to respond so she did the next best thing.

“Your Mothe-“

Xuan silenced her with a finger. Her mouth closed before she could finish her sentence.

“I’ll tell you a trick. Open your status.”

Irelithe refused of course. The man probably had some kind of reading spell similar to how he had send those words into her thoughts. She waited sending a flood of mental curses and insults to the man in front of her.

“All you’re doing is just proving how juvenile you are.”

Xuan obviously wasn’t amused by her thoughts judging by his now scowling expression.

“Do you realize just how rare variants are? Think about it. How many times have people pointed you out for your eyes or for your value?”

His words mesmerized her. A queer sensation spread through her as she unwillingly recalled the past she had wanted to forget. The days she spent running until she met her Master, followed by his unduly passing decades later. But that wasn’t all, she had let her guard down.

An excruciating pain split her mind through her memories, shattering her mental landscape.

She was alone now trapped without the sensation of her body. She could see, but couldn’t at the same time. The mana which she had only faintly felt before now surrounded her, obscuring everything in the prismatic array of colors. It was warm. She wanted to stay there forever.

Skill [Mana Perception] has Evolved into [Mana Comprehension]

A feat has been performed! Epic Skill Evolution (+20 INT, +10 LUK)

1/3 Requirements have been met for Advancement

‘Good, you did have the talent after all.’

Xuan’s voice echoed around her. She didn’t have time to react. She was suddenly ejected out of the warm space and back into her own body, her eyes snapping open to see Xuan sitting on a rock in front of her.

“So, how did it feel to separate from your body? Not many Elves get to experience what you just went through.”

“What was that?”

“Tsk. Even more questions, though I guess you have the right after that. What you just saw was a brief glimpse of the world, or at least, that’s what you saw right?”

Irelithe shook her head, her entire body felt light and the iridescent Mana seemed to entwine with her breathing. But she couldn’t see anything.

“Open your status now. You should see some changes now that I Awakened you.”

Name

Irelithe

Age

67 Years

Race

Elf (Wyrd) [1/3]

HP

70/74 (+.03s)

MP

451/477 (+.202s)

SP

54/138 (+.112/s)

STR

15

INT

200 (MAX)

WIS

106

CON

23

AGL

27

LUK

43

Current Ailments | Left Eye: Scarred | Blindness

Skills

Level

Proficiency

[Mana Comprehension]

1/50

.4%

[Danger Perception]

1/10

14.9%

[Fire Affinity]

9/10

78.7%

[Runic Inscription]

1/10

39.7%

[Reading II]

6/20

43.1%

[House Cleaning II]

2/20

58.9%

Irelithe looked at her own status, but she had forgotten something very important.

“Stop!”

She yelled out towards the mind reader.

“What?”

“Aren’t you reading my mind?”

Xuan understood her argument but dismissed it casually, not forgetting to tease the girl of course.

“Unless you willingly show me, I can’t see it. Are you?”

“No!”

Irelithe looked over her Status again, ascertained that her privacy won’t be infringed by the man. She saw the unusual text next to her Race, then the MAX label by her INT stat, and finally the absurd maximum level for her new skill.

Irelithe glanced back at Xuan but something felt different. He was still sitting on the rock, but unlike everywhere else, the area where the man sat was completely devoid of Mana. Even his body lacked Mana! All living beings should at least have some degree of Mana within them but the man had none! His entire existence violated the teachings of her Master.

Xuan noticed her gaze scanning his body. Her shifting emerald eyes focusing on his chest where his heart was for a brief moment.

“That’s a high tier skill for you. Works wonders doesn’t it? Do you now understand what makes me different from the rest?”

He didn’t know what exact changes Irelithe went through but it probably had to do with truth sight judging by her actions. The Wyrd Elf was an interesting existence. They should have gone extinct during the first war but here she is. Living, breathing, and as ignorant as a country farmer.

“The real purpose of this trek was to bring you to a Mana rich area, preferably away from any forms of… pollution.”

As he spoke, he looked downward from the mountain side, his dark brown eyes reaching far into the distance locking onto a large city. One that Irelithe had been in two weeks prior. A woman in green velvet walked to a window and opened it. Their eyes met and she flashed a haughty smile before moving on through the mansion. Xuan mumbled as he had the bad luck of meeting eyes with her.

“Never liked her anyways.”

“Who now?

Irelithe was now contemplating what had happened. She had been saved from an Elemental by this man and this very same man had given her a gift that she couldn’t even possibly repay with her life.

“Never mind. Let’s get going now. I doubt this place will see peace for a while.”

Xuan grabbed Irelithe by the waist and held her in princess carry. Her face redder than it ever was before.

“Hold tight. Things will get a little bumpy.”

The once invisible Aura exploded out of Xuan surrounding his body. Irelithe could physically feel the change in the man’s body. The muscles hardening and bursting with unrestrained energy.

“Wait! Don’t I get any say in this?”

“Nope.”

Xuan jumped from the mountain with Irelithe held in his arms. She clung onto the man for her dear life as the two plummeted from high above, rapidly flying away from the mansion which was currently quiet despite the war.

--Back At Virandi’s Mansion—

She strode down the hall of her mansion, her dress dragging along the carpet she loved to take care of so much. She felt a watchful gaze from her left and decided to open the window nearby to see where it had come from. She couldn’t see whoever was watching her but she could see herself as if she were the one looking from afar. She watched herself smile and leave the vision. Seconds afterward the connection cutting as she returned back to her normal vision, the effects of [Mirror Sight] ending.

“Interesting, so they’re on Mount Phal huh? Better report this to the lady.”

She entered Virandi’s sitting room, two Virandis met face to face. The sitting Virandi waited, staring at the Virandi that had entered the room all the while. Her tea set down on the table forgotten.

“Apologies my lady.”

The woman’s image blurred, becoming that of a beautiful woman with short hazel hair and violet eyes. Wearing the usual maid’s dress given out to all of Virandi’s female servants.

“What is it Rudere? Do you have something for me?”

“There were some rats on Mount Phal earlier. They seem to have run though, scurrying about as they all do.”

Virandi picked up her tea once more, taking a sip before replying to her head maid.

“Take care of them for me, this war of mine has brought me many rather…unpleasant letters,”

She pointed towards her desks, a short neat stack of envelopes sat on the desk, unopened and unperturbed.

“Do what you want, I have no time to play games with a mere few stragglers.

Rudere bowed towards her lady with upmost respect held in every movement and word.

“At your service my lady.”

The head maid left quickly after receiving Viscountess Virandi’s approval, a mirage appearing shifting her appearance once again. She took on the appearance of the girl she spotted in that person’s vision.

She didn’t know her name but the distinctive emerald green eyes should be easy to find. That is, if that person had been in the area recently.