《Origin Seeker》Chapter 34 - Setting Off
Advertisement
Dream opened his status.
|Profile|
Species: Human Male
Class: [Mystic]
Titles: [Origin Seeker]
Level: 50
Stats: Strength- D- Agility- D-
Stamina- E+ Magic- D
Passive Skills: [Sophia] Lvl. 5, [MMA Mastery] Lvl. 30
Active Skills: [Summons From Another World], [Shooting] Lvl. MAX, [Mystify] Lvl. 1>
"Interesting. So I've almost completely gotten into the D range for attributes. I can imagine that places me pretty high up. I also see that you leveled up, Sophia."
[I did indeed. I had actually been level 2, but the enhancement gave me another 3 levels.]
"*sighs* Only three levels huh..."
Dream let out a tired sigh. An entire class advancement only leveled her up 3 times. He was starting to feel how difficult leveling would be in the future.
"Alright, we can look at my new stealth ability. And rather than going through the pain in the ass process of testing its limits, we can just look at the description. If you don't mind Sophia."
[Of course.]
As Dream didn't want to figure out what his ability did the hard way, he opted for having the Record tell him instead. A screen soon appeared in front of him.
"Hmm...So this was a combination of my [Erase Presence] and the effects from my soul scaring the bears. Both came together for an ability."
Dream made his assumptions. Since the abilities all have to come from somewhere, he assumed it was those two things that allowed him to get this ability. Sophia also assumed such.
[That's most likely the case. The fact that you can influence the cognition of the target is huge. I wonder if they have illusion magic in this world, because that would most likely match up with this ability.]
"There probably is. Speaking of, I am very eager to learn some magic. Until I can learn other skills, I will be at a plateau with my combat strength. My weapons won't be able to carry me much further."
[Well you may not have to wait long. Remember that you guys only stopped here to get your class. And although it took much longer than expected, all three of you have finally advanced. You could set off for the Enchanted Mountain today if you wanted.]
"You know what, that is true. Well, since I've learned all I need to know, I should go find the others. You have their location?"
[I'll mark it on your vision.]
After she said that, Dream saw a blip in his vision. He then took off towards the family.
As he ran through the forest, Dream could feel the increased strength in his body. His body was light as a feather and his coordination was perfect. Every step he took aimed his body and moved his center of gravity however he wanted. One could say that he was gliding across the ground rather than running. His footwork from all those years of sports like soccer, track, and football only helped his smoothness.
As he got closer though, he didn't go up to greet the family upfront, but instead decided to test his new stealth ability. He activated [Mystify].
When he used the skill, Dream's body began to warp and dissipate into the air, as if disintegrating. His body no longer affected the air, no steps were shown on the ground, no sound was made. He just disappeared.
He himself could also feel the changes. He couldn't feel the air blowing past his skin, and the ground he stepped on felt unreal. Usually the blades of grass would bend with weight, or dirt would shift when he kicked off. And he would still cause those changes from his perspective, but from the outside, there was no evidence of it happening. As if only he was aware of his existence.
Advertisement
The most important change though, was to his mana.
'I'm using mana way faster than before. I definitely wouldn't be able to maintain this forever. It also probably consumes more if I were to use that magic as well.'
[The ability is also only level 1. I can imagine it getting better as it raises level.]
'That's true'
Sophia chimed in to look at the bright side. And as if proving her right, Dream received a notification not long after.
His skill leveled up twice as he ran. After it did, Dream could indeed feel a tiny bit less mana being drawn upon.
'Good. Only 97 more levels. Though my other skill was maxed in several hours, I doubt I could do the same for this one.'
Dream ran around for a bit more, hoping for another level up, but never got one. He wasn't disappointed though. It was a higher class ability after all.
As he started getting closer to the family though, he started concentrating. He applied even more mana into his stealth to stay hidden as best he could.
Why was he trying to hide? Well, in order to test how god his ability actually was, he needed a good test subject. And what better subject than a non-hostile 3rd class magician?
Indeed, Dream was attempting to sneak up on Riddick. He knew the girls couldn't find him, but he had never been able to hide from the Old Man. And although he probably still couldn't, he could at least try and catch him off guard.
Dream got slower and slower as he approached. When he got to the 200-meter mark, he came to a walking speed. He knew he was well within the range of Riddick's senses, but it seemed as if he couldn't detect him yet. Dream kept moving forward.
200 meters, 170 meters, 150, 130.
When Dream reached almost 100 meters away, He finally saw a reaction from Riddick. The Old Man raised his head as he sat on a rock and turned towards Dream's general direction. Dream also stopped in his tracks.
Riddick scanned his area for a couple of moments before turning back. Dream could tell he was still suspicious though.
'Alright, Sophia. I can approach a 3rd class up to 100 meters before alerting them. And now I have two options. I can slowly inch my way over, or book it.'
[Inching over might get your a dozen or so meters closer, but he would still eventually find you. Booking it would alert him quicker, but you can close distance faster. Don't forget that this skill isn't just about stealth, but confusion.]
'So approach quickly, and use the second part of my ability to confuse him as soon as possible. From how far can I affect him?'
[I estimate the farthest being 60 meters, but with lesser effects. As you get closer the effects get stronger. So the challenge is getting to at least 50 meters.]
'Got it. I guess we run now.'
Dream prepared himself and plotted out the best path for his approach. Once he was ready, he kicked off the ground as fast as he could.
Riddick also sensed the sudden movement and snapped towards Dream's direction, though he still couldn't make out the exact location.
Dream saw this and just kept running. It only took a couple of steps to reach 80 meters. Another couple to reach 60. By this time, Riddick had basically locked onto his figure, and Dream wasn't sure if he knew it was him. Either way, Dream began using his confusion on Riddick at 50 meters.
Advertisement
Once Riddick was 'attacked', he quickly stood up form his rock. Dream then felt waves of mana emanating from Riddick's body and brushing over his own.
'Is this detection magic?'
[Very likely. Just keep your confusion aimed at him.]
Dream kept channeling mana to his skill stealth and to confuse Riddick. He kept getting closer, and Riddick got more alert, but for the most part stayed calm.
Dream had also made sure not to release any form of a threatening aura. He didn't need to die for doing something stupid like that. Not that sneaking up on a 3rd class was smart anyway.
Dream took many quick and small steps instead of large strides as he got closer. He hit 40 meters, then 30.
When he got this far, Dream could see a smile float up on the Old Man's face. This is when he knew that he had been exposed, but that didn't mean it was over.
Dream stopped weaving the trees and shot straight at Riddick when he got past 15 meters. Riddick responded to the challenge with some magic. He raised his hand and aimed at Dream. Though Dream didn't know what it was, he also didn't plan on getting hit. He pumped more mana into his skill and went around the magic aimed at him.
It was also when Dream suddenly moved that he noticed the effects of his ability. You see, Riddick has absolutely no problem keeping up with fast objects, as evidenced by how he could barely see bullets leaving a gun. So when Dream saw how Riddick wasn't focused on him, but rather the space right next to him, he knew that his ability must've had some effect.
Dream got closer and closer until he was right in front of Riddick. He then spun around and made his way to the side of Riddick's body where he threw a punch to his liver.
When Dream thought that he would succeed in making contact, a shimer came from the surface of Riddick's body and blocked his punch. A low thud was heard, followed by the sounds of pain.
*Thud*
"Oww!! Damn! That freaking hurt! Is that a shield?!" (Dream)
Dream immediately retracted his hand and held it. It felt like he had punched metal! Riddick responded with a smirk.
"It's a barrier. Did you think I wouldn't have one and just let you hit me?" (Riddick)
"You think I know anything about barriers?" (Dream)
"....Fair point." (Riddick)
Riddick's face froze for a second before nodding after he considered the fact that Dream still knew nothing about magic.
"Though I do have to praise you on getting so close in the first place. Although there were many more ways I could have found you out from far away, I am still a 3rd class. Sneaking up on one is no easy feat, especially for someone who just got their first class. Though...That wasn't all just sneaking. I have to ask, what was that ability you used?" (Riddick)
Riddick asked a question after praising his efforts. Dream expected the question and answered him.
"It's the ability I got from the evolution of my [Erase Presence]. It's called [Mystify], and It can both hide me from enemies as well as confuse them. I used the confusion on you, and although the effect was minimal, it still remains that you didn't identify me until 30 meters. You also missed me with your magic."
"Hmm...I did already have the feeling that it was you, but yes, I didn't know 100% until I could finally make out your face. Which surprises me. Even though I didn't use my detection skill...And I guess I did miss you huh."
Riddick pondered with a long face as he stared at Dream for a bit. Though it was soon interrupted by another party.
"Dream! How did your class selection go?" (Iris)
Both Iris and Luna came walking up to Dream.
"My class is called [Mystic]. I'm assuming that it's a unique one, though it only evolved my stealth ability. But honestly, that's plenty considering how good it is." (Dream)
"Mystic? I've never heard of it...Well, it is a unique class after all." (Riddick)
"And It evolved your stealth ability? I was wondering why your presence got so faint." (Luna)
"I'm surprised you could still sense me at all. Though I guess I wasn't targeting you guys with confusion earlier." (Dream)
Dream wondered if Luna had better senses than he thought. But he suddenly remembered his familiar connection with her, which would explain why she could sense him at all. Iris, though, gave an answer he expected.
"I couldn't. I didn't see you until you yelled in pain from trying to hit dad." (Iris)
"Heh. Well, whats to expect from a 1st class sneaking up on a 3rd class." (Riddick)
"Old Man, you didn't even sense me until 100 meters. I could easily fire off a shot from a distance 6 times that and you wouldn't know what hit you. Don't get caught with your guard down." (Dream)
"Try me, Boy." (Riddick)
Riddick and Dream stared each other down until they were interrupted again.
"Anyways! Dream got his class. So what do we do now? More hunting?" (Iris)
"...No. I say its time we move on. We only stopped here to get our classes anyway before moving on to the Enchanted Mountain. So I say its time we do so. Old Man?" (Dream)
"I agree. We can head back early. Its only noon and we can easily be out of the kingdom by sundown." (Riddick)
"Okay!" (Iris)
A smile came onto Iris' face at the thought of leaving the kingdom. Even Luna couldn't help her excitement at the thought of traveling to one of the 4 Great Empires.
The four walked their way out of the forest and drove back to the kingdom. Once they passed the gate, they headed straight for the hotel room and packed up their stuff. Dream stored all his summoned stuff as well as the girls' bags. They then met in his room.
"Old Man, how far is the Enchanted Mountain?" (Dream)
"With the speed that your helicopter has, I say a couple days of flight will get us there. It's much farther than from here to our forest." (Riddick)
"Alright. Then we can leave the capital and set off." (Dream)
"Hehe, I'm excited." (Iris)
The family promptly left the city and found a spot not far from the walls. The guardsmen would be able to see them and the helicopter, but they honestly didn't care since they couldn't be recognized. And they wouldn't be coming back here any time soon.
Dream summoned out the luxury chopper and everyone boarded. He then gave the command.
"Time to go Sophia."
[Roger!]
Sophia's voice sounded and the blades started spinning. The air draft and loud noise quickly caught the attention of the guards on the walls only a couple hundred meters away. Some even started running towards them from the gates.
It only took a few moments though for the chopper to get off the ground. It then turned towards the direction of the Enchanted Mountain and sped off, leaving any approaching guards flabbergasted as to what the hell that thing was.
Advertisement
- In Serial37 Chapters
Wings of Sorrow
Tension permeates the city of Bleakridge as forces within its walls struggle for supremacy. Grim Thorne, the disinherited son of the Earl, is a fly caught in the web of power struggles between these forces. When Grim closes his eyes, he can still see the bodies piled high from the first day of occupation. The day he was branded a bastard in the southern fashion. The day his father let them. Soldiers from the south bearing green cloaks and royal seals maintain order in the streets of Bleakridge, ensuring that the lifeblood of commerce continues to flow through the port city. In the slums beyond the outer wall, the Sons of the Reaper lurk. Some call them heroes, others villains. But all fear them for their relentless devotion to the old ways and the freedom that entails. In the castle above the city, resides the Earl of Bleakridge. The man who bent the knee and saved the lives of his people, if not their souls. After twenty years of occupation, the tension is coming to a head and Grim has to choose. Sympathetic to the Sons, duty bound to his father, and forced into service to the king. He must rise above the brand on his neck and decide where his true loyalties lie. But, after so long, it can be hard to tell who is deserving of loyalty. The King’s men who enforce order with a blood-soaked iron fist? The Sons who more resemble terrorists and crime lords than revolutionaries? Or the father who watches the bloodshed and does nothing? In the end, it is always the place of the young to bear the sins of the old.
8 211 - In Serial90 Chapters
Babel - The Path to Ascension: The Golden Children
For as long as there has been time, there has been the tower, Babel. Standing tall, across a million universes, lay a holy land for those afraid of death. Within the tower there are those who hold the secret to attaining immortality. Nine clans, each governing an aspect of reality.When one of those clans is utterly wiped out by an unknown assailant it sends tremors that will change the very life and destinies of trillions of people within the tower. Now, seven years later, a boy called Laurence is drawn into the path into the tower and begins a journey that will reshape him from the innocent, inquisitive child he began as. The story is published every Monday and Friday on http://babelthepath.blogspot.com so if you enjoy the series, come and have a look at it there. Royal Road is always going to be ten chapters behind, until I complete the series at least.If you wish to support Babel, you can go over to my Patreon page at http://bit.ly/stormeater
8 242 - In Serial7 Chapters
Blair Nys: Blood and Benevolence
Blair is a young man and even of royal heritage. As such his life has followed a strict plan since birth. Only for it to suddenly, in the time span of a finger snipping, change. Connections to another world opened up. Humans with powers made of the wildest imaginations, stepped out of them, calling themselves cultivators. Naturally, earth’s population went into an uproar. One piece of information created an especially great stir. The cultivators were there to pick disciples. Millions rushed to them, and Blair wanted to be one of them. There was just one problem. His lord father was strictly against interaction with those magical beings. He always dreaded a foreign power gaining influence in his court. Well, the old man never changes, and now it was the same as ever. His sister wasn´t even allowed to study abroad. However, all his senses told Blair that the future lay in the cultivator's hands. His plan was to gain knowledge, power, and maybe influence. Then he would return. One night he simply vanished in the darkness, away from his father’s claws. Will he succeed? That is hard to tell. The immortal world is an unforgiving place, even worse than earth. It’s just that Blair doesn’t know that yet. Can he survive there, and gain a footing in the new era of qi and godly hermits? Only time will tell, and Blair has to fight for every minute. Authors note: Give the story a try. It’s my personal blend of qi, cultivation, and struggles of morality and power. If I can deliver on all that is another question, but I will give it my best. As a further note, I am not using any of the usual strict realms and extreme power differences. It’s more about gathering and refining qi. Whoever uses his chances, sneak attacks, intuitions, and skills in a better way wins. However, having more or better qi will help, but I am not at a point where I have written a lot of that, so I might promise too much. Thanks for reading so far and checking my synopsis out, now you might give the story a try. Have fun. The picture is from JCK5D (Pixabay)
8 202 - In Serial6 Chapters
Legend of Truck-san
Truck-san was never like other trucks. For some reason, he's been hitting a bunch of japanese teenagers. Guilty, he prayed to the gods that they live out their lives in another world. One day during a whiteout snowstorm where his driver can barely see, he kills yet another japanese teenager. As always, Truck-san prays for the boy to reincarnate and have a full life. This time, however, the kid's soul goes into Truck-san! His own wish turned against him, Truck-san has to find his way back to his original world, save his driver from a wintery death, and most importantly- Deliver his payload on time.
8 215 - In Serial6 Chapters
Oblivion
Oblivion. Gone. Vanished.When Lord of Darkness, a famous guild leader of the top guild in VRMMORPG System's PLAYGROUND has his character deleted by a mysterious power, the world is thrown into chaos.James Boone, former player of LoD, designer of this power, just wants to play the game casually with his friends and family - as casually as a man of his calibre can. And then there's System. They are the god of this virtual world, and enjoy making things challenging for James.Join James & his friends
8 162 - In Serial8 Chapters
Whispers from the dark
During the dark times, the humans and elves decided to work together to defeat the Fiend. A high king among the humans was chosen, together with his archmage he defeated the Fiend. A few years of peace, until the high king lost it. He was convinced that the mages would steal the crown and take over his world. Scared as he was, he decided to hunt down everyone with magical abilities. Elves retreated to the safety of their forests and mountains, forever remaining a mystery to the humans. Many non-magical humans agreed to this plan of their lord, for they were also afraid that the mages would take advantage of their weaknesses. The mages tried to survive. The archmage, who was the former counsellor of the last king and protector of the royal family, protested. He wanted to solve this problem through politics. But nothing helped, and the archmage fled. The king got two sons, one was born a mage, and the other human. The king despised his mage son and banished him. His younger brother became the heir of the throne. Anger grew in the mage prince. He thought war was the only solution to this problem. Consumed by the will to gain power, he searched for followers who would fight the humans in order to stop the hunt on mages. The archmage tried to stop this evil plan of the prince. But the mages split in two groups. The necromancers, followers of the evil prince, who studied the crafts of the dark magic to terrorise their enemies and gain back the throne. And the sorcerers, followers of the archmage, who tried to peacefully restore the trust between humans and mages. But nobody knew the danger that was gaining back his power in the underground world. The archmage disappeared and a darkness swept over the world. Human, elves, mages, every creature awaited in fear the day the darkness would take back his control. Faelwen, a young woman, was put in the middle of this chaos. Even though her only priority was to survive. Hunted down by humans and evil beasts, who can she trust? And what whispers from the dark will reveal the secrets from the archmage?
8 143

