NOVEL NEXT Chapter 239 - Heresy
"Relax… Don't try to force it."
The Master of Shadows' hands rested caringly over Jul's shoulders, and squeezed.
"This is not something you can brute force," she said, her tone low. "It's something you must feel within you first, as natural as breathing… And then, sense it across your surroundings too."
Jul gave her a tiny nod, her brow furrowed and her stare unyielding, despite her master's words. The sentient shaped target before her, however, yielded nothing, and the Master of Shadows eventually tapped her shoulders.
"Take a break, come on. This is not something that I expect to come easy or fast, anyways."
Jul's shoulders slumped. "Yes, master."
"Hey! None of that!" the Master of Shadows warned. "No pouting and no sulking! We're opening your mind to an entire new sense! No way it was ever going to be easy!"
"Yes, m… Ow!" Jul cried, reaching for her forehead as her master delivered one of her customary, devastating and impossible to see head flicks. "I wasn't doing any… Ow!"
"Don't lie to me, girl! I can see it written all over your face," the master said, a wicked grin plastered over her lips, as she raised a menacing hand, fingers primed to flick Jul again.
"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry," Jul pleaded, tears brimming her eyes as a bruise formed on the exact center of her forehead. "I can feel a little down, no? I didn't get any new skills or upgrades from that dungeon!"
"But you got really good stat gains and confirmation that you can sense fear! And both aura and aether at that!" the master said. "So relax! Calm down! And be patient! Our focus now is opening your fear sense, and then we can continue. Without the ability to sense fear, this path will not work, and I've told you this already!"
"Once…" Jul protested feebly. "Ow!"
"And no protests!"
However, the Master of Shadows couldn't help smiling as Jul muttered to herself and rubbed her abused forehead. A few weeks back, and the girl would never even have dared talk back to her, and perhaps not even consider it… But Jul was making strides in more than just her path.
A few more months under my tutelage, Jul, and whatever those shit parents of yours did to you will be nothing but a bad memory, the Master of Shadows told herself, and without a hint of a doubt.
"Anyway, take a break. Instead, let me hear what your research has yielded!" the master commanded, taking a sit on the floor of her personal training hall.
Jul pursed her lips, still absentmindedly rubbing her bruised forearm with one hand as she gathered her thoughts.
The Master of Shadows had given her several files, tomes, as she had called those lengthy collections of knowledge and information, centered on the topic of fear. And after showing her how to use all the functionalities of her tome reader application on her tablet, she had left her with a task… Find out why she had been able to sense both aura and aether fear.
"I don't know…" she mumbled, almost without even realizing it.
"Hmmm?"
Jul covered her forehead and snapped her back straight. "I mean, I don't know yet! I read it and I have notes, but I'm not sure I understand them!"
The Master of Shadows twirled her hand in a "go on" gesture, even as her expression threatened further punishments if the forthcoming answers were not to her satisfaction, and Jul gulped at that.
"From what I understand, aether elements don't all behave the same," Jul started, haltingly at first but slowly gaining confidence as her thoughts fell into place. "This can mean and encompass a lot of ways and… Things, but the important bit for fear aether is its control. Fear aether, like all the emotion elements, is very personal. It's very deeply connected to the sentient or non-sentient that feels it, and thus creates it. It's like… Hmmm. Like the Source creates all aether, but some of them, like the emotion elements, are originated within their creators… Even as they come from the Source too…"
She threw her master a pitiful glance, still covering her forehead.
"I can hit you through your hands if you'd like," the master said. "That way you'll have three sore spots instead?"
Jul quickly dropped her hands.
"I know this is complicated," the master said. "Elements, the Source, affinities and aura… They're all incredibly complex topics, the pursuit of their understanding continuing to fill tomes and tomes of knowledge, even as they are lost to the Great Resets. That the Radiants themselves yield little to no explanation over these topics only contributes to their continued confusion, misunderstanding and slow learning. So my advice is to not get too bogged down in particulars such as those and simply accept them as fact, and continue onwards to what matters to us."
Jul frowned at that, considering her words, and the Master of Shadows laughed at her comically unhappy expression.
"I know it's not very satisfying, and you can ponder the nature of reality and Creation all you want after you've learned everything I have to teach you! But for now, keep your learning tight and focused on what we need. Alright?"
"Yes, master," Jul said, giving her a nod. "In that case… Well, fear aether, because it's created by the one who feels the emotion, is much more tightly under control of that being… Even if they are not conscious of it?"
The master of shadows giggled at her puppy-like lost expression, her dark eyes filled with mirth. "Go on, it will make sense eventually…"
"Then… Then because it's so much better controlled, it remains with the originator for longer when they die before it dissipates. And this explains why I was able to sense it on those… Dead goblins," Jul said, her brain on fire. "And because it's so, so well under control, it should be possible for me, using my own fear aura, to sort of control it? And without the two of them, aura and aether, reacting as badly as they usually do?"
The Master of Shadows nodded to herself.
"I guess you pass for now. Don't get complacent, though!" she warned, as Jul's shoulders eased. "I expect you to deepen your understanding of fear, both aura, aether and the emotional and physical aspects of it. Without understanding the very nature of fear, your path won't reach any sort of significant heights."
"Yes, master," Jul said, then she grimaced.
"Go on…"
"All this stuff I've read," she said. "Some parts of it seem almost… Like they contradict? Is that the right word?"
"It is," the master said, her tone suddenly losing its playfulness.
"And the fear aether I sensed off of those goblins…" Jul whispered. "It didn't really feel that different from…"
"Careful, Jul," the master said, softly. "Such thoughts lead to blasphemy, and blasphemy is heavily punished. Especially amongst auramancers."
Jul froze.
"One thing is to tell the Almighty Crystal and the Radiants to go eat shit," the master continued. "Another one is to question the Holy Doctrine… And no matter how similar they might feel, potentially due to the nature of its creation, emotion aether and emotion aura are not the same. Is that understood?"
"I… Yes, master. I'm sorry."
The Master of Shadows shook her head, her dark, frazzled locks swaying with the gesture. "Oh, don't apologize to me, Jul. I couldn't give a shit. But I don't want you getting into trouble. There are undercover inquisitors everywhere. Everywhere! And these priests' purpose is nothing more than to sniff out and stamp out any corruption or hint of dissent towards the Holy Doctrine. And you are not strong enough, nor have the [Presence] and [Ego] to shield your mind from them yet, so just be careful of your thoughts and of the ones you choose to give voice to. Alright? Even here… Aboard this ship. You never know."
"Yes, master…"
Then the Master of Shadows reached over and gave her a comforting tap on the knee.
"You can be certain of your safety in my presence. Nobody eavesdrops on me. Nobody," she told her wide-eyed apprentice. "But all the same, I'd rather instill in you the habit of being careful with what you think and speak. Even feel. Even as a frontline rogue, you are still a rogue, and a rogue's greatest weaknesses are their thoughts, words and emotions… Thoughts, because they can lead you astray. Words, because once spoken, they cannot be taken back. And emotions, because they can betray you. Remember this. Think not. Speak not. Feel not. A rogue is a shadow. Immaterial, intangible, and impossible to penetrate or understand… Even one as brazen and open as you."
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"Yes, master," Jul said, inclining her head.
"Good. Well, we'll continue deepening your understanding of fear, and working towards unlocking what I expect will be a passive skill that allows you to sense fear as easily as you can hear, smell or feel reality around you," the master told her. "And there's many wicked things we can do once you're able to do that."
Jul swallowed dryly at the predatory grin of her master.
"But that's for later… For now, I have something for you!"
She passed hand over the empty space in between them, and four objects materialized on the floor, and Jul's breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on what were undeniably her new set of weapons.
There were two pairs of weapons, she noticed, their hilts a darker gray color than the overall grayness of the material they had been built with.
"It was a challenge to come up with these," the master said, gritting her teeth. "I even had to consult with the Master of Blades and the Master of Heavy Weapons for it, and they were both insufferable for it…"
She tutted, but waved at the weapons before them. "But I think that together, the three of us came up with what is, I hope, the perfect combo for you. At least for now."
She touched the hilt of one of the weapons, which looked undeniably like some sort of sword. The blade looked to measure about 12 inches, give or take, and it was slightly curved, with its hilt being only long enough for one hand, and it was made of some flexible, tight looking material that even from afar promised a strong grip. The guard of the sword was a full circle around it, unlike Nar's sword cross shaped guard, seemingly overing more protection for the hand holding the blade.
"This is obviously a type of short sword," the master explained. "It's called a wakizashi, and it's meant as a weapon for close combat, especially in confined spaces, where a lot of… Well, roguish stuff tends to happen."
She gently pushed the hilt towards her apprentice.
"Go on, try it," she said. "But only the hilt! The blade is razor-sharp, which is perfectly suited for you as you need ways to inflict serious wounds upon your opponents in order to trigger your [Insidious Fear]."
Jul raised the sword to her eyes, her movements slow and respectful of the gleaming blade that promised to slice through skin and flesh with nary a sigh.
"I considered other more… Brutal weapons, but in the end, giving your path, and the things I cannot fully discuss with you yet, I decided that what you need is a controlled, disciplined and precise fighting style," the master said, considering her apprentice as she mutely examined the weapon. "It will make sense in the future, and I don't think that a sort of wild, abandon, vicious type of fighting is the right one for you. Am I right?"
An image of a wicked spear, dancing and howling in equal measures beautiful and terror inspiring came to her, and Jul shook her head.
"That's what I thought. What we want is a controlled and precise way to inflict "significant" damage, which, with this weapon, you should have no trouble with and be able to trigger [Insidious Fear] with ease. Well, it can still be resisted, but you know what I mean… Then you slowly debuff your opponent to the Abyss and eventually deal massive damage through your [Insidious Terror]. The slow, but sure approach. At least for now," the master said, raising a finger. "But… That blade won't do much of anything to an armored enemy. Which brings us to this one…"
The master motioned for Jul to hand her the wakizashi back, and instead, she dropped the other weapon into her wands.
The new weapon was vaguely familiar to her. She had seen other apprentices wielding heavy looking, two-handed hammers during the den assessment, and the one-handed weapon in her hands more or less resembled a much smaller version of those weapons.
However, in a glaring difference to those weapons, the one in her had sported a wicked looking, sharp, curved spike from one of the ends of the small hammer, and its wicked glint caused a knot of unease to form in Jul's stomach.
"Interesting, isn't it? How such a small thing gives one so much pause," the master said, examining the threatening spike.
"This is for piercing damage, isn't it?" Jul asked, her voice a hush. "To break through armor…"
The master shrugged.
"Armor. Bone. Stone. Metal… It will require some [Strength] from you, and aura, to wield properly, but yes, this weapon is meant to make a mockery of armor by concentrating an intense amount of force on its tiny tip in order to pierce through almost anything," the master said. "Legend has it that it evolved from simple mining tools to become what you now hold. A war pick. A simple weapon of surprisingly immense piercing DPS capabilities and potential."
Jul looked past the war pick in her hand, its heaviness a grimness of certain death, to consider the razor-sharp malice of the two wakizashi that lay on the floor, next to the other war pick.
Slash and pierce.
"The point is not to do damage though, is it?" Jul asked, still eyeing her new weapons. "It's just to get my fear affinity to trigger. A fast, sharp sword for quick, unarmored targets. And a heavier, piercing weapon to deal with any armor and still be able to make enough damage to trigger [Insidious Fear]."
"Correct. Same debuff. Same result. But different needs and circumstances," the master explained. "Of course, I will teach you to wield these four weapons in tandem, in a way that gets the most out of them in any situation, but yes, the goal is to always be able to break through your target, in order to apply [Insidious Fear], as well as what I expect will be a slew of combat oriented, injury requiring debuff skills yet to be unlocked."
Her master grimaced, and gripped her chin with fingers that poked from her long, green and pink stained sleeves.
"Most of the DPS apprentices will be working towards unlocking the base, weapon specific aura skill. Be it [Sword Aura], or [Bow Aura], or whatever it is, it will be the proper, basic, starting point that replaces that useless [Aura Attack]," the master said. "For you though, we don't care about [Wakizashi Aura] nor [War Pick Aura]. My hope is that instead, you will gain fear specific and weapon specific skills for each. One that is quick and easy and slashing. And one that is slower, but more impactful and piercing. And my hope is that these two will complement and empower one another…"
"Weapon specific skills?" Jul asked, staring down at the war pick still in her hands.
"Skills and weapons, matched by DPS type, such as blunt or piercing, and weapon specific characteristics," the master explained. "It's a good path to take if you know what weapon you like and you plan to stick with it, which is more or less what I'm thinking here. What we are thinking here…"
The master took a sudden deep breath, making Jul frown in worry.
"In the weeks following that… Fateful meeting with the other masters and Nar, and us two, I've often found myself wondering if your path is really a hybrid one or not…"
Jul's frown turned into open shock. "Really?"
"Oh, don't look disappointed, Jul. Hybrid paths are overrated, and you can't change my mind on that!" the master said, with a dismissive wave. "Your path will be focused on scaring the Abyss out of your enemies, in… Well, doing all sorts of nasty things with your fear, most of them being debuffs. Sure, there is a significant amount of mental DPS involved, your [Insidious Terror] attesting to it. But it's not a direct DPS. Its debuff based DPS, and I very much doubt that you will gain much in terms of direct damaging skills."
The woman took a deep breath, tapping a finger to her lips, her frazzled hair cascading a mess around her oval face.
"If we think about it from that perspective, that the concept at the basis of your path is a melee based, fear debuff debilitating and DPS causing way of fighting, then we end up with a potentially complex concept, yes, but one that is whole. That means there's no need to consider any hybridness complications… And trust me, Jul, this is much, much better. Much beyond simple pedantic and word play, hybrid concepts are… Really, really tough to make them work. Even for your Nar, with all his potential, coincidences and… Life choices, it won't be easy for him. Not at all…"
The Master of Shadows tapped her finger against her lips again, lost in thought.
"Is it really that bad?" Jul asked.
Her master sighed. "It's just complicated, Jul. Building a path is like…"
The master shook her head, struggling for words, and made a grimace.
"Building a path is a tremendous undertaking. It's not just about gaining the right skills, and the right distribution of attribute points," she explained. "It's more about building something that is living and breathing, and that is a whole. Skills, passive and active, must build on top of each other, yes! But it's more than that! They must create synergies! They must multiply the good effects and mitigate any adverse ones that might exist. Some paths even build up chains of skills that result in tremendous effects and/or finishing combos, while others rely on precise timing and rotation of skills based on different triggers and cooldowns to achieve immense DPS… It is… Like art. Like creating a living, breathing masterpiece! And all of it is focused, and made possible, by the concept at its heart! The one and only guiding light that we can use to make the System award us the correct gains and skills."
The woman lifted her hands, her two index fingers outstretched, close together, but not joining.
"Now imagine if instead of one, solid concept, which is already hard enough to come up with and stick to without being deviated by any other shining potential concepts, you are instead trying to wrangle two concepts to work together! To stay put! To behave!" the master explained, her tone exasperated. "It's like throwing two raging beasts into a box and trying to keep them from tearing at each and making them work together instead. It's madness!"
The Master of Shadows dropped her hands and shook her head.
"Of course it's awe inspiring when it works! Why wouldn't it! Two frigging concepts in one path? A path that has mastered two ways? It's breathtaking!" she said, throwing her hands in the air. "But the chance is infinitesimal… The conditions needed… The luck alone! The sacrifices!"
She groaned. "No! Let them try whatever they want with Nar, but I won't allow the same for you. No broken paths. No dumb, childish dreams! We work, and we study, and we distill your concept until we are absolutely certain that it is right for you… That it is the one you want, and a single, well thought out and perfectly whole concept will emerge from our efforts! Do you understand?"
Jul nodded slowly, taken aback by the sudden fervor in her master.
"What Nar is about to go through… Is an insanity I wish to spare you from," the master whispered, her dark eyes shifting to the floor. "An insanity no one should go through…"
And suddenly, she seemed to realize the words blurting through her mouth, and the pallid, horrified look on Jul's face.
"Look, Jul… I…"
The rogue shook her head.
"It's okay, master. It's his choice…" Jul said, in a tight tone. "Even with… Even with what happened in Haven, it is, and it will always be, Nar's choice. And I know he's strong enough to take it. And I understand that you want to spare me from it."
The master nodded slowly, uncertainty still upon her honest expression.
"I don't really care for a hybrid path, master. Just for one that makes me strong and brave, and lets me fight side by side with my party. And to be useful. And, yeah, not having to run away ever again would be really nice," Jul said, with a touch of a smile on her green lips. "That's all. And if you think that a single concept path is the best way to get that, then let's do it, master! I believe in you!"
The master stared at her apprentice for a long moment. So long that it caused Jul to squirm under that unflinching gaze…
"A-Are you crying?" Jul stammered.
Faster than she could think, the master had her enveloped in a tight hug and the two of them went tumbling.
"M-m-master!"
"So cute! My Jul is so cute!" the master shouted with glee, rubbing a check against hers. "Don't worry! Don't you worry! This Master of Shadows will give you everything! Everything! The whole of the Nexus quivering in fear and bowing at your feet!"
"That-That's too much!" Jul squealed in horror.
But her master only cackled.
"You'll see! You'll see!" the master shouted. "You're going to be terrifying! Horrifying! No one will even be able to look at you!"
"Noooooooooo! That's too much!"