NOVEL NEXT Chapter 124 - Assembly
The moment Nomad's sword stabbed into the Windpulse Barrier, it broke through the outer layer of mana and into the compressed Gale inside the vein-like canals. They blasted outward into Nomad's face, sending him stumbling back, knife-like gusts of wind scratching at his neck like the claws of a Shrieker.
It didn't end there since Valens felt a pull at his mana source. His fingers tingled as mana poured into the spell to re-stitch the outer layer, but as he was yet to register the skill into one of his slots, he had to manually fill the veins with Gale once again.
"Uh," Nomad grunted and shook himself awake, peering with squinted eyes at the self-repairing barrier. "What in the Nine Hells was that?"
"This, my undead friend, is a shield," Valens said, smiling at the cooling sensation the blasting waves of Gale left around him. "It has three different uses. One for stopping, one for pushing the attacker back, and one for particularly hot days to cool some steam off. What do you reckon about that, eh?"
"He's going to need some stitches," Celme commented from the side, eyes glinting with satisfaction. "That Gale cut him good."
"Hey, my bones are just fine," Nomad protested. "It just tickled me the wrong way, that's why I stumbled. Once I expect the blast I can work my way around it."
"You'd still be working against the wind, though, which is the whole purpose here," Valens said. "Once I get it registered into one of my skill slots, it can repair itself right away. Takes a good amount of mana from me, but leaves me with enough time to react."
Ding!
[The skill 'Windpulse Barrier - (Adept)' has been registered into one of your skill slots.]
Available Skill Slots: (8/20)
If I get that Fleshthread as well, that'll leave me with eight empty slots.
Already he began thinking about the possibilities while Nomad dragged himself, wincing, toward the railings where a panicked Selin and sneering Celme welcomed him. Valens would be tending to his false skin soon, but he wanted to go over his collection first.
Inferno is a flexible skill. It basically gives me the ability to manipulate fire to my own satisfaction. Gravitating Earth is much similar to it when it comes to the earth. Gale is effective as well, and now this Windpulse Barrier will help me keep my body safe from strangers.
He had the mind to work on Void since he had some insights from the Hexsurge, but to do that he had to first make himself familiar with the concept.
Master Archibald told me that they use Cursed Artifacts for divination. Perhaps I can find one that'd help me with Void.
He still had the Sphere of Venerable Fates and the Cursed Artifact he'd gotten from completing his First Trial, but one was strictly related to the concept of fate and the other was an old, bronze key with a rather ambiguous description.
I'll check that once again before I carry on with the Midnight Assembly.
And speaking about the Assembly, it was high time he heard news of the Haven's Reach from people who knew more than a shop owner.
……
Fixing Nomad took little time, and for good measure Valens sent him and Celme to the Second Ring to learn about the matter of Class Change and how much it'd cost them. Keeping Selin as a Nursemaid had its advantages, but the woman wanted more and the only way for her to move on was a quality change.
That was a hard topic for Valens to relate since his relation with Classes was different. First the Arcane Healer, and now the Arcane Magister—both of his Classes allowed him to use any kind of mana while a simple Mage would often be restricted to a specific type.
And while in theory there was nothing stopping a Nursemaid from picking a sword and having a go at it, there was no way for them to learn much of the crucial combat-related skills. Inner Strength was one of them, which almost all the Warrior-type Classes shared, not to mention the skills which were granted by the Class itself.
I suppose that's both a blessing and a curse. I have to come up with all my skills myself while most of the normal classes have the System deliver them intricate skill work. That, in turn, hampers their natural growth. The System becomes a sort of crutch since it eliminates the element of innovation.
There was so much to learn and speak about the Classes in this world, but for now, Valens had to steady his mind and prepare for the Midnight Assembly. He told Selin that he would take a nap, locking the inn's door tightly and stretching himself widely over the bed.
A Hexsurge reached the Gate within his chest cavity right away.
One of the changes that came with completing his First Trial was that one of the spheres over the ancient gate was now lit with inner light. Coupled with the Void Sphere in the middle of them all, Valens now had seven spheres that looked like empty, worn jewels on his gate.
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Seven more trials, is it? Or is there something else at work here?
Through the vein-like strings, he used the Hexsurge to pry the Gate open and stretched his mind out into the endless frequencies beyond.
[You have arrived at the Spiritum.]
In an instant, he found himself surrounded by a thick shroud of fog, and without wasting his time, he made his way to the vault. Inside, that old bronze key welcomed him in its worn simplicity. It was rather big, perhaps too big to fit in a normal-sized door's hole.
[The Key of Surges - I]: An old key fashioned from bronze, and used to unlock the Gates of the Path.
Valens scowled as he regarded the description for a second time. He had little idea as to what Gates of the Path meant, and here in the Castle of Surgemasters there weren't big enough doors for this key to be used.
Shaking his head, he found the old throne through the thick fog. The moment he sat down the scene around him changed. High pillars rose from all around him, a circular set of seats becoming clear in the hall. The arms of his mighty throne felt cold under his skin.
And soon, the others arrived.
Expectation brimmed inside his chest. Other than a few words from that shop owner, Valens still had no idea of the situation of Belgrave and the Haven's Reach. A part of him was also curious to hear word about the Templars and his old team.
"With your permission," the newly arrived members of the Midnight Assembly spoke in unison, to which Valens stretched a hand and gave them a nod.
"Begin."
"Sir, I would like to be the first one to open this Assembly," Vireth said, squirming impatiently on her seat. Silence was all she got as an answer, which seemed to be just enough for her. "Belgrave has been compromised. A part of Broken Lands has spilled into the Haven's Reach. The boundaries are no more, and the one behind all of this… forced a summoning of the Venerable Mother to serve as a distraction."
"I've heard many a great thing about that sudden assault," Saah muttered, voice heavy with a rasping quality to it as always. "Caligians have spared a good amount of their force to aid Melton's efforts. For now, they managed to keep the disease limited to Belgrave."
"The new world…" said the other woman, who had a bone or two to pick with the fact that the Ancients intended to return to this world. "This shouldn't have happened."
"This was their playground," Baht said, chuckling humorlessly. "And now they're back to claim it."
"You're one to speak," Vireth swept him with a glance. "Already, people begun speaking about the second coming of Baht. That odd Healer saved thousands of people from the Evercrest woman's hold. Word has it that he has an Ancient's blood in his veins, as well."
Slowly, all eyes turned to Valens with silent questions in them. A part of him felt nervous at the sudden confrontation, but another part moved in quickly to patch the emotion right away.
"It was a premature attempt," Valens offered, voice reverberating richly across the hall. "A child's eagerness to carry out something beyond her means. Yet it could be considered a success since she had opened one of the Nine Gates of the Haven's Reach. More will follow her soon."
…..
The skin around her neck tightened when Vireth heard the words. She found it hard to articulate words to become an answer, and once she regarded the other members of the Assembly, she found comfort in the fact that everybody shared this sudden terror that settled right over her heart.
Thousands of people died in Belgrave. Dreads have come out to walk upon the promised lands. Terrors and their hordes. An innumerable crowd of dwellers now haunting the land of the living.
All because a member of an Ancient family decided to return. To complete a Trial she hadn't shied from risking the whole population. She even attempted and managed to bring out the Eye of the Veiled Mother to keep the boundaries in check. That was why the Wretched Mother's court was in a state of panic.
Everyone got new orders.
They were to look out for new signs of the Ancients.
And yet the Arcanist spoke so lightly of these things. To him, a member of an Ancient family was considered a mere child! Her grand scheme and plans were little games to his all-seeing eye, which once again reminded Vireth how lucky she was to be a part of this.
I will do it. I don't care what everyone thinks, but I will do it. We don't have any other choice to face the incoming chaos. We all must choose a side.
"A storm is coming," she said, voice straining and fingers tingling. The Arcanist turned slightly toward her, body shrouded in a thick fog, face barely recognizable in this mysterious hall. "And I'm willing to do anything to face it. Sir, I believe the other members think the same. Alone, none of us can brave the tides of this ancient calamity."
…..
Saah could almost see the gears spinning madly inside Vireth's brain. The cunning woman had always seen the Midnight Assembly as a source, and now she was meaning to turn it into a palpable force, perhaps one that could shape the Haven's Reach's future.
He sneaked a glance at the Arcanist, nodding heavily to himself.
They certainly had the means to do so. Upon that Throne sat a real Surgemaster of the old. The Master of armies and the humanity, the ones who braved the Shadow and cast him out. With a figure at the helm, they could do everything.
Trouble was, what could they offer to such a legendary figure?
…..
Baht knew it made sense. Allying himself with the Arcanist would not only provide protection to him but also invaluable insights into their legacy. Already, he was becoming familiar with the Lifesurge, and if he were to get guidance on the skill… he shuddered at the possibility.
It wasn't about the Ancients. To him, the truth provided a much grander purpose. The signs were there for him to gather. That was why he was braving the Sahagaran Desert to reach the Caligian Lands. He'd called all of his people there.
It's too risky.
He shook his head. Surgemasters were people shrouded in mystery. All they knew of them were bits and pieces dug out from the history of a long-forgotten time. Some called them saviors. Some others believed they were behind the breakings.
One thing was clear to Baht, though.
If he wanted to learn more of it, there couldn't be a better opportunity to become one of them.
……
Valens studied their faces. They looked eager, but torn. Excited, yet nervous. He himself felt all of those things, but then, making use of the situation was one thing he just couldn't get out of his head.
Direction, you seek? Want to be a member of… this, do you? Then be my guest. 'Cause this matter sure isn't going to end with a stray woman from an Ancient family. There'll be more. Many more, I believe.
"The world has changed since the time of my kind," he said, voice boasting a confident tone. "And now, I find myself at a crossroad. If you're willing to become a part of it, then I shall give you the opportunity, but not before you prove yourselves."