NOVEL NEXT 098. Adam and Hesitance
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Klara pulled off her helmet to reveal how pale she had become. She looked up to Adam with her amber eyes, weakened by lethargy. Inga was the same, her skin peeling and flakin around her neck and chest.
Klara prayed and then placed a hand on Inga’s shoulder, healing her with a spell, before doing the same to herself. Life did not return to them, however, and Kara sighed. The Priest removed her armour to reveal that she was suffering from the same infliction.
“What is it?” Hisan asked.
“The effects of their ability,” Klara replied. “We will need to rest the night if we are to rid of such effects.”
“Were those wraiths?” Adam asked.
“A type of wraith, that’s for certain,” Klara replied. “They hold similar abilities to wraiths, to drain you of your life force, though they are not the same as the wraiths most come across. These were guardians who protect ancient secrets. It seems there were tasked to make sure no one would release the ancient creature, not unless they had the power to destroy it.”
Adam recalled the last giant wraith, who had stopped fighting and allowed them to strike her down. “What are they guarding?” Adam asked.
“They didn’t tell me,” she replied. “An ancient evil, that was all they said. It seems it’s now our responsibility to deal with it.”
EXP Gained
4x Mud Giants
+10,000
Shared with Party
-8,000
Otherworlder Bonus
+2000
EXP Total
4,000
Current EXP
18,470
Level up available!
He could level up right now in either his Warrior or Wizard class, though without his spellbook, he would be unable to gain new spells to use. He reached up to his forehead and rubbed it, trying to figure out a way to fix the issue. He doubted the others had a spellbook for him, and he needed time to copy out his spells again too.
He made a mental note to try and find a way to stash away his spellbook and summon it, just like with his blade.
“Are we going to rest here?” Hisan asked, looking all around themselves. His eyes eventually rested on the open doorway to the opposite side.
“Yes,” Klara said.
Hisan nodded, and said no more on the topic. Adam walked over towards the open doorway, though heard a hiss from Hisan. He ignored the hiss and looked through the doorway. Giant runes lined the walls, from above and the bottom. They were harshly chipped into the wall, as though done in a rush. There was a coolness which flowed out from the hallway towards him.
“Be careful,” Klara called out.
“Yeah,” Adam said as he then started to close the doors.
Athletics
D20 + 8 = 15 (7)
With some effort, Adam managed to force the doors closed. As he returned, he noted the peculiar look on Typ’s face.
“I just thought it would be safer if we shut the door, in case there was something dangerous there,” Adam said.
Typ nodded and then walked around the area, trying to find something.
Adam returned to the injured Inga and Klara with Hisan looking over them. He could see how sickly they appeared and he frowned.
“I can create a tower for us to rest in for the night. It would provide us with some warmth as well as some comfort.”
“You have already used so many spells during the fight,” Hisan said.
“We don’t have to worry about how many spells I can cast,” Adam replied, ignoring Hisan’s gaze. “I can create two towers and still Fireball enough to take care of four more of those giants.”
Hisan shared a glance with the others before he sighed. He crossed his arms and leaned back against a pillar, keeping an eye out around the area.
Adam looked up himself and then around. “It should fit,” he said as he began to cast his spells.
Mana
39 -> 36
Spell: Tower of Adam
Mana
36 -> 33
Spell: Tower of Adam
Adam summoned two towers, which almost reached hit the ceiling. He leaned back to see how much space was left, only to notice that the towers almost brushed the ceiling.
He snapped his fingers and summoned Hades, who he had been keeping safe. He didn’t want to spend so much gold constantly summoning the owl in case something were to happen. However, he also recalled he had another spell he could cast which could help.
Mana
33 -> 31
Spell: Find Steed
After a few minutes, a mountain yak appeared where there had been nothing.
The others looked towards Adam and then to Hisan, who sighed. He dropped down to a knee and then began to mutter a prayer.
“You’re a man of many surprises,” Klara said.
“Yeah.” Adam smiled. “Well, that’s just what my life is right now.”
“We would have had much more trouble without you,” Klara said. “With the giant spectres.”
“I’m sure you would have managed just fine.”
“You should accept the praise with a smile,” Klara said, raising her brows at him.
“Then I’ll do that.” Adam chuckled quietly.
Klara stared up at him for a long moment, words beginning to touch her lips, but she pursed them together to stop them from coming out.
“Thanks,” Inga said.
“Yes,” Klara said, “thank you.”
“You don’t have to-“ Adam cleared his throat, noticing Klara’s look. “You’re welcome,” he said.
Another mountain yak appeared as Adam turned to look at Hisan. The man stood up and then glanced around.
“With the three of our creatures, we should be able to sleep well,” Hisan said. “I’ll keep watch anyway.”
“I’ll do the same,” Adam said.
“Me too!” Typ said.
Klara bowed her head. “Inga and I will rest.”
Inga snorted, but did not tackle the issue.
Wise Save
D20 + 6 = 8 (2)
Adam shuddered as a deep chill took hold of him for a moment. He threw a look back over his shoulder, staring at the door. It grew larger and larger.
Athletics
D20 + 8 = 17 (9)
The door grew so large it almost took his entire vision before he stared up at the ceiling. He blinked, noticing both Hisan and Inga staring down at him.
“What are you doing?” Hisan growled.
Adam blinked a few times, looking between the pair of them. “What?” he asked, sitting up to see the doors, the very same he had closed not long ago.
“His mind was taken,” Klara said, reaching out a hand to help him up.
“I didn’t feel anything,” Typ said, her eyes darting around the area.
“Me neither,” Hisan said, looking to Klara, who shook her head.
“It must have targeted only you,” Klara said. She narrowed her eyes. “Inga and I will take watch. Adam, you are no longer allowed to.
“What?” Adam replied, sitting up straight.
“If we leave you on watch by yourself, whatever tried to take you could try it again.”
Omen
6, 13
“I’ll be fine,” Adam said, noting his Omen. Though, then again, he could have used the Omen before. He wouldn’t have figured out what would have happened if he had passed the check.
“I am the Priest of the party,” she said. “When it comes to matters of health, my word is final.”
“I’m a Priest too,” Adam said.
“I know,” Klara replied. “You’re a temporary member for now. You’re in no position to demand anything from us.”
Adam frowned. “Right,” he said. He could feel an awkwardness in the air and then he sighed. “One of the towers has a dining room and a bath, the other has two bedrooms…”
“A bath?” Typ said, suddenly sitting up.
“A dining room?” Inga asked.
Once the pair had checked the validity of Adam’s words, they disappeared into the respective rooms.
Hisan remained walking the perimeter, keeping an eye out for anything untowards, as Adam and Klara sat down to Inga making some food.
“It’s fate that we were to meet,” Klara said.
“Yeah,” Adam said. “Something like that.”
Klara seemed to want to say something, but she remained silent. Inga made a hearty meal using their rations. Adam thanked them for their kindness as they shared their rations with him.
When night came, Adam was made to sleep. He kept Hades near him in case anything was to happen to him in the night. There was a flash of blue he noted right before he slept, but he thought nothing of it.
He decided against levelling up tonight. He wanted to keep his level for a safer time, a place where he could completely utilise it for his Wizard class.
Morning came painlessly, though he saw the flash of blue again. Inga and Klara both seemed more colourful this morning, and Typ seemed so much more chipper after a morning bath. Adam also took a quick dip before he arrived for breakfast. Inga had made a lovely stew for them all.
Once they were done with breakfast, Klara led them to the doors. She stopped them to take note of the doors and nodded her head back to them.
“Danger,” she said, donning her shield.
Everyone else followed her lead, getting ready. She let the three push open the door before she stepped forward, Typ at her heels. The halfzer’s eyes were glancing at everything keenly.
The chill began to seep into Adam as they made their way forward. The hallway was long, and as they continued, he noted that the runes became more sporadic and crude, before they finally disappeared altogether. Adam frowned to himself.
‘That doesn’t seem good…’
Then they saw a speck of light in the distance. They neared it cautiously before they saw a gentle light falling from the ceiling, like moonlight, falling down on a shut sarcophagus. The image of it was that of a small boy. There was another, one which was open, but empty.
Adam clutched at his wand and then pointed it towards Klara. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Adam whispered into his mind.
Klara froze and then turned back to look at him. “Me too,” she replied, her lips unmoving.
As they approached the sarcophagus, Adam could feel it. A familiar chill, and then the blue glows flashed in his mind. The air around them began to freeze as they surrounded the sarcophagus.
Adam checked on the open sarcophagus, lifting up the lid to see that it was stylized with a boy. He gently placed it down where he had found it.
“This must be the danger,” Klara said.
“Do you know what it is?” Adam asked.
“I hope it’s not what I think it is,” Klara replied.
“What do you think it is?” Adam asked.
She did not reply, instead she motioned a hand towards it. “Open it.”
She grabbed her longsword and readied herself. Inga approached it, her greataxe in hand, but Adam stepped forward.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
“It’s too dangerous,” Klara said. “It might have been what was trying to call to you.”
“It was calling to me for a reason,” he said. “There’s something about it…” Adam whispered. “I can’t place my finger on it, but…” Adam approached it, and the others seemed to allow it.
Athletics
D20 + 8 = 11 (3)
He grasped the edges of the lid and then tugged on it, but the lid did not budge. He threw a glance back to see the party waiting patiently. He cleared his throat and then tugged again, taking his time. His muscled flexed as he opened up the lid of the sarcophagus. A blue light filled the entire area.
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