NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: Ear to the Ground
The last semester of the third year passed with extreme anxiety, and it wasn't just because of classes.
Wulf was tempted to abandon the school and go searching for the demons. Hunt for that Orichalcum-tier spirit.
But he wasn't ready to fight an Orichalcum, and he knew it.
Instead, he went to the guards for help. He met Captain Basil shortly after the siege of Centralis in their usual spot—in a watchtower atop the academy's wall.
"What do you need, kid?" Basil asked. "You're the talk of the town right now. Didn't take you for an alchemist, but…" He paused. "Did your team know?"
There was a whiff of hostility in his voice. Wulf didn't know how to interpret it, so he chose to ignore it. He'd helped Basil plenty in the past to clean up the academy, not to mention by taking the extra dispatch missions none of the guards wanted, and Basil could return the favour—hopefully.
Wulf just hadn't expected this mild coldness to be the response to him being an alchemist.
"They did," Wulf said. "I was honest with my circle. I wasn't honest with the people who could potentially remove me from the academy—until they no longer had the power to remove me."
"Azanthius could still have his revenge."
Wulf shrugged. "He could. But I don't think he wants that, now. If nothing else, I've made myself too valuable."
Basil was silent for a few seconds, before he said, "You didn't come here for small talk, did you?"
"Not at all," Wulf replied. "Captain, the demons have a leader. He's intelligent, at the very least. I don't need you to look for him, but while I'm trapped here until next summer, I won't be able to go looking."
"You want us to look for him?"
"I want you to keep your ear to the ground. I want you to pester the guards who transfer in from outside the academy, to see what they've heard. To see if there're any signs of unusual demon activity, especially in the desert. If you have anything, I'd appreciate it if you would report it to me."
"Why? Why does this concern you?"
Wulf narrowed his eyes, taken aback. "Why? Captain, why shouldn't it? I'm one of the idiots who lives on this world, and I'd rather it didn't get harvested by a space-roving plague of demons."
"The moment they found out you were slightly different than their regular four Classes, though?" Basil shook his head. "Well, you know."
"The academy students aren't the only people on this planet." Wulf crossed his arms. "Besides, I don't care if they don't want my help. They're getting it. Yeah, I had to lie—but there's an important word there—had. There was no choice. So are you in, or not?"
"How many other lies have you told?"
"A few," Wulf said. "Nothing else to you."
"Sure, sure. You've proven yourself so trustworthy."
"Does it hurt anything to put your ear to the ground?" Wulf turned around and scowled. "I'm doing what I have to. Are you willing to help, or not?"
"I'll help," Basil said. "But if I find out you've betrayed us? Well, you'll have to kill a very angry non-Ascendant."
Something told Wulf that wouldn't be much of a challenge, considering he was now a Middle-Silver, but he kept that to himself.
"Thanks, captain."
"Yeah, sure."
~ ~ ~
The semester passed calmly. There was the odd demon attack, but nothing close enough, and nothing that required Wulf to respond to. Every few weeks, a sphere would fall overhead, but most were so high up they just looked like a streak across the sky.
He attended classes. He scoured the library. And when the time came, they participated in their next dungeon run.
"As third years," Dr. McGemmild introduced, "you will have a more difficult route to follow through the dungeon. However, I am aware that most of you did not get a proper run last year, and that there were some complications. I can assure you, we have monitored the complications closely—there are no more demons within the dungeon, and its rooms have made a startlingly full recovery.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"You will venture down in teams of two as an extra precaution, and to practice your formations. As usual, your Oroniths have linked to the Academy's central codex, and allowing us to provide you a pre-planned route. Good luck, stick together, and remember: prioritize your life, the life of your crew, and the safety of your Oronith." She cracked a small smile. "They're quite expensive. Dismissed."
As they were walking to Silent Wraith's berth, Kalee asked softly, "We're not planning on following the route, are we?"
"Depends," Wulf replied.
"Alright, that means we're definitely not," Irmond said.
"Definitely," Seith agreed.
"Well, let's see…" Wulf said. "Wraith has the gear it needs. Anything else is a bonus. We're looking for equipment for ourselves. "Irmond, you need wood for a new bow. Which means we need to find an organic monster, something strong. Seith? I think we can be creative with what we find, and give your tools a small upgrade. But it's Kalee and I that have the specific requirements."
They began walking up the steps to Wraith's cockpit. Sure, Wulf could scale the outside of the scaffolding with ease—and get to the top much faster—but he didn't really want to at the moment.
"I need rings," Kalee said. "A while ago, I talked about turning my staff into a storage pendant, a pocket realm that could hold thousands of small constructs. I need rings of a powerful metal, already slightly enhanced, and slightly rune-covered."
"That's a specific request," Seith said. "And…why?"
"Because they're an excellent foundation to build a storage pendant on top of while still registering as unique with the Field. See, if I just made them by hand, it would notice the rapid succession of errors, of being folded over itself, and it would cease to function. I need them already…mostly finished before I can add them to my staff."
"The good news is that we have a monster in mind," Wulf said. "And we know where to find it. Rings of chainmail should do the job, right?"
"Correct," Kalee said.
"And you, Wulf?" Irmond said. "You're looking for some loot, aren't you?"
Wulf chuckled. "Of course. Aside from something new to design our own matching fight suits, well…let's just say I've been doing some reading on codexes. I'll need some crystals if I want to make this work—and I can't transmute these guys from scratch."
By now, they'd made it to Wraith's shoulder. Wulf glanced at the others and said, "Alright. To your positions. Let's get moving."
He and Kalee rushed inside the cockpit, and Seith took a bridge over to the shoulder, before detaching it and pushing the swivelling wood gangplank away. Irmond turned around and jumped off the edge of the platform, buoying himself with wind and returning to the hangar floor. Then he ran across, weaving through the bustle toward the smaller Thrustwing hangar.
He hadn't needed to climb up with them, but with how many movement Skills he had as a Ranger, he didn't seem at all bothered by the excursion.
Kalee and Wulf ran the last distance to the cockpit, pulled open the hatch, and slid into the cockpit. They went through the usual routine, preparing the sheets, waking up Wraith, Wulf putting on his golem, and then him and Kalee slotting into the control apparatus. At the moment, there was no need to link their minds, so they didn't.
[Good morning, Wulf and Kalee,] Wraith said.
"I hope we didn't leave you too long," Wulf replied.
[I enjoy the sleep.]
"You'd think you would've had enough of it, living in a mountain for a few thousand years," Kalee remarked.
[You can never have too much of a good thing. Wulf would never complain about too much mana, would he?]
"Point taken," Wulf said.
[I'm receiving a map readout from the Academy's central codex. Shall I accept it, or are we (unadvisedly) ignoring them?]
"Accept it," Kalee said. "We'll follow it for now."
"But I think you know the answer about ignoring them," Wulf said.
[Of course, sir.]
"You were doing so well…" Wulf groaned. "With not calling me sir. First names, alright?"
[Understood, s—Wulf.]
"Let's get this show on the road, then. Don't want to get stuck behind a lineup of other students too scared to jump down into the dungeon."
They set off. Wulf was pretty sure the academy-employed career artificers and stoneworkers had made the scaffolding around Wraith a lot looser, and it didn't hug the Oronith's frame nearly as closely. Meaning that whenever Wulf deployed, he wouldn't rip up all the wooden beams.
They crossed the hangar floor. Horns sounded, signalling the footmen and workers to clear away to the sides and avoid being squished by the procession of in-training crew.
Wulf moved quickly and arrived at the brink of the entrance almost first. Only one other Oronith waited for them: Rex Despotes.
"What took you so long, Hrothen?" came a voice over over the communications construct.
"Good morning, Athllas," Wulf replied. "Partner."
"Does he know the plan?" Seith asked. "Considering they're working with us."
That was surely by the king's request, too. Wulf didn't really want a partner for this run, and he'd been hoping for someone he could get rid of easily—then claim they got lost and separated. But maybe he could help Athllas get some boosts, too, and it would be nice to deal with someone who'd known he was an alchemist for much longer, and who understood his abilities.
"Does his crew?" Irmond stressed.
"Nah," Wulf replied. "Hey, Athllas, where's the Basileus?"
"I'm still using the lesser Oronith for practice runs," Athllas replied. "It would be such a pain to move the Rex Basileus from our palace hangar over here."
That was fair enough.
"Well, your majesty," Wulf said, "you'd better do your best to keep up. And don't worry about any deviations from the route. It's all according to plan."