Fate Alchemist - A Regression Academy LitRPG

Wulf picked the note off his door and stepped inside his dorm room, then set it down on his table and lit the candle.

The note read:

Cords lead into the Scorchlands.

Wulf narrowed his eyes. He could've guessed that on his own. After the attack on Centralis, the demons had likely come from the desert itself. But the desert was a large place, and they couldn't search all of it. Likewise, they couldn't just send people out on foot—even the Black Order would accomplish much. Out there, in the blazing heat, they'd die if they stayed out too long. The only way was with an Oronith.

But there was more on the note:

They travel the length of the Rimegorge, snaking through it. At the gorge's end, you will find your target.

There was no name attached to the note, but Wulf knew exactly who it came from. It had the same handwriting as the threat that Umoch had made against him in the first year.

He took the note to the common room and gathered up Kalee, Seith, and Irmond. There was no one else around, but he still kept his voice low when he said, "I know where we can find the demons."

He showed them the note.

"What if it's a trap?" Kalee asked. "What if Umoch is working with the demons?"

"Would a demon-spirit ever work with a human?"

"...No." She rolled her lips inward. "At best, they would think about using a human, but in the context of a servant and master. They wouldn't just set him loose as a spy."

"He could be trying to earn favour with the demons, not knowing that," Seith said.

"You said demons could make bargains with humans, right?" Irmond asked.

"That is true," Wulf replied. "But it's something a demon would want immediate gratification from. Trade a slave in exchange for running away, that sort of thing." He winced. "I don't think it's a trap. But there's really only one way to check. We don't have to attack, but we have to confirm if it's true. If it is a trap, we can still retreat."

All of their exams were done. They had plenty of time over summer break to figure this out.

"You think they'd just let us take an Oronith out to the desert, though?" Seith asked.

"I think they'd let us take a mission out near the border of the desert," Wulf said. "And then the rest? Well, we can say it took us a little longer. It'd take a regular Oronith about a month to get out, but Wraith can do it in half the time."

"But we still need to advance to Gold," Kalee reminded him. "Any progress on finding the spirits?"

He shook his head. "But I think I know who I can ask for help."

"What, your crazy fanclub cult?" Irmond asked. "No offense, but they're like, insane? You do know that, right?"

"A little," Wulf replied. "Them following me is, alright, a little bit odd, but we'll see if their methods work. But no, I wasn't planning on using them for this at all. I had someone else in mind."

"And you're still going to steal the academy's codex, then?" Kalee whispered.

"We are, yeah. But only once we get that massive storage construct finished." Wulf sighed. "There's a lot to do and not much time, but if we plan things right, I think we can make it work. Just barely."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

~ ~ ~

Wulf met Athllas at a coffeehouse in the old city. It was right on a street corner, with massive windows looking out into the street.

Or, it would've had windows at one point, but those had long since shattered with the beatings the city had taken, and replacing a coffeehouse's windows hadn't exactly been a priority. Wulf stepped inside and met Athllas in a booth near the back. He wore a long coat, despite the incoming summer heat, and a hat with a wide brim that shaded his face.

He was trying to stay beneath the radar. Fair enough.

Wulf sat down at the table, then said, "Thanks for coming."

"What's wrong?" Athllas picked up a small porcelain cup and took a sip of the steaming liquid inside. Probably some kind of espresso.

"Nothing's wrong. But we need to advance to Gold, and I'm not going to settle for anything less than a Spiritmark," Wulf replied. "Problem is finding the right spirits."

Athllas laughed softly. "Of course you would."

"I was hoping that since you were able to find the spirits for me to harvest when I made the wall, you'd be able to find some high-level spirits, or at least something strong enough to form a Spiritmark."

"Find, as in get for you?" Athllas shook his head. "I can't be seen spending state funds like that. It would be incredibly expensive. But if I told you where the Spiritmongers Guild kept their main storage facility? And where they stored Ruby-tier and above spirits for when other important family heirs reach Gold…"

"That would be much appreciated."

"It would be an absolute shame if someone broke into the facility and stole spirits from beneath the Orichalcums' noses."

Wulf laughed softly. "You're right."

"You can find the facility along the curve of the Centralis Bay. It's built on the coast, because they need seawater for cooling."

Wulf pictured the map inside his mind. The Centralis Bay was farther west, on the opposite side of the strait that Centralis City guarded. It was a massive bay, but Wulf would have to follow the coast anyway if he wanted to get to the Scorchlands. It was on the way to the desert anyway, and they could make a quick stop.

"But, a word of warning," Athllas said. "This facility is located deep within the guild's territory. The Spiritmongers own the land, and they've turned it into a bit of a private estate. You can't just march an Oronith in there. They wouldn't let you."

"Yeah…" Wulf winced. "I was working on a plan for that. A lot of the guilds would be having their summer celebrations around now, wouldn't they?"

"Correct. Even if there might be a slight damper on things this year." Athllas grimaced. "Regardless, the bay is one of the warmest places in the world. I'm sure even with the sun dimmed, it'll be temperate. Are you planning on sneaking into one of the parties?"

"I have no idea when the parties are, so probably not," Wulf said. "And that sort of precise timing won't work, anyway. But what are the chances a prime slice of bay like that has other uses? Like, say, a resort."

"It is. When I was younger, we'd visit as a family. But they require bookings from someone with a reputation or an important family, still."

Wulf winced. "Any chance you could make a reservation for me and my crew? For four people?"

"I could," he said. "At least a payment like that would be much…cheaper. Less obvious. I will send a Thrustwing messenger ahead of you. When will you leave?"

"Right now," Wulf said. "Once we gather up enough supplies."

~ ~ ~

On his way back to the Academy, Wulf stopped by the missions board to check for a decent cover for them, and an alibi to explain where they were taking Wraith. He found a mission along the coast, on the border to the Scorchlands—there was a small shipping hub who had barely fended off a few fiend attacks, but wasn't going to hold on much longer without support.

With the mission slip in hand, he returned to the hangar, where the others were making the final preparations.

Wulf had left them his winnings from the last arena fight, which they used to purchase supplies and fill up Wraith's storage compartments. They loaded barrels of water into one side and food into the other.

It still didn't look like enough food to last a summer in the desert, but they were all Silvers, and the more they advanced, the longer they could survive without eating and drinking. Extra durability would do that.

When Wulf arrived, they'd packed up most of their supplies. Seith loaded their massive pile of half-finished storage pendants into a pouch, then folded it up and attached it to Wraith's hip, so they could keep working on it as they travelled.

Hopefully, by the time they returned to the Academy, they'd have the construct finished and ready to use to steal the Academy's codex with.

"Is everything ready?" Wulf asked, picking up a communication construct and fastening it to his head.

"We're all good up here," Kalee replied through the construct. "We just need you to seal up the panels, and then we can depart."

"You go the mission, right?" Irmond asked. "I hope we're not just leaving without an excuse."

Wulf raised his arm and waved around the slip of paper that bore the mission information. "Got it right here! Go get Speckles, and we'll be on our way. Oh, you packed birdseed, right?"

"And a few changes of clothes for all of us," Seith added. "Kalee, for some reason, didn't think we needed them."

Wulf rolled his eyes. "We'll probably need them. We're going to be making a short detour along the way."