Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

Tier Seven spells were terrifying.

I'd started nodding off a few hours in, so Klix had cast <Second Wind> on me. The amount of energy and invigoration that it gave made me feel like I could run at my fastest speed for hours without getting tired.

"Would <Haste> help?" I looked over at the Goddess. Thanks to her spell, my arms and legs weren't getting stiff from sitting in the same position for hours anymore.

Klix sighed. "If you were used to it, maybe. The problem with <Haste> is that it speeds you up, but that doesn't mean that what you're doing gets sped up as well."

I went back to drawing the outline. "I don't understand."

"Think about wrapping a rope around a stick." Klix created an illusion of a pole the size of her finger in front of her.

I anchored the line I was working on so I could watch her.

"When you wrap a rope around it normally…" The ivory Goddess twirled her finger over the pole and a string began wrapping around it. "The rope tightens with each loop, so there isn't any slack." She reset the illusion, then started spinning the string quickly. "When you use <Haste> you aren't adding that subtle tug with each loop because of how fast you can loop it, which results in…" She plucked at the coil. "Uneven slack where there shouldn't be any."

Klix dismissed the illusion. "There's a reason why some skills require training to use." She created an illusion of two people with swords. "Normally, you can parry and counterattack." She showed the first illusion stab with their sword, then the second parried it to the side and lunged in, slashing the first across the chest.

"With <Haste> your opponent is still reacting the same…" Klix started replaying it, except the second illusion was moving much faster. This time after they parried when they stepped in, the sword hadn't moved out of the way enough and they impaled themselves.

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The Goddess dismissed the illusion. "Would <Haste> help this go faster? If you were trained with it, yes. As you are, no."

It had been a nice thought. I looked at Oz. The dark woman had fallen asleep about an hour ago. I looked at my CB to check the time. It was just after midnight. I'd been working on the seal outline for over six hours. I'd managed to get past what I had previously created in about an hour and a half, so I was feeling much better about being able to finish this, but I was going to have to work through the night.

I picked up where I'd anchored it and started drawing again. "How long can I keep this up with your spell?"

"Longer than it will take you to finish." Klix didn't have the usual bite in her voice. Instead there was almost concern. "I made sure that we wouldn't be bothered until you finished."

I paused and looked up at her. There was no doubt that I was in front of a predator. Her shark teeth and nails that were more like claws only emphasized the aura she projected. I'd thought she was some type of killing machine, but the longer I was around the more I saw the compassionate and caring side of her.

"You're worried about him." I nodded at Trent. "I know it's rude, but why?" I swallowed. "I mean, I know Trent is good at what he does, but why go to this much trouble?"

I could feel Klix's gaze on me. I tried to focus on what I was doing while she watched me. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke.

"The Primus." Klix said that word with enough hate to make me flinch. "There are a lot of people out there who can do what he does, but I know that he's not working for or with them." She growled. "I know that leaving Pixie with him will put her at a greater risk because they're watching him, but…" Her voice trailed off.

I waited for her to finish, but she seemed like she had gone somewhere else, so I focused on what I was doing.

"They have to be taken down." Klix finally came back from wherever she had mentally gone. "I'll never be able to get strong enough to challenge them. I can only hope that your bond will give you the power to stand up to them." The Goddess walked over the Trent and gently touched his forehead. "His teaching methods have been called extreme sometimes, but his students are always some of the best in the world. Pixie needs the best to survive. So I need him."

There was more to why she was secretly at odds with the Primus. She'd hinted at it and so had Kara and Miel, but they had all been careful not to say anything. It was something I would have to look into later once they were more willing to talk about it. But at least I knew why she was doing this.

I went back to my work. At the rate I was going, I'd be finished before the rest of my team woke up.