Rising Kite - A story from the world of HWFWM

Marten truly tried to focus on the adventurer in front of him. He really did. Even so, he found himself constantly sneaking glances to his left where, two booths over, Desdemona was chatting with the Pathbreaker. Marten couldn’t hear them over the crowds, as it seemed that every adventurer in the region had suddenly decided to turn in their contracts at the same time, but from the way the leonid woman smiled and laughed, the local man was apparently making a good impression. In the end, the man smiled and bowed, taking the rewards for the contracts and returning to four other bronze-rankers who were waiting for him.

For the last two months, Marten had seen the group often enough; a pretty Celestine priestess wearing the colors of Song, a blonde elf spearman with the air of local nobility, a shorter, fiery human woman whose passionate presence seemed both infectious and a bit dangerous, and finally, a hulking man with shaved head and square jaw. Marten had never seen the last one say a word, but he did greet the returning Pathbreaker with a nod as the younger man rejoined his group.

“At least that is something close to a proper team, compared to what I usually see around here,” Marten grumbled, snapping back to attention at a rather impolite nudge of aura from the woman in front of him who was waiting her turn.

A few hours later, Marten did get his update about the Pathbreaker. At length.

“-and they have apparently reached the stage where they send in as few of them as possible against a silver-ranked monster according to the matchup. When I pried a little, Kite even confirmed that he only has one ability left to reach silver, so he only fights when it is needed or when he will get a good chance to push it, ” the leonid woman said happily between slurps of noodles, while Marten had already wolfed down his during the lengthy telling.”

“Oh, so it’s just Kite now?”

“He seemed more uncomfortable that I kept calling him Pathbreaker.”

“Which is reasonable, as that isn’t a name.”

“Marty, that’s how names work around here. Sometimes they are given new ones, which seems to work both a bit like a name and a title, depending on how the person wishes to use it. Some take their own names, but apparently it isn’t regarded with the same status.”

“Still sounds stupid…”

“And Marten or Desdemona is that much better? Aren’t those just random syllables that have mutated from other words or meanings over time?”

As he had no response to that, Marten kept slurping his noodles in sour silence.

Kite looked down into the gorge, surrounded on two sides by steeper cliff walls with some scraggly trees lining the ridges above. They were quite far to the west of Convergence, near the mountains of Hua-Xi’s western border. Here, the stone had a slightly more blue tint than the gray of the autumn lands, and the whole floor of the valley had great swathes of pale moss covering it.

“This does sound like the place described in the contract,” Kite said to the rest of the group who stood to his side.

“We’ve cleared the surroundings quite thoroughly. If they are still in the area, this has to be it.” Serene acknowledged.

“And you’re sure that you want to go at them alone?” Dragonfly asked, looking disappointed to lose out on the action.

“Please do not hesitate to step in should the need arise. But please also remember that I will need to push myself thoroughly. I trust in your judgment,” Kite said, looking to each of them. While Dragonfly always hated being out of a fight, she still gave him her best grin of encouragement, as did Will. Gold, on the other hand, nodded sternly as usual, and Serene’s smile was a bit more strained than that of the others.

“May the gods and the heavens keep you, Kite. If fate will it, this might be your last battle as a bronze-ranker,” the priestess said, her wispy voice prevented from carrying by her usual sound-dampening bubble.

In response, Kite reached down his armor’s collar, retrieving Fortune’s token, the little object unblemished by the passage of time since he had first gotten it three years ago. He rubbed it with his thumb, saying a short prayer before returning it, turning back to his friends. “Another tribulation might be upon me, then. Thank you for standing witness.”

With that, Kite stepped out over the edge of the ravine, small squares of force manifesting beneath his feet to carry him downwards like a stairway. Glint floated at his side, making excited turns and pirouettes through the air, trailed by a little tail of droplets like a liquid comet. And Sage manifested from within him, hovering behind Kite’s back as usual.

But these days, the astral gatherer was clearly visible behind Kite, its silver rank vessel having added a distinct ring of smaller symbols as an outer boundary to the increasing diameter of its form. Even as the dark symbols shifted within, the outer ring remained firm.

“Patience.

Growing.

Thin.

Time.

For.

Ascension.”

Each of the formed words sent a little ripple through the world, allowing the familiar’s meaning to be felt in addition to seen as long as one stood close by.

“So impatient. Maybe promising to buy you that calligraphy collection when I reach silver wasn’t the best idea. But help carry me through this, and I will be good to my word.”

“Excitement.”

Kite’s armored boots crunched as he landed on the bottom of the gorge, his stride unfaltering. As he touched down, he also stopped retracting his aura, letting his presence unfold into the surroundings. Nothing changed, at least not anything Kite could see. Even so, his hairs stood on end.

“So, we seem to have been correct,” Kite noted as he walked, talking to relieve the building tension within him while his mind started to slide into his combat meditation. “Let us hope that the report was correct in regards to their numbers as we-”

In the middle of the sentence, Kite’s expanded vision revealed a blur shooting towards him from above, cutting off his words as he spun to face the incoming threat even as another flicker of motion moved in from his left side. The tattoos that were his mantle lit up, spectral arms flickering into existence at the same time as three vortices started draining the mana from the pair of creatures which revealed themselves.

The glass shield of Heavenglass Protector appeared just in time to have its conjured barriers suffer deep, glowing rents from five claws while Kite swung both his staff and the hidden blade of the Veiled One’s Decree up toward the other assailant. The descending shape managed to twist away from the staff with an impossible motion, but the edge of the subtle sword managed to find its mark.

A gargling voice screeched in pain, and a moment later a tail capped with a scythe-like blade of glowing magic swept at Kite. Unyielding already had plenty of stored momentum, and instead of staying sandwiched between his twin opponents, Kite leapt back a few meters.

For a split second, the combatants regarded each other. Kite’s foes were beings called Paleclaw Wraiths, but contrary to the name, they were not undead monsters. Each of the monsters would stand a meter taller than Kite should they stand on their hind legs, but they mostly moved on all fours. Their bodies were lean to the point of being skeletal, with long, five-fingered hands at the end of each leg. What stood out most were their heads; larger than was proportional for the thin bodies, and dominated by rictus grins filled with crooked teeth, not unlike that of a demented monstrous baboon.

Then the pair of foes shrieked. Blades of white magical light formed at the tip of each of their fingers, along with scythe-like blades at the end of their sinewy tails, as they dove for Kite, who should have been slower to react in the wake of the debilitating sonic affliction which the shrieks carried. Should have.

WWJS:

Congratulations!

Your ability [Implacable motion] has reached Silver 0.

[Implacable motion] has gained additional effects.

- Implacable motion -

Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 0

Effect - Iron: Increased resistance to effects that hinder or impair movement. Effects that take hold will have significantly decreased duration, depending on the rank of the effect.

Effect - Bronze: Movement may break through inanimate objects up to a certain threshold of durability based on your rank and the rank of this ability. Mana may be paid to temporarily increase the threshold based on mana spent. Intent is needed for this ability to take effect, and it does not increase potency of attacks. This ability may not damage vehicles, equipment or similarly wielded objects.

Effect - Silver: The increased resistance is extended to additionally cover all effects that lower the [Speed] or [Spirit] attributes.

As of reaching silver rank, Kite’s first ability awakened from the resolute essence had become more encompassing, now protecting his clarity of mind as well. From prior research, the group knew that Paleclaw Wraiths would use sonic shrieks to inflict a short-lived but potent decrease to one’s spirit attribute, slowing cognitive function, multitasking and reaction speeds before they struck. While the effects of the higher-ranked foes still broke through, Kite could blink away the daze before the silver-rankers had closed the distance to him.

One of them only got part way, however, as it was swallowed by a globule of water which caught the beast, courtesy of Glint. The other was impacted by twin projected attacks mid-air, Kite swinging both Immutable Echo and Carmine Sunrise, both trailing the spatial tears of Void-Sunders-Firmament. While the attacks forced the foe into an awkward twist, it still had enough remaining resistance born of rank-disparity to only suffer light damage before slashing down with one claw towards Kite while its tail lashed in through the side.

“Ward!”

The tail met twin barriers, while the claws aimed to rend Kite’s whole torso, only to meet the return stroke of Immutable Echo. Mossy ground was torn up in a small cascade behind Kite as he stood firm, but that was not all. The shimmering claws were forcefully shattered, to the sound of an ephemeral mirror breaking. And accompanied by a flash of transcendent light, the white and silver coursing through the beast’s arm like a spark of lightning from within.

WWJS:

Congratulations!

Your ability [Pattern-Shattering Counter] has reached Silver 0.

[Pattern-Shattering Counter] has gained additional effects.

- Pattern-Shattering counter (Shards) -

Special attack (Mana drain, stamina drain). Cost: Varies Cooldown: Current rank: Silver 0

Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent’s active attack or magical effects in an attempt to negate it and drain an additional amount of mana and/or stamina, depending on which energy that was fueling the attack. Some ongoing or very powerful effects might not be able to be negated entirely, and will instead be suppressed or reduced for a short duration. Cost increases with the cost of negated attack.

Effect - bronze: Dispelled effects suffer an increase in cooldown in proportion to their cost and original cooldown. The minimum cooldown for such an effect is 10s.

Effect - silver: The target suffers transcendent damage proportional to the potency of the dispelled magical effect.

As he had fought through the trial of the Jade-Sky gate, Kite had reflected that his path might be one of the few that actively benefited from the increasing magical complexity that monsters showed at higher ranks. All of the silver-ranked ones he had so far encountered had demonstrated at least a handful of active magical effects. And with the advancement of Pattern-Shattering counter, said magic became the weapon which Kite used to bring them low.

The Paleclaw Wraith rocked back from the sudden jolt of pain, shrieking at Kite again as the other three sets of claws started flailing against him in a flurry of frenzied strikes. The first pair met the raised bulwark of Heavenglass Protector as well as Kite's staff, all while a spectral arm once more drew the red blade of Carmine sunrise to project a strike straight into the monster's face, Chakra Implosion interrupting the onslaught.

The shield was replaced with the subtle edge of the Veiled One’s Decree, and Kite managed two more attacks in the split moment of the stunning effect before his foe’s companion had broken free of Glint’s restraint to come diving in at Kite, only to crash head first into a cage of force which appeared around it. Letting it spend precious seconds tearing asunder the barrier, Kite once more went on the defensive, shattering another set of claws from his current target while a spectral arm managed to land another attack in between the rapid exchanges of strikes.

“Fortune, please bless the Queen of Jade and Sky, because by the heavens, did she provide me with a fine gift,” part of Kite’s mind thought, marveling once more at the potential of the spectral arms of his mantle.

It was Braid who had named the item in the end, coming up with the most fitting one. While this might not say much as his counterpart had been Wander, whose suggestions had been nothing but a constant stream of innuendos, Kite had still felt that the weaver had given it some thought. Prescient Mantle of the Sage Asura, or ‘his mantle’ as Kite mostly thought of it, was named after the multi-armed, power-seeking legendary creatures said to roam the astral, with the ‘Prescient’ and ‘Sage’ parts adding a more sophisticated tone to it. And it was better than ‘Supreme Fingerer’, as had been Wander’s most enthusiastic contribution.

Now that he had thoroughly started practicing with the arms during this push towards silver rank along with his friends, the mantle had already shown its worth. As Kite used the extra limbs to augment both his offense and defense, or even mix them both as he was prone to do, he could still feel that he had merely started scratching the surface of what he could accomplish.

Taking two steps, each atop a small square of force carrying him higher into the air, Kite just about managed to gain enough height to move above the second wraith who came rushing for him. The other one, which he had been engaging so far, leapt after him. Kite managed to deflect and shatter another set of freshly conjured claws, but took a raking slash along one leg where the tail of the beast darted in around his barrier. An empowered leap gave him some space, but there was barely time to use one of Sage’s charges to give himself some healing before the pair was upon him again.

Individually, Paleclaw Wraiths were considered to be weak silver-ranked monsters, the only reason why Kite could even consider taking on the pair. But as he brought all of his barriers and additional limbs to bear in order to both defend and attack, dispelling as many conjured claws and blades as he could while tensely holding on, Kite had to admit that he surely didn’t feel said weakness from the furiously attacking monsters. But this whole ordeal was about pushing himself, maybe even all the way to silver rank, Fortune be willing.

So when the pair disengaged simultaneously, only to shriek at Kite before conjuring all their magical claws back before re-engaging, Kite countered.

“Dissolve the patterns of power!”

The dispelling ripple emanated from him like an unseen wave, but this time it was not in the widening cone that had been its shape ever since Kite awakened the power. Instead, the ripple burst out from Kite in all directions; a sphere of dispelling force.

WWJS:

Congratulations!

Your ability [Ripple of Cancellation] has reached Silver 0.

[Ripple of Cancellation] has gained additional effects.

- Ripple of Cancellation -

Spell. Cost: High mana Cooldown: 30s Current rank: Silver 0

Effect - Iron: Release an expanding wave of magic-canceling energy. Creatures or objects hit by the wave will have one random beneficial magical effect canceled. If that effect came from a magical ability, the ability will be unavailable to activate again for a short duration. If multiple targets have the same kind of magical effect active, there is a higher chance that it will be the one which is canceled.

Magical projectiles hit by the wave will be negated. Projectiles of a higher rank might not be entirely negated.

Effect - bronze: Attempt to dispel two additional beneficial magical effect

Effect - silver: The spell may instead be released as a spherical burst with lower maximum range. When using this mode, the caster may pay additional mana to exclude an individual from its effect. The cost ramps up with each additional creature excluded.

The new and improved Ripple of Cancellation added flexibility as well as the means to work around one of its greatest weaknesses; affecting friendly targets. Now, Kite had been able to use the spell much more frequently when fighting alongside his allies, but it was still not without limitations. The cost increased quickly with each friend that he wanted to exclude, making it almost prohibitively expensive if there were more than two or three allies within range.

But as things stood, Kite did not need to worry about that part, instead only taking advantage of the fact that both monsters instantly lost their freshly conjured claws. Directly afterwards, the least damaged of the pair was enveloped into another sphere of water from Glint while Kite went on the offensive against the other. He could not hope to whittle them both down simultaneously, his path combined with Glint’s efforts let him retain his focus.

New claws replaced those lost, and Kite made a few furious exchanges, the arms of his mantle working furiously to keep up the attack. He still felt that the new appendages weren’t nearly as coordinated as he would like, but there was no use worrying about it in the present. The extra utility they added would have to be enough.

Warrior did seem to smile upon Kite’s efforts though, as his improved pace in both attacking and dispelling seemed to have drained the Paleclaw Wraith at an impressive speed. While monsters didn’t fall unconscious when low on mana, they did get a bit more sluggish. This also meant that the transcendent damage from Undeniable had started growing from the minor flashes to dealing damage that was beyond noticeable.

As the second monster broke free once more just as the first, injured one threw itself into a reckless lunging charge towards Kite, he saw his opportunity.

“Sage!” Kite called, dodging to the side as the astral gatherer remained in place. In its dark depths, pinpricks like stars shone for a brief moment before a storm of blue and silver slivers erupted from the familiar. The cascade hit the leaping wraith squarely in the torso, myriad flickers of transcendent damage lighting up its inside in the span of the blink of an eye.

WWJS:

Congratulations!

Your ability [Astral Gatherer] has reached Silver 0.

[Astral Gatherer] has gained additional effects.

- Astral Gatherer (Gathering) -

Ritual (Familiar). Cost: Extreme stamina, Extreme mana Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 0

Effect - Iron: Summon an astral gatherer to become your familiar. The astral gatherer is an incorporeal creature without physical substance.

While manifested, the astral gatherer accumulates small remnants of mana each time mana is spent in its vicinity, which is substantially increased if the skill in question drains or destroys mana. Amount of remnants gathered will vary in accordance with the amount of mana spent or drained.

When enough remnants have been gathered, it can unleash the stored power in one of the following ways:

A destructive beam of energy, dealing resonating force damage or disruptive force damage.

A burst of mana recovered for the summoner or a chosen ally within range

When subsumed into the wearer's body, the astral gatherer becomes an incorporeal vortex resting beneath the summoner’s sternum. As long as it remains subsumed, the gatherer exudes a subtle pull on the ambient mana in an extreme radius. This may trigger magical manifestations that were already on the brink of manifesting.

Effect - bronze: Familiar can store additional energy, enough for another unleashing of stored power.

Adds the following options when unleashing stored power:

A potent, short lived boost to health regeneration

Attempts to cleanse all hostile afflictions of the magical, curse, wounding, bleeding and poison categories from a target.

Effect - silver: Familiar can store additional energy, enough for a third unleashing of stored power.

Add the following options when unleashing stored power

A stream of transcendent damage. Consumes three charges

The materials for Sage’s silver rank vessel had been very costly, but as the astral gatherer had proudly displayed its new, spectacular attack, Kite had to agree that it had been worth every coin. The Paleclaw Wraith barely had the time to shriek in agony before the transcendent light did its work, dealing damage that ignored it’s tough exterior. What had been a heavily damaged monster a moment ago was now on the very brink of collapse.

It was a testament to the durability of a silver ranker that the wraith kept coming, even keeping more of its momentum than Kite had expected. Searing pain erupted in his right thigh as the creature’s claws - its physical ones rather than the now dispelled magical extensions - ripped through half of it. Back at iron rank, the injury might have sent Kite stumbling blind with pain, but his peak bronze rank body and thoroughly entrenched combat meditation kept him lucid.

“Underestimated it. Focus, Kite,” he mentally berated himself. His shield appeared on a spectral arm to interpose itself in front of the body of the monster while Kite used both of his own hands to brace his staff against the ground to keep the strain of the impact from his injured leg. This did leave one arm, however, and Kite’s new mantle once more proved its worth as that spectral hand drew Carmine Sunrise from his void sheath.

With the proximity, no projection was needed as Kite plunged the blade down into the monster’s skull even as the absorbed impact created another small geyser of dirt behind him. The curved saber, surrounded by the darkness of the void, pierced a good decimeter into the monster's head before the chaotic mess of spatial tears unfurled from the blade, further empowered by Potential of Stolen power as Kite did not want to leave this up to chance.

The execution of the boosted attack proved to be enough, as the first Paleclaw Wraith fell dead with most of its head and shoulders torn to fleshy shreds.

“Ward!”

Through this finishing exchange, part of Kite’s now improved perception had kept track of the second, incoming monster. The two barriers of Heaven-and-Void Warding appeared in the last possible moment, the wraith’s claws leaving glowing marks across both as they each intercepted a separate hand.

“This is actually going better than expected. I had counted on using Immortality before downing the first of the beasts,” part of Kite’s mind cheered as the liquid lightning of said power washed through Kite’s body, pain and weariness swept away by overflowing vitality. His staff and two swords were already finishing their swings as the barriers disappeared, a trio of attacks crossing the distance in a heartbeat. The monster managed to skitter out of the way of two of them, but the third, carrying the stunning Chakra Implosion, caused it to stumble slightly as its limbs went limp for a fraction of a second.

Kite tried pressing the advantage, but the flickering tail of the monster sent him back on the defensive. But with only one opponent, the battle shifted. The Paleclaw Wraith was a lot more cautious, making feints and probing attacks now that it had no companion with which to distract its intended prey. And while that was intelligent enough, the monster had not seemed to grasp that time would almost always be in favor of Kite and his path of attrition and negation.

One set of claws were shattered, then the next and the one after that. Kite even mixed Ripple of Cancellation into the mix to force the wraith to reset all of its magical augmentations and drain even more mana. With every ounce of mana drained, the transcendent light of Undeniable grew just a little bit stronger.

The next minute of skirmishing left the previously undisturbed moss floor of the valley in complete disrepair, unlike Kite’s mental calm which felt as clear and serene as an undisturbed pond.

“Or maybe like the void?” part of him mused, even while the rest of him prepared for the final clash as Kite sensed the beast’s growing agitation. The monster finally seemed to snap after the first time it stumbled in stride, as if its almost empty mana pool was just then registering to its senses.

The Paleclaw Wraith shrieked again, and charged. No magical extensions, just its ascended strength and speed as it leapt for Kite, claws extended and jaws open wide.

“Ward!”

The monster crashed into the twin barriers, tearing through the first and stopping at the second, the ground behind Kite being torn apart by the redirected forces. But Kite did not let it disengage this time.

“Wall!”

The cage of force was small this time; about as small as Kite could make it around the beast while leaving the side facing Kite open. His bracers started humming even as his spectral arms struck with Kite’s two blades in quick succession while his staff started shining with an inner light as the charge of Something from Nothing was channeled into the weapon.

Boxed in with nowhere to dodge, the wraith tried to go on the offensive, but with it’s rank disparity worn away it was beaten back by each of Kite’s swings, then caught in Glint’s restraining water globe for another split second which in turn allowed Kite to deliver a mighty overhead swing with his staff as he took a step up into empty air to further add to his downward momentum. Void-Sunders-Firmament once more tore through its body echoed again with the powerful swing which seemed to crack the air.

This left the beast thoroughly stunned as Kite’s bracers connected, and twin bells tolled. The first pulse seemed to crack all the bones in the creature’s weakened face, the horrific grin broken asunder by the second as the kinetic force followed. It bounced back into and through the force wall behind it, leaving a furrow in the torn soil.

The monster was still for a second, but as it twitched once there was a flash as a lance of resonating force was fired from Sage. And the twitching did not repeat.

Kite felt surprisingly detached as his mind started cataloging and dismissing what little injuries he had accumulated since Immortality had done its work. While he had spent most of his cards and suffered more than his share of injuries, Kite felt… fine.

This caused some conflicting feelings in Kite, but there was little time to consider them as the ground beneath him was once more torn apart by a sudden impact, even if this was Dragonfly crashing into his arms at the end of one of her empowered leaps.

“Kite, you did it! Heavens above, that was brutal in just the right ways!” she exclaimed before starting her own narration of the fight while still clinging to his torso, legs wrapped around his waist.

“Dragonfly, you might want to consider stopping and actually ask how Kite is feeling,” Serene commented as the rest of the group joined them as well. “Because while I agree that it was a most impressive showing, I also sense that you seem a bit conflicted, Kite.”

At the priestess’ words, Dragonfly paused and leaned back to look at Kite. “But, why? You won! It was awesome!”

“I…” Kite began, trying to put it into words. “I agree, part of me is beyond elated. But another… It feels like this was too easy. Do not misunderstand, it was not easy in the actual sense,” he hurriedly added, seeing Dragonfly’s incredulous look. “Rather… I felt strained, but somehow kept a semblance of control over my actions. I think it worries me a little that it wasn’t enough of a challenge to push me across the threshold.”

This had his companions nodding along, with the exception of Will, who crossed his arms and shook his head, while smiling. “Kite, my friend, you’re thinking about it the wrong way. You being strained but in control of yourself should prove exactly that silver is where you belong. You weren’t just fighting against the silver-rankers, you were fighting them as if you were already one of them. Already used to their strength and speed and able to match it through the power of your path and the skill with which you wield it. The world just needs to catch up and acknowledge the fact.

Mark my words; I’ll fight with a sword for the next month if you haven’t reached silver rank before the sun rises tomorrow.”

That evening, as Kite sat down to meditate in the camp of the group, he did so a bit removed from the rest. The area west of Convergence was quite mountainous, with peaks of a size way beyond what Kite had seen in the Autumn lands. But with his peak bronze-rank body and the conjured platforms of Leyline Warding, it was not too challenging to hike up to the top of one with a suitable ledge close to its jagged tip.

As he looked out to the west over the lands barely visible in the evening gloom, he still couldn’t shake a bit of awe at how far he had come. Even though he knew that what he had seen of the world was but the tiniest of fractions, it was still magnitudes more than he could have imagined growing up in Starberry Peak. Glint settled down in his lap, and Sage hovered at his side, keeping watch.

“Fortune, may I take the next step on my path with your blessing.” he said in silent prayer. Then, Kite gently guided his mind into the meditation which he had performed so many times by now. His aura started to slowly spread and mingle with the surroundings, but true to its nature it remained a bulwark of spirit in his vicinity rather than the diffuse mesh which Serene stretched far and wide.

The mental image of the path came easy to him, as it often did these days. The mind-construct gave off a solid feel, as if it was implacable and inevitable, yet shrouded and protected by nothingness around it. It was his path, and where there had earlier been glaring holes, there were now only the most minute of gaps; more the final touches still needed to be undertaken rather than anything major.

He did not know how long his mind wandered, but Kite did not force it. He reflected upon everything he could remember from the past day, be it conversation or conflict. And as he did, a familiar feeling started making itself known to him. It was faint, as if barely congealed enough, but each moment Kite managed to keep track of that particular mental strand, the thread grew into something. Something substantial. And from the way it suffused itself through every minute crack in Kite’s path, hiding just beneath the surface, he felt that it was something unchangeable. Even something immortal.

WWJS:

Congratulations!

Your ability [Immortality] has reached Silver 0.

[Immortality] has gained additional effects.

Immortality (Phoenix) -

Special ability (healing, recovery). Cost: None Cooldown: 24 hours Current rank: Silver 0

Effect - Iron: Instantly restore a large portion of health, mana, and stamina. Amount restored is based on how depleted health, mana, and stamina are when the ability is activated.

Effect - bronze: Gain ongoing health, mana, and stamina recovery effects. The strength of these effects is based on how depleted health, mana, and stamina are when the ability is activated.

Effect - silver: Gain a long cooldown purgation ability that removes all afflictions from the user ignoring any restrictions or immunities to purgation.

Kite could feel the light erupting from within him, the final streak of bronze gradually replaced with silver. He basked in the feeling; a sense of fullness and completion. Then that sensation started to feel insufficient; as if it was no longer enough to contain him. Power started leaking through, growing surges throughout Kite’s body. They were all intolerably strong yet intoxicatingly powerful, and Kite sent one last thought of prayer out into the world before allowing himself to be lost in the transfiguration of his whole being;

“Thank you, gods of the heavens. And thank you, my friends and boon companions. The bonds between us have brought me here, make no mistake. I will forever treasure them, no matter what future awaits us.”

Then, Kite let go of such conscious thoughts and just existed in the sensation of the world washing through him, leaving him stronger than ever before.

When he opened his eyes once again, it was to a sky painted in the colors of peach and lavender, dawn mere minutes away. He was floating about thirty centimeters into the air, kept aloft by his aura alone. And Kite felt amazing, even more nuances of the world seeming to unravel before his questing senses, his every motion, no matter how minute, seeming to contain unprecedented power and precision.

While that was all well and good, the forces inside him calling for action; to be unleashed upon the world and have it bend before him, Kite took it with equanimity. And reached to ready the bottle of crystal wash already waiting beside him.

And as the sun had just started peeking above the horizon, washing the lands in its lustrous gold, Hua-Xi’s newest silver ranker descended from the peak and rejoined his companions.