NOVEL NEXT 91 - Facet of the Rot Mage
Div took a quick look at his available facets.
Available Facets:
Facet of the Rot Mage
Facet of the Fisherman
Facet of the Explorer
Facet of the Runner
Facet of the Cheesemaker
This time, the choice was simple. There was no debate to be had. Neither with En, nor with himself. Three years after his awakening, he finally selected Facet of the Rot Mage.
Skill Acquired: Rotlife Sense – Basic – Lv1
Before doing anything else, Div immediately focused on his inner world. He wouldn't make the mistake of neglecting his facet and skill visualizations again.
With the tree being whole again, a new branch had sprouted, representing his new facet.
Div breathed out in relief and looked for what might be the representation of Rotlife Sense.
He was looking within his soul, so it wasn't hard to find. It was everywhere, insects, fungi, mold and some creatures so small he could only sense them with his Rotlife Sense.
Div returned to the real world and reported his findings to Theaphilia.
"Interesting," she said. "So your skill allows you to sense creatures and plants that are part of the cycle of rot?"
"It seems to be the case," Div said. "Some of them are so small. I suspected they existed, but having confirmation, and being able to sense them changes everything."
Since their trip to Bavacium two years ago, Div had dove headfirst into cheesemaking. It was one of the rare rot-related occupations that En didn't find repulsive, and it allowed Div to explore the positive aspects of his magic.
Camboaci didn't have flowing sheep, but there was plenty of livestock grazing within the perimeter secured by the wall of trees.
In his experiments, Div had long wondered what caused the cheese to ferment the way it did. What was good rot, and what differentiated it from the more destructive version of this magic?
Mana itself wasn't the answer.
A rot mage could cause matter to rot by activating rot-attuned mana. But, it wasn't what was happening with the cheese. There had to be something else.
And those were the microscopic creatures that Div could now see.
"This is a good skill," Theaphilia said. "It's not flashy. But considering you don't have anyone to teach you rot magic, seeing more is a godsend."
"I agree," Div said. He was very satisfied with his new skill. He couldn't wait to return to the farm and watch how the milk evolved over time. He yearned for the cheese cave.
"Congratulations, Div," En said, still standing next to his brother.
"Are you going to choose your facet too?" Div asked.
"Not now," En shook his head. "I don't have many options, but I'm hesitating between Facet of the Explorer and Facet of the Runner. I'll decide before I leave."
"Talk to Vercinetos," Theaphilia instructed. "He might have some insights on Facet of the Runner."
En nodded. It was a good idea. Although, Div and En believed their potential facet was linked to their flight from the faceless horde back in the rift, not to speed.
It was already late. Theaphilia instructed them to return home and get some rest. She would start teaching Div the next day.
He had waited enough already, a few more hours were not going to change anything.
Div and En walked back home together. They spoke in hushed tones as they moved quietly in the snowy night, not wanting to wake up their neighbors.
"What should we do tomorrow?" En asked. "We don't have class."
"I don't know about you," Div said. "But I'm going to the farm. I want to start working on my magic."
"Oh. Right. We don't have to stick together all the time now…"
"You should look for Genno," Div suggested. "Talk to her. Maybe she can convince you to stay."
En didn't answer, but Div hoped his words had some effect on him. He knew exactly how En felt about their friend. If even Div couldn't persuade En, she was the only one who could.
However, Div also understood that Div and En coming into existence was strange. He wouldn't blame Genno if she wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Div," En said, after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry. I know I wasn't the best partner, always whining and holding you back."
"Don't speak nonsense," Div said. "That's not what happened."
"It is," En insisted, shaking his head. "You're too generous to see it. But, back then, the correct decision would have been for me to merge back into you. For us to be Diven again. It's only my selfishness that pushed us away from this path."
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"En," Div said. "I could say the same. We didn't want to disappear, it is reason enough. Regret has no place in the present. We've succeeded, and that's all that matters."
"Maybe you're right…"
Silence settled over the duo. Theaphilia lived a good distance away from their place, and the snow made the journey even longer.
As they trudged through the freezing night, Div couldn't help but try his new skill. Rotlife Sense flared under his will. At first glance, there wasn't much. But as time passed and Div gradually familiarized himself with the skill he was able to pick up some rotlife signatures.
First, in and around the various outhouses adjacent to every house in the village.
He grimaced.
"What?" En asked.
"Nothing," Div answered. He didn't want to tell his brother that the magic he had craved for so long was leading him straight to the toilets.
Rotlife was slow in winter. Slumbering. It was something he had noticed in rot-attuned mana years ago, but the rotlife was the same.
As expected.
However, if he looked deeper than the surface. Under the thick layer of snow blanketing the land. Below the frozen ground. There was some activity.
It wasn't much, and his new sense wasn't developed enough for him to perceive the finer details. But it was there, hidden in the soil.
Div once again took note that if he was going to rely on rot magic, he had to be mindful of winter and cold. It seemed to be a natural counter to his budding powers.
On the flip side, he had also observed that a warm but dry environment wasn't conducive to rot either. There was a balance to strike.
He couldn't wait to learn his first spell. Surely, some spells from the other branches of magic could work with rot-attuned mana. It would take work, hours, and hours of study.
But Div was ready.
It didn't take too long for them to return home. They shared a meal with the family before returning to their room. They had to share the same bed until they could procure a second one. Maybe they wouldn't even bother as En would leave soon.
Lying next to his brother, Div stared at the darkness for hours, unable to find sleep. There were so many theories he wanted to test. He had longed for it for so long, he couldn't wait until tomorrow.
However, in the darkness of the night, locked in his and En's room, there wasn't much he could do.
Unless…
In the back of his mind, he had long theorized about rot essence. This mysterious, ethereal substance that was created when matter decayed.
One of his theories was that something similar was happening inside his stomach when he digested food. Luckily, they had eaten a nice meal before going to bed.
With Rotlife Sense, Div looked inward. At first, it was unintuitive. Even with mana sense, there was no reason to do that. Feeling and controlling one's body was intuitive, not conscious.
But, in the complete darkness and silence of the Camboacian winter night, Div's other senses were dampened, allowing him to focus fully on his newest skill.
Methodically, Div focused on his stomach, trying to aim his senses exactly where he wanted.
He frowned.
As expected, there was rotlife in there, along with a faint but steady stream of rot-attuned mana and rot essence. However, the phenomenon wasn't limited to his stomach.
Rotlife was… everywhere.
In his muscles, in his guts, in his blood, in his brain, and all his organs. Rot was everywhere.
Yet, everything seemed normal.
Div didn't feel ill. On the contrary, he had never felt so healthy. With his recent evolution, his body was stronger than ever. There was the weakness from splitting his soul, yes. But Theaphilia assured them it was temporary and not a cause for concern.
So what was happening here?
Curious, and a little concerned, Div decided to run the same experiment on En. His brother was sleeping soundly, snoring loudly and completely oblivious to Div's actions.
He wasn't sure what to make of it, but the exact same process was taking place all over En's body. There was less rot-attuned mana, and the rotlife was ever so slightly less active, but Div chalked the difference up to his Rot Heart.
It wasn't a coincidence. No, Div could feel that he was standing at the edge of something bigger than him.
He breathed out. He needed to know.
Doubling down, he focused his attention on the inside of his mouth, one of the hotspots where rotlife was particularly active.
Small cuts and tears in his skin were teeming with it. Some of it felt wrong, a little off, like a sour note. But the rest… the rest was doing something else. It wasn't invading. It was patching the damage.
Rotlife wasn't just feeding on broken flesh. It was working with it. It was turning it into essence. And the essence was mending the flesh.
That's when it hit him.
His body was always rotting, always breaking and mending, chewing itself apart just enough to stay whole. And rot wasn't just part of that process.
It was the process.
His body was constantly pulling itself apart and using the vestiges of what was to renew itself.
An endless struggle between life and decay. Rot was ever present, unstoppable. It could be contained, but it couldn't be stopped.
And he, Div, could command it.
He had a vision.
Rot magic could be a plague on the land, it could be a tool of production. But, more importantly, it was the gateway to understand his body, to transcend the limits of humanity.
Skill leveled up: Rotlife Sense Lv1 -> Lv2
Lost in dreams of greatness, Div finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Div was up before sunrise, excited to tackle his first day of independence. Gone was fear, subdued was loneliness, for he was now a mage of rot and he would prove to the world that his magic was not to be dismissed.
Name: Div
Bloodline: Rot Heart
Titles: Rotten Sun, Exterminator
Current Facet: Facet of the Rot Mage
Previous Facets: Facet of the Hoplite, Facet of the Survivor, Facet of the Exile, Facets of the Self, Facet of the Veil, Facet of the Army Breaker
Skills:
Bound Genesis - Evolved - Lv1
Rotten Spear – Basic – Lv10
Rotten Shield – Basic – Lv6
Rotten Spearfishing – Basic – Lv7
Trap Detection – Basic – Lv6
Blighted Passage – Basic – Lv7
Echoes of the Rot Heart - Basic - Lv8
Inspect - Basic - Lv5
Conceal - Basic - Lv6
Scornforged - Basic - Lv3
Mana Manipulation - Basic - Lv1
Rot Magic - Basic - Lv1
Rotlife Sense - Basic - Lv2