The First Archmage

(Gavin)

"Yes, I'm sure he's not a god," Tristan says as I draw near the exit of the caves a couple of days after I entered them. "At least, I'm pretty sure he's mortal."

"Gavin!" Michael spots me. "How was it? Is she dead?"

"I see no proof of victory," Soren turns to face me. "Where is proof?"

"I blasted her into nothing but blood," I state. "There's nothing but that left, if you want to investigate personally."

"Gavin?" Michael frowns, looking confused. "Since when do you have a tail?"

"There was True Tier II Dungeon a little bit further into the Dungeon," I state, then wave my hand, a Grimoire appearing in the air. I catch it and hold it up to Tristan. "Found another one of your Grimoires as well, Tristan. Seems both mother and son were guarding them. This one contains knowledge of Will Magics."

I return the Grimoire to my spatial ring, then look at Michael.

"What?"

"You took on Beastborn of the Wolf variety as your Third Species, didn't you?"

"What gives you that idea?"

Damn this tail and its desire to move on its own. I'm going to have to get used to it. I could, of course, just dismiss it, but I still want to adjust to having it. Even my perfect Acting Skill can't control it at the moment.

"The tail, Gavin," he says. "The tail gives that idea to me."

"Tail?" Tristan looks at me, just now realizing what Michael's referring to. "You do have a tail!"

And a stronger desire to be naked, though I'm able to keep my pants on. Damn other Species and their lack of body shame.

"Michael, come here."

"Why?" He asks.

"Just do it."

Reluctantly, the Wolfborn makes his way over to me. I put a hand on his head, and he sighs.

"Seriously, Gavin?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I can?"

"He just gave me a bunch of his LIF!"

"Not even a full percent of what I have," I shrug, then look at the spider, who looks confused. "What?"

"You willingly give some of your LIF to others?" He asks. "Isn't it precious? It should be savored and kept for as long as you can, because you never know when something might drop it down against your will, shortening it, and-"

"That doesn't concern me," I say. "Plus, I was making it a nice, even, round fourteen thousand."

"…how much?"

"Fourteen thousand."

"You… have that much LIF?"

"Yes," I say. "While your mother has none, because she's dead. I swear that on the blood that flows through my veins."

I glow with the crimson light verifying my statement.

"What was that?" Soren asks. "It felt Divine in nature."

"It's the sign of a Blood Oath," I explain. "The Origin of Blood Oaths' power is what you sensed. That light and touch of Divine Power is a form of recognition that the statement I swore was the truth. If I were to swear to do something through the Blood Oath, it would bind me into it with harsh consequences for failing."

Very harsh, so I'm glad I managed to adjust the time limits, then complete them.

Soren decides to accept that as an answer, then reaches under himself, unbinding the Grimoire from his underside before allowing me to take it. After checking it and finding it's definitely the Greater Grimoire of Psionic, I send it into my ring.

"And the ring?" I ask.

"I gave it to an adventurer centuries ago," Soren answers. "I'm not sure where it is, now."

"That's fine," I shrug, then turn to the sage. "Michael and I are heading to the Dark Knights so he can greet his old friends. Do you want me to take you back now, or after we finish what we're doing?"

"Can I go with him?" Soren asks, and I look at the spider. "We have a lot to catch up on, and I can probably help protect your people. I'm not as powerful as my mother, but I am powerful."

"Do you know of the true Dekami?" I ask.

"Not those fakers who tried stealing the Grimoire from me?"

"Yeah."

"Yes. I had a chat with one several centuries back," he responds. "And a Faeborn and a Void Mage."

He's talked with three of them? Does he have their Bloodlines, then?

"I have a Dekami living in my settlement," I say. "Among other powerful beings, some of whom are hiding their real identities. I don't fully trust you, even if Tristan does. As long as you can prove yourself useful and not a threat to my people, I won't have issues allowing you to live in our area."

"Do you have a forest?" He asks. "I'm partial to those."

"I know a spot," I nod, then Teleport him and Tristan to the area, letting Tristan know where, exactly, we're at, then I return to Michael. "You ready?"

"Do you normally leave your allies in areas where they could be attacked at any time?"

"There's nothing around," I tell him.

"Pretty sure I saw some shadows moving."

I was bored, and wanted to see if anyone would notice. Seems Michael did, yet he didn't react to them.

"You probably imagined it," I tell him, then manipulate the air around us so we can fly above the fields and forests.

After a couple of hours of flying, Michael directs me to a rather large city, and I can see the Grind Arena from here. The battlefield itself is over a hundred yards in diameter, and it's surrounded by stone seating for people to spectate in.

Right now, a man in black and red armor is battling against the monsters within it, the crowd cheering as he fights. He's got four Classes, including two Tier II Primaries. Likely one of the Dark Knights Michael's spoken of.

Actually, most of them probably are, since he told me it's the capital for this kingdom, and most of them are of the chain of Classes Michael's informed me of for Dark Knight, here.

I fly us down directly into the stands, startling several people as I read the magics in the arena.

It's a place forged of the eleven Resources, but definitely mortal – that said, there's something Divine about it.

Something added in after they were initially created? It doesn't feel like any particular god I know. In fact, while it seems Divine, it's almost as if it formed on its own, not by the hand of a Divine Being.

Is that even possible?

Then again, the Divine Beings can form based upon belief. Maybe that's what happened there, and the Grind Arena has a sort of Divine Being formed within it? Or forming within it?

It's a bit confusing, and I'll need to examine it a bit to figure out what's going on. Nies is napping, or I'd ask him what he knows, and I'd rather not bother the others right now.

"Michael?" Someone speaks. "Is that you?"

Their language is Eitos, it seems. Michael never did tell me what it is.

"Yeah!" Michael exclaims. "Benny! How's Toby? He still trying to kill himself?"

"He almost killed the Dragon last time," Benny responds.

Speaking of Michael and knowing many languages – how many does he know? Does he have a Title for them?

Archmage Access: Michael Burrclaw's Titles.

Michael lights up with a blue glow, but it's probably only in my own vision, highlighting the fact that it's his Titles I'm examining at the moment. I can only do it for people in my direct line of sight, unless they're in my Party.

Titles of Michael Burrclaw: Multilingual, Wolfborn, First Wolfborn

So he does, then. It seems Multilingual is for having at least twenty Language Skills at Level 5 or higher. Damn, does that boy speak a lot. Wolfborn and First Wolfborn don't even need to be examined to know what they are, since that's his Species, and I have Titles of the same chain.

Speaking of Species, I can probably take on my last Subspecies, now. But what should I find something to befriend? I want it to be strong and powerful, like a Scaled Wyvern. But what, though? I can't remove a Subspecies, so I have to choose wisely.

The only way I can stand a chance to change my fate is to be more powerful than that Elder Dragon, so I need it to be powerful, especially since I can only acquire its bonus twenty-four times. Otherwise, I'd take on Dwarf, since I have that, now.

Dwarf: A short, stout, strong people of a hardy nature and high resilience. +3 STR, CON, LIF, LFA per Level

Yeah, they're tough bastards. And apparently, their LIF is allowed to go up three every time their Species goes up a Level. Since I'm looking at Subspecies, I might as well take on Dirsoor, now. I can handle the influx, and have the General Experience.

Dirsoor is Now Level 25!

+2,400 to All Attributes, Resources

Experience Remaining: 196,000

There we go, that's out of the way, now I know I can handle it. All I need to do now is track down and befriend a Dragon, and I'll have all of the First Five. Finding one for that will be tough, though. They're the least-friendly of the five.

"Hey, Gavin?" Michael pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Whatever you just did," he says. "Everyone here could probably sense it."

They could sense me growing stronger?

"How many people here have Blood Detection?" I ask, and quite a few raise their hands. "Ah. Yeah, that'd be a sign. I was just adding in another X Species."

That seems to be how the System is sorting the First Five, now.

"Wasn't Dirsoor your only one left?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"So you just gained twenty-four hundred BFA?"

"Yeah."

"That explains it."

"He did what?" Someone asks, so Michael explains to him as I return to contemplating which Species I should figure out for my final Subspecies.

Something with a high CON and INT, I think. CON for the resilience, and INT for the amount of magical power that'd give me. Since every Species Advancement increases my base, that'd be pretty useful, much more so than just a Class's bonus.

That's part of why I want something powerful. A single Species brought to Level 25 will be more powerful than the bonuses for almost any Class I can find. If I find a Legendary or Mythical Class I can take on at Tier I, then I'll look into it, but nothing else is worth my time.

The only downside is that I can't advance my Subspecies. I suppose that'd be too powerful, if I could. If I could manage that, then I'd truly become a beast that Elder Dragon would need to fear.

I think.

Good luck with that, Nahor's voice enters my head.

Hello, Nahor.

I promise you that the Dragon's flames will be your death, Gavin.

I will not actively seek it out. I will only fight it if it instigates it with me and mine, and from what I know, that's a long ways off.

Perhaps, perhaps not. However, I do promise that it will kill you.

Considering you're a voice in my head, a being who won't reveal himself – who hides himself from even the other Divine Beings – I don't know how well I can trust you. I know it's destined to kill me because of my Foresight forcing, but that doesn't mean I can't change that.

Perhaps, he chuckles. I have my reasons for not wanting to draw their direct attention. Nies can be a bit… overbearing. And the more he interacts with me, the greater the chance of him reverting to who he used to be.

Who he used to be? What does that mean?

Who he was before he became lazy and the Origin of Blood Oaths, Oaths, Quests, and Adventures. Nies and Twist are the two most dangerous ones of them, and I must avoid interacting with them as much as possible. Who they used to be… let's just say that things are better as they are now. Until, that is, you die.

Until I die? I'm not playing some god's game, Nahor. You-

Have seen the future, he says. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. The Dragon will kill you with its breath. That is a guarantee. You, Gavin, will die. You're even preparing, for the chance I'm right.

It's always good to be prepa-

Yes, it is, he says. Believe me or not, it's up to you. But I know that you will die, and with your death will come great changes for all involved. I need to go, before Nies wakes up and realizes that I'm talking with you. If he traces me down again… well, that won't happen.

His presence fades from my mind, and I sigh.

"What's wrong?" Michael asks.

"Nothing you need to worry about," I smile.

"He was talking to you again, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"What'd he say this time?"

"That it's a guarantee," I shrug, then stand and stretch. "Looks like someone else can take the challenge. Care if I do?"

"I wanna see you challenge it!" Michael exclaims, his tail swishing as the Dark Knights erupt into laughter. "Erm. I mean, I'd like to see how far you can get. I'm sure you'd win."

Snorting at his attempt to be less excited, I make my way to the entrance and place my hand on the pedestal that Michael's told me is how we accept the Arena's challenge.

Level 25 Subspecies Detected

Would You Like to Challenge the Arena and Advance One?

If you accept the challenge, you will be reverted into your true form as a member of the selected Subspecies, and only possess the Skills you have relating to its nature. If you fail, you will not be able to challenge for that Subspecies for one hundred years. If you succeed, you will Advance to the default Species for the next Tier of it. You will need to defeat 100 Waves of monsters to complete the challenge. You will not receive the Advancement Bonus for Advancing your Subspecies.