The Wandsmith [LitRPG, Isekai, Harem]

Spell: Lesser Smite
Type: Active, Offensive, Instantaneous
Characteristic Requirements: Intelligence ≥ 20, Will ≥ 20, Presence ≥ 20
Other Requirements: Celestial Affinity

Effects: Manifest a bolt of radiant energy to strike a single target within medium range. Deals moderate-to-high radiant damage, with increased effectiveness against Infernal or Undead creatures.

Description: Lesser Smite is an attack spell commonly associated with Celestials and light-aspected holy warriors, particularly those who fight against infernal forces. Upon casting, a flash of radiant energy erupts from within the caster's aura, searing a designated target with blinding light and purifying force.

Unlike most ranged spells, Lesser Smite requires no gestures or aiming. Once cast, the target is instantly struck if within range. Its damage is heightened against Infernal, Undead, or corrupted beings—often bypassing aura resistances to physical damage, and may trigger secondary effects such as temporary blindness or stagger when overcharged.

Notes: The strength of Lesser Smite scales with the caster's Presence and Will. This spell is often available only to those who have demonstrated a commitment to hunting infernal fiends or creatures of the underworld.

The first Aether-warped monster lay smouldering at Ori's feet. Lysara had, as promised, gone out scouting overnight and continued to do so. Even now, she roamed deep beneath the earth, invisible and untouchable to all but the most tenacious creatures on the surface.

Ori crouched, an outstretched hand hovering over what had once been a reindeer. Aether had corrupted it, twisting its left foreleg into a grotesque curling horn of keratin. Instead of the usual nexus points of the soul, the mind, solar plexus, and the space below the navel, the beast's faint, mortal soul had been warped into writhing knots of cancerous flesh across its body, almost certainly leaving the creature in constant agony.

As soon as Ori had inspected the once-living creature, his White Mage instincts revolted, almost instinctively ending the beast's suffering out of disgust and sympathy. He had intended to study it, to perhaps learn how to undo the effects of Aether corruption using his abilities. But this creature was too far gone, trapped in unbearable physical and spiritual pain.

Vision of the Progenitor watched as the twisted soul finally unravelled, the creature's tormented essence dissipating into nothingness. Ori coaxed fine blue filaments of Aether from its remains, drawing them into his Aetheric Heart. It was a mere drop in the ocean compared to the vast amount of Aether already coursing through his veins, but knowing he could absorb Aether from the recently deceased was progress.

"What do you intend to do about our tail?" Rue asked, glancing over her shoulder towards a distant figure.

Ori had sensed Horace earlier when he had been experimenting with a new technique, a method of using his Domain to enhance his scouting abilities.

Rather than infusing the region with his affinity and asserting control, Ori had left the Aether undisturbed, instead passively sensing the energies rather than actively manipulating them. Given that his Perception was eight times his Intelligence, even after his bond with Rue, he found that deliberately blurring his focus allowed him to gain a general impression of the area without overwhelming himself.

Even so, after only ten seconds of use, Ori felt the creeping effects of severe mental fatigue. As a result, he had resorted to pulsing his Domain in intervals rather than maintaining it continuously.

Worse still, due to the sheer scale of his Domain, which now encompassed a cubic volume of one hundred and thirteen cubic kilometres, his resolution was limited. He could only distinguish energy sources that radiated at least the equivalent brightness of a Nascent Rank mana source.

Ori sighed. "I was hoping to cut loose. Maybe he'll back off once he realises we can handle ourselves. Either way, things are about to get a lot more dangerous."

They jogged deeper into the forest at a brisk pace, covering ten miles by afternoon. Here, the density of Aether-Warped creatures steadily increased, as did their strength. For the first time, Ori encountered Awakened and Nascent-ranked beasts. Aether-warped bears, moose, and something resembling an elephant stood out among the monstrous wildlife lurking along their path.

Each creature was a petri dish of rapid, uncontrolled evolution, as though nature had been forced into a twisted game of trial and error at high speed. No two beasts looked exactly alike. Some bore twisted, jagged antlers branching in chaotic patterns, growing too fast, too heavy for their skulls, forcing them to lurch forward under the weight. Others had unnatural asymmetries, one bear had an elongated forearm, its claws dragging through the earth, while the other limb was shrivelled, barely functional.

Then there were the ones that glowed. Strange, pulsing veins of Aether ran through their flesh, rippling like molten metal beneath their skin. A stag-like beast staggered out from the underbrush, its body pulsed in flickering violet flames with each step, the scorched ground beneath it littered with charred footprints, evidence that its mutations were burning it alive even as it walked. Another creature, once a wolf, opened its mouth, and a thick, corrosive fog billowed forth, searing the bark of trees and leaving its fur singed and patchy, skin peeling from its face.

It wasn't just physical mutations. Some of them had acquired unnatural abilities, but none seemed to have adapted to their power. Aether had gifted them new forms, new strengths, yet twisted their bodies into self-destructive aberrations. Ori saw it immediately, this was no ordinary ecosystem, no natural cycle of predator and prey. It was a breeding ground for something worse.

It was only a matter of time before one of these mutations stopped being unstable. Before something emerged that was not only powerful but controlled. Something that could escape.

Still concealing the full extent of his abilities, Ori relied on basic casts of Lesser Smite.

Lesser Smite was flashy, far more than Ori liked. It was efficient, direct, and powerful, but it felt too much as if it wasn't just meant to defeat but to send a message. Each strike of white-hot energy didn't just kill; it lingered, burning a mark into the world, announcing itself with blinding light and the sharp, acrid scent of ozone.

It wasn't just powerful; it was a declaration, whether he wanted it or not.

He exhaled sharply, watching the charred husk of the Aether-Warped beast at his feet.

"What is it, Ori?" Freya, in pixie form, rested on his shoulder, her legs casually swinging over the edge of his coat.

"This spell makes me a bit uneasy." Ori muttered.

"Why?" Freya asked, her voice even.

Ori frowned. "It's just... too much. Too much power, too easy to use. Too easy to turn something into a burning heap of meat. I don't even need to move, just think it, and then poof. I feel like I could kill someone without really meaning to if I'm in a bad mood." He gestured vaguely at the remains. "And it's so… flashy. It doesn't feel like something meant for a battlefield, more like… I dunno, a act of cruelty. A demonstration of overkill."

"That's because it is." Freya said. "Celestial magic often isn't subtle. It's a deterrent. A warning. The kind of power that makes someone think twice before striking again."

Ori scoffed. "Yeah? And what if it just makes the user stand out, turns them into a target?"

"That's the risk. Power like this doesn't just end fights, it frames them. Puts you in a category. People see Lesser Smite, and they know exactly what kind of battles you fight, or at least, what you fight against." Freya said.

Ori didn't answer. He already felt it, the way people reacted differently after seeing what he could do. He could even imagine Horace, reassessing from the distance, tracking their trail of charred corpses.

"Lesser Smite is offered to those expected to fight infernals. And its effects make that obvious. It's not just a weapon, it's a signal to fate. An unspoken declaration that you're against one side and stand on the other." Freya continued.

"Literal virtue signalling." Ori scoffed. He kicked at the blackened remains. "Yeah. But what happens when the people who should be on my side start getting nervous too?"

Freya sighed. "Then you need to decide how much of yourself you're willing to show. And it's not just about what you hide, Ori. It's about how you frame your existence. Right now, all one would see is death."

Eltitus.

A White Mage turned Lich. Ori had seen pieces of his story from the fragments of his soul, but the more he used White Magic, the more he was starting to understand.

He knew Eltitus started like him, a healer, a protector, perhaps someone trying to do good. But power, especially this kind of power, rarely left people unchanged.

Ori forced the thought aside.

"I thought White Mage was just an Uncommon class. Didn't expect it to be this rare."

Freya shrugged. "Uncommon across Fate, maybe. But how many people actually end up walking that path? First, out of everyone who awakens, not all are human and even eligible. And out of those, how many choose magic at all?"

Ori frowned. "I mean… fair, but still. There's gotta be loads in the grand scheme of things, right?"

"Not really. Out of those who choose to be Chromatic Magi, only a small percentage have the affinity for White Magic. Then there's the requirement for masters and apprentices, and that's before you consider all the reasons someone might never use it, politics, religion, fear." Freya said.

"So even my most common class is some kind of unicorn?" Ori asked.

Rue, silent until now, finally spoke, her scratchy voice clipped and matter-of-fact. "White Mages… valuable. Some protect. Many hoard."

Ori turned to her, brow furrowing. "Yeah, figured as much. Where would I be safest?"

Freya sighed. "Depends where you go. Some places will see you as something rare, something to keep safe, or at least keep close. Others will see you as an resource. Something they can use. And then there are places where someone like you wouldn't get a choice."

'But when your worth isn't determined by what you can do, but rather by what can be extracted from you, you become a resource rather than a being, a commodity to be exploited rather than something to be respected.'

Ori exhaled, recalling Crucible's words. "Fucksake."

Meanwhile, Ruenne'del smirked, her perverse excitement and schadenfreude unmistakable through their bond. Ori squinted at her, suppressing the sudden, invasive impulse to light just the tip of Rue's ponytail on fire with Lesser Smite.

Within minutes of his last kill, Ori encountered an Aether-Warped ape. It was at the Awakened rank but, on the surface, showed fewer mutations and cancerous growths than creatures further along their warped evolutions. Keeping the headman's daughter in mind and knowing he was still some distance from the main nest, Ori decided to sit down and begin what could only be described as animal testing, monster edition.

Using Greater Stun, he immobilised the beast, holding it paralysed before severing its spinal column with a precise thrust from his Array. Then, he got to work.

Vision of the Progenitor granted him unparalleled insight into the creature's structure, but his lack of knowledge in anatomy in general quickly became apparent. He could see organs, glands, and cellular structures, but understanding their function, their interaction, and how different processes depended on each other was another challenge entirely. And that was before considering the interactions between body and soul.

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Hours passed as Ori studied the creature, periodically interrupted by wandering beasts that Ruenne'del handled with casual efficiency. Despite his efforts, Ori feared he had only begun to scratch the surface, his true introduction to healing had only just begun.

He had seen the artefact spirit within Uriel's wand use Lesser Restoration and Cure Wounds, the same basic spells he wielded, but woven into complex spell constructs capable of neutralising toxins, repairing systemic issues like cancer, and even restoring delicate nerve tissue. Ori already knew he was far from that level, but he had to start somewhere.

He had dreamt of curing the headman's daughter, of even enhancing the Aether warping, controlling it to produce beneficial effects. But the reality was stark. In reality, souls twisted and tangled into parts of the body they had no place being. He was a long way from anything resembling control over such corruption.

In the end, Ori siphoned away the Aether, unwound the knotted and twisted flesh, and monitored the misfiring nerve impulses that, for now, couldn't reach the brain. Finally, he restored the severed spinal column.

The ape roared, then bolted into the forest, maddened and enraged.

Ori tracked it for a mile, watching as it curled up, convulsing, its mouth foaming, eyes rolling back into its skull.

Frowning, he ended the creature's suffering with a single strike before pausing to consider whether this experiment had been worth it.

The Progenitor showed interest where every other part of his psyche save for the White Mage remained indifferent. As for the White Mage? Ori sensed only cautious acceptance, a wordless understanding that this was the beginning of a long but necessary road.

Over the next two days, Ori repeated his experiments on various Aether-Warped creatures, making small adjustments and observing their responses. Because the changes he introduced were minor, he was able to perform dozens of tests, each one refining his instinctive understanding and providing actionable results.

His primary objectives were twofold: Reducing the pain caused by the unnatural fusion of soul and flesh at the sites of mutation and extracting all Aetheric energy without killing the subject.

Progress was slow, but each attempt yielded incremental improvements.

Throughout this period, Lysara covered great distances, mapping out four separate Aether Rifts, each one guarded by a nest of Aether-Warped creatures. The last was particularly concerning, a colony of Sovereign-ranked worms that burrowed deep beneath the earth. Even Lysara, confident in her ability, had opted to keep her distance, though she claimed she could solo most of the nest if needed.

Meanwhile, Horace's presence waned. He had come and gone over the past few days, but as Ori and Rue ventured deeper into the Aether-Warped wilderness, his visits became less frequent, so much so that Ori was hoping he had given up, especially given their current slow progress.

Ultimately, Ori decided to pause his research and head for the first Rift.

Ori and Ruenne'del made their way towards the first rift. Lysara's latest report, delivered in a whisper through their bond, suggested a nest of large, slow-moving quadrupeds, creatures that, on the surface, seemed far less aggressive than the others they had encountered. At first glance, that assessment appeared correct.

Towering turtles, each the size of an elephant, dotted the forest landscape, their shells thick carapaces of rock and crystal, jagged formations fused into their bodies like natural armour. Under Vision of the Progenitor, the creatures' souls and flesh wove together in complex knots of Aether, an intricate formation that suggested something beyond random mutation.

For the first time, Ori sensed structure in the corruption, purpose, even.

At first, the creatures paid them no mind. Some lay half-buried in the undergrowth, their massive frames blending seamlessly with the terrain, while others slowly grazed on bioluminescent foliage that pulsed faintly with Aether. Not one reacted to their presence.

Ori and Rue slipped between them, stepping lightly over thick roots and weaving between the colossal megafauna that seemed to be either deep in slumber or entirely indifferent to their presence.

Yet, something felt off.

From spotting only a handful of creatures at the Nascent Rank, within the span of a mile, they found themselves surrounded. Ori's grip on his Array tightened, the subtle flex of his fingers seeking reassurance from the weight of his weapon. The sheer density of powerful lifeforms pressing in from all directions sent a creeping chill through his bones.

By now, Freya had long since retreated to his soulspace, the oppressive presence of the increasing Aether, and so many high-ranking creatures forcing her to abandon her usual perch on his shoulder. Though unseen, he could still sense her awareness, her connection to his mind keeping her attuned to his surroundings.

Meanwhile, Lysara had returned, idling beneath the ground at his feet, her presence a reassuring weight. If nothing else, she would ensure that nothing unmanageable would take them by surprise.

Ori pulsed his Domain. A flash burned at the edge of his senses, the Aether Rift pulsed in the heart of the nest, a shimmering blue jewel of paracausal energy, a hole in the fabric of reality itself. It radiated with the same vivid intensity as the one he had encountered beneath Ghigrerchiax, an uncontrolled gash in existence, spilling wild magic into the world. That at least encouraged him.

What didn't was the cluster of Sovereign-Rank monsters lingering too close for comfort.

Ori had no idea of their capabilities, nor the relative toughness of these creatures, but the sheer concentration of power made him and his Bonds hesitate.

This wasn't just an ecosystem warped by Aether. This was the beginning of a new race, a complete evolution, one stable enough that it might even be verified by the Library of Fates.

Ori exhaled slowly, adjusting his stance.

That changed things.

Aether-warped monsters were one thing, twisted, corrupted remnants of their original forms, doomed to eventual degradation. But this? The White Mage within was indifferent; life was life, after all. And while he had no idea whether they were sapient, any awakened creature had at least the potential to become so.

Perhaps he could attempt communication? However, while this Aether Rift, in this particular instance, appeared to have fostered a stable evolution, continued exposure would inevitably bring further changes. Even if Ori didn't need the power from absorbing Aether, he would still close every rift he encountered. It was a necessity, not a choice.

Whether or not this would end in violence, however, depended entirely on the creatures surrounding them. If they remained passive, if they allowed him to close the rift unchallenged, there would be no need for bloodshed. Whether that was wishful thinking or not, Ori would soon find out.

Rue stalked beside him, her vorpal greatsword held low. Her jacket was stored away within her ring, leaving her opalescent wings unfurled, still and poised. Ori could feel her heightened awareness, how she used the faintest vibrations across her wings as a sixth sense, how her affinity with Fate granted her something akin to precognition.

She held a hand, a silent signal to halt. Ori slowed his steps, his grip tightening, ready to unleash his full power at a moment's notice.

Each step Rue took was measured, deliberate. One step. Two steps. And then, she danced.

Ori cast Prismatic Shield, his passive spell; Mirror Protection immediately replicated the effect for each of his Bonds. A single hexagonal crystal materialised in front of Rue, blinking erratically as if searching for threats. Without Will of the High Human and the stacking boosts from his attacks, the initial shield was relatively weak, but something was always better than nothing.

A searing beam of red light tore through the forest. Leaves blackened and curled, their moisture hissing into steam.

Ori's shield lasted a mere fraction of a second, just long enough to deflect the opening of the attack in a shower of sparks before shattering like glass.

Rue pirouetted clear just in time. The ground trembled. Something massive was moving towards them.

"Rue? We doing this?" Ori asked, his intent to let loose unmistakable.

"Yes."

Through their bond, Ori felt her surge of encouragement, not just for him to fight, but to fight as he truly was. He formed up behind her, back to back, as Split Mind unfurled the true might of the High Human progenitor.

Vision, Aura, and Reach of the Progenitor ignited, his very presence bending the world around him. Will of the High Human and Bondweaver amplified his spells, turning every cast into an overwhelming force. Ori's silver eyes burned like twin suns, his aura subtly warping the air, space itself rippling in response to his true existence. Mind over Mind further enhanced Ori's cognitive abilities, as Freya, still able to cast despite being hidden away within his soul space, cast the group buff Beacon of Wisdom that enhanced mental clarity and spell-casting speed.

Mirror Protection replicated his Prismatic Shield, layering defences even as ghostly hands materialised, each wielding a blade from his Prototype Array of Duælism. Prismatic Weapon, infused with his Cosmic Affinity, sheathed the spectral blades in an edge so keen that the very air howled in protest.

Before the second heat beam could reduce him to cinders, Ori merged Moonbeam and Call Lightning together with Duælist's Weave, unleashing a pillar of celestial wrath, splitting the sky with a lance of argent light as if in divine punishment against the creature that dared attack his bonded.

Spell: Moonbeam

Type: Active, Offensive, Channelled

Characteristic Requirements: Wisdom: ≥40 Intelligence: ≥125, Will: ≥300

Other Requirements: Moonlight affinity

Effects: Creates an indirect channelled beam of moonlight that deals damage to a single target with a plus rank effectiveness against physical barriers.

Description: Moonbeam channels a concentrated beam of moonlight that targets a single foe. This offensive spell harnesses the serene yet destructive power of moonlight, making it a formidable weapon against hardened foes. While weaker during daylight, this beam's continuous nature allows the caster to adjust its aim and maintain pressure on the target. This beam is particularly effective against creatures with an Underworld and Abyssal affinity, but weak against magical shields.

Notes: This spell's mana use unconstrained. Damage dealt by Moonbeam scales with channel duration, the caster's mana regeneration and Will.

Feeling Rue's premonition surge through their link, Ori called out. "Switch!"

In an instant, they traded places.

The Lesser Aegis of the Dreamwalker snapped into existence, forming an impenetrable disk of dream magic just as Ori's Prismatic Shield shattered under the unrelenting force of the second Sovereign-rank blast.

The forest floor erupted in front of them, sending shards of stone and shattered roots skyward. Whether due to the disturbance or an invisible threshold Ori had unknowingly crossed, more of the Mega-Turtles stirred. The ground trembled beneath each multi-tonne step as they rose, their armoured bodies emerging from the earth like ancient colossi.

A web of crisscrossing heat beams slammed against Ori's artefact, each impact rattling his relatively fragile physical body. Split Mind kept focus while Arcane Hand and Reach of the Progenitor worked in tandem, six spectral hands blinking into existence at will, slicing into exposed flesh, shell or not. Meanwhile, Cosmic and Flux intertwined, feeding Moonbeam's relentless descent.

The slow-moving Aether-Warped titans shimmered under the prismatic radiance before crystalline shells glowed molten, heat searing through flesh and boiling the blood of the creatures beneath.

Thin wisps of Peritia whirled in the air as the slaughter began.

Ruenne'del moved like a wraith, orbiting Ori in an elegant, deadly dance, her Vorpal greatsword sweeping arcs of impossible momentum. The blade seemed to drag fate behind it, refusing resistance from flesh, bone, or carapace. With a single swing, a Greater-Rank Mega-Turtle split in two, its halves still twitching even as its soul fled its body.

As Mind over Mind intensified, the battle slowed in perception. The sheer number of threats, though ever-increasing, seemed more manageable. Ori's damage surged with each moment, yet Moonbeam continued to drain his reserves, pushing his once near-inexhaustible mana regeneration to its limits. The longer he channelled, the more destructive the spell became, carving through lesser Sovereign-ranked beings like a laser through sheet steel.

The forest smouldered. Leaves wilted in the sweltering heat. Flesh crackled and burned.

Ori immersed himself in his Duælism affinity—Shield, Spell, Thrust, repeat as Lightning and Moonlight poured from the heavens.

The ground quaked as a Mega-Turtle the size of a lorry charged at him. Ruenne'del stepped aside, effortlessly slicing a deep horizontal cut into the Sovereign-ranked creature's knee.

Ori's Array surged, his spectral blades targeting the eye, throat, exposed airways, and ligaments. And then the towering beam of celestial energy fell, burning away thousands of years of lifeforce with each passing second.

Compared to the last Sovereign-ranked wardens Ori had faced, these creatures were sluggish, their attacks predictable. And he was stronger now, his spells denser, his defences hardened. What once might have been impenetrable formations of Aether within their shells now crumbled beneath the sheer density of his magic.

Even still, despite their lack of speed or intelligence, quantity was a quality of its own.

Seven Sovereign-ranked heat beams slammed into Ori's Prismatic Shield, the eighth coming from an oblique angle, tearing through a tree as thick as an old oak before smashing into his barrier.

Reinforced by Duælist's trait, Attack as You Defend, Will of the High Human, and Bondweaver, the shield held firm for the full three seconds of the onslaught. But Ori felt the strain; his mana regeneration taxed harder than ever before, struggled under the greedy consumption of Moonbeam.

He needed more power.

"Freya! Cast Font of Wisdom, now!" Ori commanded, instantly, his mana overflowed.

Beacon of Seraphine ignited, golden light pulsing through his body as he prepared to overcharge Lesser Smite, dumping almost all of his remaining mana into the spell. The surge was like a pressure valve bursting, energy condensed, reality straining beneath the weight of celestial magic.

The tightness in his chest loosened, his reserves renewed in an instant. The overcharged Smite ignited the air like a miniature sun.

Despite being hundreds of yards away, through dense foliage and thick underbrush, the spell's brilliance lit up the forest in stark whites and deep-cut shadows. The blinding radiance left afterimages seared into even Ori's vision, forcing him to blink rapidly as he struggled to maintain his channelling spell.

Despite the relative ease of the battle, Ori was reminded of something unsettling, the sheer Lifeforce each creature possessed.

It was like watching health bars, but instead of a number, it was time itself, years of existence, burned away through violence before the fleshly being within, or beyond, could be truly killed.

For two relentless minutes, Ori channelled Moonbeam, carving through the Aether-Warped titans as their flesh burned, their lifeforce drained beneath the onslaught.

At last, when Moonbeam's mana cost exceeded his regeneration, Ori relinquished control, allowing the spell to fade. By then, only Greater-ranked and below monsters remained, the Sovereign-ranked threats reduced to scorched husks within the radius of Lysara's senses.