It had taken three days for Malsour to regenerate all of his health. Induca had stayed nearby, looking after her own injuries and keeping a look-out.

Malsour shook his mass and moved his wings, they were now fully healed and stronger than ever before. Both of them had increased in levels from fighting at Boran-al’s Citadel.

“Are you sure?” Malsour asked.

“I am,” Induca said, her red eyes finding his black ones. Induca might be younger and have spent most of her time away from Emerilia in hibernation, but Malsour and always felt close to his little sister, it was why he volunteered to look over her as she wanted to look for the Lady of Fire’s child.

“Very well,” Malsour said, a smile filling his face as he walked to the edge of the Cave that they had cut out of the Mithsia, high enough and far enough away from the Dwarves so they wouldn’t notice them as they tended to their wounds.

The Mountains ranged for miles so there was plenty of room.

“You almost seem like you want to go and see them again,” Induca’s voice souring.

“I do, that power, Dave was wielding nearly as much power as our mother,” Malsour said. hiding his face as he thought of those that had been lost.

He didn’t like getting attached to the short lived people of Emerilia but without his understanding he had become friends with them.

He’d come to care for them and he needed to know what had happened to them.

“Well at least one of us can admit that they just want to make sure that they’re okay,” Induca said seeing through his bluff, moving her body past his and leaping from the cave’s entrance, she used fire under her wings to shoot herself up.

Malsour jumped off, diving for the ground before his wings snapped open and he curved back up into the sky.

He beat his wings, hurling himself upwards as they rose into the clouds and headed towards Cliff Hill.

***

Dave looked over what was left of the Citadel.

The bodies had been cleaned away, leaving just the battle ground behind.

Deia squeezed his hand.

He looked to her, a sad smile on his face.

Both of their eyes were red from tears and the inner pain they felt.

Dave hugged Deia as the tears she’d been holding back, broke through, Dave let out tears of his own.

Deia had been with Lox’s Warband for ten years. They were as close as family, even closer in some ways.

They’d faced death together, drank together and lived through one another.

Dave had known them for just over half a year but he too had become attached to them. He’d seen Joko, Deli and Max’s bodies.

Joko and Deli had been killed by black lightning and then risen again as undead puppets. Max had been killed by the metal sheathed tentacles as he lived through his worst fears.

Dave and Deia pulled apart as their tears slowed.

“Fuck the gods, fuck the pantheon of fucking affinities. What gives them the right to do this? To kill all of these people just to try and get more fuckin power,” Deia’s red eyes seemed to glow a bit more with her words.

Dave put his arm around her side as they leaned against one another for support.

Dave’s mind was reeling with pain and trying to make up questions as to why the lords of Dark and Earth would bring this down on the people that served them.

It would have been kinder if his mind didn’t come up with probable answers.

Death Magic was in part a melding of Dark and Earth magic, binding the natural and the unnatural together to raise the dead and pull the life from others.

It was a twisted abomination of the two affinities and took a large amount of power to do it.

The Cultists by themselves were tossing around enough energy for a dozen Dwarven War Clans and their mages.

If they had been able to kill us all and then use our bodies to start their undead army, then the power would have been immense.

Every person that the Cultists killed and brought back would be turned into their minions. Which in turn would make them minions of the Lords of Dark and Earth. If their lords that gave them this power asked for a larger devotion of power towards them. They wouldn’t have hesitated. With the power of their undead they would’ve had nations worth of power that they didn’t need.

Dave shook his head, on Earth money had been the currency of power, on Emerilia power came from your abilities. Materials could augment it but pure unrefined mana was the currency of the affinities.

Dave shook his head sadly.

A group of mages were around the pillars that made up the portals.

He wanted to get away from this all, he wanted to just go and explore Emerilia and have his house in Cliff-Hill.

But you know that this is only the beginning. You remember what Bob said about the pantheon. They’re not the type of people to take this and shrug it off.

If I want my friends to survive then I’m going to have to learn more. I’m going to have to become stronger. My friends gave their lives so that we could bring down this Citadel, to protect their people. I might want to just hide in the Seeder and play with inventions, to let the world burn itself, but that would just sully their names and their sacrifice.

Dave walked towards the pillars, Deia holding his hand.

“Excuse me but I was wondering if you could hold off destroying the portal for just a moment,” Dave said.

“Boy, this thing is coming down,” One of the Elven Mages said.

“It will only take a moment and it will make sure that even if they put these spikes together they won’t function,” Dave looked at the Elven Earth mage.

They looked like they wanted to argue but they were too tired to do so.

“Go for it,” He waved at the pillars and then signalled to the other mages to wait.

“Are you sure about this?” Deia asked, letting go of his hand.

“We need to know more about the portals and this is one of the best ways,” Dave said.

“Okay,” She smiled.

Dave gave her a small smile back and walked up to the four spikes that rested in the center of the black rock square.

A bloody altar rested in the center of the four spikes.

Red runes covered the altar creating a circle around it and then spreading up the four pillars.

Dave pressed his hand to the closest spike.

The Ebony that the Citadel was made from was filled with magical potential.

Magical Circuits

You have found a complex series of magical circuits, are you interested in trying to learn from them? The Circuits will be destroyed in the process.

Cost: 100,000 Mana (Due to your affinities cost is reduced to 78,924)

Reward: Unknown

Y/N

Dave checked the reserves in his armor.

Abscondita Armor

Forged by Dave Grahslagg, this armor is more than meets the eye.

Quality: B

Defense: 523 (Magical shield with enough power)

Abilities: Magical Shield.

Automated Mana Siphon.

Automated Soul Siphon.

Automated Self Heal.

Increased Agility and Strength (base 10%).

Grows in strength with user.

Manipulation possible (Associated values liable to change due to creator’s changes and level of charge).

Armor Link (Users of this armor can share their power and link capabilities. If one armor is fully charged then it will feed power to the other to charge it).

Charge: 4537/2,000,000 (Linked Armor 5888/4,000,000)

Durability 97/259

4537 charge points was worth 45,370 Mana.

Dave opened his character sheet with a thought. He had dismissed his notification bar that had been blinking wildly for the last few days. He hadn’t wanted to look at the rewards he’d gained while others had died.

Character Sheet

Name:

David Grahslagg

Gender:

Male

Level:

3

Class:

-

Race:

Human/Dwarf

Alignment:

Chaotic Neutral

Unspent points-195

Health:

1900

Regen:

1.56/s

Mana:

910

Regen:

3.70/s

Stamina:

620

Regen:

2.45/s

Vitality:

19

Endurance:

78

Intelligence:

91

Willpower:

74

Strength:

62

Agility:

49

Dave sighed and looked up to the corner of his HUD. His notifications came into view and he clicked on them.

Passive Skill: Dodge

Level: Expert level 4

Effect: 71% chance to evade objects.

Passive Skill: Perception

Level: Journeyman Level 9

Effect: 61% chance to find hidden details

Active Skill: Surveyor

Level: Expert level 5

Effect: 73% chance to see resources within your range sight.

Range: 1100m

Cost: 5 stamina/second.

Active Skill: Sprint

Level: Expert Level 3

Effect: 69% increased speed

Cost: 5 stamina/second

Active Skill: Stealth

Level: Journeyman Level 2

Effect: 47% chance to remain undetected (reduced in direct light).

Cost: 5 Stamina/second

Passive Skill: Night Vision

Level: Master Level 2

Effect: 87% increased night vision. 20% increased vision in magical darkness

Racial bonus: Dwarves, even half-dwarves are at home in the darkness of mines and their empires dug underneath mountains. +25% increased night vision.(+5% in magical darkness)

You have unlocked a Master Level Skill

Master Level skills are different from the other level of skills. Gaining one level as a master is more difficult than any other level. With each Mastery level you gain you will also gain an additional enhancement. Once passing through the Master level of Night Vision, you will gain increased skills to see through not only natural darkness but magical darkness. Other skills Mastery skills will gain you different additional bonuses.

Dave read it and continued on to his other notifications.

Active Skill: Magical Circuits

Level: Master Level 3

Effect: 89% chance of creating better Magical circuits and understanding them. 15% Reduction to cost

Cost: Dependent

Active Skill: Mining

Level: Expert Level 2

Effect: You cut through rock easily, finding ores and gems beneath. 67% chance to get higher yield of materials from ore vein. 67% faster a mining.

Cost: 10 Stamina/second.

Racial Bonus: Dwarves are the mining powerhouses of Emerilia +15% Chance to get higher yield of Materials

Active Skill: Lumberjack

Level: Journeyman 7

Effect: 57% increased speed and damage to cut down trees and shape wood.

Cost: 10 Stamina/second.

Active Skill: Maintainer

Level: Expert Level 2

Effect: 67% chance to restore durability, at higher levels possible to increase durability, quality and gain 4% Sharpen bonus to items that have been cared for.

Require: Dependent on gear; Sharpening stone, hammer, anvil. Better maintainers tool leads to higher chance of increasing stats.

Active Skill: Builder

Level: Journeyman level 9

Effect: 61% speed and efficiency.

Required: Tools

Active Skill: Alchemy

Level: Expert level 3

Effect: Combine multiple ingredients together. Creations gain a 69% boost in effectiveness

Required: Alchemy tools

Active Skill: Sneak Attack

Level: Apprentice Level 7

Effect: When in you are undetected in stealth, attacks will hit with 268% increased damage (Massive increased when hitting Critical area). May your aim be true.

Cost: (Attack 50 Stamina)

Active Skill: Cooking

Level: Journeyman level 6

Effect: Creations effects are 55% higher

Active Skill: Dual Wield

Level: Expert Level 2

Effect: 32 % increased damage 25% reduced damage with off hand weapon.

Active Skill: Smithing

Level: Master level 1

Effect: 85% improved quality of smithing creation. 5% Chance to imbue metal with skill.

Able to analyze items made of Stone, Iron, Steel and Silver.

New Active Skill: Soul Manipulation

One of the freakier skills you can get in this place. The Xelur Demons use souls to power their bodies and maigc, you use it in your t-shirt. Well I guess you are original. Just you know, try not to go all dark side with this shit. SUPER annoying, and those maniacal laughs, ugghh!

Level: Expert Level 6

Effect: You understand Soul Manipulation 75% better. Tools you make to manipulate souls and their energy is 75% stronger.

Cost: Dependent on creation.

Well that’s new and it could definitely be useful. It jumped right up to Expert Level 6. Must have to do with all of the soul gem work I’ve done and the understanding I have of soul manipulation tools from my armor to the Demon’s Ruin daggers and soul trap. Dave sighed, knowing that if he had gotten the skills at any other time he would have been excited as hell. Right now witht he deaths of his friends so recent he couldn't bring himself to do more than be mildly interested.

New Active Skill: Spell formation

Well, you are one for surprises! Saw you more as an anvil beater, but it seems you’ve created a new skill. First ever in like, well that number just makes me feel old. Let’s say a long time. Anyway. Go forth and make spells, or fuck them up horribly and blow yourself up. Magic! Who doesn’t like fireworks! Seriously though, don’t fuck it up. Its messy as hell.

Level: Journeyman Level 5

Effect: You understand magic on a mana formation level. Your spells aren’t just incantations and messy emotions. They’re refined tools. You use 15% less mana and your spells are 53% stronger.

Whoever is making these damn skills is no less of a smart ass. Must be because I saw and started changing people spells from the inside. I thought that would be put towards my perception and magical circuits. Made a whole new skill instead and the benefits are pretty good. If I focus on refining spells even more, maybe I can get it up. It will also make breaking this Citadel’s Magical circuits down a lot easier.

Dave closed his eyes as he pushed away the last notification.

It was as if a stream of information was filling his mind. He understood more about his skills, connections he hadn’t made before became clear.

It felt similar to opening a skill book and the information taking a place in his mind. Dave stood there, opening his eyes, a little shocked and terrified of the connections he’d made.

Level 58

You have reached level 58; you have 275 stat points to use.

Dave barely looked at it as he moved to the next box.

Stat Increase

+5 Strength

+37 Intelligence

+39 Willpower

+ 27 Endurance

+16 Agility

+7 Vitality

Character Sheet

Name:

David Grahslagg

Gender:

Male

Level:

3

Class:

-

Race:

Human/Dwarf

Alignment:

Chaotic Neutral

Unspent points-275

Health:

2600

Regen:

2.10/s

Mana:

1320

Regen:

5.65/s

Stamina:

670

Regen:

3.25/s

Vitality:

26

Endurance:

105

Intelligence:

132

Willpower:

113

Strength:

67

Agility:

65

Affinity levels

Dark

57

Light

35

Air

38

Water

25

Earth

48

Fire

36

A second notification was blinking the one that told of loot and other things. Dave disregarded it looking at his raw stats.

He put his hand to the spike-portal.

Magical Circuits

You have found a complex series of magical circuits, are you interested in trying to learn from them? The Circuits will be destroyed in the process.

Cost: 100,000 Mana (Due to your affinities cost is reduced to 59,924)

Reward: Unknown

Y/N

“Yes,” Dave said.

Smoke seemed to drift away from Dave’s body, grey light showing across his body. Energy poured from his armor, into his body.

It felt as if he was a god with all the power that was running through him. He opened his eyes, his grey eyes seemed to glow silver as shapes of runes lit down his arm and into the spike.

He had engraved magical runes into his skin aiding in transferring his armors stored power through his body without the energy loss that had been happening before.

The cost was what looked like tattoos across his body.

He cast Touch of the land, as he watched the runes light up with his power before being burnt away.

He closed his eyes as information started to fill his mind. There were magical runes all across the square, embedded into the stone floor. Magical runes made up magical formations that linked into the magical circuit. Its complexity was dazzling.

Dave doubted that the Cultists knew what they were doing when building the portals, the language wasn’t any that was spoken on Emerilia, it was Jukal.

Runes were words of power that were grouped together in orbits to create laws. As power passed through a magical circle they went through orbits. Each orbit changed the state of the supplied energy, passing more laws onto it.

One law might be turn the supplied power into a fire ball. Another would be to project that fire ball in a constant stream, another might be to direct where that fire ball was going to fire.

As things got more complicated then you couldn’t do all of the laws you needed in a single magical circle.

With a Portal there was a need to figure out your location, compute the distance to the other location you were trying to connect to. You needed to open the portal, and keep it open and create corrections so that the Portal didn’t close mid-way.

Each of these processes took multiple magical circles to figure out. Magical circles were grouped together to work on certain problems, creating a magical formation. They passed on their product to other formations gradually working until the Magical Circuit could complete its function.

In this case, forming a portal between two points and keeping it open long enough so that the Undead Demon Lord was able to come under the Cultist’s control.

A magical circuit could be as something as complex as a portal, or it could be as simple as a magical lighter. A magical circuit was using runes to change the state of the energy that you provided it.

Whether that was to complete computations, or to increase a swords frost damage.

Dave’s own armor paled in the complexity of formations and overall circuit.

His Runes were however pulled from dozens of languages of power. The more Runes he knew the more accurate his laws could be in changing the states of his energy.

He wasn’t however so shocked that he didn’t retain any knowledge. He focused trying to understand rather than remember His own saved files would allow him to look at the formations in more detail later.

As the runes and formations were destroyed, red mist seemed to pour towards Dave and Deia, their armor pulling in the magic in the area.

The runes left burn marks where they had been. The latent and stored power flooded towards Deia and Dave. The mental fatigue of pouring out his energy falling away.

Both of them got just over seven thousand points of mana in their armor and half-full mana bars.

Dave looked at the battlefield.

Dave didn’t gain any levels or stats for understanding the magical circuits. It would only be when he created them that he showed his ability and understanding.

“What’s going to happen to the Citadel?” He asked the Elven mage who was staring at him with a shocked expression.

“We’re going to cut it apart. Its formed from Ebony and Silver,” The Elf recovered quickly. “It’ll be split up for bonuses and to give those that lost someone something.”

Dave’s eye brows crept up. With his touch he’d been able to see the seven-foot-deep Ebony and silver blocks that made up the ground.

They had been stored with the Cultists for millennia’s gaining strength from their raw mana. That amount of already mana treated Ebony, it would change the markets and more than a few people were going to make a lot of money.

Dave nodded, he saw two figures walking across the square, Dave moved to Deia as the two figures met them.

“We’re about to move out,” Lox said.He looked rough, dark circles under his eyes, his shoulders hunched not under the weight of his armor but memories.

Gurren was beside him with his arm in a sling and his eyes looking over the battlefield.

“Lets go home,” Dave said, his voice soft, clapping a hand on Lox’s shoulder.

Lox looked to Dave and nodded.

There was a loud crash behind them.

They all looked back to see the Spikes breaking apart, the Earth Mages turning the portal into a pile of rubble.

Dave and Deia’s hands found one another and they followed Lox and Gurren.