Without even wasting a single second, Drake accepted the Class Change and lowered his cupped hands, parting them to see what had happened to the spirit. His heart sank the moment he saw his empty palms, all traces of Zeph’s gone. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a strange wind enveloped him. On edge, he turned to scan their surroundings, but everything was quiet. And as he realized that the breeze seemed to originate from him, he heard several system chimes in a row.

You have accepted the Class Change to Spiritualist. As a result, your core class-specific stats have been increased:

+30 INT, +25 POW, +15 END

Additionally, you have unlocked the Spiritual Pact subskill Spiritual Resonance, and your Spirit Sight skill has been improved.

Spirit Sight: Your spiritual detection radius has increased to 6 meters.

Spiritual Resonance (Passive Subskill)

Rank:ApprenticeLevel:1 (0.0%)

Magic School:Spiritualism

Your deeper connection to the spirit world allows you to harness more of your contracted spirits’ power. As such, depending on the spirit’s type and rank, your base Stats will be increased.

Stat Increase:Spirit Dependent

Zephyr the Windborn has accepted your offer to enter into a Spiritual Pact. As a result, your Mana Regeneration has been reduced, and you have obtained access to the Wind Strike Spell. Additionally, you have gained the following Stats based on Zephyr’s Affinity and Rank:

Agility +20

Vitality +10

Wind Strike (Spell)

Rank:ApprenticeLevel:1 (0.0%)

Magic School:Wind

Channeling the elemental mastery of your wind spirit, you can unleash a concentrated blast of air towards a nearby target. The effectiveness of Wind Strike decreases rapidly the further away the target is from you.

Base Spell Power:24.75

Base Mana Cost:15

Base Cast Time:0.75s

“Oh?” said Roy as he placed a hand on Drake’s shoulder, causing him to jerk back. Even ignoring the iron grip, the master’s glowing left eye was still enough to send shivers down his spine. “It looks as if you’ve gotten a bit stronger already! What do you say? Up for another spar?”

Remembering the outcome of his earlier attempt, he merely stared at Roy and bided his time, praying that the old mage would take pity on him. “Is that a no?” the old mage grinned, releasing his shoulder as his voice and expression seemed to soften somewhat. “Alright… let’s go see that World Gate.”

“Just one moment,” he said, leaning over Roak’s body. He picked up and inspected one of the crystalline feathers that had come loose, surprised by just how light it was.

Acquired Feather of Roak (Enchanted) – A delicate feather, containing some of the great Manaroc’s energy.

Placing the feather in his inventory, he then tried to pull out another one of the Manaroc’s feathers. However, applying even a tiny amount of force caused the delicate plumes to crack and shatter. He sighed and scratched his head as he then noticed a small, glass cube, right next to the boss.

Acquired Keystone of the Wind Eater (Unique) – A strange artifact retrieved from the Wind’s End dungeon.

A tiny light flickered into being the moment he touched the cube’s surface. The pale, white light within pulsed as if in sync with his heartbeat. “Master, have you ever seen anything like before?” he asked, handing the item over to the old mage.

The light within faded the instant Roy grabbed the cube. “No, I haven’t,” he said, rotating the cube on all sides. “Do you mind if I hold onto this for the time being?”

“Go ahead,” Drake replied as shifted his attention towards the second matter weighing on his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to reach out to his new spirit. But while he could sense the wind spirit’s presence, it was nowhere near as strong as what he felt from Zane or Arcanum. “I can’t hear Zeph’s voice at all,” he said, turning to face the master. “Is he okay?”

A faint glow returned in Roy’s left eye, followed by a smile. “The little guy just needs some rest. That overgrown buzzard drained him of almost all of his mana, so he needs a bit of time to recover,” the master said, craning his head to look up at the spire’s peak.

They both launched off, using whatever was left of the stone pillars as stepping stones. Landing on the edge of the platform, their gaze fell upon a recessed entrance located at the center of the cracked arena, from which a narrow set of stairs descended. Barely wide enough for them to walk in single file, the flight of stairs spiraled down into the heart of the rocky formation.

Carved out blocks of pristine, white stone, both the corridor and the steps gave off the appearance of never having been used. Several minutes into their descent, the pathway had become larger and, under the light of the master’s mana orb, they occasionally stumbled across carvings of Enoa’s mortal races. Finally, they spotted the faint outline of an arch at what appeared to be the staircase’s end.

As they crossed the corridor’s threshold, the spaces between the tiles that they had stepped on lit up. Soon, the entire chamber lit up as if illuminated by the sun itself, despite the lack of any apparent light source. Right at the middle of this place, that looked to be larger than the room where he had fought Zane, was a large platform reminiscent of the arena above them.

Not willing to get caught off guard, Drake followed Roy closely, all while taking in the unnaturally even craftsmanship all around them. Approaching the chamber’s central area, he could finally get a better look at what had to be the World Gate. Encircled on three sides by pillars made out of the same white stone, gem-like veins and lines encrusted the platform’s surface. And together, they melded a stylized version of the map Drake had seen back during his character’s creation process.

The master stepped onto the slightly elevated surface, making his way towards its center. However, the instant Drake’s foot made contact with the Gate, the gem-encrusted map sprung to life as pulses of light radiated from him through its crystalline veins. He then heard a system notification popping up, but before he got the chance to even read it, Roy had practically materialized next to him, yanking him off of the platform.

“Careful,” Roy warned. The old mage slowly backed away a couple of steps and turned to face him. “I’ve never seen a Gate react before,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Did that system of yours message you again?”

Nodding, he brought up the message and read it aloud.

You have discovered a World Gate. Constructed ages ago by the mysterious Architects, this powerful structure allows the user and their party to Fast Travel once a day between World Gates that they have already discovered. Fast Travel is currently disabled since you have not discovered any other World Gate.

Raising his gaze from the semi-transparent window, he saw Roy frowning in front of the platform. “Master, are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” he muttered as he climbed onto the Gate again. Bringing up his hand, the master sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing the side of his head. “Listen up, runt. With this, it’s safe to say that things have suddenly become even more complicated.”

“Complicated how?” he asked, slightly unnerved by the severity in Roy’s voice.

“Until now, we’ve always suspected that the Ancients used these things to get around. But that’s not just a hunch anymore. And if Strangers can really use these things, then that opens up an entire slew of problems… The least of which would be the economic implications and, on the higher end of the spectrum, matters of national security.”

Drake blinked a few times as the scale of the issue finally dawned on him. Until now, he had never considered what problems would arise from the existence of such a technology. Sure, this world already possessed some forms of teleportation. But an entirely separate travel network outside of a nation’s control and accessible only to Strangers brought about a different set of problems that needed to be tackled.

Roy crossed his hands and started to tap his fingers against the runed plating on his arm. “I’ll have to call a Council meeting… And we also have to test out whether or not you can actually teleport between two Gates.”

“So, I take it you know the location of another one of these?”

Heading towards the edge of the chamber behind the Gate, Roy gestured for him to follow. In front of them, carved into the white blocks of stone, was the thin outline of an entryway. Similarly to the massive stone door they had crossed to enter into the dungeon, Drake could feel a faint flow of mana coursing through the wall. The master held his hand over the smooth surface, his gauntlet clanking softly as he arched his arm back, the rune on the back of his palm lighting up with a red sheen. He then slammed his gauntlet into the wall, causing the entire spire to quake as Drake took a few steps back, trying to steady himself.

When he saw Roy winding back for another go, his knees felt as if they were going to give. But he still rushed next to the old mage, placing a hand on the surprisingly cold armor in order to stop him. “I don’t think that’s going to work, master… unless your plan is to bring down this entire place.”

Roy frowned, shifting his gaze from the outline to his apprentice, and then back to the outline. “Alright, runt. Let’s see if you can fare any better,” he said, pushing Drake towards the wall.

Sighing, he did as instructed and raised his hand towards the white surface. The moment his fingers touched the faint grooves, the entire outline lit up as a low rumble could be heard coming from somewhere behind the wall. The doorway groaned to life, opening as it split down the middle to reveal a narrow, cave-like passage.

“Did you get any sort of message from the system?” the master asked, ducking his head and carefully stepping through.

“No,” he replied, turning around to look at the strange chamber before following Roy. “But shouldn’t we search for clues about what happened to Zane’s family before we go further down this way?”

“The walls of that cauldron extend all the way up to the Manastone dome above it, and there wasn’t a single sign of an exit anywhere. It’s either the entrance that we came in through, or through this tunnel. There doesn’t seem to be any other way out. And I couldn’t find any trace of them out there, living or otherwise.”

He stifled a small sigh. ‘Well, now I at least know what he was doing while I was fighting that giant Manaroc…’ As the footfall of their steps echoed throughout the slightly damp corridor, his mind wandered back to the images he had seen carved onto the dungeon’s entrance. And given how eerily similar they looked to those around the bonfire in his Lobby, he doubted that it was simply a coincidence. “Master, you remember me asking about ‘the Shattering’ before, right? Is there any chance you could tell me more about it?”

For a couple of moments, Roy simply continued to walk in front of him, not uttering a single word. “I told you before that it’s simply a fairy tale,” he eventually answered. “But lately, I’ve started to wonder if that’s truly the case. Whether or not the Shattering actually happened is not up for debate. That much is fact. But I’ve always found the framing around it to be… questionable at best.”

Following a small pause, the master continued. “More than two millennia ago, our world consisted of four different realms. One of them was Nemera, a twisted and savage place where, if the stories are to be believed, even one’s deepest and darkest nightmares serve as vital moments of respite. But despite all of that, the Daevas called that place their home. A tall, resourceful race of demonkin, they relied on their natural affinity to magic in order to survive there.

“On the other hand, you had the Exarhs, angelic beings with an incredible grasp of Magitech. And while Nemera tested the Daevas’ will daily, the Exarhs had managed to gain almost complete control over their realm of Kallabor. So much so, that they were even capable of altering their standard day-night cycle as they saw fit.”

“So then, why did those two races end up fighting?” Drake asked, recalling the massive battle etched onto one side of the stone doorway.

“Heh, this is where that fairy tale part kicks in,” the master chuckled. “Between these two realms and Enoa was Atraxia, home of the six great dragon clans. The dragons themselves hadn’t been very keen on meddling in the affairs of the other races in general. But since Atraxia served as the hub between the other three realms, separating them, it was natural for it to also be the first to be engulfed by the war between the Daevas and the Exarhs.

“As for what started it all, your guess is as good as mine since, throughout the years, everyone wound up spinning a tale to make themselves look like better. Basically, everyone that had joined on the side of the Exarhs, namely us, the dwarves, and the Alarian elves, swear by the Daevas’ vile intentions. According to them, the demonkin of Nemera went insane and tried to kill everyone and everything in existence. However, the orcs and the half-beasts that joined the Daevas, claimed that the Exarhs were the ones trying to take control over the four realms, and that they were simply opposing the tyranny of Kallabor’s angelkin.”

Roy paused for a second and scoffed. “Then you even have nuts like the ones in the Conclave, who vehemently believe that everything that has happened was due to divine providence. That, by opposing the events that lead to the Shattering, we all simply turned back the clock, delaying the Architect’s grand design. And that you, the Strangers, would eventually lead us to the Architects’ true vision of the world, with the humans taking their rightful place as the rulers of Enoa.”

Without noticing it, Drake slowed his pace. Sure, he’d read about the World Wars and the two Cold Wars. But they had never really felt… real to him. Every book or documentary on the matter had failed to leave any sort of lasting impression. However, hearing Roy talk, he felt as if he could finally put things into perspective. Before Prism, he had never even seen a crowd surpass more than a dozen people. And if not for Dan’s willingness to meet up with him, he would have often gone for weeks on end without ever seeing another human being.

The sudden silence around him snapped him out of his reverie as he saw the master stopping in front of what looked like a dead end. Passing by Roy, he reached out and touched the wet, stone surface, triggering another low rumble. A moment later, both him and the master brought up their arms in order to shield their eyes from the sunset’s bright light.

As their eyes adjusted, they found themselves on a narrow precipice overlooking the foothills leading up to Stills Manor. Past the rolling hills and bathed in the sun’s dying rays, the rusty forest swayed gently in the warm, autumn wind. Unable to look away, Drake’s eyes began welling up with tears as he quickly wiped them away.

Coming up beside him, Roy spoke, any trace of his usual snark completely gone. “I take it that views like this aren’t really that commonplace back where you’re from?”

“No,” Drake whispered, taking in shallow breaths. “Travelling is a bit more… difficult in my world.” And as his gaze lingered on the horizon, he then noticed the faint outline of a massive structure looming in the distance. Blinking several times, he rubbed his eyes and narrowed them as he tried to focus on the impossibly large spire jutting up above even the clouds themselves. “Master… do you also see that… tower in the distance?”

“That’s the Realm Spire.” Taking a step closer to the precipice’s ledge, Roy took a deep breath and gazed towards the horizon. “It used to be the gateway linking us to the other realms. Which reminds me,” he said, trudging towards the tunnel’s entrance to sit down on a moss-covered boulder. “I still haven’t fully answered your question. So… the Shattering. Seeing that the war had raged on for a while and that no end was in sight, a group of mages banded together. And they vowed to put an end to it, once and for all.

“The Elemental Exemplars… the greatest mages to ever wield the primary schools of magic…” Roy sighed, his mouth curling into a slight smile as he glanced at Drake. “As a kid, my nursemaid always told me stories about the Lightning Herald. About how he and the other Exemplars teamed up to stop both sides for good. And the Shattering was their solution: sealing off the realms from one another.”

“So, it isn’t possible to travel between the realms anymore?” Drake asked, his gaze still transfixed by the structure towering in the distance.

“Not as far as I know. Although you do get some interaction between the realms in the form of rifts that then spawn dungeons around themselves. Like the one you just closed.”

“I don’t think I follow, master.”

“Occasionally, rifts from the other three realms appear here. Tears in the fabric of reality that spew out creatures from their realm of origin. Either that, or they warp the area around them, infusing the beasts and monsters around the rift. I’ve even seen some of them warping the space around them, twisting their surroundings into something completely alien. And in order to close these tears, you have to defeat the guardian that the rift chooses for itself.”

“So that Manaroc…” Drake muttered, taking out and feeling the crystalline feather between his fingers.

“Precisely. Although that spirit you made a pact with isn’t from this realm. Its structure and mana signature doesn’t resemble anything that can occur naturally within Enoa. It probably got caught up in the rift and wound up being absorbed by the guardian the moment it got transported here.”

“I see,” he said, turning look back at the tunnel’s entrance, only to be met by the sight of a rocky wall. “What the…”

Noticing his gaze, Roy got up. The master lingered for a moment before walking towards the wall and placed his hand on it. The red rune on his gauntlet flared to life again as he tried to push on the craggy surface. “No give whatsoever, just like in the Gate’s room,” he said, taking a step back. “Come over here and give it a try yourself.”

Nodding, Drake walked besides the old mage and reached out towards the marbled wall. But before he could actually touch it, a thin line ran across the middle of the massive slab of stone as it then retreated into the nearby walls, revealing the tunnel they had just come out of. “How did…”

“Seems like this place really is reacting to your presence.”

“Yeah but… this doesn’t even make sense,” he mumbled, taking out the runed sliver of Zane’s skull. “Then wouldn’t that mean that the Stills had to have used this tunnel to get out? That or…” His eyes narrowed as he peered into the dark corridor in front of them. “Did they fall inside of that bottomless pit?”

The master shook his head. “I checked that thing out, remember?”

“When did you–”

“When we first came across it,” Roy said, conjuring another orb of mana above his palm. “I can also use this spell in tandem with my eye to scout an area.”

Drake blinked a couple of times as his mind went into overdrive trying to process this new information. “So, then the only path they could’ve possibly would have had to be this one. A path that doesn’t even open unless a Stranger is present…”

“Or an Architect,” the master added.

An Elegy Of Years Gone By - Completed

You have found a way out of the tomb underneath Stills Manor and, thus far, all signs point towards Zane’s family having safely escaped through the exit located near the abandoned World Gate.

And although you don’t know the full extent of the Architects’ involvement, it is safe to assume that they played an important role in the Stills’ flight.

Quest Difficulty: C+

Experience Gained3000

You have reached level 9!

You have reached level 10!

“So, are you saying that my mother and sister managed to… escape?” Zane asked, an amalgamation of confusion, longing and relief radiating off of his every word.

“Seems to be the case,” said the master as he held out his hand towards Drake, gesturing for the runed skull fragment. “Zane, the runic spell I used to bind your soul will soon fade. Do you have any clue as to where your family might have fled?”

“I don’t know… but I have started to feel my consciousness slipping away. All I want to say is… thank you both… for freeing me… for helping me figure out… the fate of my family. And Drake, I do hope that my pendant… will serve you well.”

As he heard the knight’s voice trailing off, Drake opened his inventory and took out the item he had gotten from fighting Zane.

Zane’s Regret (Unique)

A family heirloom left behind by former knight Zane Stills. While holding this, you can feel the lingering regret, anger and torment that the necklace has absorbed over the years.

Still unstable for the time being, the energy contained within this item seems to be coalescing into something more.

Time Remaining Until Stabilized: 23h, 59m, 10s

Equipment Slot:Neck AccessoryEncumbrance:0.1

Durability:55/55

Meanwhile, Roy had produced a small Link Sphere from his pack. Its interior began to glow as the master stared at it intently and, a few moments later, he returned the item back to its rightful place and raised his hand. The air around his palm shimmered and crackled with energy, as the distortion grew into a mirror-like portal. “Alright, runt. I sent word out to the main office that we’ll be arriving momentarily. Now, it’s time for us to see if you can actually use that Gate.”

****

Bane sighed as he leaned against the church’s cracked fence alongside Vala. The setting sun’s rays had also become a lot more bearable now, although the heat radiating from the old stone buildings around them still left a bit to be desired.

“So,” he said, glancing over to where Vala sat, “what do you think we should do now?”

“First thing’s first,” she said, her gaze fixed upon the church’s doors, “we need to replenish our rations. And we should also stop by that leatherworker to see if he’s any closer to delivering our order.”

He nodded, and as Mia pushed the twin doors, walking out into the small courtyard, Bane’s wolf-like ears perked up at the sound of a system notification.

“What’s wrong?” asked Vala, getting up and walking over to him.

“It’s my friend, Drake. He wants us to meet up.”