Chapters 110-111

Chapter 110

There's no lie in what Asterion's just said.

My Mana is about to run out. Even though the strategies I'm using are effective and I'm delivering a lot of damage to the Stone Wolves, there are just too many for me to face alone. Even with Dark Lattice replenishing part of my reserves, it's far from enough. I would need way, way more Dark Lattice instances for me to be able to kill all of these monsters.

Cloud, it's time you actually get some teaching from me, King Baalrek says. We have been playing enough. I am your master and today, you'll receive the first lesson on how to fight.

*

"He's done for," Princess Iskara sighs. "He's recovering some Mana thanks to Dark Lattice, but his tank is clearly about to be emptied out completely."

"He has shown a sizable increase in power, at least," Asterion says, sounding impressed. "And I'm sure that while he won't be able to fully catch up anytime soon, this is yet another point in favor of him being the Guide. Zibrek?"

The Goblin girl is adjusting the lenses on her goggles, squinting hard at Jacob. "Wait, he's doing something. I don't know what, though."

*

Channel more Mana through Dark Lattice after getting up in the air. Use your wings to put some distance between you and them. Their aggro won't change since you've been fighting for so long, leave them so space to get to you so that they won't fully lose interest.

I follow King Baalrek's orders and I lift up in the air, dodging the very high jumps of the Stone Wolves.

How much Mana do you want me to pour into Dark Lattice? I'm already low enough.

Squeeze all the power you can from your Infernal Veins and pour it into Dark Lattice.

Alright.

I don't fully understand what King Baalrek wants me to do, but I know that the Infernal Royal has sworn to help me and not try to kill me.

I start pouring more and more Mana into Dark Lattice when I hear more instructions.

Stop. I'm going to beam a diagram in your head. Change the paths of the veins. I forgot for a moment that you weren't taught this.

I see a diagram superimposed with a scheme of my body in my mind and I frown.

Aren't these the veins for Black Flame?

Similar, not the same. Shift it through the chest and heart, the rest of the veins are the same. Then, route it through your brain like this...

King Baalrek starts rattling off a bunch of instructions that I have a hard time to follow. If Professor Veythra's loop was complicated, this is ten times as hard. But then, as I try to circulate my Mana I feel a warm sensation spreading through my body.

Heavenly Intuition is doing its work. You're going to have a hard time resisting the pain, but you'll have to trust me on this. You finally have the Skill that you need in order to pull this off. But first things first, you have enough energy accumulated in the Infernal Manual of the Five Deadly Arts. Unlock the next two Skills.

I almost completely forgot about that.

I immediately visualize the diagrams of the Infernal Manual, whose name is apparently, if King Baalrek is to be believed, the Infernal Manual of the Five Deadly Arts and then I see that he's right. Three of the five diagrams are indeed filled up.

I press my focus on them and I hear a series of notifications.

[You have learned the second art of the Five Deadly Arts.]

[You have learned a new Skill - Tribulation of the Damned]

[Tribulation of the Damned (Platinum) - Any enemy that has been affected by a debuff or an entrapment Skill is suddenly struck with the Tribulation of the Damned. The damage scales with the amount and intensity of debuffs.]

[You have learned the third art of the Five Deadly Arts.]

[You have learned a new Skill - Faded Mephistophelean Footprint]

[Faded Mephistophelean Footprint (Platinum) - You have inherited an infinitesimal fragment of one of the greatest Infernals Mephistus's speed.]

[Skill Synergy detected.]

[Flame Walk has been absorbed.]

[Faded Mephistophelean Footprint (Platinum) has turned into First Step of Mephistus (Platinum)]

[First Step of Mephistus (Platinum) - You have embarked on the journey of copying one of the greatest Movement Skills in existence. This is just the first step.]

I feel a rush of power in my body and I look with wide eyes at the Ranks.

They're both Platinum Skills!

They are, but now, start circulating Dark Lattice as I told you and throw it upon as many Stone Wolves as you can.

*

"He's trying to get his Mana back with Dark Lattice," Asterion comments. "I don't know the Skill that well, Iskara, but I don't think it's going to be enough, is it?"

Iskara shakes her head.

"It's not. Dark Lattice is a powerful Skill, but it has a hard limit of six instances."

They see Jacob summoning one after the other, thicker than before, but as soon as he reaches six, he starts screaming in pain. Then, a seventh manifests.

"Didn't you say the hard limit was six?" Zibrek frowns. "Wait, what's happening? His Mana is..."

"He's insane!" Iskara suddenly widens her eyes, finally understanding what Jacob is trying to do. "He's Overdriving the Skill!"

Asterion's mouth suddenly hangs open.

"How does he even know how to do that?!" Iskara trembles on the spot. "Dark Lattice's Overdriven Form is... he's trying to evolve it!"

Overdriving a Skill is an expression that indicates finding a better way to channel it through one's veins and forcefully shoving so much Mana through it that it gets completely rewritten. Once it gets rewritten, it becomes a new, more powerful version. It still maintains the same Rank, but it becomes much more powerful than before, which is a feat almost unheard of.

While it's not uncommon among the strongest representatives of the Three Great Races to attempt something like this, it was still extremely dangerous. It required not only an incredible talent and control over one's Skill, but also a Tutor with profound and esoteric knowledge. That meant that only the best of the best, when taught by the best of the best, could attempt to Overdrive a Skill. And even then, knowledge on which Skills could be Overdriven and the know-how were among the greatest secrets one could obtain.

Even the Royal Family of the Infernals barely had enough knowledge of a dozen Skills that could be evolved through this method.

And Dark Lattice isn't one of them.

"He's going to die! Dark Lattice is too powerful! It's based on Dark Mana!"

"Dark Mana is close to Void Mana in the circle of Affinities," Orrivane suddenly steps forward and gives his own opinion. "I don't think Jacob's body can take that at the moment, no? Do you guys know something that I don't?"

"Let's stop him," Zibrek frowns. "His Mana is going astray. His entire veins are about to be ripped apart."

*

KING BAALREK, IS IT SUPPOSED TO HURT THIS MUCH?! I can feel an insane amount of pain as I summon an eighth, and then a ninth lattice that covers one more Stone Wolf. I have to admit, though, I did not expect the Skill to become so much more powerful. Before King Baalrek's instructions, a Stone Wolf was still able to liberate itself after some struggling. Now, the tendrils are much thicker and cling to them like oil.

Yes, it's only going to get worse. Your veins are currently being destroyed. Well, the ones you're using.

OK WHEN DOES IT START WORKING THEN?!

Open your forearms.

WHAT?!

*

"What the hell is he doing?!" Kai finally says. Not even Kai Valemont, Jacob's older brother and number one fan, is able to stand by anymore. "Can someone do something?!"

"Wait," Princess Iskara frowns. "What the--"

She sees Jacob cutting open his forearms and bleeding profusely onto the ground.

"He's using Blood of the Ancients... Why? No one can control the Skill. It's just meant to be evolved through..."

*

"Is he finally dying?" Toran the Cultist, the giant brute, asks.

"No," Malrik frowns. Unlike Iskara, who only has a superficial knowledge of Blood Magic, Malrik has studied it his entire life. That's why he feels a terrifying power, a spell not even he would be capable of starting from the forearms of the kid shown in the Blood Mirrors.

"He's using Blood Magic. A tremendous amount of it. This is... beyond Royal knowledge. This is a Primordial Spell."

"A what?" Toran frowns.

"A spell created before all the races were created, when Dragons still roamed the world in packs and there was nothing but war between them, the Gods, and the Three Great Races. A time when our Lord still walked the earth freely."

"Who taught him that?" Toran frowns.

"I have no idea," Malrik says with reverence, "but trust me, I will find out. Let's go prepare the bait."

*

I've heard your Professor, that foolish woman, laugh at you when you requested Blood of the Ancients under my advice, King Baalrek sneers. They must think the spell is too complicated to be used properly. But they don't know that it was never meant to be used alone.

You haven't even told me what it does?! I cry in pain.

Blood of the Ancients is supposed to funnel mana and energy and turn it into vitality. The problem is that the rate of conversion is not great because blood magic and life don't go hand in hand, unlike what many think. It was never supposed to be used with your own mana and your body as a conduit. No, it was always supposed to be a Skill meant to give one enough vitality to survive the very ritual you're undergoing.

King Baalrek! I'm feeling like I'm dying! What else do I need to do?!

Channel every single drop of mana and vitality from Dark Lattice into Blood of the Ancients. Follow these veins...

King Baalrek shows me some veins and I barely have enough presence of mind to listen. Thankfully, I still manage to miraculously make it work and I suddenly feel my body being relieved of the immense pain.

Oh? Alright. I'm fine again. I can feel the damaged veins being knitted together. Good call.

Good. We have completed the first of four steps. Now do it again three more times.

WHAT.

Chapter 111

I can’t believe King Baalrek’s words.

Three times?! It almost killed me once!

It’s going to be fine, Cloud, you’ll be healed. There are enough monsters. I’ve run the math.

Damn it, alright!

I summon more and more Dark Lattice feeling my veins now expanding way more comfortably until I reach twelve instances of it. Then, the sensation of having my veins torn apart appears again.

Good. Follow these other veins now...

“He’s healing himself by rerouting the mana of Dark Lattice through Blood of the Ancients?” Iskara frowns, not understanding. “What is even happening...”

“Dark Lattice creates Dark Mana. Dark Mana is not just close to Void Mana, but also to Blood,” Zibrek suddenly says. “It must empower that healing Skill more than usual.”

“No one can actually use Blood of the Ancients,” Iskara reveals a small Infernal secret. “It’s a useless Skill. It consumes more vitality and energy than it can take back.”

“Has no one tried using it like Jacob’s doing?” Asterion asks, confused.

“People have definitely tried doing that,” Princess Iskara says. “But they just didn’t work together. There’s not enough power through Dark Lattice to create a conduit between the two. I’ve studied this with my Tutors, Asterion. I don’t know how Jacob’s doing that.”

“Better Tutors, maybe,” Zibrek mutters, once again adjusting her goggles and pulling a few more lenses out of her pocket and slapping on top of them.

“I’ve had the best that you can find among my kind,” Princess Iskara says, peeved. “What’s there better than that?”

Zibrek looks at Iskara and then at Jacob.

“Whoever taught him, I suppose.”

I feel the power growing in my forearms as I keep alternating from one vein to the other. Now, for the second circulation of Dark Lattice, King Baalrek has me use slightly different veins.

I put all my energy into them and I can feel my body starting to break down once again as I strain and the number of Dark Lattices increases.

Don’t hesitate. Expand them. You’ll be able to cover them all, soon.

I scream in pain and push harder, but at the same time I keep funneling healing through Blood of the Ancients as more and more Stone Wolves start getting pinned to the ground.

See, now things are becoming quite different. The Stone Wolves are not just restrained, but they’re slowly getting squished to the ground. The ones that have been under the effect of the spell for the longest are starting to shrink in size.

Once I’m through with the second circulation, Dark Lattice is now covering twenty Stone Wolves.

Once I get to the third, it’s forty.

At the last loop, which is so hard I momentarily lose my vision, I look down from my aerial position and I see a sea of darkness covering the battlefield.

They’re all bound, howling and gnashing their stone fangs in vain. Every monster that attacked is now done for.

Replenish your reserves, King Baalrek says as I slowly glide back to the ground and look toward the other distant Champions and wave at them.

Thank you, Master, I say.

You did well, Jacob Cloud. You did very well. Now, it should be just about time for...

I hear a notification in my head.

[Skill - Dark Lattice (Gold) has evolved.]

[Dark Lattice (Gold) becomes Web of Withering (Gold).]

What’s the limit on this one? I ask.

No limit, King Baalrek explains. And it has just guaranteed that the next Platinum Skill you get will be much, much stronger, Jacob Cloud. You’ll have to hit the Hidden Market as soon as you can. And, if possible, you should try trading with the Princess’s aunt. She’s clearly capable of providing a few of the Skill Crystals you might be in need for.

It takes us half a day to let everybody else finish clearing up the basin and then we start moving toward the second of the four zones of the Tomb of Fate.

We enter it through another cursed bridge which I have Vyrrak destroy.

The Dragonkin also reports on what he saw scouting this place in advance. He didn’t need to use the bridge to scout it.

“The Regional Boss is another Corrupted monster at the Early Diamond Rank. The monsters are Stone Gorillas. They’re slightly stronger than the Stone Wolves, roughly around Level 280.”

I look back at Lancelot, who has become stronger alongside Althir and the other two Elves.

We proceed in the exact same way as we have done before, slaying one monster after another without problem and without the need for Champions to interfere.

Malrik watches the Blood Mirrors while scratching his chin, pensive, wondering how the Champions will fare.

“This Boss is stronger and more agile. It also has a weapon,” he mutters.

But after seeing their performance with the Corrupted Alpha Stone Wolf, he suspects that not even the giant stone ape will be enough.

“Iskara!” I shout.

“On it!” The Infernal Princess replies, launching herself in the air, manifesting two large, dark-red webbed wings and slamming into the Regional Boss. This one doesn’t have a curse on its body, thankfully.

The monster staggers and I zoom in on it with the Grimoire.

“Asterion, there’s a Mana Core in the giant axe the monster is wielding! Can you destroy it?!”

Asterion summons his white spear from its Interspatial Ring and then reappears right in front of the ten meter tall Corrupted Alpha Stone Gorilla.

Soon, the battle is over and the monster has been killed.

The scene repeats around the third region too, a plateau chock-full of Stone Bears.

The Champions are... incredible.

There’s no other word to describe them. Seeing them fight three Regional Bosses at the Early Diamond Rank just like this is nothing short of insane. My power level has reached Early Platinum Rank, which puts me almost an entire Rank above my actual level, which still hovers around Intermediate Gold, and will probably be Advanced Gold by the time we’re out of here. But these people... none of them has crossed into Platinum Rank in terms of level, yet they’re all capable of skipping up to the Diamond Rank in terms of power.

As we walk through the plateau, I look in the distance and feel a slight tremor rising to my feet from the ground.

“It’s them,” I hear Asterion growl.

His people must REALLY hate the Cult of Asmodeus.

There are few things that I’ve seen bother the Highblood, but it seems like the Cult of Asmodeus provokes a visceral hate in him.

There are about fifty members that are all robed and led by two larger Cultists.

I feel the air around us starting to crackle with unbridled energy as Asterion’s aura starts leaking from his body.

“Yo,” I say, looking back at him. “Calm down. Stay ready.”

Vyrrak walks up to me and stays right to my side.

“You’re weak, Jacob Cloud, but still a Champion,” he explains. “I’m here to make sure you don’t die like a dog when the battle inevitably goes down.”

“CHAMPIONS!” one of the two Cultists lowers his hood and reveals a short, red hair and two matching red eyes. “What a pleasure to meet the Generation of Legends!”

“The Cult of Asmodeus, I presume?” I ask, looking at them.

“Oh my, the Fake Champion has done his research!” the Cultist mocks me.

“Rude,” I say. “I don’t know about you guys. I come from the mines.”

My response seems to stump the man—good.

I am running the Grimoire at max speed on this man and everybody else, and soon I feel sick to my stomach.

I see what they want to do.

“You’re sick people,” Asterion barks. “I hope you’re ready to tell us whatever it is that you want to do.”

“Tell you? Oh no. We’ve come for an exchange.”

“An exchange?” I reply, trying to sound surprised. “Have you guys stopped being Cultists and you turned Merchants?”

The redhead guy looks at me, still confused.

“No? That’s a pity, I’m in the market for some illegal Skill Crystals, you know?” I say, putting a hand behind me and showing my full sign to the rest of the Champions behind, who suddenly frown.

Zibrek showed me a few hand signs to communicate in a situation like this. I’m just telling everyone to stand by and do nothing.

Only Vyrrak and Asterion can’t see me while we’re on this desolate plateau.

A cold wind sweeps between us and the mass of Cultists, which makes all our Academy robes flutter in the wind.

I move two steps to the left, honestly a bit terrified, and then I grab Asterion’s sleeve.

“Asterion,” I say, finding the giant, handsome blond man turning to look at me with his penetrating eyes. “Do not attack.”

“Oh, an Highblood who listens to a peasant! To the Fake Champion! You must have lost all your pride, Highblood!”

Please, don’t fall for the cheap provocation, I think to myself.

Thankfully, Asterion just backpedals after gritting his teeth at the Cultist.

“So,” I say, turning toward the two Cultists.

“I bet that those behind you are your hostages, right? And you want to trade them?” I say.

How do you know that? King Baalrek asks in my head.

“Yes? You must be smarter than I gave you credit for, Fake Champion.”

“Can we stop calling me Fake Champion?” I ask.

“You can be called whatever you want. The thing is, we want to trade these people in exchange for free passage.”

Look at him! He thought we were going to ask for more! Malrik thinks, snickering internally. He won’t even see this coming.

“No,” I reply with a smile. “In fact, Orrivane, kill the hostages.”

“What?” Orrivane moves to my side but he looks at me, confused.

“Have you lost your mind, Cloud?” Vyrrak asks from the side, looking at the hostages now removing their hoods and showing civilian faces.

“AH! Look at your Fake Champion, a murderous, blood-thirsty bastard who want to just keep leveling up in this Dungeon, not caring about anyone!”

Everyone turns to look at me with some distrust in their eyes before I explain what’s really going on.

“They’re dead. They’re all already dead,” I say laconically.