Side story - Eyn and Weavy - Chapter 4 Pain (Patreon)

Author's note: Hey all, finally managed to get another side chapter done :). Let me know what you think!

Chapter 4 Pain

The roar resounded and Eyn scrambled to his feet, rushing over to the tree he had spotted before. Low hanging branches perfect for climbing. Even with his little strength he could make it in time. Footsteps resounded before something crashed into the big tree, his arms nearly letting go of the wood. They’re strong. He reminded himself, looking down. An angry Drake looked up at him before his magic rushed out, invisible to the beast before it attacked its mind.

Another roar and it rushed at the tree again, this time Eyn heard a crack. None of his or the beast’s bones but the tree itself. His eyes went wide but he focused on attacking the monster again and again. Four more attacks he could get off before the tree fell, cracked by the hard skull of the monster. Jumping off, he couldn’t avoid one of the branches hitting his shoulder and dragging him down with it.

A groan left him before the beast was upon him, maw smashing into his shield that he struggled to keep up. It thrashed and bit before the invisible barrier cracked, the mind mage jumping to the side as it rushed past him. The monster’s side grazed him and sent him sprawling. He managed to roll to the side, using more of his mana to activate Acceleration. His shield came up and he zapped the beast again, screaming at it as it roared in pain. Again he attacked, taking a step towards the beast before it turned and fled.

“Hahaaa!” He proclaimed and shouted after it, hands lifted high in the air before a blinding headache crept up to him. Checking his mana, he found it dangerously low. He made one of them flee. For the first time he had fought back and won. Eyn felt invincible before a roar resounded behind him. His eyes opened wide, unable to activate any more of his skills to ensure he would stay conscious.

Another Drake stepped out of the bushes, this one bigger than the ones he had seen before.

[Drake – lvl ??]

He gulped when the beast took a step towards him. Checking, he still had stamina left and would try to climb a nearby tree. There were two that were suitable, at least somewhat. His planning was unnecessary, Weavy landing like a wraith of death between the Drake and its prey. Shrouded in his tattered robes, the demon simply stood there. And the Drake fell, its eyes turning glassy before it had realized what had happened. Eyn didn’t feel anything, didn’t see anything. He scolded himself for not activating his Mana Sense to at least partially comprehend what had happened.

‘ding’ ‘Your group has defeated [Drake – lvl 42] – For defeating an enemy ten levels or more above your own, bonus experience is granted.

Again, he gulped. Sinking to one knee, he panted, the headache still stinging. “You are not meditating. It was good that you looked for trees but this one would not have let you escape. Don’t shout and dance like an idiot when you win, even if it was hard fought. This is not one of the mock battles you humans like to do. With people watching and cheering.” The demon sent an emotion of disgust his way but Eyn simply started meditating, focusing on his master’s advice. He was ashamed about his behavior, it would’ve killed him were it not for the demon.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride. Next time he hoped, he could keep it to himself. “You need more mana and your skill levels are insufficient to kill them.” Weavy said. “I will give you another week in these forests. If you can’t manage to kill one of them I will hold them for you and attack both them and you. We will see who breaks first.”

The hair on his back stood up, the pain of his master’s spells different but just as bad as the Drake’s bite had been. Perhaps worse.

Eyes closed, meditation active and all his senses ready for the next enemy, Eyn waited. The minds around him were small, nothing that could endanger him. Worms and maggots in the earth, the damp cave giving them ample opportunity to breed and spread. The ones having absorbed enough magic would prove to be a challenge, nasty teeth and poison strong enough to damage even seasoned adventurers.

Stories he had heard. The monsters he had found in the past months in Karth nothing of the like. Most skittered away as soon as his mind magic invaded their consciousness. He winced at the wound in his leg, the festering injury not healing as it should have, his health still sitting at 891 instead of his full one thousand. Weavy had given him some pointers but mostly provided tasks for him to accomplish, his visits more feared than anything by now. Phantom pain in his mind made him put up his telekinetic shield. Nothing changed of course, the pain a construct of his own mind.

Something showed up in his Third Eye, the skill that had saved his hide more times than he could count. A Reaper. He sighed, recognizing the subtle differences in their minds. The bug like animal was usually easy to deal with if he had enough mana and distance between them. Putting up his shield, Eyn blocked most of the tunnel before he activated Steadfast Will, effectively locking the animal in place as their minds were engaged in battle. Panic… fear…, The emotions rushed into his mind, a frantic attempt to escape as he activated his Mind Rupture.

Five seconds later, the connection between their minds was released, his will and magic prevailing. Breathing out hard, Eyn concentrated on his meditation, keeping all his perception skills active and waiting for anything else to show up. The pain in his wound pulsed, reminding him of the mistake he would try his hardest not to repeat. Full mana, whenever possible. Stay vigilant, always. The words of Weavy had been clear. Of course he knew it wasn’t always possible but right now it was. The tunnels were calm, quiet. No other beast in sight. He would get his mana back up and then read the message in his mind. With meditation it took him a mere five minutes.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Young Reaper – lvl 75]’

Eyn allowed himself a small smile. The monster had been above his level, though not by much.

‘ding’ ‘Steadfast Will reaches lvl 3’

It had been a difficult decision but his master had insisted on this skill over any alternatives. He now knew why. It did nothing to defend against his master’s daily visits and the pain his magic caused in his mind but against something like a simple animal, it made encounters nearly trivial. Eyn wasn’t about to tell the demon, otherwise he would be brought somewhere else, deeper into the mountain perhaps. Telling his master about the Third Eye had cost him his torch and while the skill helped him see the minds of others, it didn’t exactly make it easy to stay alone in an infested pitch black cave.

The first nights had been the worst and then again once he lost his torch. By now he was pretty sure he would’ve peed and ran away screaming had it not been for Meditation and Fortitude, the two skills keeping his fear in check. Weavy had told him as much, to trust his skills and let them lead him. Feeling a sudden pressure, Eyn put up his Telekinetic Shield, the thing cracking and breaking two seconds later. A smile was on his face as he braced himself for the waves of pain to follow.

Screaming and turning on the ground, he still kept his skills active, finding it easier than last time. Pain is temporary, your mind is your own. The sentence was repeated over and over until there was nothing left of him that could form the words.

Opening his eyes, Eyn found the flickering of flames brushing against the darkness of the earth. A lone demon in a tattered hooded cloak sat next to the fire, holding a Reaper carcass over the heat with his bare hands. His master had returned.

‘ding’ ‘Pain Tolerance reaches lvl 14’

‘ding’ ‘Mental Resistance reaches lvl 17’

Eyn’s stomach rumbled, the young man sitting up as he stared towards the fire. He winced at the notifications, his headache a constant companion whenever his master visited. It had been two days this time, he was sure. Frantically checking, he sighed as he found a flask of water. Whatever muddy broth or blood he found had been kind enough not to poison him as of yet but the taste of clean water had become something dear to him. Something he never knew to value as highly as he should have.

“You are stagnating. The monsters of these caves have lost their bite.” Weavy said, Eyn’s stomach dropping, only his hunger pulling him towards the fire.

He didn’t reply, carefully considering the words. It was true of course, the last couple Reapers taken out before they could as much as look at him. Even the Burrowhogs now lacking a challenge with his Third Eye, the skill revealing the hidden creatures as if flaunting their forms in open sunlight. “Your shield is improving. Soon it will be difficult for me to break it.” His master said.

He didn’t believe it. Two seconds wasn’t anything worth to mention. Still, he had leveled nearly fifty times in the past two months, the training dangerous and ruthless but results were results. He hadn’t argued with his master, not after the first few times. It was either pain and waking up disoriented and with a headache or more pain and waking up with an even worse headache. Of course this was what he had wanted, what he had always hoped to be. Pain had never been far, never been something unknown to him but living with the necromancers had made him hope. That perhaps an easier way was possible.

“They still provide good experience. Another one or two and I will level again.” He tried, knowing the answer already. If a monster couldn’t provide a single level it wasn’t worth fighting. At least until level two hundred, so the words of his demonic master.

The suggestion was ignored completely, the demon handing over the slightly burnt carcass, Eyn’s eyes hungrily flashing at the flesh as well as the flask by his master’s side. “Water.” He simply said, the demon nodding and handing him the flask.

“It is still a mystery to me how your race ever survived. Two days and you crave this substance. To think you die without food and drink… after such a short time even.” The demon said, playing with a burning stick.

Eyn had explained to him that less sustenance is required for stronger humans but his only reply had been to get stronger more quickly if that was the case. He was glad the demon at least brought water and food with him most of the time. Opening the bottle, Eyn carefully drank, his skills helping his body to calm down. Spilling water was not something he would do again. Not with how little he had. The demon didn’t care about the flask and would allow him to keep it. For a while at least. Whenever he woke up from a pain tolerance or mental resistance training session, he sometimes found his accumulated possessions gone.

Either it was a part of the training or more likely his master relocated them for one reason or the other and simply didn’t are about any of his things. “Tell me about your status. New skills and the like.” Weavy said straight into his mind. An exercise Eyn had repeated at least once a week in the past two months.

Name: Eyn Howard

Unspent statpoints: 0

Class 1: Mind Mage – lvl 71

- Active: Mind Rupture – lvl 10
- Active: Telekinetic Shield – lvl 13
- Active: Suggestion – lvl 3
- Active: Acceleration – lvl 6
- Active: Steadfast Will – lvl 3
- Passive: Fortitude – lvl 5
- Passive: Mana Sense – lvl 6
- Passive: Third Eye – lvl 5
- Passive: -
- Passive: -

Class 2: None

General Skills:

- Elos Standard language - lvl 8
- Identify - lvl 12
- Meditation – lvl 10

- Mental Resistance – lvl 17
- Pain Tolerance – lvl 14

Status:

Vitality: 100
Endurance: 54
Strength 40
Dexterity 50
Intelligence 105
Wisdom 180

Health: 891/1000
Stamina: 481/540
Mana: 1762/1800

“You still lack the second class.” Weavy said, Eyn preparing for yet another round of pain. Nothing came, perhaps his master was in a good mood today.

Managed to summon a fish maybe…, He thought, his face perfectly still to not betray any of his emotions. The demon was volatile and eccentric, sometimes lashing out at the least offending statements. It made Eyn careful, the man choosing his words with deliberation. Still, it was often not enough. Resistance training was a part of their schedule one way or the other but if he could choose between blinding pain or anything else, he would chose the latter. Always.

Eyn got something from his pack and threw it towards him. “Study your runes.”

He nodded and frantically started to flip through the pages, his Acceleration working to its highest as he formed the runes in his mind. Page upon page, Eyn saying the names to himself both aloud and in his mind until he reached where he had left off. Weavy insisted that he know each rune by heart before he continued, the work a culmination of his master’s knowledge on demonic runes. Demons only had one class, a peculiarity of their race. Knowing what his master could do with the magical language, Eyn knew exactly what second class he wanted. Skills and spells to enhance it all would be insanely beneficial.

The only thing he was worried about was a lack of mobility and healing. His master had repeatedly talked about the insane woman who brought him to this realm as well as the abilities she possessed. The Shadow named Ilea. Eyn had thought about it, a healing class combined with his Mind magic. Certainly fearsome. The runes however had called to him, had resonated with his mind. To learn from a demon master, the magic language no other human likely ever studied. It was not a choice. He would do everything, go through every pain to attain that power. And he would find ways to become a fierce warrior mage himself. Not letting any of his stats fall behind was in part for that. Vitality was the most important to him, even before his magical stats.

“The human necromancer is pestering me again.” Weavy suddenly commented, interrupting his studying.

A flash of hope, a bed, warm delicious food, the company of other humans. All thoughts and feelings that went through his mind in an instant. Focusing on his skills, Eyn ignored it all, steeled his mind as he bit into the carcass in his left hand, again trying to imprint the rune before him into his mind. It burned, learning a new rune, understanding its intricacies. Anything he would say would stop his current work, his concentration. The opportunity to gaze upon his master’s work. Another bite, blood dripping down from his chin, onto his unwashed body, the strips of cloth long discarded, only a carefully bound protection for his genitals remaining.

Weavy nodded, a motion seen from the corner of his vision. He had long learned to be aware of his surroundings, dangers lurking everywhere. His eyes had gotten used to the light but Eyn kept his Third Eye active, just in case a critter came close, drawn by the flames. Weavy wouldn’t interfere, not if he knew the boy was capable of the challenge. Without another word the demon got up, grabbed the book out of his hands and rushed out, his tatters flattering when his floating form vanished into the darkness. Eyn focused on the image of the rune, scratching it into the ground time and time again until the image faded, distorted by the magic that came with runes. He was only allowed to carve one at a time and only runes he was learning. Never those he knew already. He wouldn’t question his master, knowing that so far he hadn’t led him astray.

___________________________________________________________________________

The boy had finally learned the last lesson. That to attain power and understanding, focus was needed. All that his little human heart and mind desired, comfort, delicious food, socializing. Dangled in front of him and he hadn’t wavered, hadn’t caved in. Weavy couldn’t help but feel something. Harthome had called it pride when he had first asked about it. For a human boy desiring to learn about his magic, his runes. His life’s work. It had taken weeks to finish writing down the runes but he knew the boy could do it, knew since he first found him unconscious over the summoning runes he had left behind.

One month…, It was frightening, the speed at which humans learned, grew and understood. Perhaps the boy was different, just as his savior had been different. He had needed years to understand his first rune. There had of course not been guidance, nor lesser runes to learn with. His mind had to be powerful to even start but if the boy really got a class related to the runes, Weavy was sure he would surpass him in mere years, perhaps less. A peculiar little race, soft and weak but with so much potential. Two classes, so much choice. So much groundwork that could be laid and nourished. If he kept going then perhaps summoning Blackfish wouldn’t be as taxing anymore… soon all the food, all the wealth of this realm and all others would be his. If only Walter wouldn’t be this annoying.