Chapter 40 - Second Draft (Patreon)

Sorry for any delays! An extra long chapter to make up for it :) I'll try to give better updates/schedules.

Chapter 40 - LOT

Jack felt a cool, metallic feeling as he rubbed the hilt of his sword, examining it. The sword itself still had its majestic, golden look. The hilt was made of a different metal than the blade, though what specifically Jack had no idea.

He looked around his room for a moment.

After entering the city, Jack had managed to find his way to the Inn he had planned to stay at, the Yellow Tooth Inn. He shook his head ruefully at the name of the Inn, remembering a rather embarrassing incident with Liren years ago.

He had already met up with Bale and Evan, sneaking into their rooms at night for a quiet meeting. They’d coordinated their exact plan again, going over the details and seeing if anything changed.

The room Jack was staying at was a simple one. A plain wooden floor, a neat, but not extravagant, cotton bed, a wooden nightstand. A decorative tapestry hung on the wall, and a single window let in the pale gleam of moonlight, and a very faint red glow from the everburning Magma Lake.

After that moment, Jack looked back at his sword.

He took a deep breath, and then threw it in the air.

Immediately he entered his Slowed State. He made no movements, however, as time slowed down around him. The world slowed to 1/24th its normal pace, the blade he threw falling in slow motion.

After taking a brief nap, Jack had been unable to fully fall asleep. Instead, he had begun experimenting with the silver Time Essence that filled his soul.

With the increase in the amount he could slow time, Jack had made note of a few things.

If he made absolutely no movements at all in his Slowed State, even with the world slowed down to 1/24th its normal speed, the amount of Time Essence spent was very low.

If he was moving around, he could maintain his Slowed State for approximately 2 normal seconds. The Time Essence was used to cover his body, enabling him to move against the chains of time.

However, by standing still, or keeping his body moving at a speed it was already moving at, without trying to throw off the bindings of time, he felt he was able to maintain his Slowed State for well over 15 minutes of normal time.

He had vaguely known this before in the back of his head, but never fully acknowledged the fact. Now that he considered it, he realized it made a great deal of sense.

Intrinsically, the bloodline of those in the Time Clan allowed them to gather Time Essence and use it throw off the bindings of time. If he was just standing still, with only his perspective of time changed, naturally this would require much less energy.

As he came to this realization, however, Jack had another.

If he could slow time as a member of the Time Clan… Why shouldn’t he be able to speed it up as well?

He stared at his blade that was falling in slow motion. And then, mentally, he willed time to speed up. He moved a tendril of the Time Essence in his soul to wrap around the blade, trying to make it throw off the chains of time.

*THUNK*

Before Jack could even register the sound of his blade landing on the wooden floor, he felt himself tumble out of his Slowed State, a painful headache slamming into him and jarring his concentration.

“Arrg!” He instinctively yelled out, clutching his head. He clutched at his head and panted, gradually feeling the pain recede.

“It worked… But it’s really hard.” He muttered, rubbing at his temple.

In the split second before the headache slammed into him, Jack had seen his vision of his blade blur before him, moving at an impossible pace for a normal throw.

He had managed, to some degree, to speed up time for the blade. The Time Essence he had sent out and been used up, changing, temporarily, time for the blade.

“Not only can I affect things I’m not holding, I can also affect time in the opposite manner.”

Jack wasn’t sure if the attack by the Void Shocker had changed something, but he felt as if his mindset had taken on a difference. It had never occurred to him before to try speeding time up instead of slowing it down, or even to try speeding time up for objects not connected to himself.

He had always been so obsessed with making himself personally stronger that he had become blindsided in his obsessive focus.

Life was not black and white, and sometimes it required thinking of unusual ways to do things.

“Hmm… When I sped time up for the blade, it burnt through a decently large portion of my Time Essence. Is it because of the distance?”

After around ten more attempts and tests, Jack had learned quite a bit more.

To affect the time of an object not in his grasp, he needed to use roughly double the Time Essence he would normally take for the same level of effect. Further, this was only for things within a few meters of him. If it was even farther away, the amount he would have to spend seemed to increase at a large rate.

Speeding time up seemed to work in a similar manner to his ability to slow time down, however. Jack could affect himself with the time distortion in either way, with similar results. He could slow time, for himself, to 1/24th its normal speed. For speeding time up for himself, however, he managed to reach nearly 30 times the speed of regular time, where 1 second for him was 30 seconds for the outside world.

He didn’t run into a wall like he did with slowing time down. Merely, the Time Essence expenditure for speeding time up was huge, such that he wasn’t able to experiment past 30 seconds without burning through his Time Essence in a near instant.

He also found that he could spread out the effect of his speeding time up with ease to an area around him, far easier than he could slow time down. It seemed to be much easier to speed time up than slow it down.

The only main issue with speeding time up was that it was extremely hard on him to speed time up in one place and slow it down in another. The blinding headache he’d suffered from was caused by him being in his Slowed State and speeding time up for his blade. The concentration level needed to use his powers like that currently far exceeded what Jack was capable of.

Another point he noted was that picking something up or moving something that wasn’t too large in his Slowed State was easy. But as soon as he let go of it, it would return to its normal state of matter and time. It was different for when he sped up time, where he was easily able to just affect everything within a few meters of himself.

The Essence expenditure was almost identical as for when it was just him as well.

At the moment, Jack couldn’t see any real use for the newfound ability, but it made him realize that his bloodline, and the powers it had, were far more complex than he thought.

He sat back down to meditate, restoring the Time Essence in his soul after running his mind over the results of his experimentation.

By the time he finished restoring his Time Essence and opened his eyes, he could see the early light of dawn creeping in through his windows. His eyes tightened at the sight, a feeling of anticipation rising.

It was the next day.

The day where the preliminary testing for the Recruitment Drive would take place.

..

Liren took a deep breath, focusing. A very faint, blue sheen of Spirit covered him, protecting him from the brutal heat of the Magma Lake just a few dozen meters in front of him.

Liren’s Spirit was far more powerful than the average Hunters. Despite only being in the middle of the Second Great Stage, slower in training than Jack, his Spirit was a special, unique one with powerful traits.

He had what was known as the Might of a Human King. It made his Spirit more powerful than it should be. It also, according to the research he had done on on his condition, meant that his Natural Ability was something he would master far quicker than average, even compared to other geniuses.

The Head of the Archives of the Fourth Conclave had told him it meant he was a fated one, with a grand destiny only the fallen Lords of creation would know.

Liren scattered the thought from his mind, however, focusing on the present.

Before him was a brutal sea of flames, one of the deadliest danger zones in the Roven Continent.

Normally, to cross the Magma Lake, one would need to ride upon one of the specially created Flame Galleons, enormous ships that also functioned as huge, heat resistant artifacts that could sail through the flaming sea.

The Magma Lake was not like a normal pool of lava or magma. It had certain mystical properties that made it flow much like a regular sea.

Smaller Flame Galleons existed, used by various Hunters or merchants that operated in the Magma Sea, as well as the personal vessels of important or unimportant Magma Clan members.

Hiyen Mor, a famous Artifact Forger, lived in Idglebar City, and knew the secrets to crafting these types of vessels, and regularly sold them to the public.

Liren, however, had no such vessel with him. Any boat bought would be one the Magma Clan could trace.

Instead, he would go across by soaring through the air.

He took a second deep breath, his eyes focusing intensely. He looked straight up, high in the air.

And then, without hesitation, clapped his hands together.

WHOOSH

A series of spatial waves blasted out as Liren’s body shimmered and vanished, disappearing from the ground near the Magma Lake.

An instant later, it reappeared, nearly a thousand meters high.

“Spatial Steps!”

Liren wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead as he carefully settled, standing on the air a thousand meters above the edge of the Magma Lake as if it was solid ground.

He maintained his focus as he looked out, far into the distance, where the bare peak of the Sacred Volcano of the Magma Clan was visible.

And he clapped his hands again.

Once more, he vanished and then reappeared, a thousand meters away.

Over and over, Liren activated these techniques, gradually traveling across the Magma Lake.

As he did so, he kept his presence as tiny and invisible as possible, hiding his body’s energy in the space around him.

His figure was alone, flashing through the night, dimly lit by the Magma Lake beneath him. Far above, where the domain of stars spread out, a crescent moon was just barely starting to peek, adding little in the way of light.

Spatial Clapping was a technique used by the Space Clan that let them instantly teleport anywhere within one’s sight. It was a dangerous and high level technique that, if used improperly, could result in someone tearing their body apart.

Spatial Steps was a second technique, one that was much safer but not easier, used to stand anywhere as if one had solid footing.

Both of these techniques were extremely high level, and something one would normally only see the upper echelon of the Space Clan use. Certainly not a 17 year old.

Several minutes ran by as Liren teleported, over and over. At one point he had to hurriedly dodge to his left as an enormous pillar of lava shot into the air, almost incinerating him. He didn’t run into any beasts in the air, however, the presence and efforts of the Magma Clan in clearing them out for the Recruitment Drive and Clan Tournament showing through.

Finally, he came into full view of the Sacred Volcano, and the enormous stronghold that was built into this island roughly 25 miles in to the Magma Lake.

The Forinth Stronghold.

Liren’s first impression was of its sheer size.

The island itself was, according to the maps he had gathered, around 35 miles wide, and 40 miles long.

The stronghold, though, was like something he had never seen before.

It was long. Extremely long. Unusually long.

Ancient, pale red palaces, long winding buildings, several large coliseums, thousands of smaller buildings, enormous black walls, the stronghold was spread out almost haphazardly, and looked nothing like a regular defensive structure.

Miles and miles of buildings could be seen, some clumped together while others were off on their own. The only thing they all had in common was the large, daunting black wall that wrapped around almost the entirety of the island as far as Liren could see.

When they had made their plans, Liren had looked over a few maps with Jack and the others, studying where they would be. But it was apparent now that those maps were not fully accurate.

They didn’t make it clear how excessively large this stronghold was.

Further, even now, in the middle of the night, Liren could make out thousands of figures moving about. Some were warriors practicing in courtyards or fields between buildings. Others seemed to be moving about on various errands. Still others seemed to be guards, moving about on patrol.

It made his mind waver for the briefest instant. The sheer scale of the Magma Clan was astonishing. They had hundreds of thousands of direct members in the Clan, and millions of other members.

It was a massive, massive organization, far larger than the pittance that was left of his Space Clan.

Liren snorted, his eyes narrowing as he pushed the thought from his mind, returning to focus on the present.

He clapped his hands again, lightly, teleporting. The feeling of space wrapping around Liren was like a soft, warm blanket. It felt incredibly comfortable, something he felt at home doing.

He stayed on the outskirts of the island, moving around it gradually to the north. The east most side of the island was the portion facing Idglebar City, and the most crowded area.

He soon made his way to a spot in the north west. He gradually moved inward towards the Sacred Volcano, moving with extreme caution.

According to the intel he’d gathered, the Sacred Volcano was a holy area protected from outsiders, but there wasn’t anything particularly valuable here. It was just closed off to outsiders, and even most people in the Clan.

Because there was nothing valuable there, however, it wasn't heavily guarded.

Soon, he was around a thousand meters distant from the large volcano. There were only a few other mountains on the island, and none of them could compare in size to the huge Sacred Volcano. It was easily over three thousand meters tall, one of the largest mountains Liren had ever seen.

Legend had it that the founder of the Magma Clan, the legendary Fuldron Ire, had bathed in the ever-burning lava of the Sacred Volcano, receiving a grand inheritance from the long forgotten Guardian of Flame, the Red Giant. A God.

The Space Clan had a similar legend, Liren had learned long ago.

Supposedly his ancient ancestor, and the founding member of the Space Clan, Hannibal Bren, had received a sacred baptism that gave him his Natural Ability, from the Guardian of Space, the Twisted Rake.

There were still a few that prayed and worshiped the Twisted Rake in the Space Clan even now, despite the fact that none of the Guardians had ever been heard or seen from in dozens of generations.

If any of them were still alive, they were empty, worthless Guardians in Liren’s eyes, ones that had failed humanity, and his Space Clan.

Liren clapped his hands lightly.

WHOOSH

He vanished, and reappeared on the surface of the Sacred Volcano, crouching down low and sticking to the dark shadows of the night.

The surface of the Volcano was rough and hard, like any other mountain. The air carried the ever present scent of something burning, but also a strong, earthy taste, full of richness and energy. Just standing here was comfortable, some type of strong natural energy flowing deep within the Volcano.

There was no one present, as he had expected.

He closed his eyes, sensing the Spatial Waves in the environment around him. Gradually, he began to pick up a light tingle in the air, faint emanations drawing his eyes to a spot several hundred meters up, towards the side of the mountain.

He moved in that direction, pulling out the Spatial Compass he had brought to help him pinpoint the area.

The night was quiet up here. The distance from the Sacred Volcano and the rest of the compound was such that Liren couldn't here the shouts of warriors practicing in the stronghold.

Only a faint, drawling breeze.

He reached the point where the compass was indicating, silently climbing up several rocky outcroppings. As he reached the point, he let out several deep breaths, his entire body covered in sweat and incredibly tense.

This entire process had been incredibly nerve wracking.

A feeling of expectation filled him as he looked at a nondescript, brown boulder set in the side of the Sacred Volcano.

"Hmm, just past this, eh?" He muttered, turning to look down at the Spatial Compass. It was directing him forward, into the rock structure.

Liren raised his hand, resting it on the rock before him.

Or, rather, he tried to.

As soon as his hand touched the stone edifice, he felt a very faint sense of resistance that vanished a second later.

His hand sank right into the boulder!

"How interesting." Liren smiled, and then stepped forward confidently, without hesitating.A grand feeling of anticipation and excitement filled him.

He entered into a small, a few meters wide and around ten meters deep cave pocket.

As soon as he stepped past the boulder, he felt a huge increase in the spatial waves. Incredible distortions shivered the air, all centered around something right in front of him.

A large, black ball, that twisted the air around it, small cracks curling the very air itself.

And from this twisting ball in space came a calm, peaceful voice, carrying with it an immense feeling of authority.

"Welcome, Child of Fate."

..

Lionel groaned, feeling the warm magma seep around his scaled, draconic form. It felt wonderful, almost euphoric as he shook his enormous, 50 meter long body, feeling the hot, melted rock cover him completely.

He had just made it to the peak of the Sacred Volcano, after dispatching several of his subordinates to work with the wretched Spymaster of the Empyrean Lord, searching for O'Bald pirate infiltrators. He, himself, would do no searching of his own unless he was forced to. He had far more important things on his mind.

Just as he was fully settling in, finally having thrown off the majority of his responsibilities to relax, his eyes abruptly opened, panic, rage, irritation, and confusion, with a hint of fear, flooding across his eyes.

This enormous, majestic dragon twisted itself to a resting position, in the center of the lava pool at the peak of the Sacred Volcano, and immediately slammed its head to the ground, bowing, as it felt a particular presence appear.

"My Lord?