Battlefield Reclaimer, Ch 28: Path of Vengeance (Patreon)

There were six gnomes and two salamanders scattered across the tunnel.

Sam’s energy was higher than it had ever been after a battle, which made reclaiming the auras from them much more likely. With the added seven from the new levels, he had 21 points of aura left.

He bent down next to the first gnome, his hand hovering over its skin as he searched for that half-real thread of energy. After a moment, it came to him, rising up from the creature's rocky hide.

The taste of stone and dusty passages, compressed under the weight of the earth....

You have encountered a familiar aura.

Aura of Basalt (50% chance).

Do you wish to Reclaim this aura?

Now that the aura was identified, the only option was to reclaim it or not.

He failed on the first attempt, but succeeded on the second and third. Then he failed again on the fourth and fifth, but succeeded on the sixth.

In the end, he had three new Auras of Basalt.

He moved on to the salamanders.

The Aura of Umbral Flame was the first aura he’d ever reclaimed. It was almost nostalgic.

He had never fully identified the salamanders, and he waited to see what the prompt would tell him.

You have encountered a familiar aura.

Aura of Umbral Flame (50% chance).

Do you wish to Reclaim this aura?

It was just like the gnomes.

Apparently, once he reclaimed it, it was automatically identified.

As he seized the energy, the taste of dark fire and ashes filled his mouth, rolling through the world with the heat of flame and molten stone.

When he thought about it, he realized that the sense of this aura had been in his memory ever since he reclaimed it. Its particular flavor was a part of him.

Perhaps it would be useful to skip identification at some point, but right now, he planned on identifying all of the auras he encountered before he tried to reclaim them.

The chance of reclaiming directly was too low and only wasted the effort. If his Wisdom had been higher, it would have helped, but he didn't have the points to spare.

From the two salamanders, he succeeded in reclaiming both of the auras, and he had to grin.

He might not always win the gamble, but this time it had worked out.

It took eight points to reclaim all of the auras, leaving him at 13, but he still had 25 mana left.

From this one battle, he had gained five auras, which was far more than he’d expected.

Combat was also...different than it used to be.

He glanced towards his dad, who was looking toward the gnome village.

They had both changed down here.

They'd become stronger and more sure of themselves.

He felt more like an Enchanter who was fighting, but his subclass had turned him into a competent battle wizard.

He was tempted to try Combust Aura on one of his new gains to see what happened, but it wasn’t worth wasting it.

It was better to keep them for an emergency, or to enchant something in the future.

He had the feeling he could get 5 to 10 aura or mana points from one, unless it failed somehow.

As he stood back up, he looked towards the red fluid on the tunnel wall that the gnomes had been trying to gather.

It was a thick liquid, almost like blood, but a bit shinier. There were streaks of yellow and something darker in it.

“What is this?” He reached out towards it, his hand hovering just over the surface.

“Phosgor Lichen Fluid, apparently,” his dad called back. “I assessed it a minute ago. It doesn’t look useful. I think the gnomes were going to eat it.”

The gnomes had been trying to put it into a jar, which was lying on the floor nearby.

“Maybe it’s a spice or something...,” Sam muttered as he pulled his hand back. It looked extremely sticky.

There was no reason to take it except curiosity, so he moved toward the warders instead, examining the rune on their foreheads.

The base of the rune was broader than the top, but the sides couldn't be called straight. It had a wobbly, triangular shape overall, with two broken edges at the peak. There was a half-completed swirl at the center, like a river cut in half.

It was somewhat similar to an Earth rune, but only in the general idea of a mountain peak. Most of it was different.

Maybe it was a rune for these gnomes, or for the warder class?

Or was it part of a rune that would be completed in the future, if they leveled up more?

Sam frowned at the rune, memorizing it, before he rejoined his dad and looked towards the gnome village.

“Let’s keep going,” he suggested. There was a lot to do still, if they wanted to see what was on the other side of the gnomes.

Jeric just nodded and gave him a quick smile. His thumbs were hooked behind the hammers on his belt.

The hammers that Sam had made for him.

Sam grinned as they moved off again, heading down the tunnel.

This was how it was supposed to be.

---

They ran into another group of gnomes halfway toward the village. Unlike the last group, which had been foraging, these were clearly stationed as guards.

They had set up a barrier of sorts that was made from boulders and chunks of stone, creating a low stone wall. It was very new.

Killing the marauder must have frightened them.

They had changed their patterns and there were stronger classes in the tunnels now, acting as defenders.

They had been lucky before that they hadn’t encountered any of them.

At the beginning, it had just been the foraging patrols. They must have felt safe back then, or perhaps they had never had many enemies in the tunnels.

Sam and Jeric had interrupted that.

This fight was going to be more difficult, and Sam rubbed at his chin as he and his father ducked back around the curve.

There were at least ten gnomes behind the wall. It was hard to tell if more were hiding behind the boulders.

Basalt Gnome Warder (Subterranean)

Basalt Gnome Marauder (Subterranean)

He couldn’t see all of them clearly, but it looked like there was one marauder, two warders, and a double handful of regulars.

It was a strong defense.

He frowned and exchanged a look with his dad, but Jeric only nodded at him.

He was radiating confidence.

Sam took a deep breath and let it out again, quietly.

They couldn’t give up the opportunity in front of them, especially if the exit was on the other side....

There was a whispered exchange of ideas and planning, and then they nodded.

Sam turned towards the gnomes with a grim smile.

He pulled out an Aura of Basalt from his storage. Crystal blue flames almost leapt out, trying to flicker around it as he mentally reached into its interior, but he suppressed the light.

They were too close to the gnomes to make that type of display.

He could feel that the Aura of Basalt was unique to itself, a singular existence aligned with the Earth, but if he shifted it just a little, he could convert it into something else.

Perhaps it was something made more from essence than either mana or aura..., or perhaps it was stranger than that.

Right now, he could only tell that if he pushed a little, he could make it change into something useful.

The aura started to warp as he used Combust Aura. It melted in his hand as it converted to a more refined form that flowed into his body.

His aura jumped from 13 to 22.

Sam frowned, debating if he should combust another one.

His dad nodded at him, almost as if saying, “We’ll get you some more...”

There was a pang of regret as he pulled out another Aura of Basalt and did the same thing, converting it to pure aura.

His aura rose to 29.

Then he sighed and combusted the third Aura of Basalt as well, converting it to mana.

His mana rose from 25 to its maximum at 31, and he felt a thread of excess energy pouring away from him, from the part of the aura that he hadn't been able to hold.

He nodded at his dad when he was done.

Now they were ready.

It was time to be a Scion of the Crystal Flame.

---

Sam’s mind was focused as he stepped around the curve in the tunnel and into full view of the gnomes. His movements were slow and graceful, almost meditative.

All around him, a massive wave of crystal blue flame was building, rising out of his body as it rippled through the air. His attention was focused as he poured more essence into it.

The gnomes started to shout, their voices echoing as they spotted him. Spears rose, pointing in his direction.

But they didn’t have enough time.

Twenty points of aura and mana poured into the crystal flames, causing them to surge so high that the tunnel ceiling began to melt where they touched it.

The flames swirled, spinning into a tornado that became more focused and smaller. Finally, they condensed into a blade-like, triangular wedge in front of Sam.

It was almost like two swords had been laid next to each other, their tips touching at the front to create a triangle, but the back was left open. It was a deep, sparkling blue and shaded towards translucent at the edges.

An ethereal wave of crystal flame hung in the tunnel like an aurora, flaring behind his back, as the spell left his hands.

Kkkrrrriisssshhhh....

Then the wedge blasted forward, tearing through the tunnel as it headed for the gnomes’ barricade.

It was a variant of Flame Strike.

The new ability was not as limited as Aura Bolt. With his Essence Control at Advanced, and since it was part of his Aura of Crystal Flame..., he could shape it into almost anything he wanted.

The strength just depended on how much mana and aura he used.

For this one attack, he had poured in more than two-thirds of his combined essence.

It was stronger than ten of the fire spheres put together.

The fastest gnomes responded, throwing two spears in his direction, and he saw the warders begin to turn as the rune on their heads shined. Their defensive shield had just enough time to form.

At the same time, the marauder crossed its arms in front of itself and a yellow Earthen Shield sprang into existence.

Then the Flame Strike hit.

Hisssskkkkrrr...

The crystalline wedge cut through the stone barricade as if it weren’t even there and continued on.

The regular gnomes were near the front, followed by the Warders, and the marauder was at the back.

BOOOOOOOOOOOmmmMMMM!

The spell exploded in the middle of them all, flames cascading outwards from it in a liquid wave that sliced through the regular gnomes in an instant.

The energy splashed against the warders’ shields, denting them inwards as they began to billow outwards, pushed back by the force.

The shields only lasted a moment. Then the blast ripped through them with a krrrisshhh sound as it washed over them.

They stood there for a moment, almost still under the force of that blast, as flecks of their skin began to disintegrate from the heat.

A moment later, their bodies crumbled apart, the top halves blown away as the blast continued past them.

The force of the spell was many times greater than the shields they had summoned.

The marauder to the back put up the best defense, his Earthen Shield buckling around him as he was forced back step by step.

On the second step, his shield bent inwards as it began to fade away, unable to resist any longer.

It held just long enough for the force of the blast to wash around him, and then it disappeared.

The barricade and other gnomes had already absorbed some of the energy, so the marauder had the easiest time of it.

But it didn’t matter.

An instant later, Jeric was sprinting towards him as the twin hammers in his hands sang with a deep thrummm.

He was there before the gnome could react, moving in.

Sam ran in just behind his dad, and as he did, the remnants of the crystal flame rolled away from his father, clearing a path for him.

As long as the flames were within range of his Crystal Focus, they were still part of Sam’s aura.

They had left that range when they hit the gnomes, but now they were back inside it.

Jeric’s hammers slammed down towards the marauder.

It moved reflexively to block, trying to pull its own hammers from its belt, but it didn’t make it.

CrraaAAAcck.

DrruUUUnnngg.

The first hammer struck it in the chest and the second slammed down onto its shoulder, sending it staggering back as its dense, muscular body shuddered.

Its Constitution was so high that it was almost like Jeric had hit stone. Cracks spread across its skin and massive dents were left behind.

Jeric didn’t stop there.

His hammers began to sing.

RrruUUUMMmmmm.

Craaaccckkkk.

SsuuuUUUUummm...

BbrraaaAACK!

A similar marauder had nearly killed them before.

Sam didn’t even have to do anything else, although a crystal flame arrow floated next to his hand.

His dad took care of it.

Dddddraaaannggg!

Jeric was working out some of that pent-up aggression from the many years he’d been stifled with a broken class.

Stamina-infused strikes surged around him as he poured his energy into the battle, using the melee abilities that he’d earned with his class.

Stamina was an almost magical condensation of physical force that could be used by melee classes. It came from Strength and Constitution.

It was Jeric's first time putting it to use in battle, holding the twin hammers that his son had made for him.

The Hammers of Seven Earths sang their song.

ShhhuUUmm...

TOOOOnnnGGG....

The marauder shuddered as each blow sent it staggering back.

It was a good song.

---

Jeric hammered on the marauder for a while before it finally collapsed.

The gnome had a very high Constitution, which enhanced its defense, but its defeat was a given from the beginning.

Sam’s initial attack had wiped out nearly all of the opposition, even if it had taken most of his mana and aura.

He’d only kept back enough for an emergency.

It was an astonishing look at how powerful a battle wizard could be.

Although..., perhaps he shouldn’t call himself that. He was really more of a crafter who got to use his abilities in battle.

His Scion class was unique.

He had the feeling that using essence was doing something strange to his spells, compared to the shields that the warders had summoned.

They had more cutting force than mana alone would have, especially against the defensive shields.

Maybe that was why the Guardian was so concerned about essence from the Outsiders, and about Sam's class on Aster Fall.

But that wasn't the only reason his spell had won the contest.

It was also because he’d used so much power from the beginning, and the gnomes’ defenses hadn’t been very good.

Spells were dangerous.

They were the instant output of a vast amount of energy.

That was why it was so important for his father to keep improving his Earthen Shield.

For himself, he had Essence Shield, which would last as long as he had the energy to sustain it.

Jeric's breathing was a little heavy and his skin was flushed red from the exertion, but there was a new confidence in his stance as he stood above the dead marauder and looked around the battlefield.

He’d taken revenge on one of the monsters who had nearly killed him.

It was a confirmation of his new life.

“Sam, you collect the experience from these again,” Jeric said, waving his hand at the corpses.

“You don’t think we should split it?” Sam asked, frowning as he looked around. “There are...eleven of them here.”

“We’ll talk about it after.” Jeric shook his head. “Put some more into Charisma too. I know you added some already, but...it’s an uphill battle there. I need to add more as well, if I want to make the most of my subclass.”

Sam hesitated, looking between his dad and the gnomes.

He didn’t want to take all the experience for himself, now that his dad could use it too.

“Sam, you need it, so take it,” his dad said, when he saw him standing there. “Also, your Scion class...well, you saw what it can do just now. It’s only going to help us out.”

“Alright..., but we'll share after that?” Sam protested.

It wasn’t about the experience really. It was about making sure that his dad didn't sacrifice everything for him again.

He’d done that too much in his life already.

Jeric just nodded at him and turned away again, looking towards the gnome village as he scanned for more enemies.

After a moment, Sam bent down to gather the experience, going around to all of the gnomes one by one.

As he did, an enormous surge of experience hit his body, turning into a thousand waves of delightful bubbles surging through his blood, like the world’s best wine.

Bright silver notifications rang out in his mind, chiming with crystal and golden notes.

You have used your Class abilities to slay your enemies.

You gain 33,850 Class experience.

...

Congratulations, Scion. You have gained six Class Levels.

You are now a Level 19 Battlefield Reclaimer.

Total Experience: 46,500 / 47,500

...

Congratulations, Scion. You have gained seven General Levels.

You are now Level 20.

Total Experience: 48,800 / 54,500

You gain +6 Aura, +6 Intelligence, and have 20 free status points to assign.

Sam stared at the notifications as the experience surged through him.

He had jumped so many levels in just two battles!

He knew that the levels were quickly going to start scaling in difficulty, but...

The day before, he’d only been Level 10 in general experience and Level 8 in his class.

Now he was almost Level 20 in Battlefield Reclaimer. He was just on the edge of moving into the Advanced tier.

“Sam, add some more to Charisma,” his dad called back again. There was a content smile on his face as he looked back towards Sam.

“You still look terrifying...," he added, shaking his head, but the smile never left. "And don’t forget about the auras.”

Sam pulled himself back together and stood up again.

Where should he put all the new status points?

He knew experience wasn’t always going to be as fast as this, so he had to plan for the future.

If he were able to get even a couple more levels before it scaled up, he’d be surprised. There was a reason a lot of people got stuck in their 20s.

Was this what life was like for a combat class? Battles and instant levels all the time?

He shook his head as he looked at his status sheet.

Battles were dangerous.

Levels were fantastic, but they often added more to your offensive abilities than to your defensive ones, unless you invested heavily in Constitution.

That was why the marauder had been harder to kill than the other gnomes here.

Should he put more in Constitution?

It was something he’d have to consider as he arranged his stats.

He looked towards his dad and then at his Charisma stat, and he sighed as he added five more points to it, bringing it up to 15.

That had to be enough for Charisma now, right?

After that, he added four points to his Constitution, bringing it to 20. It would be helpful to put it higher, but he also had Essence Shield. Right now, it was primarily for healing and resistance to infections.

One point went into Agility, bringing it to 15. He wasn’t having any difficulty keeping up with battles yet.

Maybe Crystal Focus would cover for some of that too.

He split the last ten points between Aura and Intelligence. The level boost had brought him up to 37 in each, and the new points made it 42. Those were his main stats and the source of all his abilities.

At some point, he was going to have to add something to Wisdom, but a 50% chance to reclaim the auras on these gnomes was fine for now.

He glanced over the total before he confirmed the changes.

STR: 16 (+1 Spear of Umbral Flame)

CON: 20 (+1 Spear of Umbral Flame)

AGI: 15 (+1 Spear of Umbral Flame)

WIS: 10

INT: 42

AUR: 42

CHA: 15

He felt his body changing, becoming more comfortable again as his skin itched. It was almost as much of an improvement in his Charisma as the last time.

At the same time, his mind expanded and the flow of aura and mana became more intense as it surged through his meridians.

“Better,” Jeric agreed as he looked back towards his son and studied the differences. “You’re not exactly a charming demon yet..., but it’s getting there.”

There was a slight grin on his face as he said it.

He was teasing him.

It made the transformation seem almost normal, like a bad haircut.

For a moment, Sam both wanted to laugh and cry over his appearance, ...but then he pushed it aside.

Without the transformation, he would have never unlocked his class.

They both would have died down here.

His dad had also never been bothered by the way he looked, even when Sam had been much more...frightening than he was now.

His dad was just worried about how people would see him.

Jeric returned to watching the tunnel as Sam gathered the auras.

He’d been down to 9 mana and 7 aura after the barrier-breaking form of Flame Strike, but the levels had added back 11 each. It was plenty to reclaim these auras.

From the eleven gnomes, he got five Auras of Basalt. He nodded as he stored them all away.

More would be better, but this many...

It would be enough for what came next.

They sat down to meditate, recovering their energy as they kept an eye on the tunnel that led toward the gnome village.