Aster Fall, Ch 51: Preparing an Offensive (Patreon)

The Grand Flaw was on the seventh layer, a layer below and a little to the south. Sam’s feet skimmed across the top of the snow, throwing up a light powder as he ran. Behind him, the Ice Sylphs followed easily.

The feeling of freedom flowed past his cheeks as he let out a deep breath. He felt different now that Defiant was removed, as if he’d finally gained access to the world. He hadn’t let himself think about how much that trait had weighed on him.

His father’s words were ringing in his ears. As soon as they’d left the fourth flaw, he’d checked in with him to share the news. His father’s laugh was the sound of a man who’d never thought the day would come.

It made him grin as he ran, a feeling of exultation passing through him. The church teams hadn’t reached their next flaw yet, but they would get there soon. When they did, his father should be free of the Defiant trait as well.

He glanced up at the position of the moons and then compared his father’s position to the map of the ruins. It would be at least a few hours until they made it to the Grand Flaw. It would have to be enough.

Before the battle, he needed some insurance, just in case the Icebloods had something unexpected in reserve. Having the Ice Sylphs and Elsanar with him was a powerful force, but it wasn’t a guarantee that they would win.

The Outsiders had been here for a year, and their traps and defenses were likely to be thick. Even with the forces they had gathered, he couldn’t underestimate them. The trap with the wyvern matriarch proved that, as did the Icebloods’ formation on the first layer.

The Outsiders’ curses were dangerous, especially if they had time to prepare. He didn’t want to run into something that an Iceblood Shaman had spent a year building.

That meant he needed to make two detours.

The only thing he had as a reserve was the Moonlight Relic and its core enchantment. The first detour was to take advantage of that. The second detour would be to get to Level 80 and the Epic tier. He was so close that he only needed to go out and kill a few monsters on his own, and he’d be there.

A short while later, he dropped down to a walk and looked around the area where the Guardian Star had led him. They were still on the seventh layer, several miles away from the Grand Flaw, but there were very few monsters here. The flaw was close enough that they could reach it quickly if needed, but far enough that they shouldn’t fall into a trap unexpectedly.

“We’re here,” he called to the Ice Sylphs as they stopped near him. “I’ll need a little while.”

The sylphs looked around the area curiously, looking for the reason Sam had brought them to this place, but the area looked very similar to the rest of the ruins.

There were three ruined buildings surrounding a large, bowl-shaped central area. It was hard to see under the snow, but it had once been a lake.

In front of Sam, there was a tumbled pillar of stone at the center of the area. It radiated with the same silver light as the rest of the ruins, but there was a light blue glow seeping out from between the stones that created soft ripples in the air, especially at the very heart of the pillar where someone had stacked the fragments of the past.

A trail of liquid water ran out between the cracks in the stone, but before it could get far, it froze into a block of ice that covered half the pillar.

It will require two hours at a minimum to excavate the remains and test the basic function, the Guardian Star informed him. Its tone was doubtful, even though it was the one who had helped him locate the pillar in front of him. The likelihood of success is slim. It would be more effective if you were able to repair it.

“I don’t need it to work perfectly,” he replied quietly. “I just need it to be there in case there’s something unexpected. Hopefully, it's not completely broken.”

His eyes rested on the pillar in front of him as he reached out with Crystal Focus to feel beneath the ice. For the first time, he also drew deliberately on the energy of the core enchantment, holding it in his awareness.

This pillar had once been the Water Element Mana Gathering Pylon for the Moonlight Relic, and surrounded by a large, pure pool of water that poured out to the farms and houses on the lower levels. It wasn’t been the only water-gathering enchantment in the ruins, but it was the main one.

Integrity of the pylon is 13.9%, the Guardian Star reported quietly. Be careful to account for damage to its enchantments as well as the increasing energy of the ruins.

In four hours, when Caelus reaches its zenith, the alignment of the moons will be 34% complete. There will be a surge of energy at that time, which may affect the function of this section.

Sam glanced up at the position of Caelus before he nodded. He only planned to spend an hour here, which would be just enough time to dig it out. He would have to do the testing on the way.

He knelt down and began to shift the rocks that someone had stacked, working quickly but carefully. The mana gathering pylon was in pieces and he didn’t want to damage it any further. Crystal flame and Elemental Manipulation combined to slowly shift the ice.

While he worked, three of the sylphs spread out into the night to scout the area. They disappeared so quickly it seemed like their forms turned to snowflakes and wind.

---

An hour later, the ice locking the last rock in place flowed out of the way, revealing what was at the heart of the pillar. It was a rod of sapphire blue crystal about the length of his arm, its surface heavily inscribed with swirling patterns.

There was a long crack along one side and two chunks were missing, giving it a tattered appearance, but the underlying force of the object was difficult to mistake. Even broken, there was a dense spiral of liquid water gathering around it, flowing from the center to each end. As it reached the end, it turned to mist, diffusing into the air like a rain cloud.

Sam focused on his connection to the core enchantment as he touched the enchantments on the stones directly around the rod, willing them to loosen. Then he wrapped his hand carefully around the rod, pulling it free from the heart of the pillar with a gentle tug.

This was the core of the water mana pylon, the centerpiece of the enchantments that had made it function. Once, the broken stones around it had been a much larger, inscribed pillar that was filled with enchantments to strengthen this object, infuse it with mana, and focus its Water element.

Now, the pillar was shattered and the core was damaged, but given the quality of the materials, even after all of these years, they hadn’t completely failed. He didn’t know what the rod was made from, but it was a key part of the relic.

Without the core enchantment and the imprint from the Relic, he wouldn’t have been able to pull it free at all.

Pure Water Elemental Crystal, the Guardian Star reported. Integrity: 61%.

To repair it, you will need to place it in a solution of water-aligned elemental liquid and high-density mana, and then activate the relic’s self-repair enchantments.

“I’ll figure out a way to get one of the self-repair enchantments working after the flaw is closed,” Sam replied as he looked down at the rod. “For now, I need it.”

Make sure not to damage it further. There is no replacement for this item, even within the main storage room.

Without replying, Sam swiftly wrapped the crystal in a layer of hide. Then he tied it shut and slung it across his back. Almost instantly, the hide turned damp from the water released by the crystal, and he focused his attention on the elements as he diverted the water away from him.

He would have put it in a dimensional bag, but he was sure he didn’t have anything of a high enough level to hold it.

He checked it again to make sure it was secure and then he turned to Siwasir, who was standing nearby watching the process. All around them, there was the beginning of a snowstorm. The wind whipped up a flurry of white crystals, driving it through the area in an intensifying billow that obscured everything beyond an arm’s length.

The storm presented no difficulty to Sam or the Ice Sylphs. Instead, it was a harbinger of what was to come, as if Aster Fall were lending them its strength.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” he said, his face turning to lean, intense angles. “I’m going to find the three or four closest monsters and break through to Level 80. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

“Go and show your enemies who you are,” Siwasir agreed. The Ice Sylph’s expression showed no surprise. He only gave him a calm look as his long hair blew in the wind, his eyes intense. Snow screamed around him in a whirlwind. “Don’t take unnecessary risks. I named you the Horned Hunter of the Moons for good reason. A hunter knows when to watch and when to strike.”

Sam nodded. Then he turned, with crystal flame and the wind pushing him forward as he disappeared into the storm.

---

As he ran through the snow, the map of the ruins sprang into his mind. The closest monsters were highlighted in brilliant colors, their presences overlaid on the ruins as the Guardian Star tracked their whereabouts.

There are six monsters within a half-mile radius: two Arctic Cave Trolls on the outskirts of this section and a pack of four Windscar Stalkers.

“What’s a Windscar Stalker?” he muttered as he turned immediately in that direction, even though he’d never heard of that monster before. The Arctic Cave Trolls were a known enemy, but he wasn’t sure two of them would be enough to get him to Level 80.

Instead of replying, an image of the monsters sprang into Sam’s mind. He darted around the corner of a building and paused as he examined it, his attention focused. There were four strange monsters crouching down in the snow near a ruined wall.

Each of them looked something like a lean, white-furred weasel, but their heads were massively oversized for their bodies, resembling a crocodile more than a weasel. It gave them an ungainly appearance.

Their appearances are deceiving, the star reported. They are capable of employing Wind-based attacks to accelerate their speed and they hunt with a pack mentality. Their favorite method is to use their large jaws to shred their prey so that it bleeds to death.

Sam frowned, but after a moment he was moving again in the direction of the Windscar Stalkers. The information wasn’t that unsettling, but the things were definitely ugly.

“When did you learn about monsters?” he asked, puzzled. He still didn’t know much about the star, and now that it had something of a personality, it was easier to communicate with it.

The Moonlight Relic has records of many monsters in its storage, some of which I was able to retrieve. Even without that, it is possible to scan the monsters and gather information directly. My purpose is to assist you. Analytical and scanning capabilities are part of that.

Its voice was matter of fact, without any particular emotional overtone. Even with its new habit of referring to itself as “I,” it still wasn’t exactly talkative, but it was definitely more self-aware than before.

Sam gave it a thoughtful look before he pushed the matter aside. He would study it when he had more time.

Despite the comment about the monsters’ speed, he didn’t hesitate. His eyes blazed as his battle aura poured out around him, accompanied by a pounding drumbeat in his blood that called him forward. Battle lust and a desire to tear his enemies apart made him stretch his talons as he snarled silently.

His reflection flickered from an ice-covered wall as he darted past. He was a dark, shifting form outlined in multi-hued light. With his horns and the increased attributes from absorbing essence, he was six and a half feet tall with a lean physique.

The sapphire glow of his crystal flame mixed with the wind and flows of Ice mana, swirling around him in an ever-building storm that was highlighted by the light of the three moons.

In the mix of shadows and light, he did look like a wild hunter.

He hurled himself toward the Windscar Stalkers, his pace increasing until he was a blur. He didn’t bother with a Starfire. Instead, he channeled all of his strength into his aura to enhance his speed and strength.

The four monsters were around Level 50. They only had time to twist in place as he hit them. An eruption of flame and streaks of searing light exploded in their midst. Their oversized jaws snapped at him, their bodies twisting around like coils of rope.

Their fangs struck his aura, glancing off as their heads snapped around. Then his talons were there, slicing through the neck of the first one as he slid to the side and eviscerated another, tearing upwards from below. The two monsters went flying away from him, their bodies severed.

He spun toward the other two, a pulse of flame accelerating his movement as they lunged at him. Killing the first two had made him pause in their midst just long enough that they saw the hunter who was attacking them, and their jaws snapped closed around his right arm and leg.

Sam twisted, his left hand slicing down through the neck of the first one as he tore through its body, slicing it into two pieces that flew away from him in a spray of blood. Then he kicked out, hurling the second one off of his leg.

It twisted as it flew through the air, its spine bending like a bow. Its legs flipped around below it and it crouched, ready to land. Before it could hit the ground, he was there, his right hand sweeping up.

A splatter of blood and white fur flew outward in a thin arc as he tore through its neck, and a moment later, its body crashed to the snow in a twisted pile.

Sam slid to a halt above it, his breath coming quick and even as he looked around for other threats, but the night was silent. There was nothing else nearby except for the wind whispering through the stones and celestial light stretching through the dark sky like ribbons.

Without any more hesitation, he searched through the monsters and pulled the threads of experience from them. This step was critically important and he couldn’t delay. A moment later, the World Law’s voice rang in his mind.

Congratulations, Guardian. You have used your Class skills to slay your enemies.

You gain 1,120,500 Class experience.

You have gained a Level in your Class. You are now a Level 80 Battlefield Reclaimer.

Class Experience: 56,280,490 / 63,500,000

You have gained a Level. You are now General Level 80.

Total Experience: 56,313,240 / 63,500,000

You gain +1 Intelligence, +1 Aura, and have three free attribute points to assign.

Congratulations on reaching the Epic Tier!

You gain the following ability for your Class: Transfer Aura.

You may now choose one Class Ability and one Subclass Ability to raise by a tier (to a maximum of Epic).

Sam didn’t spend too long thinking about his choices. The points in Intelligence and Aura took both of those to 202, and without hesitating, he assigned the three free points to Charisma, taking it to 57.

There would be a lot of Outsiders to kill in the next battle and he wanted to make sure that the essence didn’t overwhelm him.

As for the Epic-tier abilities, he considered for a moment whether to upgrade Shatter Aura, but in the end he went with Aura of Crystal Flame and Flame Strike again. Shatter Aura was already at Elite, and it would have to be enough to deal with anything that popped up. A strong offense had worked for him so far.

As he made his choices, he felt the energy of the world spinning around him in a vast whirlpool. It was much larger than it had been at the Elite tier and it extended through the ruins around him, stretching for nearly a hundred feet.

In that sweeping energy, there was the weight of the World Law, the intensity of auras, and something that felt like natural runes. Along with it, a voice he hadn’t heard before rang out in his mind.

It was a woman's voice. She sounded young and old at the same time, as if she was tired, but her tone was determined. The words were accompanied by the ornate, archaic style that had accompanied every announcement about his class.

Congratulations on achieving the Epic tier. As you approach Level 100 and your First Evolution, remember this is only the beginning of your Path.

To have the best options present during your Evolution, you must raise all of your core Abilities to Epic before advancing. The deeper your understanding of the world, the more profoundly natural laws will resonate with you. Each achievement of your life forms the material for your future.

Once you are ready to Evolve, request the assistance of the World Core.

The voice faded away, replaced by the energy pouring through his body as his abilities surged upward. He could feel more clearly than ever before how the experience was rebuilding his body as it created new pathways. Then it was gone, leaving only the changes and a shining sapphire flame in his mind for Transfer Aura.

He touched that flame as he focused on the ability, but as usual there was only the most basic of information in it. All he came away with was the impression that he was capable of moving auras around more easily now, transferring them from place to place without breaking them.

He wasn’t sure if it would be helpful in the battle, but it might help him repair the relic later. Either way, he didn’t have any more time to delay. He needed to get back to the Ice Sylphs and prepare the water pylon for the battle.

He only took long enough to search the four monsters for their auras. Three of them burned away to nothing as he identified them, but the fourth came away with a whisper, turning into a bright sphere in his hand.

It was a contained cyclone of energy, with winds twisting wildly through the interior. It came with the sense of sudden, cutting turns and winds whipping through stone tunnels at a breakneck speed.

Beyond that, there was a sense of contained fury, as if the wind wished for nothing more than to be free.

Aura of Twisting Wind (Expert).

He glanced up toward the moons as he ran, his eyes settling on Caelus as the moon rose toward the center of the sky.