Moonlight Relic, Ch 23: Aura Forger (Patreon)

For a moment, everything was still, pressed down by the weight of the moons. Then the energy from them struck the relic like a gong and its enchantments came to life. The transfer lines released a rolling, crystalline chime as they woke and the three crowns appeared again on the mountains. The energy-gathering pillars rose up from the rubble, the elemental pools gleamed as they began to refill, and arching runes formed again in the heavens, stretching from building to building.

Last night, the self-repair enchantment around the peak had glowed, but the aura infusing the lines had gone nowhere. Tonight, it began to move. All around the crown of Sun’s Rest, arcs of silvery aura burned, gleaming in the darkening sky as they began to connect.

Sam was standing at the peak, his hands almost touching the wall. As the moons rose, he barely had time to pull himself free from the line. His attention was half on the new line in front of him and half on checking the overall enchantment. As it turned out, however, he was still too close. The line he’d just created was the final connection in the system and energy surged through it like lightning, washing over him as well.

Across the wall in front of him and then the entire peak, astral energy traced out a complex pattern in the stone. Runes came to life in the midst of it, at first slowly and then more quickly, flickering past as the aura began to stream from one connection to the next. None of them were anything that Sam recognized, except for the edge of one or two among dozens. Even the glimpse left a burning headache in his mind, one that thundered with the force of the core enchantment.

The lines continued to brighten until they burned with a brilliance that wrapped around the mountain peak in ornate lines like silver blood beneath the snow. Then they began to brighten even more, until the blue sphere on Sun’s Rest floated above them like a sapphire mounted on a crown of silver filigree.

On the slopes below, the sudden blizzard intensified, burying the adventurers and monsters there in inch after inch of ice. Where Sam was standing, the wind began to hammer into his back, pressing him deeper into the cave until he reached out and split the flow around him. The energy from the repaired line was shining all around him, but this time, it was stable. It also recognized him, as if he were part of the relic, and it hummed with a pleasant welcome. The enchantment slowly pushed him away as waves of astral energy crashed against his body.

60%...65...aura stabilizing. The Guardian Star’s words were unexpected, ringing an alert in Sam’s mind. The star continued to announce the changes, updating instant by instant. The self-repair enchantment is washing across your aura and healing it. 70%... 77... 86.... 91... 100%.

A feeling of centeredness and confidence washed across Sam as something he’d been missing fell back into place, and suddenly he felt calmer and more relaxed. A flickering notification passed across his mind as the warning for Aura Rupture disappeared. It was followed a moment later by a far more brilliant notification as the World Law spoke. The voice was as bright and resonant as the chime and it pressed down around him with even more force than the moons.

Congratulations, Enchanter. You have repaired one section of a Divine Artifact. Your effort significantly exceeds your recorded skill as an Enchanter. Bonus experience and Traits will be awarded that match your accomplishments.

You are awarded 152,000,000 experience for your Profession.

Your Enchanter profession has reached Level 91.

Congratulations on reaching the Epic Tier as an Enchanter.

Class Experience at Level 99 is subject to a 95% compression factor.

Class Experience Awarded: 7,600,000.

Class Experience: 239,372,980 / 250,000,000.

General Experience: 239,549,527 / 250,000,000

An enormous, swirling whirlwind of experience began to gather, filling the cave around him with energy so dense that it was nearly impossible to breathe as the World Law continued to speak and notifications began to cascade through his mind.

As a one-time reward, the top three Abilities you employed for this effort are upgraded to match your Enchanting level.

Your Transfer Aura Ability has reached the Epic Tier. [Your efficiency in transferring auras has increased by 50%.]

Your Intensify Aura Ability has reached the Epic Tier. [Your speed in intensifying auras has increased by 50%.]

Your Shatter Aura Ability has reached the Epic Tier. [Your efficiency in disrupting auras has increased by 50%.]

There was another pause as he felt the World Law scanning his spirit, and then it spoke again.

With four complementary Professional and Class Abilities at the Epic Tier before Level 100, you have met the requirements to unlock a unique Professional Path.

Assembling Enchanting Path based on your available Attributes and Traits....

You have unlocked the Heroic Tier Enchanting Profession: Aura Forger.

You gain the Professional Ability: Aura Forging (Heroic).

[You have accessed the forces of nature, breaking and recombining them to suit your needs. As an Aura Forger, you have a greater capability to shape auras to your will, to forge them into artifacts, and to destroy ones that do not suit your needs. You are able to draw upon the elements of the world and so your requirement for physical materials is less than that of a regular Enchanter. As your inner nature is attuned to the layers of existence, information on auras comes more easily to your mind.]

Do you wish to Reclassify your Enchanter Profession as “Aura Forger?”

There was a pause as the bright question hung in Sam’s mind. The energy around him was so dense that it felt like he was swimming at the bottom of the ocean, but his thoughts were clear.

It only took him a moment to accept.

Congratulations, Aura Forger. Your Enchanter Profession has been reclassified. All existing Enchanting abilities have been merged into your new profession.

The whirlwind of power around Sam became even denser as the weight of the World Law’s attention sharpened. It was as intense as a burning sun, pressing down with a heat that felt strong enough to turn him to ash. Its voice echoed with authority.

By reconnecting the self-repair function of the Moonlight Relic, which has the capability to support the World Seal, you have directly affected the well-being of Aster Fall.

Battlefield Reclaimer, you are Acknowledged. You have earned 20 Marks.

The potential value of your contribution exceeds the system of Marks. Therefore, the Trait: World Core’s Favor is granted. For a single instant, you will have the World Core’s undivided attention and may make one request. Be cautious in what you ask for, as your request may or may not be fulfilled. The Favor may not destabilize Aster Fall. When it is fulfilled, the Trait will be removed.

Additionally, in recognition of your efforts that transcend common skill, you may choose two professional Abilities or Skills to upgrade to Heroic. If you do not have the ability, but it suits your profession, it will be granted to you.

Be aware that Heroic is a Tier not commonly earned. It can only be achieved through efforts that surpass normal existence. Abilities normally maximize at Epic. Having an Ability at the Heroic Tier will guarantee enhanced Class or Subclass Evolutions.

Make your choices now.

Sam’s mind spun as heard the World Law’s edict. There was almost too much information there to comprehend at once, especially when it was accompanied by the layers of meaning and knowledge that was part of the World Law’s voice. When it spoke, you understood what it meant. He pulled himself together as he looked toward his status sheet, examining it for possibilities.

Almost all of his Class Abilities should count as Professional Abilities, but there were two other professions he had as well, Smithing and Essence Scribe, and both of them were well behind his Enchanting skill, or Aura Forging, as he could call it now. As far as Essence Scribe went, scrolls were far too useful for him to let them fall behind and he liked creating them. They let him experiment with new rune patterns. As for Smithing, he’d always intended to do more with it, but he hadn’t had an opportunity yet.

The World Law wasn’t giving him experience for those two professions, but it was offering him a way to make them more powerful. The question was if he should take that or choose something else, perhaps more unknown. His Class description came to mind again, as well, reminding him that he was supposed to be an Enchanter and Smith. He’d been neglecting his smithing skills. Perhaps Aura Forger was an example of the path he needed to combine the two and really make his Class’s unique traits come out.

Is there an Ability for Smithing that is complementary to Aura Forging? He asked the question into the aether, directing it at the World Law. He didn’t know if it would answer or not. Perhaps it expected him to know what he wanted.

An answer to that question will cost one Mark. The World Law’s voice filled his mind. You have 26 Marks to spend. A pulse of a question accompanied it, asking if he wished to spend it. He was confused for a moment, since he hadn’t expected that Marks could be used like that, but he pushed it aside. At the moment, it didn't matter and he had plenty of them. When he accepted, information filled his mind.

Heroic Tier Ability: Elemental Smithing.

[Using the natural materials of the world, you have the ability to shape ore, metal, and minerals with your bare hands and will. Your will is the hammer and the earth is your anvil. This ability combines best with an Elemental Mastery or Elemental Affinity, allowing the Smith to shape an element from raw material to finished product. The quality of the material is limited by the Ability’s Tier and your Strength attribute.]

As soon as he understood what the ability was, he didn’t hesitate to ask the next question for Essence Scribe. It cost him another Mark, but the ability sprang into his mind.

Heroic Tier Ability: Componentless Scribe.

[Your Scribe Profession requires materials of increasing quality, which presents difficulty for refining your craft. As a Componentless Scribe, you are able to create and refine your own materials from any source to which you have access. A wall, a stone, and a piece of bark are just as worthwhile in your hands as high-quality parchment. The capability of these materials to handle essence is limited by the Ability’s tier and your Wisdom attribute.]

The two abilities laid out a new path that was far less limiting than his old one, and if they worked as described, he wouldn't need as many components to make things. It might take longer to create them than to use something that was already suitable, but it opened up a lot of possibilities. The World Law gave him a moment to absorb the details before it prompted him.

Do you wish to accept these two Abilities?

He didn’t know if they were the best ones available, but he had to trust that the World Core was steering him in the right direction. The value of a Mark had also become clear. This had to be how people gathered information on their Class if they didn’t already have it. He really needed to talk to someone who was more familiar with the First Evolution and find out what was possible.

All of the rewards the World Core were offering were upgrades to his crafting, but it also felt like they were designed to help the relic. They were abilities that would let him create his own materials, and if he was good enough with them one day, he might be able to replace what was missing in it.

Or even build new ones.

The World Core was definitely trying to get him to support the Seal, but the thought of being unchained from components was enough for him. His ability to make things on his own would skyrocket.

All around him, he could sense the relic’s enchantments continuing to power up. There was a trembling in the area that told him he needed to move. Something big was happening outside that sent an itch down his back, making him feel restless. He needed to get out there and see what it was. With that, he didn’t hesitate any longer.

Congratulations, Aura Forger. You have gained the Heroic Tier Abilities: Elemental Smithing and Componentless Scribe.

Do you wish to reclassify your Profession titles?

He accepted the first name change, but not the second, since Essence Scribe sounded better. He felt the identity of Smith shift and then the massive weight of experience crashed down, swirling around in a tempest as the new abilities settled in. As they merged, he growled out a bitter oath. It felt like his bones were shattering and his blood was boiling, rising up from his stomach to turn the air in his lungs into superheated magma that tore outward. It was the most painful experience he’d ever absorbed.

Heroic Abilities did not come cheaply, especially at Level 99.

As the experience finished fusing into his body, he shook himself out and let out a deep breath. A scorched feeling stayed with him as he glanced over his status sheet, confirming that his professions had changed to their new titles. Each of them had the new ability listed next to them.

Aura Forger. Level 91.

• Aura Forging (Heroic).

Elemental Smith. Level 24.

• Elemental Smithing (Heroic).

Essence Scribe. Level 37.

• Componentless Scribe (Heroic).

It was the first time he’d ever heard of a Profession granting an ability without also being a subclass. Apparently, the World Law could grant more than was commonly known. The levels of Elemental Smith and Essence Scribe looked impoverished next to Aura Forger now, but it was something he would work on. The jump to his enchanting was already worth years of normal effort.

152 million experience for repairing one part of the Moonlight Relic.

When that was translated into class experience, it also showed how steep the cliff at Level 99 was. You needed to earn twenty times the standard experience for the level. Someone else might have seen that as a problem, but for him, he almost wished it would take longer. He wasn’t ready to Evolve yet.

He still needed to get Identify Aura, Aura Storage, and Assume Aura to Epic. The Third Cliff was his last chance to do that, a point when his abilities and strength were at their strongest right before Evolution. He had 11 million experience to go, and he had little doubt that the remaining bounties would take care of it.

The wind was still screaming around him as he turned and looked out from the cave where he’d been working. The moons filled the sky and the glowing lines of the relic’s enchantments were covering the mountain with light that arched across slopes of pristine white snow. The blizzard that had covered everything was retreating, leaving behind a foot or more of new powder.

Even as he watched, he could feel the self-repair enchantment filling with more astral energy as it began to send tingling ripples of aura out through the peak. It washed outward like a tide, ripple after ripple. As it passed by, the aura in the relic realigned as small scars in the greenstone disappeared, filling in as if they had never been there.

Areas with more significant damage, like the cave he was standing in, were going to take longer, but the edges of the opening looked a tiny bit narrower already. The greenstone was growing back.

How quickly will it work? he asked the Guardian Star as he watched it. He’d repaired it, but this was his first time seeing how it would actually function.

The estimated time to repair the damage to the control plateau is 7 days. With the amount of aura available from the moons, the repairs over the next several days will take place much faster than they would normally. The star’s voice was calm as it analyzed the process. After that, it will depend on the available resources. The later repairs will take longer, since the relic will be operating off of stored energy.

The repair time for the first layer is 118 days, but defensive shields should be prioritized. There are areas where your assistance and certain materials will be required to complete the repairs. That is why the storerooms were built.

The lower layers are much larger and will take more time, but there are subsidiary repair enchantments that can be activated to assist with the project. Some things, like repairing the buildings or farms, will require direct intervention. The repair enchantments are only designed to support the core functions.

As he listened to the report, Sam scanned through the area, searching for the thing that had alarmed him before. It was bothering him, since it felt like he should know what it was, and he couldn’t get it out of his mind.

Warning! The Guardian Star’s voice flashed through his mind an instant later. The peak is under assault. Enemies are amassing on the first layer and in the air. Scanning.

The control plateau was a couple of hundred feet above him and Sam’s head snapped up to see it. The lattice of the repaired lines was burning with a silver brilliance that lit up the night. All around it, a horde of dark, ethereal forms had begun to gather. They were shadowy things, barely seen against the dark sky except for where beams of moonlight passed over them.

There were at least a couple dozen of them, and at the front, there was an even larger one that looked like it was in charge of the rest. He scanned over them, Analyzing them one by one. There was a mix of different types.

Lightning Storm Wraith, Level 89.

Ice Wraith. Level 74.

Decaying Soul. Level 66.

Darkwind Wraith. Level 72.

Acid Cloud Wraith. Level 76.

There were dozens of others that were less powerful and ranged as low as Level 41, but his attention settled on the biggest one. It sent off ringing alarm bells in his mind as soon as he saw it. Its body was clouded for a moment in his vision, as if it were trying to hide behind an illusion, but as soon as he forced his eyes to settle on it, it felt as if a veil was torn away. His gaze sharpened and his eyes began to glow brighter, locking onto it as a pulse of anger shivered down his spine.

Bounty Identified.

Desolate Soul Wraith. Outsider. Level 119.

[Bounty Information: The Desolate Soul Wraith is physically weak, but it has the ability to enslave its prey, draining their life before turning them into wandering spirits that mimic its own form. Its hunger is bottomless and it quickly accumulates an army of lesser wraiths to serve it, converting the strength of a local area into its own. It is a plague on any location unfortunate enough to host it and it should be eliminated as quickly as possible before its forces can grow.]

It was one of the three remaining bounties in the area. The itch he’d felt had been the thing approaching, but he’d been too occupied to focus on it. He growled as he stared at it, his hands flexing as he loosened them. It looked like it was trying to attack the control plateau and the self-repair enchantment, almost as if it knew what he had done.

The mob of wraiths was screeching as it attacked the lines, clawing and biting at the greenstone. Depending on the type, some were using lightning to claw at the stone, others were spitting acid or crushing themselves against the lines as they tried to cover up the light, and some others were trying to dig to get to the energy beneath. They were either trying to destroy it or eat it.

He wasn’t sure if they knew what the enchantment was doing and he doubted they could really harm the greenstone, but it didn’t matter. Even if their efforts were futile, he wouldn’t let them interfere. If they were able to disrupt the self-repair enchantment, all of his work would be for nothing.

His aura had fully recovered and with the moons out, the energy here was nearly unlimited. Whoever had trapped this bounty in the World Seal in the past hadn’t been able to deal with it. Perhaps it had been surrounded by an army of wraiths and too hard to reach. This time, he planned to correct that oversight.

The broad form of an Astral Hunter leapt into the air, his talons striking sparks from the cliff as he began to climb back up.