Book 3 Chapter 13 (Patreon)

Advanced Dungeon Combat had four parties. Louis and his friends had returned to it after a semester off. Half his party died during an unfortunate rift evolution, and he had re-enrolled with journeymen to fill the holes. They had spent the semester break training, fighting magic beasts, and delving around Ruipur.

Nox respected his brother's combat ability and dedication but didn't see the point in his obsession with completing the course. He had two possible futures ahead of him. He was to either inherit a leadership role within the Golden Isles army or Royal Guard. Or, he would serve as the nation's ambassador and liaison with Ruipur and its sister cities—assuming their mother allowed it and the relationship with Swati. Louis would never step into a dungeon after his time at Woodson University.

The war mage department suited Louis better. They focused on warcraft and combatting wild magic beasts. Dungeon traps, magic, boss-class monsters, and dungeon lords were of no concern to them. Artillery spells, wide-area-of-attack magic, and mass control techniques took priority. Louis would spend his future fighting aether warriors, ordinary mages—primarily journeymen and adepts—and, occasionally, escaped dungeonborne or their offspring. Advanced Dungeon Combat and the accompanying qualifications would earn him nothing useful besides bragging rights.

One of the two other groups in the class was taking the course for the second time. Not all of their members had yet achieved the adept rank. By Nox’s estimates, a couple of them were still a long way off and would probably need another semester or two to achieve their goal.

The final team was fresh-faced and had only just graduated from the Intermediate Dungeon Combat the previous semester. They appeared confident and eager to take on whatever challenge Professor Wolfhammer had waiting for them. Several groups had challenged the course over the past year. The university made enrolling in it easier following complaints from several students, powerful families, and the Imperium.

The majority failed to make it past the first month. Professor Wolfhammer had made it easier for students to join the course but not made it any easier. Nox couldn’t tell whether it was because of his damaged mana system, but Advanced Dungeon Combat felt significantly harder than when he first attempted it.

For the first time in four semesters, the course also had several students who were not part of any party. Their abilities made it such that they weren’t good fits for one another. They either had conflicting magic or filled similar roles, making them poor partners.

“I can’t help but notice you’re still a foursome,” Professor Wolfhammer told Nox and his party after the general introductions. “Won’t you consider taking on another member? I know regulations say four party members are enough, but I recommend at least five.”

“I don’t think so, Professor,” Nox said. “We have a good rhythm and are ready to take out Hogg’s Avatar. Adding a fifth party member will mean changing how we approach combat completely.”

“I told you he’d say no, Professor,” Alexander added. “We’re doing well as an infiltration and stealth team. Keeping our numbers low is in our best interests.”

“Fine.” Professor Wolfhammer sighed when neither Caitlin nor Joey said otherwise. “Just let a couple of them train with you so they get some experience. They’re survivors of fallen parties, outperformed their old companions, and were too good to waste their potential.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to give a couple of them a chance during our normal sessions,” Nox told the professor. “But we won’t take them into the dungeon with us.”

“I suppose that works for me. Half of them will drop the course before the month is up. Just make my life easier. Alright?”

Two young women approached the party, but eager to show off his new weapon, Nox moved on without speaking to them. Even though Alexander was the youngest party member and rarely got involved in the decision-making, he served brilliantly as the party’s face. His natural charisma, friendly demeanor, and traditional good looks made him perfect for the role.

Caitlin hated dealing with people. Joey didn’t mind, but he wasn’t particularly charismatic and often too blunt to do the job well. Meanwhile, running the Galleria regularly forced Nox into a people-facing role. So, he refrained from doing the same around the party unless necessary. Alexander did the job well enough most of the time. Humoring people interested in joining the party was low enough stakes to entrust him.

Nox stopped at the center of the party’s personal rooftop training arena. Professor Wolfhammer had summoned one of his most powerful companions, Joanna, to face them. The unusually tall, fur-clad woman had accompanied the party into the dungeon below the city for the past three semesters. Since everyone except Alexander had already achieved the adept rank—Caitlin and Nox were more than halfway to expert—Professor Wolfhammer gave them a challenge.

Azure mana encased Nox’s left forearm as he activated the aether gauntlet. Unlike with the previous two semesters, he didn’t trigger the Artisan’s Arm or summon Otis. He wished to test his combat prowess with nothing but the new Ratra’s Bow and Temporal Sphere. Nox had new techniques to experiment with, after all.

After casting Haste, Nox channeled mana through the twin elongated pyramids on his inner arm, triggering the bow. He fired an arrow at Joanna. Nox hadn’t used such an attack in over a year, and it caught her off-guard. She tried to avoid it, yet the projectile struck the summon’s armored shoulder. Unfortunately, it lacked the power of the empowered arrows from the old Ratra’s Bow. The projectile drilled a hole through the treated fur before skewering the shoulder.

Joanna shrugged off the injury and charged at Nox. The wound kept her from swinging her pole hammer with both hands. From seeing her in action, Nox knew that a one-handed swing was enough to shatter every bone in his body. So, he used recently learned techniques to extend his mana zone to its maximum range. As soon as she stepped within it, he caught her left leg in a Temporal Sphere. The sped-up time within threw her off balance. Nox dispelled the bow and released a close-range mana blast from the gauntlet.

The force whipped Joana’s head and torso backward. Meanwhile, he altered Temporal Sphere’s flow, switching from time acceleration to retardation. Her leg remained caught in the manipulated space.

Next, Nox channeled mana only through one of the two metal pieces on his inner arm. Instead of a bow, a dagger solidified in his hand. He threw it with all of his might at Joanna’s stomach. The low-expert-ranked summon released her hammer and snatched it out of the air before it could penetrate her pale skin.

Nox grinned. He expected as much. Studying Sapna’s manual had helped him identify a plethora of fun new functions. Even though Nox disliked melee combat, the old Ratra insisted that he had a couple of options for emergencies, and she deemed the gauntlet insufficient. Hence, she gave him the dagger. When Nox pulsed mana through the corresponding pyramid a second time, the conjured weapon exploded, taking off Joanna’s fingers and mangling her hand.

The Temporal Sphere moved from around Joanna’s leg to her head. The summon’s eyes widened eyes, and her body didn’t move as Nox dashed toward her. It looked like a potent slow from the outside but had far more going on. Nox was sure the spell would’ve killed a normal human. Time flowed so slowly within the spell’s domain that it appeared to stand still on the outside. Meanwhile, the target’s heart continued to beat as normal. Nox didn’t have enough medical knowledge to know the minutia of it, but he was sure the magic would throw an individual’s circulatory and nervous systems into turmoil. He had tested it on dragonscale asura in the dungeon below, and they had either died of cardiac arrest or hemorrhaged. The spell paid for its potency with an exorbitant mana cost, but he had no other options.

It was the first time Nox had caught Joanna in Temporal Sphere. Usually, she was too fast for him to track. By the time she entered his mana zone, the spar was as good as over. Since her summoner significantly outranked him, Nox refused to find out whether she had the time to break free. So, he supercharged his gauntlet and unleashed a point-blank mana blast directly at her head. It blew off Joanna’s face, and white smoke burst from the many wounds. She crumbled when Nox released his spell.

“What in Ygg’s name was that?” Professor Wolfhammer demanded through his summon once Joanna restored herself.

“Just something Sapna whipped together,” Nox replied nonchalantly while catching his breath. He hadn’t bothered doping himself with his usual cocktail of alchemical brews. He guessed the fight would’ve been somewhat easier if he did.

“Not that, you gloating arse! That trick with your mana zone.”

“I don’t know what to call it, to be honest. It still feels clunky, and I don’t have a hang of it yet. I came up with it this morning. Impressive. Is it not?”

“Very much so. It's clever, but it won’t work on Joanna a second time. So don’t let it go to your head.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Your footwork and instincts were excellent, though,” the grouchy combat teacher continued. “I’m glad you took my advice and continued martial training during your time off.”

“That was impressive,” Caitlin said once Nox returned to his party. Her skin developed a green tinge before the darkening bark grew outward and enveloped her. Much to Nox’s surprise, Shaped water encased her joints. Unlike her usual, several individual pieces of wood armor connected by conjured fluid covered her body. They were thinner but dense, giving her a sleek, intimidating appearance. “It’s my turn now.”

Caitlin and Joanna met each other head-on. The Woodson woman dodged a hammer swing while water flowing from her fist solidified into a long, curving blade. She slashed at her opponent, but the martially gifted summon parried the attack. With every swing, the aquatic blade sheared fur and cut grooves in the stone roof. Nox couldn’t help but feel impressed with his party member’s growth. He didn’t know how she gained the ability to produce and Shape water, but now, she would have no trouble fitting in with the party’s more stealth and infiltration-focused direction.

“I’m Kurosaki Hinata,” one of the women talking to Alexander said. She looked like she had come from the lands east of the endless dunes. Her name and accent suggested she originated from Nihon. “That was amazing. I never expected a control mage to have such offensive power.”

“I’d be nothing without a good artificer,” Nox replied. Instead of making small talk, he cut to the chase. “What can you do?”

Hinata and Nox’s shadows moved independently. They clasped hands and did a little waltz, then his shadow twirled and dipped her. “I Shape and Manipulate Shadows. It might not look like much, but darkness makes a potent and unexpected weapon.” Hinata’s shadow broke free of the ground, rising into the third dimension. It stabbed the floor with a dagger of solid black, leaving an eight-inch gouge. “I’m at the peak of journeyman. I expect to reach adept before the year’s end. I know you’re not looking for anyone new, but I think we could work brilliantly together.”

“How about you train with us for the next few weeks? We’ll see whether you’re a good fit. I already told Professor Wolfhammer that the party is fine as it is, and we’re not looking for anyone new.” Nox didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, so he tried to sound as noncommittal as possible. “But we’ll reconsider for someone excellent.”

“That’s all I want,” Hinata said. “A chance to prove my worth would be great.” She leaned close to Nox, lowering her volume and pitch. “The city might’ve kept things quiet, but I’m well aware of your reputation. Believe me, I can help you with your delves, investigations, and—” She straightened his collar, fingers grazing Nox’s neck and cheek. The touch made him stiffen. “—and a lot more, Sir Nox Ratra. My travels have me more than just a potent mage and fighter.”

“Have you been at Woodson University long?” Nox asked, taking a step back from her. He kept his tone polite, friendly, and, most importantly, professional.

Alexander was still busy talking to the other interested mage. He and the woman appeared engaged in intense flirtation. Meanwhile, Joey side-eyed Nox and Hinata, smirking.

“This is my fourth semester,” Hinata replied. “I clawed through Beginner and Intermediate Dungeon Combat and served in the student police force during the Terrastalia nonsense. I’ve also been assisting the city guard  with the recent murder investigations.” She glanced at Joey. “I’m sure if we share our discoveries regarding the recent ritual murders, your investigator could make significant breakthroughs.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nox’s frustrations grew as his decision to reject her became a team issue. Joey’s investigations were important to him. If he decided to give her a shot, it would lead to a party vote. Perhaps it was paranoia, but letting someone new into the party put everyone—the party, his friends, employees, and growing family—at risk.