9K words! This is the first half of this massive chapter that I cut open.
Thank you for the patience!
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"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
Silver's smile broke as he realized all his effort meant nothing before her. Whatever he had been taught about magic, the composition of its formulas, its effects on nature, and the sensitivity he had carefully nurtured in years of training was, at best, a fraction of what she had experienced.
Elven royalty, from an early age, she was introduced to one of the greatest repertoires of magical knowledge spanning thousands of years, and for a lifetime greater than that of his grandparents, she did nothing but further her studies within the comfort of the great Elven forest.
'As expected, a half-baked magic student can't fool a Sage.' He thought as his expression went back to normal
As he grew calmer, he dropped his hands and sighed, "Fine, you got me. This isn't the chant for my magic."
Ais' eyes opened wide as she almost dropped her sword in surprise. Not only because of the nature of what he had done, but because he had the courage not only to lie, but to try to trick Riveria.
Riveria, on the other hand, scoffed faintly as she brushed her hair aside. Her expression told him she already knew something was amiss, but at the same time, she didn't seem particularly upset, being disappointed at best.
"I won't blame you, trying to hide the structure of your magic isn't a bad thing. But I thought you were more prudent than to do so after everything you've done."
'There's no point in doing so either.' She thought as Silver looked to the side, still conflicted about something, 'However, if this isn't the chant, then how did he invoke his magic?'
'Could it be…' She thought, her eyes showing wonder for once, 'Did he alter his chant? Perhaps he canceled it or shortened it… but is that even possible? I haven't heard of anyone doing it aside from me.'
True to her Alias, Nine Hell, Riveria had mastered magic so much she developed a technique of her own named Chant Connection, shattering the limits of modern spellcasting.
Chant connection enabled her to change the strength of her magic based on the chant length and mind usage, thus being the only mage alive capable of actively manipulating the structure of their chant and pushing the limits of one's bound magic.
Different from her apprentice, who awakened a magic that defied logic, Riveria was somewhat respected by the traditional mages of Altena, although they still didn't like her much because of her ability either.
In this moment, Riveria could only rationalize what she was seeing as that. No matter how ridiculous it was to do so, she believed Silver had mastered some technique along that line.
That he possessed the Skill to manipulate and hide his own chant within a messy string of words… it could only be that or a unique Skill that defied logic, for that too was proven by her apprentice.
Silver shook his head at her words, "Haaa… you don't get it."
'My grandma was like that too once, long ago…'
"What is it that I don't? Is there more to this story?"
Silver's foot kept tapping the ground nervously, "I'm trying to sort things out, and explain them in a manner that is understandable…"
"What even is there to understand?"
"It's just… sigh, forget it. Let's just jump straight into it."
He looked at her and finally let go of all pretences. He dispelled his vortex and took a deep breath.
Clapping his hands, he pulled his sleeves and faced her without fear…
"There just isn't a chant."
"What?"
Not expecting that answer, Riveria was caught off guard.
"And you expect me to believe that?"
Despite her words, she could feel he wasn't lying. Having spent decades with the god of trickery herself, Riveria, very much like Finn and Gareth, had developed sharp senses when it came to judging one's character and their words.
Silver raised his right hand, "It's easier if I show you."
/Shaaa…/
The air fogged as he raised his right hand…
Frost crept outward from nothingness, spreading in thin, twisting veins across the grass as the world itself began to freeze from within.
Blades of green dulled, stiffened, and turned brittle under a sudden drop in temperature as Silver's palm turned a sickly blue.
His skin cracked, ice slithered across it as if alive…
/Crack…/
With a sharp crack, ice surged upward. A jagged spike burst from the ground between them, crystalline and half-transparent, its surface shimmered as torrents of mist spread between their feet.
As the ice spire settled, Silver's hands quickly regained color as he briefly shook it, shaking both snow and ice from his skin as he brushed his palms over his forearms.
He then put his hands on his waist as he exhaled cool fog, "See? No chanting required…"
"What did you just do?!" Riveria asked in a hurry as her hand fell on his shoulder
Silver was shaken so brutally and abruptly that he felt all the air escape his lungs under the tyrannical power of the Elven Arch-Mage, falling to his knees as he coughed loudly.
"…"
Ais heard, to her horror, the echoes of Silver's back pop each time she shook him, looking away as he fell down like a rag.
"COUGH!"
"Shake him a bit more and his brain will come out of his nose." Gareth said as he approached them from behind
Finn stood beside him, a bead of sweat falling from his forehead as he looked at the situation unfold.
Gareth's eyes fell on Silver, 'So he was hiding something in the end. Something quite extreme at that.'
They had seen everything from above as they walked downhill. They were just as perplexed as Riveria at this revelation, although it couldn't be said they matched her… enthusiasm…
Riveria turned to look at them, and then back at Silver, and stepped back. With a rare, embarrassed expression, she put a fist before her mouth and coughed awkwardly, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
'Chantless magic, and its caliber isn't low. No wonder she's acting like that.' Finn thought as his eyes fell on Silver
But his lips curled as a funny thought took shape, 'Is this why he's avoiding her? It's not a secret that she's a magic fanatic, Loki calls her that all the time… Could it be he's been avoiding her for that reason alone?'
The idea alone gave Finn the urge to laugh, and amidst his silent chuckles, Gareth sneaked a peek at Finn, wondering what the Pallum was thinking about.
'Loki's going to lose it when she hears about this.' He thought as he closed his eyes
"Ahem… I was caught in the moment, I apologize." She said as Silver got to his feet, one hand on his back as he grumbled like an old man
Cracking his shoulders, he got to his feet. One arm above his head, he gestured to her and the others as he recovered his breath, "Huff… no worries, I'm fine…"
'Such strength in such a lean body… Gramps wasn't wrong… never date a girl above your level…'
Gareth walked to the Silver and tapped his chest, standing beside him as he crossed his arms, "Well, now that this is over and we're all on the same page, can we settle this down? No more secrets this time."
He then whispered to Silver, "Just sort this right now before she drags you away. And unless you want to be lectured twice, you better comply."
"Twice?"
"You think this ends here? Once we're up there, she'll drag you away in no time…"
"I can hear you two…" Riveria spoke as she crossed her arms
Silver quickly continued, "I wasn't hiding things just for the sake of it. Things were just far easier to explain when you limit context…"
"And at the same time, I thought it would be easier to explain myself at a later date than to throw it all on the table."
Silver dusted his shoulders and pants, "I'm sorry for lying about my magic."
Riveria sighed, somewhat apologetic, "I pushed too much as well. Were our roles to switch, I might've done the same."
When she said something, she meant it, although it was clear she had much to say on the subject.
But amidst the judgmental gaze of her companions, she restrained herself with a single line:
"That said, my previous request remains. I'm very keen on witnessing you use your magic, if you don't mind."
""…""
Silver wasn't done. While lightly regretting each word he spoke, he knew it would be best to make things clear now then later, "I don't mind. But in truth, this isn't all."
"Since I've decided to be transparent, I'll just tell the whole truth. What you saw before was indeed my magic, but to be more specific, its just part of it."
Silver raised his index finger, "I only have one magic. All I've done so far… has been nothing but its constant application."
""?!""
Gareth, Finn, and even Ais were shocked by his statement. But the one that showed the most reaction was Riveria herself.
Just when she was about to open her mouth, someone interrupted her…
"What?!!"
""??""
From uphill, a young girl screamed as her head popped up from the hillside. Orange hair drifted in the wind , followed by a pair of sharp ears peeking from the sides of her head.
And she wasn't alone…
"Oh, shoot… we're busted." Tiona said with a sigh as she popped up as well
Tione appeared as well, "Way to go Lefiya, just when things were getting interesting."
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Seeing this, Riveria's ears twitched as she instinctively reached for her nose, "Sigh…"
"Oh boy…" Finn muttered as he looked away
A strange situation unfolded.
…
"I'm sorry…"
Lefiya stood on her knees, tears in her eyes as she raised her arms. To her left and right were the Amazon sisters, all kneeling before the upset High-Elf.
"I thought I told you its rude to eavesdrop. Isn't it enough that Loki does it?"
"I didn't mean it! I was looking for Ais and…"
"She totally meant it." Tiona said with a small smirk, "We saw her peeking at them training a while back."
"Wha-wha-wha…"
Lefiya's face turned crimson as she her words gagged, making Riveria sigh again, "And where do the two of you fit in?"
"Oh, we definitely joined in too."
Tione rolled her eyes at her sister's careless attitude, "Peeking wasn't our original intention. When we arrived, we tried to go ask what they were doing, but Lefiya stopped us. One thing led to another, and now we're here."
"T-Traitors!"
"You should've just gone and asked, all this secrecy only makes things needlessly complicated." Tione said as she brushed her hair
Her words pinned down the entire story on the poor Elven girl's shoulders, but was that truly all there was to it?
Riveria could see there was more to it, but she seemed to be waiting for something…
"B-B-But…"
Yet all Lefiya managed to do was stutter in frustration.
""…""
Silver and the others looked at the scene with awkward gazes, "Does this happen often? I have the feeling it's quite recurrent…" Silver added as he turned to Finn, whispering as he put his hand over his mouth.
Gareth chuckled, "It's almost a weekly occurrence by now. Just wait, you'll see her reprimanding someone else in no time. I sometimes think that's her hobby."
Riveria's ears sharply turned in their direction, "I can hear you… again."
Gareth stopped talking, two strikes were enough for him.
Amidst the awkward silence, Silver put his hands in his pockets and looked around for a while… "… So? Are we good now? I don't have any other meaningful secrets to share."
"You still have secrets?" Gareth asked as he raised an eyebrow at his words
He shrugged, half-jokingly and half seriously, "Who doesn't? But then again, it's a matter of perspective."
"I don't think any of those things are significant, but if you want… I guess we can talk about them over a drink or two."
Gareth smirked, "Maybe when we're back."
With that, Silver tapped his stomach, feeling it was better to leave before they started asking too many questions.
He pointed back and stepped away, "If we're done here…"
But almost as if a barrier had formed behind him, he suddenly came to a halt as sharp words cut through the air… "Not so fast."
"I've pressed enough, but I can't ignore your previous statement, nor can I neglect this matter." Riveria said as her eyes flashed
"What does your magic do? Explain yourself."
Since she had come all this way, she wasn't one to leave things half finished. She would push as much as she needed, a trait of hers that was well-known, perhaps even a trace of her Elven arrogance.
Finn cleared his throat, "Haha… please don't mind her tone…"
"I don't really mind. Explaining it now doesn't make a difference."
Silver smiled, he clapped his hands together, and his arms momentarily shone with light.
"I'll only say this once, so listen closely."
/Fwoop…/
Wisps of energy swirled around his arms, creating a strong vortex that caused the grass and their clothes to sway rapidly.
Grass was uprooted, Riveria's robe wavered around her, and everyone's hairs took to the wind as Gareth held his beard from slapping him in the face.
At the same time, not only Riveria, but Finn, Gareth, Ais, and the others went silent, all extremely interested in understanding what his magic truly was about.
Just what could justify it? Riveria thought as her eyes darted around every change within his skin. Magic able to perform such distinct functions while also being chantless, has there ever been such a convoluted mix?
If the Gods were here, how would they react to his words? She could imagine how Loki would act, without a doubt…
She once called Lefiya a cheat, so what did that say about Silver's abilities?
Meanwhile, Lefiya felt a chill run down her stomach, as if something extremely important to her was about to be taken away…
"My magic's called Magnum Opus Ambrosia." He said as he raised his arms, causing a burst of light to spread outward
"Hmm… Ambrosia…" Finn muttered as memories of the past ran past his eyes
Gareth seemed to notice that, as he too was caught up in the past at the name. Even Riveria was momentarily taken to the past, although she quickly shook her eyes as her thoughts returned to the present.
"!!"
Ais witnessed the grass around them transform. It grew larger, then shorter. Its color changed, from green to red, then blue and yellow…
The air became turbulent, even stronger currents blew her hair aside, and then it went still, as if they were inside a sealed cavern…
An orb of energy took shape in Silver's hands. A ball of fire, its heat strong and vivid… suddenly went cold, a ball of ice claiming its space…
/Crackle…/
Ice shattered, and from within, bolts of lightning sprang outward, ravaging the grass and their surroundings as they danced around them, but no one batted an eye… for they were too captivated by what was going on.
The ball of lightning transformed again, its surface rippled, and water floated between them before Silver threw it above them, having the ball burst as the light above shone down on them, casting a rainbow in the sky.
If that wasn't enough, he then gestured to the rainbow, and each streak of color flew by, striking a nearby tree like bullets, leaving flaming holes behind.
"My magic cannot be defined by itself. It is the ability to manipulate the elements through my body, and shape them into anything I deem fit as long as it's within my capabilities."
"My goddess likes to call it "monster magic", but the term isn't correct either. I prefer to call it… -Physical Magic-, if that makes any sense."
/Tremble…/
The ground shook, and before Silver, a sword of stone took shape.
He pulled it like a scene straight out of a fairy tale, the stone blade quickly turning into metal, which he then swung, causing it to shatter as it turned to sand…
"What I did before was just like now, simple applications." He finished as he turned to them with a gentle bow
"Once again, I apologize for my lies… I just thought that between trying to explain this and creating a small lie, things would flow smoother."
He smiled, "And I believe I was right, although I thought I'd be able to keep quiet for a few days more."
/Clap!/
He clapped his hands a second time, and all disturbances around them vanished as the grass returned to its previous form.
"What do you all think? I can explain it further if you want."
He jokingly coated each of his fingers with a different element, saying, "The power of nature at my fingertips!… Or something like that."
He gestured to the air, and a small, fairy-like creature flew around them, throwing glitter into the air before vanishing above Riveria's head.
""…""
What followed his display was a silence so strong Silver felt an invisible force push him back. Even Gareth, the one who was the calmest at all times, had his eyes open so wide Silver thought he could see through them.
Tione and Tiona showed similar reactions, their shock born from the same source as the others, but they displayed it in different ways.
The more mature sister thought about the repercussions of his little show. She knew better than to determine its functions from what he saw alone, knowing full well that such a casual action was not his true limit.
While the younger sister thought about the fairy tales she had read, finding this display as magical as when she first heard about them.
Ais' mouth stood agape. Just like when Lefiya first joined and she heard of her magic, Ais displayed her emotions in her usual deadpan gaze. But inside, her mouth went wild with excitement and curiosity.
What else could he show? She wondered. Could there truly be such magic? Yet she had been shocked time and time again, history replaying itself as what she thought impossible kept shattering, be it by Silver's hands, or those of her companions and the ones she met along her journey.
Lefiya's thoughts finally sorted as she realized the bad feeling she was having. Even if she hadn't recognized before, she now fully understood what Silver meant to her.
'M-My position is at grave risk!' She thought as she tried to keep herself calm as well. But unlike the sage who knew no impurity, she could not cast aside the visible emotions in her young eyes
Finn's forehead was tense as he too was beyond shocked by this revelation. He had the feeling, from the moment Riveria brought things up and confirmed his suspicions, that Silver was more than he showed.
And when he saw his conversation from afar with Riveria, that feeling only grew stronger, and now… he could barely contain it.
'Truly absurd.' He thought as he realized the intent hidden within Silver's display. His words were clear to him and the others… most of them at least
-I can do whatever I want- was what Finn interpreted from his theatrics.
Even then, he calmed himself down shortly after… However, perhaps the most affected by it all was the sage herself…
"… Can you do it again?" She asked as her gaze grew uncomfortably icy…
"Which part?"
"Everything."
"Haha…"
"Hm? What's happening?"
Before them, Silver slowly grew translucent as he touched the back of his head.
/Pop!/
With a light pop like wine being unsealed, Silver completely vanished, leaving them all in utter, bemused silence.
"… I think that's a no." Tiona pointed out as she looked around, unable to find him
"#!! Really?"
Riveria wasn't pleased. She came here to get answers, and all she got were more questions. Extremely pressing ones… And at the same time, she felt she was being played like a fiddle.
She felt Silver knew exactly how she and the others would react, and altered his performance so their reactions would be as extreme as possible… but for what? Just for the fun of it?
Just thinking about it reminded her of a certain someone. And as her blood pressure rose, Finn realized she was about to lose her well-kept composure and decided to give her some assistance, "Riveria… how about you come help me for a sec…"
But as she turned to face him, Finn realized things were really not going to be resolved so easily… With a helpless smile, he turned around and quickened his pace…
'Are you giving up?!' Lefiya thought as she saw Finn turn around in silence and leave
Finn knew better than to meddle around an upset High-Elf…
"… This was certainly… unexpected." Gareth added as a sigh escaped his lips
'I can already tell this is going to be an unusual expedition.'
But before the others could say anything, he too stepped aside… "Well, I'm going to go help Finn with uh… whatever he's doing."
""…""
'You're running away too??' The girls thought as Gareth turned around and ran after Finn
"… Sigh, it's been a while since I got this upset over anything." Riveria said as she crossed her arms
Her gaze fell on the others, "For now, it would be best if we kept this between ourselves. You all remember how it was when Lefiya joined in, and we can't have something like that happen now, not in this expedition."
It was hard to say how she truly felt as her tone went back to normal almost too fast… "I'll go tend to my duties… and if any of you see him, tell him I'm looking for him." She added before going on her way.
""…""
/Thud…/
As soon as her master left, Lefiya fell to her knees in a dramatic manner, "It's over now… the Thousand Elf… is no more… now I'm just a copycat, and the true Thousand Elf… turned out to be the Thousand Human."
"I don't think it's that big of a deal… your magic doesn't change just because he has something similar." Tiona pointed out as she tapped her head
"It does! It isn't "unique" anymore!" She claimed as she jumped towards Tiona, her face pressing into hers as the latter stepped back awkwardly
"I… I think you're taking this too seriously…"
But when the girls thought they were alone… "Is she gone?"
"KYAAA!"
Silver reappeared behind Lefiya, scaring her so much that she jumped forward, falling face-first on the ground.
Even Ais showed a reaction, putting her hand on her chest and sighing quietly as she kept her composure…
As Lefiya embarrassed herself, he stretched his arms and back, "Phew… I feel so much better now."
'No more secrets. It doesn't feel bad not having to worry about it for once. I can finally just be and do as I was always meant to be. The only reason I ever hid was simply because I didn't want to be forcibly scouted by other deities.'
'Gods have a tendency to force others to comply with their whimsical desires. Now all I have to do is dump it all on Loki…'
Back on the surface, Loki felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if someone had just scammed her…
"You… didn't you leave?" Tione asked as a bead of sweat fell from her cheeks
'He completely vanished and reappeared?'
Silver tilted his head with a light scoff, "I never left. What did you expect? For me to vanish and reappear somewhere else?" He asked as he waved his hands around.
"Yeah… that's a bit much…"
'But for a moment, that's exactly what I thought you did.'
"So you… turned invisible? Like in the tales?! That's so cool!… And a bit creepy?"
Looking at Tiona's expression, Silver clarified, "Just so you know, in this life, I haven't peeked on anyone bathing… the message you gave me last time was clear enough."
"I'm glad you still remember that."
Silver smiled awkwardly, "That aside, I suppose now we wait?"
Tione crossed his arms, "If you're talking about the expedition, then yes. We'll continue later today so we can camp our first night in the next safe zone... it's the standard procedure." She replied as she looked at the hill where Riveria and the others had walked through just now.
"If it were just us, we would already be there, but the deeper we go, the larger each floor gets, and crossing even a single floor may take hours on end even for us. We need to rest if we want to make the journey."
"That's pretty cool. Share some stories about the Lower Floors some other time, I've always been curious about them."
'I'm quite keen on listening to another's perspective. There's still a lot I want to learn about the Dungeon itself.'
With a reassuring smile, Silver walked away, planning to do something else to pass the time…
"… Are you really going to ignore what just happened?" Tione asked as she touched her forehead
Besides her, Ais and Lefiya nodded fervently, while Tiona smiled awkwardly.
"Ignore what?"
"Everything you just said!"
"If you mean my magic, what else do you want?"
"Well…"
Tione looked to the side as if asking for support from the others, and Tiona finally stepped forward as if waiting for this moment.
"Show me something cool!"
"I wasn't going to suggest that… but fine… show us something cool mister manipulator of magic." Tione added as a smirk formed on her lips
Silver looked at her with a faint smile. He looked around and thought for a moment before taking an apple from his pocket space.
He held them before her, and slowly, his skin shone as the apple's red skin changed colors, quickly turning into a bright… golden sheen!
"Ta-da~… People say creating gold is the greatest feat in alchemy, I think its quite simple." He silently bragged as he rose his nose slightly
Lefiya's eyes were about to pop out from their sockets as she looked at his hands, "… Did you just turn this apple into gold?"
"I did, pretty cool, right?"
'And horrendously taxing. I need to drink a potion or I'll faint in a minute or two…' He thought as cold sweat pooled on his back
"It's not exactly pure gold either…" He clarified as he toyed with the apple, "The inside is also mostly hollow because of uh… physics."
"You'll have to melt it to gain any value out of it…"
'I feel like I'm back in the village all over again.'
While Tiona looked at the golden apple in a mix of awe and confusion, her sister stepped forward, "Just… what exactly is your magic?"
"Didn't I just say? It's the direct manipulation of magic power through my body." He said as he caused a bolt of lightning to jump from one hand to the other
She shook her head, "I don't get that jargon. What I'm asking is what can you do? Do you throw fireballs, heal others, or something else? Just what can you DO?"
Silver scratched his head, "I guess I'd be mostly limited by my creativity. But let me be even clearer… this isn't your traditional magic… You see, I can't cast magic the same way others do."
He touched his chest, "I was born with a bodily condition that prevents me from casting magic. I lived my entire life struggling to even cast the most basic of Congenital spells taught to me by my grandma."
"I underwent countless rituals and training sessions to comprehend ancient spellcasting, yet I can't cast the most basic spell. If I try, I'lll immediately fall into Mind Zero."
Lefiya's eyes popped open, "You know Congenital magic too?!"
Silver shrugged, "It's not that complicated. It's mostly a matter of innate talent and, uh… money."
"It's not about money!" She retorted as she puffed her cheeks, "It's a noble art that has been preserved throughout the centuries and created through the consort of the ancient spirits and elvenkind!"
"I never said it wasn't, you just need the wealth to be eligible to practice it. If you aren't born with the right traits, you can't practice it. If you don't have the money to follow through with the rituals, then you cannot practice it either…"
"Without a tutor to push you down the path and condition you and all that, its a pipe dream... as they say…"
Silver then rubbed the golden apple on his chest before throwing it at Lefiya, "But I think we're going off topic."
"What I want to say is that with a body like this, the 'magic' I perform cannot be so easily likened to what others do. Does that make a bit more sense now?"
"I guess?"
"You'll understand more of it as we go, I'm certain of it." He said as he stepped back, "I'll uh… go rest for a while. I haven't had a moment to sit down since we entered the Dungeon."
As if running away from a crime scene, Silver quickened his steps as he ran uphill, "See you all later." He said with a thin smile as he left.
Ais tried to reach out to him, her questions still plenty, but let him go. Her own consciousness pulled her hand back, knowing she might've already asked too much of him for a day.
"… I still don't get it." Tione said with a sigh as she scratched her head
"He's just putting on airs, humph!"
Tiona smilled, "Don't be like that, Lefiya. He won't replace you just because his magic is better."
Lefiya pouted, tears in her eyes, "It's not better!! Mnnnn… not like this!" She exclaimed as she ran away.
Seeing this, Tione sighed.
"Great, now Lefiya's upset too. Good job, Tiona."
"It was just a joke. She'll be fine… I think…"
As Tiona regretted her words, Tione continued, "Well then, should we leave too, or are you going to continue whatever you were doing on your own?"
"… Let's leave."
Ais needed some time to think as well.
…
/Gulp…/
"Haa… my head hurts…"
Throwing his empty potion bottle away, he licked his lips before spitting on the ground, 'Next time, I won't show off as much…'
"Hm… I feel better then I expected."
'It seems my new Skill is already showing its effects. It's hard to quantify how much it enhances them, but the potion's effects have been improved significantly.'
After wipping his lips, Silver made his way back to camp, but instead of walking into it, he walked around its edges, going back to where he came before, the 17th Floor.
"I've had enough of playing house, I need to stretch a bit."
'I've been itching to test my strength after my last Status update. If I mean to Rank Up after this expedition, then I need to make every second count!'
'What reason would there be to rush a Rank-Up if my stats could still be raised within a few days of work?'
"… Onwards."
Silver stepped forward, braving the Dungeon yet again.
…
/Splat!/
"… The difference sure is substantial."
'I noticed this on the way, but my Plasmids are far more responsive than before.' He thought as he pulled his feet from the frozen ground
Before him, a burst of ice spikes rose from the earth, puncturing a dozen hellhounds, some of which were still breathing.
'It's not nearly enough to be comparable to the effects of Level 2 magic, but I've cast aside the initial weakness they possessed.'
'Unless I poured in too much effort, my Plasmids' effects will always be a step below ordinary magic. It is common for magic to be less effective the quicker it is to cast, but abnormal cases like Ais' Ariel are everywhere.'
'My Plasmids, however, were not like that. Their strength came from creative applications rather than direct confrontations, and I still believe that to be the case.'
'And while I may give the impression that my magic is instantaneous, that couldn't be further from the truth. Altering my body takes time, sometimes just as long as chanting.'
"… But I'm getting there."
/ROAAARR!/
The Dungeon never rested, and as soon as Silver eliminated a group of monsters, another quickly made its way to him.
The ground shook as their cries rang in the caverns… before long, a wave of minotaurs breached through the darkness, dashing in his direction.
Like a brown wall of fur and muscles, they mowed down everything in their path!
"Just in time, I was itching to try this again."
'Condense power… and release it all at once!'
/Glimmer…/
The cavern trembled as Silver's hand shone.
/Splat…/
His fingers split open with a wet sound, parting along their length as skin and flesh folded back and exposed bone. The joints twisted, stretching past their limits, then locking into place as the shape of his hand broke apart.
His flesh pulled forward, not tearing apart as it moved along his wrist as if alive.
Muscle unwound into strands, coiling and tightening as they extended beyond his palm. The mass thickened, smoothing into a cylindrical form as veins dragged themselves outward, stretching and binding everything together.
The arm reshaped into a living barrel.
/Ignite!/
His veins lit up, a glow surging through them, racing from his shoulder down into the construct. The vessels swelled as the light intensified, turning his blood bright enough to shine through the thin layers of exposed tissue.
At the center, a sac of skin formed and expanded between the curling strands, pulsing and expanding with each pump. Inside, his blood churned, dense and incandescent, pressing against the membrane as if it might tear through at any moment.
"Aim…"
/ROAAR!/
Across the cavern, the minotaurs roared and charged. Stone cracked under their feet as they lowered their horns and closed the distance, their massive forms shaking the cavern with each step.
Their shoulders crashed against the walls, shattering stone. Their arms pushed aside boulders and stretched the confines of the caverns like derailed trains running down everything too unfortunate to remain in their path.
Silver did not move, closing one eye, he aimed forward, "… Fire!"
The sac collapsed inward… and for a brief instant, everything around his hand pulled tight, as if drawn toward a single point.
/BLAST!/
A blast tore forward from his arm, a concentrated stream of burning matter that ripped through the air and struck the first Minotaur head-on. Its body seized mid-stride as its flesh blackened and split, exposing bone before the structure gave out entirely.
The force carried through, the second creature was caught behind it, its torso breaking apart under the impact as fire spread through it from within.
/BURN!/
The blast continued deeper into the cavern, carving a glowing path through stone and bodies alike.
Fire surged outward along the path of the shot, flooding the cavern and clinging to every surface it touched. The air thickened, heat pressing in from all sides as burning debris and ash scattered across the ground.
As the fire consumed all, Silver recovered his balance, the recoil of the shot sending him sliding back and dislocating his shoulder, which he promptly popped back into place without a single wince of pain.
/Shaa…/
His arm convulsed as smoke rose from his hand and shoulders, a large hole in his back closing as smoke poured from within.
/Clack… splat…/
The structure collapsed as the barrel unraveled, strands retracting and pulling back into his body. Bone softened and shifted, joints snapping back into place as skin stretched over them again.
The hand reformed, but not cleanly, his fingers twitched as they settled, slightly misaligned before correcting themselves, although sometimes he had to force them back into place.
A faint glow still lingered beneath the skin, pulsing weakly through his veins.
Shaking the smoke off his hand, Silver observed his progress, "The first two died instantly, but the rest are still alive, with the last one only mildly injured."
'This power is far beyond what a Level 1 should've been able to produce, and has already reached the realm of a Level 2… albeit not without cost.'
Silver looked at his hand, bruised and black, and felt the lingering headache of overextension… and couldn't help but smile.
The greater the pain, the greater the progress. In a world where the Gods themselves pushed their chosen to uncover the darkest secrets of legend, whatever didn't kill you… only made you stronger.
For as embarrassing as admitting that was, it was something thought of with pride. If Hestia were to listen to his thoughts, just how embarrassed would she be?
Like a playable character boasting about the player's skill, was this perhaps how the Gods would interpret his actions?
/Gulp!/
/Crash!/
Amidst the pain and excitement of his visible progress, Silver stepped forward into the darkness once more, seeking even greater challenges, leaving behind an empty bottle as it shattered in the charred ground.
…
/Clang!/
The cavern shook as the minotaur charged. Its feet crushed the uneven stone beneath them, horns lowered as it drove straight toward Silver with enough force to pierce steel and shatter iron.
Silver stepped aside at the last possible moment, letting the horn pass just short of his chest. His eyes followed the creature's footing as it forced itself into a turn, its weight dragging behind its motion.
/Crash!/
Its right horn punctured onto the Dungeon's walls, but in a display of barbaric might, it roared in defiance, carving a path through the wall as it turned to face him, swinging its crooked blade in his direction with nothing but brute force.
'Too slow. It can be far faster.' Silver thought as he shifted his weight, driving his heel into its ankle
/SLAM!/
The joint bent under the impact, throwing the Minotaur off balance as its spin collapsed into a stagger.
"ROAAAR!"
Its roar rose immediately, louder and harsher, as it swung its arm in a wide arc desperately. But to its actions, all Silver did was sigh.
He ducked beneath it and struck its ribs twice in quick succession with his elbow, both blows landing in the same place, driving the air out of its lungs, but still not enough to cause significant damage.
The minotaur froze as it gasped for air, bloodshot eyes falling onto the creature underneath its jaw as its free hand twitched, itching to rip him apart.
"You can do better than that… Mino-Tan."
"Hu… huuu… Roaaaaarrr!!"
The words came out steady, almost casual manner as the minotaur answered with another charge.
/BOOM!/
Its hands slammed onto the ground, shattering it as its momentum grew to an unbelievable level. This time, the turn came faster, so fast Silver barely had the time to react, yet it still wasn't enough to touch him.
It pushed itself off the ground and covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye, yet Silver already predicted its brutish movements.
Silver stepped forward instead of away, letting the horn puncture and phase through his shoulder as if it were made of air. And as the beast ran through, his hand pushed against the creature's neck, guiding the motion.
He twisted with it, forcing its momentum into a tighter arc while its bare feet scraped against the stone as it tried to keep up.
"You can't just charge like that, you've done that ten times already… be a little more creative."
The Minotaur adjusted mid-motion as compressed air escaped its nostrils... and for a brief instant, its balance held as it managed to do something most minotaurs utterly could not do… stop their charge.
"Huff!"
The beast slowly turned to face him, its eyes staring down at him from above as its ragged breathing caused the surrounding air to weave in and out.
Silver raised an eyebrow at this, "Alright… maybe this isn't a hopeless endeavour after all. You are learning!"
'I wonder if training alone caused this, or if I should give credit to the magic stones I've been feeding it these past few days. Its strength has noticeably risen, but only now have its movements taken a turn for the better.'
'My earlier experience with Ais has taught me a lot. I ended up learning quite a bit from observing her then I expected… as they say, teaching one can often serve as a learning experience for yourself.'
Rather than fear or any expected emotion, Silver only felt immense awe and curiosity at the beast before him. He wondered just how much more it could grow and how much he could push it…
Knowing the slumbering potential of monsters, he wondered if he could induce it 'artificially', and what other secrets the Dungeon had injected into their form.
/Growl…/
The beast hesitated, but the pause was small, almost imperceptible. Its breathing shifted, uneven, as if it had begun to listen rather than simply react instinctively.
The tyrant of the Middle Floors… was forced to think for the first time. It was weak and nearly incoherent, but the seed of an ego had taken root within its bulk, and right now…
It wanted nothing but to shatter the being before it.
"HUFF!"
It breathed down hard through its nostrils, almost pushing Silver back from the air pressure alone.
To reciprocate its feelings, and as a kind gesture, Silver vanished, slamming his foot into its knee. The joint gave away once more, and the creature dropped heavily to the ground.
"ROAAAAAAARRR!"
The minotaur's might roar, able to knock out Level 1 adventurers, phased through him, but all it did was rile up Silver's heart even more.
"Don't be such a crybaby." He said as he held onto its horn, slamming its face against the Dungeon's walls and kicking it deeper inside
"... Come on!" He pleaded, "Get angry!"
Silver took a large magic stone from his pocket space and shoved it down its teeth as the beast stood still.
/Crack…/
The Minotaur slowly pushed itself back up, turning to face him as its crooked blade dragged across the floor, now sharper and faster than before.
Its teeth shattered the magic stone, devouring it with a single mouthful.
…
/BAM!/
Hedin was flung outward towards the flowery hill, crashing into it like a comet, spreading durst and petals everywhere in a beautiful yet tragic display of elegance and defeat.
His clothes and appearance in tatters, his opponent stepped before him… rapier in hand.
"You did not disappoint me, Hedin. Had we been around the same level, I'm afraid this battle wouldn't have ended in this manner."
Hedin pushed himself from the ground without a sound, his pride swallowing all echoes of pain within himself as he used his staff to get to his feet, "And you… are just as skilled as I've heard."
'I knew there were skilled ones amongst the High Elves, but I completely underestimated the tales.'
'Someone who has dedicated time longer than I've been alive to his craft. It is truly worthy of respect. It is a complete form that differed from his.'
Hedin thought of Ottar's absolute defense, the very goal he wished to one day shatter. In this modern world, few were the things able to bypass it.
Be it the golden mane lion's blade, or the greatest beasts of the Dungeon, only those posed a chance at overcoming the carefully built barrier Ottar built over decades of training and experience.
And what he saw today was merely a glimpse of this man's form, neither defense nor power, a type of absolute certainty that could not be contained by either, something that if he were to define in words, then it'd be akin to an absolute fluidity.
Someone who stood between power and defense, yet could display both at once at will, the pinnacle of swordsmanship just as Riveria was the pinnacle of magic.
Aetos sheathed his rapier amidst Hedin's thoughts, "Let us cease this spar for today, we've already caused enough damage as it is. I wouldn't want to impose any more than this."
He then smiled as he looked at Hedin, "We shall continue it some other time. I can see you aren't satisfied with just this much, and I wouldn't dare leave you without a resolution."
Hedin tried his best to adjust his clothing, focusing mostly on his hair and glasses as he dusted his shirt.
His expression, albeit cold, carried a tone of displeasure, one he hid as much as he could, "… I shall hold on to it."
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Now then… it seems those two aren't as worried."
In the distance, the once colorful gardens of Folkvangr had been razed to dirt. The surrounding hills of the white temple where the champions of the Freya Familia trained every day had been carved and blown to pieces.
Two afterimages could be seen rampaging through the remnants of the flower fields, a sharp silvery shadow moved along the hills like a thunderbolt, and a tall iron boulder deflected its charges, swinging its large blade.
/CLANG!/
/SLASH!/
However, amidst the onslaught of the white thunder, the boulder was slowly being chipped away, piece by piece…
"… He's as incredible as I've heard. The fastest of Orario… It seems our Helle has finally found his match."
The High Elf seemed pleased with this development. The greater his subordinate's struggle, the better his mood seemed to grow.
"How difficult it is to find proper opponents these days." He said with a sigh as he put his arms behind his back, "You won't believe the trouble we went through to get him to that Level."
His eyes turned distant as he thought of their many years out there, of their numerous clashes in the far North, not only within the great forbidden regions but within the School District itself.
"From hunting monsters to invading nations. We sought every hint of powerful enemies… and I'm afraid that has left a sizeable gap in his skills."
He turned to face Allen, "I can see that child has trained to face both men and monsters alike, especially men, which is exactly what our Helle needs."
"Just training with our own has its limits. Someone unknown, whose tricks pierce through his barriers… that's what is needed for him to take the next step."
Hedin said nothing as the battle ensued, perhaps agreeing in his own manner, for he had experienced that very same truth moments before.
Instead, his gaze fell on the surroundings, and how much damage the two of them had caused.
Compared to his clash with Aetos, which had been contained and, from his own perspective, "classy", this battle was nothing more than a street brawl, lacking any resemblance to structure and form.
He despised it, cleaning this mess alone would take precious time he could be spending literally anywhere else. And if wasting time was in the top ten greatest things that pissed him off, then cleaning after someone else's mess was in the top three.
Aetos checked the time by turning his head towards the horizon. In the extreme distance, hidden amidst the thousands of buildings of the city, he spotted a single clock tower breaking through the jungle of stone.
The ringing of bells signalized the passage of another hour… "… It's about time we ended this. If we're late for lunch, Lord Deucalion will nag at us again."
He stepped forward, and in a display of immense speed, vanished from Hedin's sight. The sudden burst of movement left Hedin in a gasp as his pupils narrowed, his head jerking to the side as he tried to catch up with him.
'So he was hiding his true speed all this time?!'
With such speed, which was even enough to surprise him, might even be slightly above that of Ottar's.
Martial arts honed to their absolute maximum, together with ridiculously high stats and developed Skills, made Hedin question whether or not he could defeat him.
For all his pride, Hedin was perhaps the one among all members of the Freya Familia who understood the limits of his own abilities, recognizing what he could and could not do.
And in the face of the unknown power he had just been shown, he questioned if his nurtured power was enough to contend with this unknown variable… it had to be, and if it wasn't enough, he was going to nurture it further.
To become the ultimate champion, he would defeat all competitors, within or outside his Familia.
/PIERCE!/
"I've had enough of this! DIE!"
/Grab!/
Allen's spear suddenly came to a halt as Aetos grasped it from the side.
"YOU!"
/Fwoosh!/
But before Allen could react, a hand reached for his face, pushing him back and onto the ground!
/SMASH!/
As Allen's head was buried in the dirt, Aetos finished his chant, "~Lethe Catapasis."
/Flash!/
The purplish magic circle flared beneath him, golden glints of light dancing amidst the runes.
"Ugh… huff…"
The berserk Allen momentarily flailed his arms around, but only for a second, for he slept the second after.
"A feral cat that has never been taught manners… the Gods do have varied preferences, even amidst the strangest of things."
He turned to Helle, "We're done here. Time to pack up."
Helle pulled back his blade, his bloodied face from a cut on his forehead, relaxing, "I apologize; he proved a far greater foe than I anticipated. His speed alone overwhelmed me."
"There's no need to lower your head, victory or defeat, success and failure, are all parts of learning." Aetos added as he pulled his hand from Allen's face
He then looked around and then back at Allen, "We should take our leave before he wakes up."
"Understood."
As Helle lifted his blade and walked away, rallying the other silent members of the Deucalion Familia, Aetos turned to face Hedin.
"Until our next encounter… just send us the bill later if needed." He finished with a smirk and a chuckle as he followed behind the others
Tension hung in the air as they left. Freya's children glared at them as they left, a mix of emotions, now even a tint of respect, while those of Deucalion did the same, albeit not as carefree as before.
The arrogance each of them carried had been slightly washed off, and now, they each carried a bit of respect for the other… just a bit.
/Step…/
"Should I go heal him now?"
A beautiful girl in a white and red apron, akin to a nurse's dress, stepped behind Hedin.
Her long, unique, light-red hair, almost pink, was tied behind her back in ponytails, reaching her elbows as she stood with her hands crossed before her.
If not for her tired, dead eyes, she would've been yet another incredible beauty, but she didn't seem to have the energy to bother about her looks.
Her tone carried indifference, as if she couldn't wait to leave, yet she stood there, determined to go through with her duty.
(Image)
"No." Hedin replied without hesitation, "Leave him there until he gets up himself."
He turned around and walked past her, "The longer he stays sleeping, the better my day will become. With Hogni away too, I couldn't be more satisfied." He added with a stoic expression devoid of emotion.
"Once he wakes up and realizes the embarrassment he has gone through and brought to her name, perhaps he'll leave on his own, never to return… if only…"
"I see…"
'But didn't you lose too?… Should I ask if he needs healing too?'
But with Hedin already away, she only sighed and left as well, not giving Allen a single extra glance.
'Perhaps with this, these idiots will stop fighting for a while… haa, I'm dead tired…' She thought as she walked away
And with that, silence returned to Freya's most sacred temple, and the goddess who watched it all unfold… smiled.
The same couldn't be said about her companion… witnessing her smile fade right before his eyes, Deucalion tensed as the fickle Goddess of love watched his every expression.
"I won't hold it against you, Deucalion. Our children often do strange things, leave it to them to deal with their own issues."
Freya laughed internally, 'If she were still here, would she scorn me or praise me for my words? I'd rather not think about her, of all people…'
"I appreciate it. My child… was simply too marked by their actions. For decades he's been utterly unable to forget them, carrying their philosophy to this very day."
"He'll continue to challenge your children time and time again, I hope you do not hold it against him. He means no harm, for all he desires is for others to grow alongside him also… for despite his acting, he too is extremely lonely."
She waved her hand, "I already said I won't hold it against you. I know how it is since I was there back then too, so let's cast aside these trifling emotions and look at the future instead."
Her eyes flashed with light, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm very busy, so I'll ask you to leave me be."
Deucalion bowed faintly, "It was a pleasure seeing you as well after so long, Lady Freya."
As he left, Freya's faint smile decayed into a stoic expression as she called upon the darkness, "Ottar."
"Yes."
A translucent mirror, akin to a fracture in reality, flickered before her once again, showing a sky-high view of her temple, "Go back to Folkvangr and help them sort their mess."
"Also, don't forget to give them a stern reminder of the rules." She said as her eyes grew fierce, "I'll tolerate it this time, never again."
She smiled faintly as her gaze fell on the mirror… "And don't take too long, it's almost time." She said as the mirror flickered, going back to the Dungeon.
Glancing at the mirror for a moment, Ottar bowed, "Understood."
…
.
.
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Notes
This chapter used to be over 15K words long, but I had to cut it since it didn't fit in.
I wanted to add a lot of things at once so we could have longer stretches of content, but here I am being forced to splice it.
I hope you enjoyed this half-what chapter. We're probably in the upper half of this arc, which will end in one last epic battle before Silver's eventual level up and return to the ordinary canon... that will probably change a lot as we go.
Expect at least two more major battles from here on.
Peace!