Chapter 189: Enlightening

Chapter 189: Enlightening

Chapter 189 - Enlightening

Relaxed in a comfy armchair, Kai smelled the sweet scent of coral flowers. The sun filtered through the matte windows, suffusing the hall in a warm light. Pictures of natural landscapes hung on the cream walls, and an unseen harpist played a tune in the background.

He had to admit the House of Enlightenment could almost justify its price tag. Built to combine coziness and sophistication, the dampening arrays blocked any trace of the clatter and noise of the city outside.

There was no sign of the screams, blood and stench that were sure to inhabit the building.

From the lowest peasants to queens and emperors, The House of Enlightenment offered assistance for a fundamental step in everyones lifefor those who could pay. If the receptionist was to be believed, they had been offering their services for over three thousand years.

It had been the talk of the capital when they opened a branch in the archipelago. A sign of civilization. Highly experienced staff and the best facilities to ensure a pleasant transition to a higher state of being. Across Talthen the House of Enlightenment brings the process of advancing down to an art.

Fliers and announcers had flooded every corner of the inner city for a week. It had a bit of a pompous name for a place where people came to progress their race. When Flynn finally hit the end of Orange, they decided to check what the fuss was about. Better than using their house or a patch of shrubbery.

Pity. That would have been fun to watch.

While enhancing wasnt as bad as advancing to another grade, no one would call it pleasant. Gross, messy and excruciatingly painful, maybe, but not pleasant.

And still, people would give anything to reach it sooner.

He was no exception. With the second milestone of Gifted Novice, which doubled down on the skills over level 50, his mana skills had progressed smoothly. He had made decent strides towards Yellow and kept alive the flickering hope of advancing before fourteen. It was possible teaching someone else helped too. Virya always said how it offered new perspectives.

How long is he going to take?

Waiting for Flynns return, Kai broke the seal of the letter he had gotten this morning. His mom hadnt stopped writing just because they could talk every two weeks. The pages were brimming with her neat writing.

The pregnancy was going well. The baby was due in a month, and Ele had gone to live on her own to free her room. They were all excited, but that wasnt the main piece of news.

Kea had celebrated her fourteenth birthday, breaking the Second Seal she became an adult. To no ones surprise, she had chosen a hunting profession. Moui beamed with pride, though his mom didnt say anything about herself.

Hmm Did she still hope Kea would choose a safer career?

While Kea was never going to settle for a crafting path, she seemed to have calmed down a little. With a relaxed sigh, Kai put the letter away and basked in the serene atmosphere of the House of Enlightenment. Things were going well.

Flynn emerged accompanied by a motherly woman in a staff uniform. He had a brilliant smile, his skin glowed and his eyes zipped around. Unused to his new Strength, his steps took him further, hopping instead of walking.

Ahhhhh They grow up so fast.

A little pride swelled in his chest. Despite his dramatic complaints, Flynn had taken the training seriously, eager to leave behind the profession that had been imposed on him.

As Kai stood up to meet them, the staff member fired up a selling pitch. The sudden increase in attributes can be a lot to take in. We can shorten the adjustment period by weeks. Trust us, the House has been doing it for millennia.

Sure Do you just charge gold, or do you take kidneys as well? With people on the high of their new grade, they must make a killing.

I think Im good, maam. Flynn turned her down, his words noticeably faster than usual.

Maybe theres hope for him.

Are you sure we cant interest you in any of our services? The woman showed a little disappointment, like a mother who saw a stubborn son making the wrong decision. We have the best gyms and instructors to get used to the change. We also hired a chef. Getting accustomed to your new Perception can be tricky without help.

You have snacks?

Thank you. Were fine. Kai stepped between them. He wasnt about to buy whatever overpriced smoothie or magical cracker they sold. Wed love to stay, but we have another appointment. Im sure well find plenty to eat along the way. He said, seeing Flynns pleading look.

It will just take a moment. We can package our best samples. We have a manual with useful exercises to practice at home. Theyve all been perfected through the millennia. You wont find

They do love to say that.

Were already running late. Maybe next time. Kai fended off the assault of products and dragged Flynn out.

His friend was still in his own world, gawking at every potted plant and tile as if he had never seen one before. The rush of stats could be inebriating, but Kai was starting to suspect it was more than the euphoria of a new grade.

Did they drug him? They must have given him something to help the pain. Or is it a profession skill?

The last months had been a painful reminder of how quickly he could burn through his savings. He had dipped his toe in the circle of private sellers of Higharbor and redefined his idea of wealth. There was a whole world of luxury goods if you had the right contacts. They needed to save money for what really mattered like the potions to boost Mana Sense.

Come back from the moons. Kai pulled Flynn out of the way of another pedestrian. The woman murmured something about drunken teenagers. How are you feeling?

What the fuck!

The soil was crumbly in this area, but still. If he had been hit it would have been more than a scrape. The dagger had been reduced to a few chips of wood.

Sorry, Flynn yelled, then his voice lowered in embarrassment. I'm still not used to my mana and Strength.

Oh, youll be sorry soon!

Kai drew on his elemental reserves, condensing and freezing blobs of water with a gesture. The volley of ice shards shot in the voices direction. Each one was no bigger than his pinky, blunt and fragile. They couldnt break a bone, but theyd hurt like Kahalis wrath if they hit the gaps in the armor.

The underbrush was shredded by the horizontal hail. Leaves and bark rained down, and Kai heard a satisfying yelp of pain.

I said I was sorry. It was an honest mistake! Flynn sounded indignant, the echo of his voice moved rapidly.

Just making sure youll remember the lesson.

I made a mistake too! I thought youd dodge since were in the same grade and all.

Flynn didnt rise to the bait and remained silent. If he made any sound at all, the far waves and caws of seabirds covered him. They were both unwilling to lose and playing it cautiously. If either of them failed to estimate their strength difference incorrectly and committed to an attack, theyd lose.

Where did you run?

Usually, Kai would chase him after the initial strike, but this was uncharted territory. Could he catch up to him? With the bubble of Mana Sense around him, he might corner his opponent, which made it tempting. Though running on the uneven terrain would leave him open to ambushes too.

So damn annoying.

Kai stayed put, counting Flynn would be impatient for a confrontation on the back of his enhancement. He was right. Wooden daggers shot out of the underbrush, aimed at his chest and back protections.

The projectiles were fast, but they didnt have the same destructive power as the first one. Kai pushed aside his pride and used Hallowed Intuition to evade them. The volleys of projectiles he sent in response didnt have any more luck in hitting, but he knew Flynn would run out of throwing knives before he ran out of mana.

Guess he had some sense in saying you can never have enough daggers.

He could think only of one way he could lose. Thats why when Flynn Dashed from a tree covered in Shadow, Kai was expecting him. The magic shroud was patchy and ineffective against his high-level Mana Sense.

It was more than the increase in Spirit and Mind could achieve, the sneaky punk must have trained in secret. Since he didnt think Flynn would be capable of casting a spell in a fight, he gave him an extra instant to commend the effort, then he pelted him with water bullets.

Got him.

Defying common sense, Flynn twisted in midair and managed to dodge most of the grapeshot if not for a few hits on his armor. He kicked a palm trunk and redirected his momentum away with a somersault, hiding again in the shrubbery.

Come play with me, you coward! Kai yelled to little effect. Sometimes he regretted not having taken Acrobatics too. Hed give it some thought when he reached Yellow.

There are never enough skill slots.

What followed was a series of more desperate attempts to close the distance. Flynn was indecently fast, using Enhanced Dash and his Dexterity to move in unpredictable ways. But Kai had no blind spots with Mana Sense. He could conjure an attack or a shield from any angle. While Water wasnt the most offensive element, it was flexible and could slow down his opponent.

Ive got a pillow if you need to cry. Kai strolled around the trees. Dont be shy, if you come out now, Ill buy you an ice cream.

Is it wrong that Im enjoying this so much?

Hallowed Intuition whispered, he avoided another dagger. The metal glinted past him and embedded in a tree, it was one of Flynns main weapons. The twin blade followed soon after, in a desperate throw with more Strength than finesse.

Kai relaxed slightly. He had been counting and was certain Flynn had no more knives to Throw. Ready to give up? You gave it a good try.

Ive still won. Maybe I shouldnt gloat, but

A swirl of Shadows entered his range behind him. The shroud was far less patchy than the first one, losing Kai a moment before he noticed it. Surprise cost him another. He hastily cast a volley of bullets.

Flynn Dashed out of the way, faster than he had ever moved before. He zigzagged, using the trees to take sharp turns. Dodged the second volley and took the third head-on. It slowed him down, not enough for a fourth.

Shit

Flynn tackled Kai on the ground. The impact punched the breath out of him. He flared Empower, flailing to push him off. He conjured a hasty Water spell, but they were too close to be effective. He needed a moment to focus and find leverage.

A hand grabbed his exposed wrist. Got you, Flynn grinned triumphantly.

A possibility made its way through his mind. Kai knew he had fucked up. Shadow cloaks must not have been the only thing he had practiced. The grasp was too strong to free himself in time. A second later, Lightning coursed through his body.