Chapter 12: Secrets of Storage

Chapter 12: Secrets of Storage

Over the next week, the Heirs settled into their new routine - a run before dawn while scouting out the far shore, then taking on any necessary tasks in the morning, before using the afternoon to practice. Theyd spent the evenings socializing with each other and the villagers, and were starting to get used to the slower, but constant, pace of village life.

The food wasnt as fancy or as heavily spiced as it tended to be back in Gemore. Regardless, Nathan found himself preferring to be away from the Adventurers Guild and its gossip. Like hed noticed before - it provided a more relaxed atmosphere that soothed all of them, made Nathans meditation easier, and made him more comfortable parceling out all of his biochemistry knowledge into his Memory Palace.

At first, theyd been expecting to need to do more - but eventually it sunk in that the Heirs were here as a contingency, to have a combat-capable team ready to defend the bridge if needed. The Agmon legionaries never showed up, and nothing happened that demanded their attention. If theyd had the ability to send and receive [Messages] it might have been a different story. They might have been informed of things that needed doing in nearby villages. But nothing came up in Bridgeguard itself, and nobody arrived with orders to the contrary.

So, they leaned into their practice. One afternoon, Aarl, Khachi and Nathan were practicing advancing under heavy ranged attack - Sarah was using her old-fashioned arsenal to imitate a dozen bowmen, while Stella was filling the air with elemental attacks. It wasnt Aarl or Khachis favorite kind of practice, but it was necessary given some of the things they might face. Stella was tearing up the forest, but they were some distance into the forest outside Bridgeguard and had confirmed nobody was around.

Afterwards, Aarl was slumped against a shattered tree, panting as Khachi pulled a wooden splinter from his leg and healed the wound. He looked up at Stella and gestured around at the carnage. How much mana do you have? This has to take more than you should have at our level. Especially since youre the lowest level of all of us.

Stella looked sheepishly around at the devastated forest. More than Im supposed to have, yup. She looked down at her feet, kicking one heel with the other. I think its time to hear that secret spoken aloud. I I know enough of your secrets. She looked up, eyes noting Khachi, Sarah and Aarl before coming to rest on Nathan. And you dont know mine.

Everybody looked up at her words. Sarah had been about to give Nathan shit for being hit by a few arrows, but she closed her mouth and wiped the sardonic grin away. Khachi finished healing Aarl and sat down next to the wiry man, crossing his arms and paying undivided attention to the short mage.

Stella continued tossing her staff nervously, eyes flitting around. She spoke hesitantly, but she spoke. Theres a Talent I have. [Mana Transfer]. It lets me transfer mana in and out of materials capable of mana storage. She picked at her green robe, the heavily enchanted one that shed been wearing for almost all of the time Nathan had known her. It had been carefully repaired after shed been injured by the Last Dungeon of Old Gemore, but was still replete with dimensional pockets.

Her tone was uncertain but growing firmer as she kept up the explanation. Just before the Solstice, I Developed it into [External Mana Pool]. Any item capable of mana storage I have on me, its part of my mana pool. She reached into her robe, pulling out a hand-sized chunk of glowing conductive quartz from a dimensional pocket. Nathan recognized the shape of the crystal - it was one of the ones hed purified after theyd shattered the crystal at the center of the Sklias Mage-Lords tomb.

The crystal was glowing with a vague blue light that was intensifying as Nathan watched. Stella held the crystal up proudly as she continued. The reason my parents were so controlling on my level 27 Class Development - I got a class skill that makes my mana regenerate faster depending on how much mana I'm missing from my pool.

Khachi breathed out slowly, wrapping his head around what Stella had just said. I understand. With an extensive amount of conductive quartz and other materials stored on your person, you have an enormous mana pool that regenerates proportionally to the fraction that is empty?

Stella nodded jerkily, her excitement showing through her anxiety. The skills based on the absolute amount of mana missing, not a proportional amount. With the spells I can sling now, its impossible for me to run out of mana. I could throw lightning bolts all day and my pool would start coming back faster than I could spend it.

Stellas face had morphed from her previous uncertainty into a self-satisfied smile, and her posture spoke of confidence backed by power. She was clearly enjoying this reveal immensely now that shed gotten over her hesitance. Thats why Im working on casting bigger spells faster, which Nathans calculus is helping a lot with. Being efficient is not important until I can cast spells as large as my parents can. Ill only need to be efficient with my spells when Im destroying mountains.

A moment of silence greeted the arrogantly spoken words, as the rest of the Heirs absorbed the bombshell Stella had just dropped. Aarl started speaking but found his mouth dry. He swallowed and continued. Why are your parents worried about the Giantsrest archmages? If they have so much mana, cant they just crush them?

Stellas grin slipped off her face, the mantle of infinite power evaporating from her posture. My parents dont have the exact build I do. But the Giantsrest archmages have their own Insights. Obviously we dont know what they are, but there are some that can match and overpower my parents, spell for spell. And Gemore wouldnt survive that fight.

That brought the mood down, as it reminded them all of the likely catastrophic consequences of sufficiently aggravating Giantsrest. It was important for Nathan to remember that they were effectively in a cold-war style situation. Sure, there were slave raids and lower-level adventurers like the Giantraiders nibbling around the edges, but the true elites didnt normally get involved.

Because, while elite Gemore adventurers could kill Giantsrest Archmages, the Giantsrest Archmages could simply [Earthquake] Gemore and the villages while invisibly flying a mile in the air.

And the only reason they didnt was because the elite Gemore adventurers, people like the Guardians of Gemore, or Faline the Witch, would go to Giantsrest and kill them in revenge. While a sufficiently powerful spell could level Gemore, it was much less likely to kill the Gemore elites.

How will I get around that issue? Giantsrest knows that Im an adventurer of Gemore now. Or at least Taeol does. If I start acting against them too strongly, will they take it out on Gemore?

Probably. But I cant think of a way around it. Faline would be able to tell me more. If anybody knows, its the leader of the Assassins of Gemore.

Nathan hadnt seen the intimidating assassin since the Solstice. Shed been the first to give a eulogy on that day. According to tradition, the eulogy had been for Istin Bho, the founder of the Bho clan and first Adventurer of Gemore to kill an Archmage of Giantsrest. The first Assassin. Then the mysterious woman had vanished, and left Nathan remembering her offer. That he could help her kill Giantsrest mages once he leveled up past 81.

Nathan looked around at the suddenly gloomy Heirs. Taking that offer would probably mean leaving them behind, at least for a time. But it would be what he would have to do, if he intended to follow through on the promises hed made when he first came to Davrar. The ones that involved toppling Giantsrest. He just wasnt sure he wanted to follow through on that if it meant the destruction of Gemore.

Nathan was about to change the subject, but Khachi beat him to it. The big wolfolk looked back towards Stella. Have you decided if you wish to learn of Nathans offered Insights?

She pursed her lips, nodding. Yeah. I do. I think it will help me figure out what my style is, and if we keep leveling this way I might not get time to learn it properly with my parents.

Khachi nodded in agreement. Good. [Message] is a priority, and our man from another world thinks it will help. He shrugged one armored shoulder. I have come to trust Nathans Insights.

Everybody turned to Nathan. What? I feel like theres a lot of pressure on me now. I dont know if this is going to work, you know.

Sarah spoke up from where she had started to whittle another piece of wood. Less pressure than being thrown at our last two fights? She mimed an object flying in a high arc before landing in an explosion.

The rest of the Heirs were approaching, gathering up to go back to Bridgeguard. But Nathan wasnt quite done. He looked up, to include the rest of the Heirs.

I know how the Adventurers keep track of favors. I dont want to do that. I dont want to worry about our relationships being balanced. We have enough to worry about with the Endings and monsters, not to mention Giantsrest. I want to help you, and I hope you want to help me. To me, friends give without expecting anything in return.

Nathan saw apprehension in the Heirs eyes, and pushed onwards. This isnt an ultimatum. But its how I want to proceed. I want to win, and help my friends do the same. There are secrets I wont share, but I dont expect payment for the Insights I do share. And I want to be clear - I do not expect anything for this. One day Ill go to fight Giantsrest, and I will not expect you to join me.

High-tier Earnestness 4 achieved!

Then he turned back to Stella. But in the meantime, Ill share every Insight that seems like it might give us an edge in this conflict. And Khachi gave me an idea with his [Mage of Science] comment. So, Stella, lets talk about something called the Scientific Method for when you next work on light.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Magic Absorption 7

Permanent Talent 2: High-tier Regeneration 9

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 4

Class: Spellbreaker Juggernaut level 65

Stamina: 662/750

Juggernaut's Wrath

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Juggernaut's Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Utility skills:

High-tier Focused Mind 9

High-tier Earnestness 4

Mid-tier Sprinting 6

High-tier Spellsense 4

Mid-tier Notice 9

Mid-tier Identify 7

Mid-tier Dodging Footwork 5

High-tier Enhanced Memory 4

Mid-tier Lecturing 3

Mid-tier Tumbling 2