Chapter 47: A Matter of Magic

Chapter 47: A Matter of Magic

Stellas eyes were flat as she stared across the courtyard at Nathan.

His rage turned cold, his desire to save his friends driving [Battle Meditation] to the fore. Strength flowed through Nathans muscles, but his mind was balanced on a precipice between insane Rage and intense calm.

Battle Meditation 6 achieved!

Is she going to fight, or fight? If theres anybody who can fight me successfully with magic, its Stella. She knows how my antimagic works, and shes got that skill that can turn her magic partially real - which she knows will partially bypass my antimagic. But if a spark of my friends spunk can burn through the mind control she could throw the fight in a dozen ways.

There was a bare moment of warning as Stella jerked one hand up in a claw, a surge of earth mana beneath his feet warning Nathan what was coming. He dove to the side as the stone where hed been standing snapped closed like a bear trap. The fake slave collar around his neck flew off and clattered to the stone.

Trapping me in nonmagical rock would be a great way to capture me - I have to assume shes going all out. Damn. I think my plan is to get close to her and see if I can break the spell or knock her out if I cant. Breaking any enchanted collars and killing Taeol should do the trick.

He ran towards his friend, trying to close the distance. His new [Magical Perception] showed that Stella still carried most of her enchanted items, though there was definitely a new source of magic around her neck. Most concerning was the complex spell sunk into her brain.

I dont know if Ill be able to easily break that spell if its inside her body.

Taeol was watching the opening stages of the fight with glee from his balcony. Here you are, helpless as a handless cripple. Will you kill your friend? It would cost me little but the favor for Exeas soldiers. I will reap my Insights from you instead.

Stella wasnt distracted by Taeols words, ripping paving stones from the ground and flinging them at Nathan. He juked smoothly around them, jumping into the air to flip out of the path of several rocks that skimmed along the ground.

The moment he was airborne, Stella hit him with a blast of wind. That wouldn't normally have affected Nathan in the slightest, but this spell wasnt just conjured magic. Thanks to her [Natural Magic] skill, her understanding of air flows translated to a blast of actual, material wind that tossed Nathan backwards.

He controlled his tumble, readying himself to spring into action once more. Nathans new magical senses aided by [Notice] detected a spell kindling in the stones he was about to land on, so he used [Slow Fall] to extend his flight. Jaws of stone reached up from below, snapping closed on air under his new trajectory.

High-tier Notice 5 achieved!

Taeols pleased voice rung out once more across the rubble-strewn courtyard. You face two mages of the highest caliber. Give in, and we will apply your Insights to spread the civilization of Giantsrest over this continent and beyond. Think of dungeons destroyed and cities rising in their place! Isnt that something to be desired?

[Stone Dart]

At Taeols spell, pieces of the railing that he was leaning on were added to the barrage of rock that continued to seek out Nathan.

Of course hes going to participate. This isnt exactly an honorable duel.

Nathan ducked sideways, slipping through the volley of high-velocity rock. He took some glancing blows from chunks of stone larger than he was, but the gouges and cracked bones healed in moments. Unfortunately, with the wind blast he was farther away from Stella than when hed started, and a sphere of lightning was beginning to grow behind her.

If she uses [Natural Magic] to shift that to real electricity then it could burn or paralyze me pretty badly. With [Perfected Body] I dont have to worry about my heart stopping at least.

He feinted towards the colonnades on the side of the courtyard, even though it would be a terrible idea to get hemmed in against a wall. Then he rolled forwards, using the fountain as cover from Stellas line of sight.

High-tier Dodging Footwork 6 achieved!

Mobility is life. If I get penned in, then those stone jaws will pin me long enough for Stella to construct a sphere of rock around me. It would be tricky magic, but Stellas been practicing at shaping earth around my antimagic for a while.

Nathan sprung over the lip of the fountain, splashing through the knee-high water and dispersing the enchantments that sustained a series of lithe figures intertwined with one another.

[Entrapping Water Orb]

Taeols spell gathered all of the water and formed it into a sphere around Nathan just as he leapt to avoid the stone of the fountain closing on his legs. For a moment Nathan was suspended in a crushing sphere of water, with no leverage. A paving stone plowed through the water and nailed him in the chest, snapping ribs and causing him to exhale a burst of bubbles.

The currents of water moved to hold Nathan in the center, preventing him from swimming and even neutralizing the momentum of the wide block of stone.

But Nathan could feel the tendrils of mana animating the water. He struck out at the ones nearby that controlled the flows keeping him in place. The entrapping currents stilled, and Nathan swam towards one of the central ribs of water mana that maintained the sphere. It disintegrated at his touch, and the entire orb of water collapsed back into the basin.

Magical Perception 2 achieved!

Now that he was free of the orb, Nathan could see stone walls rising on all sides, threatening to trap him. He took three steps and leapt off the edge of the fountain, putting every erg of effort into accelerating upwards. He caught onto the lip of the rising stone wall and pulled himself over it in a flash.

Would have been able to just punch through that with [Magicsunder Siegebreaker].

Nathan leapt off his elevated perch, soaring towards Stella. He jerked himself downwards to dodge the jet of wind directed by her upthrown hand and slammed into the ground, leaving fresh cracks in the stone underfoot. His momentum carried him into a roll that went under a pillar torn from the wall and thrown by Taeol.

[Magical Perception] is helping me dodge these spells even without seeing them.

Stella let loose a burst of searing flame as Nathan crossed the last few feet. The heat was intense and burned away most of his clothing and hair. Skin cracked and blistered, but the damage healed over as quickly as it occured.

Nathan grabbed Stellas hands and they battled over the jet of flame in a parody of the first practice together, so long ago. But Nathans attention was split as he scrutinized the spell entrenched in Stellas skull, gazing into eyes lined in lightning.

You cant break the spell. Taeol gloated from above. If the control is broken, she dies. If I die, she dies. Surrender, and youll work together again.

Nathan glanced up to Taeol, his hatred surging high. He opened his mouth to spit vitriol, but the archmage cast first.

[Empowered Chains of Restraint]

The summoned chains broke on Nathans skin, but hed dropped Stellas hands to ward them off. Nathan reached for Stella, but paused as his eyes flicked around the new magic, gauging their functions.

If I break the wrong spell, she dies. This is cursebreaking a person, and I cant afford to mess it up.

The slim collar around her neck definitely wasnt currently controlling her - it might be a backup, or just a decoy. More important were two spells in her brain, with the more complex clearly being some kind of mental control spell - the one controlling her now. The secondary one was buried deep in her brainstem, and looked simple. If the first spell or the collar were interfered with, it would activate and shred the vital tissue.

High-tier Identify 6 achieved!

How do I deal with that? I cant exactly stick my hand in there and break the magic, or project my magic into her body. Not with my current antimagic Talent.

Nathans ruminations were interrupted as Stellas eyes blazed with power and a column of lightning dropped on him like the hammer of Thor, descending from the orb above her head.

The spell blasted Nathan across the courtyard and all his senses went wild. He was suddenly present in a nightmare world of darkness and synesthesia, nausea and pain cutting through the protection of [Antimages Impassivity]. Through the confusion of a half-boiled brain Nathan dimly felt himself impact the far wall and fall a dozen feet to slump on the ground.

His brain was scrambled, and his innards felt boiled. But Rage sustained Nathan against the tide of unconsciousness that threatened to drag him down.

I swore Oaths. I will not stop.

Nathans eyes were gone, only bubbling pits in their place. His thoughts were fragmented, and his muscles wouldnt respond. But Stamina flooded into his ruined body, guided by Nathans Talents and the intensity of his Rage. Fresh tissue replaced lightning-burned flesh, and motion slowly returned.

Its just magic. Not shifted into real electricity. I think shes free. And still has her magic.

Stella took his hands in hers, continuing to pour mana into him. His teeth opened in a silent scream as his torso regrew from scratch.

Perfected Body 6 achieved!

With a newly regrown heart pumping, Nathan followed Stellas furious gaze to where Taeol was fuming on the balcony.

You damned fools. Ill get to Badud; by the Giants, hell make this right. Youll wish I was the one to own you then.

[Telep-

Stella croaked out a single word. No. She crooked a finger, wincing in pain at the simple spell. The balcony Taeol was standing on cracked and fell, and the Giantsrest archmage screamed as he fell thirty feet to the rubble-strewn courtyard, his spell interrupted.

Go. Stellas voice was a whisper. She released his hands, collapsing backwards bonelessly.

Shes fine. I need to finish this.

Nathans feet hadnt finished regrowing, so he crawled at first. Then he ran, until he stood over a whimpering Taeol.

The archmages mage armor had taken the brunt of the fall, but blood flowed onto his face from a cut on his scalp. He held up a hand to ward Nathan away, speaking through mashed lips. Please.

Nathan looked down on the man whod brought him to Davrar. The first man Nathan had ever felt true hatred for.

This time I dont hesitate.

His fist punched through force magic and buried itself in Taeols neck, crushing cartilage and snapping bone. Nathan grabbed Taeols spine and pulled his head up as the other fist came down.

The fury-enhanced blow obliterated the mans nose and continued, penetrating through facial bones and into the soft tissue behind.

Nathan let the mage drop to the ground,, where his cored head flopped limply.

He's finally dead. My first real enemy, the first person I truly hated.

Talent text comparison:

Permanent Talent: [Magic Absorption]

You are heavily resistant to all forms of magic, and can directly absorb the mana of spells cast on you into Stamina. You are forever unable to cast spells or access magic. Magical items cannot affect you and will degrade at your touch.

Permanent Talent: [Aura of Antimagic]

You are an embodiment of antimagic, forever unable to cast spells or access magic. Magic items will degrade from being near you. You can extend your antimagic from your body to directly absorb mana of spells and enchantments into Stamina.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 1

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 6

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 9

Class: Implacable Antimage level 119

Stamina: 109/3870

Antimages Impassivity

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Improved Antimagic

Strenuous Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 6

High-tier Earnestness 9

High-tier Sprinting 3

Magical Perception 2

High-tier Notice 5

High-tier Identify 6

High-tier Dodging Footwork 5

High-tier Enhanced Memory 8

Mid-tier Lecturing 8

High-tier Tumbling 3