Book 6: Chapter 22: Striding Forward

Book 6: Chapter 22: Striding Forward

A deathly aura lingered in the air, but it was nothing compared to what Elijah had felt in the tomb. Part of that was due to the fact that they’d left the immediate area of the challenge, but mostly, it was because they had defeated the necromancer who was the challenge’s eponymous fallen champion. Killing the thing – and the amalgam of slain zombies – had pushed Elijah closer to death than any fight that had come before, but as seemed to always be the case in his new reality, his survival had been well rewarded.

Not with the official prize that came with overcoming the challenge within the Spires of the Fallen. That had gone to Ron, who seemed elated with the powerful Pendant of Vitality. Instead, Elijah had been rewarded with something far more enduring. As potent as a good piece of equipment could be, the reality was that, at his level, gear came and went, but advances in his inherent power would always be there, bolstering his abilities in a lasting way.

So, when he finally turned his attention to the notifications he’d received during and after the battle, the slight disappointment he’d felt at ceding the Pendant of Vitality to the Healer washed away. First came the message telling him that he’d gained another level, and he could feel that he was on the verge of reaching the next, which would award him a new spell. He took a look at his status:

Name

Elijah Hart

Level

104

Archetype

Druid

Class

Animist

Specialization

Connection

Alignment

N/A

Strength

120

Dexterity

108

Constitution

131

Ethera

124

Regeneration

115

Attunement

Nature

Cultivation Stage: Adept

Body

Core

Mind

Soul

Iron

Whelp

That wasn’t necessarily true. The current incarnation of One with Nature was extremely powerful, but even so, he could only barely feel the life in their bodies. And the atmospheric vitality being so low in such close proximity to the death-attuned challenge made them stand out like a sore thumb. If they’d been in the middle of a forest, it might’ve been a little more difficult. Though Elijah suspected that connecting to the flora would help. It was something to investigate going forward.

The war elf made a gesture, and the three stealthy people suddenly appeared. To Elijah, the muscular elf said, “You are as impressive as I’ve heard. It’s one thing to see a name at the top of a list, and it’s something else altogether to meet the most powerful human in the world.”

“Oh, those lists are just numbers. There are plenty of people more powerful than me out there.”

“Assuredly,” the war elf said. “But not among the humans.”

“What do you want?” asked Elijah, not bothering to watch the suddenly visible elves as they stepped into the camp. With their grey skin and the brutish perfection of elven features, they clearly shared an origin with their leader.

“Nothing. I just wanted to meet you before we entered the challenge. Your companions have been kind enough to share some insight into how it works,” he answered. “I’m glad you conquered it before we made an attempt, even if I would have preferred the better reward.”

“What do you mean?” Elijah asked.

That was when the war elf explained something that Elijah already suspected. The challenges were most deadly before they were conquered for the first time. After that, the danger declined significantly, but the rewards – both in terms of the items awarded upon completion and the points associated with the Primacy rankings – were similarly reduced.

In that way, being a forerunner was both incredibly rewarding and extremely dangerous. Elijah wouldn’t have had it any other way.

However, it did beg the question of how the system managed it. Apparently, when the war elf looked at the Spires of the Fallen, he saw a scene similar to what Elijah and his companions had encountered upon arrival. By contrast, Elijah now saw a healing landscape devoid of teal lightning and with many of its towers having fallen.

Was it all an illusion? Or was it about shifting reality based on certain parameters? Elijah had no idea, and he didn’t think he would discover the truth anytime soon.

Regardless, when the war elf finished his explanation, he pushed himself to his feet. That’s when Elijah asked, “Is that it?”

“What did you expect?”

Elijah shrugged. His only information about war elves was when Sadie had revealed that a tribe had been waging war against the humans of Moscow. But given that she seemed perfectly fine in their guest’s company, there was probably something else going on.

“You know what – I don’t know. Just haven’t heard much good about war elves,” Elijah said. “I don’t –”

He frowned. “I don’t like that name.”

“Oh? I’m sorry. I didn’t –”

“It’s fine. Some of my kind revel in that label. Others do not,” the grey-skinned elf stated. “But I suspect we are no less diverse than humans. Some are warlike. Others are peaceful.”

“And you?”

He spread his arms wide. “A little of both, I suppose. But we’ve taken up enough of your time, so we’ll take our leave. I hope you will not think so poorly of my people in the future,” the elf said.

After that, he turned to leave. Before he could go a step, Elijah asked, “What’s your name?”

“Ikan.”

“Well, Ikan, I apologize for jumping to conclusions,” Elijah said, though he didn’t really mean it. The war elf’s intentions might have been benign, but if that were the case, his stealthed companions wouldn’t have surrounded them. He’d come prepared for a fight. But that wasn’t necessarily an indictment of his intent. It was enough to keep Elijah from relaxing. “I hope our future interactions will be peaceful.”

“I do as well,” said Ikan. Then, his companions rose silently and retreated. The other three waited until they were a few feet away to slip back into stealth. Elijah watched them via One with Nature until they were long gone.

Then, he let out a long sigh. “That was tense,” he said, looking from one friend to another.

“You can’t help but antagonize, can you?” asked Sadie.

It was only then that Elijah realized that they’d remained mostly silent throughout the conversation. “He was using a skill, wasn’t he?” Elijah asked. He hadn’t felt a thing, but he had enough experience with mind abilities to recognize the effects. Besides, even if silence was in character for Sadie or Ron, there was no way Dat or Kurik wouldn’t have had something to add to the conversation.

“I think so, bro,” Dat said, shaking his head. “Subtle, too. It wasn’t overtly harmful. Just kind of nudge to keep my mouth shut.”

“I will kill him,” Sadie growled.

“As much as I wouldn’t mind that, he didn’t actually hurt anyone,” Elijah reminded her. “I don’t think that’s a killing offense.”

“I could beat him, then,” she seethed. “Just a few broken bones.”

Dat ignored her and addressed Elijah, “When did you get reasonable, bro?”

Elijah smiled. “Didn’t you hear? It’s called character growth. I’m practically a new man.” Then, he looked down at his legs and said, “At least half of me is.”