Aliandra “Ugh,” Ali said, throwing herself onto the cou front of the hearth in the guild hall.

  “You alright?” Mato asked.

  “Just frustrated.”

  “I’m going to go see if they have any food left,” Mato said, petting his belly with a weary grin. “Wao get you something?”

  “Maybe some fruit, if they have any?” Ali said.

  Mato nodded and walked off to the bar area in search of snacks.

  Ali might have harrumphed. Maybe even aloud. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be near enough to hear her. She had spent the entire walk across town from the Novaspark Academy repying the events of the library in her mind. Over and over. The terrifying roar, and surge of mana. The image of her Goblin shaman killed in an instant, impaled through the heart as if his mail shirt were no more than gauze. She recalled the wyvern’s terrifying fanged maw opening to rain an eorrent of bone spears down upon them while held aloft by the potent magi its skeletal wings. And if that weren’t enough, there had been the panid chaos of the tinuously spawning Piercer Scorpions.

  The problem was, she had no idea what she could have done differently. It was s to think how they had just been gnats blown before a storm.

  The guild hall seemed quiet at this time of night and Ali was surprised that anyone was still here – but Malika was off talking to Weldin Thriftpenny and Mieriel sat at her desk, apparently busy with some administration work. Even the Guildmaster was here, sitting by herself in a room off to the side.

  Ali sighed and pulled up her notifications in an effort to distract herself.

  Yroup has defeated Spitter Drone – Elemental – level 24 (Bone)Yroup has defeated Spitter Drone – Elemental – level 26 (Bone)…Yroup has defeated Piercer Scorpion – Elemental – level 28 (Bone)Yroup has defeated Acolyte of Azryet – Kobold – level 21 (Holy)

  Page after page of golden script riffled past, surprising Ali with just how many mohey had sin during the long day. Most of them had been at her level her. At least somethi well.

  Grove Warden has reached level 23 (+2).+20 attribute points.

  Are Insight has reached level 14 (+2).Are Bolt has reached level 14.Barrier has reached level 18.Martial Insight has reached level 12.Empowered Summoner has reached level 8 (+3).

  Identify has reached level 9.

  Ali assigen points to wisdom for more minions and mana, six points to intelligence, and four to vitality, and then pulled up the rest of the notifications.

  Variant: Bone Arrow added to Imprint: Arrow.Variant: Eimuuran Steel Shield added to Imprint: Shield.Variant: Eimuuran Steel Shortsword added to Imprint: Sword.Variant: Boudded Leather added to Imprint: Armor.

  Variant: Bone Mage added to Imprint: Kobold.Variant: Archer added to Imprint: Kobold.

  Her progress was stelr, but unfortunately, it couldn’t keep her distracted for long. When Malika finally returo sit by her, the quiet mood stretched on for several moments before Ali finally gave in to her frustration.

  “I hate running! We were doing so well, and then that stupid monster had to show up and wreck everything. What’s an undead wyvern doing down there anyway? And that crazy summoning in bat – why it do that, and I ’t? And what about those ridiculous bone spears that never end? How are we supposed to even fight something like that?” Ali petered out, breathing a little harder from her rant.

  “Running is better than dying,” Malika pointed out soberly. “If we hadn’t run right then, I would have died. Tanking those Piercer Scorpions is no joke. There were many times I was oray bone spear or one unlucky dodge away from death.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m just frustrated,” Ali said, immediately feeling selfish. But Malika’s ho admission surprisingly made her feel better, too. It was o know that the others also thought it had been overwhelming.

  “It’s not a problem, I don’t like being forced to ruher,” Malika said. “Also, it’s damn expensive.”

  “Still, that wyvern was ridiculous.” Ali still felt her frustration at the unfairness of the monster. “It’s totally insane. Impossible.” She sighed. “And I was really hoping we would be able to clear the library.”

  “It’s not impossible, we just need a good pn, and then we’ll defeat him easily,” Mato said, strolling up with a leisurely gait and an armful of apples which he began doling out.

  Malika’s eyebrows nearly twitched off her face.

  “How are we supposed to do that?” Ali asked, seleg a shiny red ohanks.”

  “I have no idea,” he responded with a grin. “But I’m sure you guys will e up with something great.”

  Ali stared at him, exasperated by his unreasonable cheerfulness. “Your fidence is not helping, were we even in the same fight?” She bit her apple with perhaps a little more force than was strictly required. Juice spshed on her and dripped down onto her shirt.

  “Don’t gre at me like that,” Mato grinned, “Or I’ll learn to shapeshift into a wyvern. Hey , stop being so quiet. You already have some ideas, don’t you?”

  “Nothing that will make a difference,” answered, sounding rather dejected. “It was a raid-level boss. We’d probably need a bunch of higher-level adventurers, more specialized skills, you know what I mean?”

  “Well, that expins it,” Malika said.

  “Expins what? What does that mean?” Ali asked.

  “It’s a standardized threat assessment for monsters,” expined. “Here, this is what I got from Explorer when I Identified it.”

  A notification chimed and Ali saw ’s text unfolding in brilliant white light in her mind.

  [Explorer]Category: Dungeon BossThreat Level: RaidMoype: Undead DragonDamage: Physical, Bone

  “Remember how I expihat a boss is a creature that is somehow enhanced by the dungeon’s mana to signifitly boost its power, and sometimes size, over and above a normal monster of its kind?” said.

  “Yes, I remember,” Ali answered. “You said it takes a group of people to kill them.” Ali recalled it well because the discussion had happened when they had entered Armand’s skeleton. “We’re a group and we’re usually not too awful.”

  “Raid bosses are a step up frur bosses,” tinued. “Bosses that are strong enough to require two or mroups to overe. Depending on the dungeon and the retive levels, it be ree up to five groups of adventurers, sometimes even more.”

  Malika nodded. “Right. High risk, high reward.”

  “So, what we do?” Ali asked. It made sense, given what they had experienced – the enormous surge of mana that had apahe monster’s ast and the powerful nature of some of the abilities it had used. No normal monster could handle such a powerful torrent of mana, but if it was making use of the domain itself… “There’s only four of us, do we o find some other people?”

  “Sounds like you guys had a rough enter?” Vivian said, walking over to join them. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. I’d be happy to discuss the fight and offer some suggestions if you like. After all, that’s why I’m here.”

  Ali exged gnces with her friends, trying to gauge what they were feeling, but it seemed everyone was just as frustrated as she was after the disastrous fight. Well, maybe not Mato – but he’s just being Mato.

  It was Malika who finally filled the silence. “Sure, I think we need all the help we get. And maybe another entire party of adventurers.”

  “Anroup would be ideal, I agree, but unfortuhe guild is still growing. The only member at your level is Serendipity Puddlecrash, and I’m afraid her skills are more suited for other roles.” Vivian Ross sat down in a free chair fag them. Her calm and ied expressio a long way to helping Ali release a little of her pent-up ay and stress over the fight. “How about you start by telling me what happened and what you know about the monster you’re fag?”

  As Malika began to summarize the debacle in the library, Ali gnced down and took a deep breath, her eyes catg the torn, stained fabric of her shirt. Malika’s magic had left her skin clear and unblemished, but there were still rips and tears marring the beautiful gear Lydia had crafted for her. Listening to the voices of her friends, she eled a little mana, activating Lydia’s signature self-repair entment, taking a little joy in seeing a beautiful pieagic at work as the cloth quickly knit itself bato pristine dition.

  “So, the Kobold ran and added a raid boss? Good job on having an escape pn prepared. Was this your first time fighting a flying monster?” Vivian asked.

  “Yes, I couldn’t tank it at all,” Mato answered grumpily, miming an air-swoosh that made the others chuckle.

  “I think you guys are going to have a very difficult time with this boss,” she said after a moment of thought. “Remember I told you that one of your team’s weaknesses was area damage? Against summoners, area damage is a key strategy.” Vivian gnced meaningfully in Ali’s dire. “I’ll join you. We o get rid of this thing immediately; nothing good will e from leaving an undead duo fester so close to town. It’s too bad, though – you guys will get almost no experience.”

  “Because of the level difference?” asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Ali has Fireballs and Lightning Bolts now,” Malika answered.

  Ali’s heart jumped just a little hearing how Malika was stig up for her and her abilities. It was not a big thing, but after today, having her friends aowledge her tribution as an important part of their team made her feel warm and happier inside.

  Vivian paused for a moment with a surprised look on her face.

  “I have Fire Mages, with Fireballs,” Ali expined. “And I learhose Storm Shamans that came with the Goblin horde. They shoot Lightning Bolts and have Lightning Nova totems.”

  “Well in that case, perhaps you do stand a ce,” Vivian said, raising an eyebrow. “Why don’t you tell me what you know about these Piercer Scorpions?”

  “They hit really hard,” Malika said. “Two spear limbs and a bded tail strike that cut right through the bear in one shot.”

  “Looks like they have melee haste,” said.

  “All physical damage?” Vivian asked.

  “They cast a Bone Spear from the tail, and their bdes are reinforced with bone affinity mana. I’m reasonably sure it gives them additional speed and sharpness,” Ali answered.

  “They’re level twenty-five to twe and the boss seems to summon one every thirty to forty-five seds,” added.

  “Well, in that case, I think the key to the fight is going to be trolling the spawned monsters. You probably don’t o tank the wyvern itself, but trolling the spawned monsters is critical – tends to be better thaing a spear in the baormally, I would suggest a couple of tanks pced in a loose circle around the group to pick up any spawns and then bst them down with area damage periodically.”

  “I don’t think I tank more than one, and even that is risky,” Malika admitted.

  “I’ve tawo at the same time, but I think I mahree,” Mato added, taking a g bite from his sed apple. “But it’s hard to run around when I’m tanking.”

  “What if we collect the spawns and bring them to Mato?” asked. “Either me or Malika could do that.”

  “Maybe both,” Vivian agreed. “When you’re not catg monsters, shoot the boss, and Malika heal.”

  “Is it a good idea to spend so many people on just the spawns?” asked.

  “It seems to be the greatest threat, so yes,” Vivian firmed.

  “What about that crazy bone spear thing?” Ali asked. She still remembered her mages being impaled and swept away by the onsught.

  “ you expin it to me?” Vivian asked.

  “There’s actually two abilities,” observed. “The Skeletal Wyvern shoot a high-velocity Bone Spear from its mouth whe wants to. But at the end of the fight, it used atack which was a tinuous ical bst of spears that just blew everything away. It sted almost a minute and was still going wheeleported out.”

  Ali raised an eyebrow. Amid the chaos and panic, studying the abilities had been the furthest thing from her mind. It was clear from the mana maion that the two abilities were dramatically different, but did not possess mana sight a he had not only noticed, but he had also figured out timings and rates for the abilities already. She g the shy Half-elf, impressed once again with the quality and precision of his mind, and his ability to retain focus under extraordinary pressure.

  “Sounds like a bone affinity breath on,” Vivian observed thoughtfully. “Any mitigations?”

  “Line of sight, provided the wall is strong enough,” answered. “And that’s saying something. It blew the room to shreds.”

  Line of sight? Oh! Ali suddenly remembered c behind the wall while the releorrent of spears rained down ohe deafening sound of spears shattering against the other side of the wall had been terrifying, but the spears smashing into the wall meant they were not being impaled. It seemed obvious, but both Vivian and reacted like it was a crucial piece of the strategy puzzle.

  “What about the yout? Anything in the envirohat is exploitable?” Vivian asked.

  “Give me a moment,” said, pulling out his notebook and putting it oable in the middle. He retrieved a heavily chewed pencil and began to sketch rapidly while subtle intricate flickers of mana pyed out in his eyes, around his head, and trickled down his arm into his hands.

  Ali stared, captivated as she studied the seamless interpy of at least three distinct skills. She knew he had admitted to having Cartography as a general skill, but the other two skills seemed to be reted to perception. She reviewed his skills from memory, dedug that it would have to be Eyes of the Ar – his visual perception skill – and Explorer – his spatial and trag perception skill. However, the iions indicated some high degree of subtle synergy between all three, enhang his memory, uanding, and his ability to reproduce it on paper.

  In just a few minutes he was done, and the maps he revealed were exquisitely drawn.

  “This is the top level of the library,” he said, ying the first map out. “And this is the sed level where we fought the wyvern. This spht here is where Ali and I hid from the spears,” he expined, showing an inplete circle representing the level they hadn’t finished expl. “We could fight it here, maybe?”

  “I like this spot better,” Vivian said, pointing to the nding oop level. “If you lure it up here, you should have more room and greater range from the other Kobolds you said joined in.”

  “Shouldn’t we clear all the Kobolds before engaging the boss?” asked.

  “That’s a great idea, but I still like this spot better,” Vivian answered. “There’s room to put the bear tanking the spawns behind this wall. And if these things you’ve drawn here are solid enough, they should fuhe spawns a little, making it easier to pick them up.”

  “Those are ten-foot-tall ks of solid bone,” said, his brow creasing as he studied the yout Vivian indicated.

  Everyone huddled over the maps, pointing and discussing options, and Ali suddenly realized her frustration had vahe versation with the Guildmaster was fasating – for each of the crazy abilities she had experiehe Guildmaster made a calm suggestion or asked equally calm questions that made them think of practical ways to avoid or ralize the ability. It was very simir t her way through a plex problem, little by little. There was a dizzying amount of detail, much of it she didn’t quite appreciate yet, but she felt she was learning a ton just by listening to what they felt was important.

  “I just don’t know how to predict when to hide,” said. “If we get caught in the open, we’re sitting ducks. Not even I could outrun that spray of spears.”

  “I see the attaing, it’s an enormous ball of bone affinity mana that denses in his mouth. It’s unmistakable,” Ali said. The inhation of the giant hawsers of domain mana had been obvious. “I could call it out before it happens, like I did for the exploding bugs.”

  Everyone immediately nodded and moved on, as if she had solved a critical issue. Ali had to admit it felt good to tribute something that only she could do.

  “I see oher issue, and that’s mana and healing,” Vivian said. “Normally, you would least two or three healers to a fight like this. It’s likely to take a long time. You guys only have Mato’s self-heal and regeion aura. Malika will be a part-time healer because she will o run around and catch spawns.”

  “Ali, did you learn those Kobold Acolytes yet?” Malika asked, gng across at her.

  “No, I need one more,” she said, frowning. The st corpse she needed y down there in the darkness beside a bone-encrusted wall, vely protected from the hail of bone spears. But they had been forced to run before she could reach it.

  “You learn a healer minion?” Vivian asked.

  “I think so,” Ali answered. “It was right there in the previous fight; I just didn’t get a ce to destruct it.”

  “I think that should be your top priority,” Vivian said, her gaze suddenly intense. “Not just for this fight. Havira healers on demand will dramatically improve yroup’s overall loy. Assuming you learn it, I would bring a couple of those to the fight.”

  “Ok,” Ali said, nodding.

  “I highly reend bringing plenty of mana potions, it will be grueling. A your tank some armor, the less damage he takes, the easier it will be to st through the fight. If your healers run dry, you will die.”

  “Armor?” Mato asked, perking up from where he had been lying on the couch.

  “Yes, as I recall, one of the bcksmiths used to be able to make shapeshifter armor – but you might struggle to get him to take the job now, I heard he’s no longer crafting.”

  “Are you talking about Thuli? The Dwarf?” Ali asked.

  “Yes, that’s the one,” Vivian said. “He was always the best smith in town, by far. I’m not sure exactly what happeo him, but if you get him to make you a set of armor, you guys will stand a much better ce.”

  “Ok, we try talking to him again,” Malika said.

  “Wait,” Ali asked, as she ected two pieces in her mind. “Mato is going to tank all the scorpions, right?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “And I’m going to blow them up with Fireballs?”

  Everyone nodded again.

  “Won’t I hit him?” she asked, looking at Mato.

  “Yes,” Vivian answered with a grin. “You will o practice so that you know how to trol the damage and keep it manageable for the healers. But, done correctly, Fireballing your tank is a sound strategy for taking out groups of monsters.”

  “What? Seriously?”

  The discussion tinued for a long time, with and Malika hashing out details, all of which were carefully recorded in ’s notebook, while Mato napped on the couch. Several times, Mieriel stopped by with steaming mugs of coffee, dropping them off without interrupting the versation. Ali listened carefully, trying to follow the voluted s of reasoning, logid proposed solutions. Their strategy slowly came together oable in front of her. It was by no means a plete strategy – there were a ton of unknowns. For instahey had no idea how long the fight would take so there had to be tingens for adjusting the position of Ali’s minion army if it didn’t work well. She didn’t know if she would be able to learn the healer variant, nor whether they could vihuli to make armor for Mato. They definitely o go shopping for more potions – mana and recall. And, by far the biggest unknown; they had no idea if they had seen all the abilities the Skeletal Wyvern had at its disposal. But by the time they made their weary way back down to camp, Ali’s mood had improved dramatically.

  We have a pn! Now, just the minor detail of preparations.

  ***

  After dinner, Ali sat quietly enjoying the pany of her friends. It was not just her – everyone seemed to be more energized, discussing possibilities aails, and pns for tomorrow. Ali’s mind was chock-full of a deluge of information and pns, but ohing stood out to her – Vivian Ross’s persistent about healing and mana.

  She had cautiohem to expect a long fight, and with so many Piercer Scorpions ing into py, their weakest link was Mato’s life. If the healers couldn’t keep up with the damage or ran out of mana, their erategy would unravel – with deadly sequences. So much of their pnning revolved around ways to support Mato and ehat he would be able to survive.

  She was no healer, but their pn hinged on her ability to learn a healer minion, and the effectively in bat. But Ali had been the healer once before, and it had involved using her Runic Script – a spell she never used in bat because of the long preparation time.

  But this time, we’re pnning to set up in a single spot, she thought. Perhaps it was time to update her restoration magiic circle?

  “Hey Mato, I borrow your book for a bit?”

  He ha to her without question, and she paged through it to find the chapter ooration magice again. When she had first studied this magic, she had reasonably restricted herself to the simplest and easiest formation, needing only the most basic healing spells to survive and heal Mato. But now that she had reached a far higher level, some of the intricacies of higher-level magic should be accessible to her.

  Aah, here it is, she thought, turning the page to the discussion oheory and es required to advahe magid how to enhahe power and efficy. She settled down into her Study Trand began to read, letting everything else fade out of her awareness as her tration deepened. Her mind became unnaturally clear and focused, and time passed unnoticed in the background. Eveification chime barely impinged on her awareness.

  Sage of Learning has reached level 11.Runic Script has reached level 10.

  Awareness of the campsite slowly returned, and she noticed the fire had died down. Only Malika remained, sitting cross-legged across from her in a pose of meditative alertness. How she had admired Malika’s Meditation skill, and now she had her own. Her mana pool was empty, but her mind was clear with the advanced yout of her new magic clearly uood, floating there, simply waiting for her to use it.

  She got up and stretched her arms and legs quietly, careful not to disturb Malika. She had been sitting for long enough that her muscles prickled unfortably as the sensatiourned. As soon as she had recovered enough mana, she began to create the runes.

  It took only three tries to get it, after all, it was a more advanced version of a spell she had already mastered.

  Your reserved mana has increased by +89.

  The bright-green, glowing runes of the circle tained a noticeable hazy green slowly shifting aura within it. Tiny indistinct leaves appeared now and then before dissolving bato the aura, and the soft st of pine caressed her nostrils. Ali used her Identify on the circle to make sure.

  Restoration – level 15 (Nature)Creates a Restoration aura within the circle.Runic Circle

  So, it really is like trading a creature for a spell, she thought, notig that the runic circle had reserved just as much mana as she needed for a level fifteen summoned creature. Hopefully, this magic might act as a limited, but dedicated healer – one which wouldn’t run out of mana.

  As she sat and observed the results of her study, another idea occurred to her. St Mato’s book, she traded it for the Are Magic book she had purchased from Ryn at The Reading er – Fuals of Are Magic: Theory and Practice. She browsed through the tents looking for anythied to mana and regeioually finding something that looked promisihe ba a se on foundational utility spells.

  Inspiration – that sounds like it could work.

  Ali didn’t hold out too much hope, but when she opehe chapter, what she found seemed to be perfect. It was a set of magic spells that seemed to accelerate mana regeion in various ways. If I duplicate one of these with my Runic Script and turn it into a circle…

  She didn’t have much to lose, and she wasn’t particurly ready for bed yet, so she picked one of the spells aled into her Study Trance for the sed time. She didn’t feel like she was in much danger here at their camp, but as her awareness of her surroundings faded away, she was gd Malika was sitting nearby.

  She had no idea how long she studied for, but she was certain it was lohan for the Restoration spell – this new magic was unfamiliar to her, and she had o learn it from scratch. But as she came out of her trance, she could tell it was ready. She destructed a few left-over pieces of armor and theo the task of inscribing the are runes she had just learned.

  It took several tries before she realized she o go bad review some ses she thought she had uood but persistently came out wrong when she replicated them. Then she had to try several more times to get the hang of the underlying es. She was beginning to grow frustrated when suddenly the runic circle closed, and with a surge, her mana rushed in to fill the golden circle.

  Runic Script has reached level 11.Your reserved mana has increased by +65.

  While the runes around the perimeter glowed with her golden are mana, the area within was filled with a softly shimmering aura of pretty blue ethereal swirls. It was geous magid Ali’s smile grew rger as she studied it with her mana sight.

  Inspiration – level 12 (Are)Creates an Inspiration aura within the circle.Runic Circle

  Again, the runic circle reserved the same amount as if she had summoned a level twelve creature. Without aation, she stepped into the circle, testing the regeion against her depleted mana pool. Wow, this is not bad, she thought, examining her mana regeion rate. And I leave a healer standing in it the whole fight. It was rapidly being clear how useful this spell would be as part of her repertoire.

  Suddenly, her notification chimed again, and her mana pool emptied.

  Sage of Learning has reached level 12.

  You have learned a new general skill: Inspiration.Inspiration has reached level 1.Inspiration – level 1Focus: Your mana regeion is increased by +55% [40 + 15 x skill]. (Movement, or using an active skill that requires mana, cels your focus.)Are, Wisdom

  I just learned a new general skill? From a book?

  It had taken hours of study to uand the magid many attempts to write it with her Runic Script, but she had fully uood it. And somehow Sage of Learning had ected it to something that had led to a skill breakthrough. Ali was eted, with this she had learned a sed way tee mana, ohat didn’t require her to destruct corpses in the middle of a fight.

  At least I’ll be prepared the ime we face that Skeletal Wyvern!

  timewalk