A Dark Day for the Arcane Aberrations

The intelligence of an elemental creature was directly proportional to the energy it possessed. According to Velania, if one or more Arcane Aberrations happened to gain access to the Conduit Crystal in the Western Temple, they might develop a degree of intelligence and become dangerous.

That would allow the magic spilling from the Ley Line node to pour endlessly into the elementals. If left unchecked, it could lead to enormous losses.

So Velania's intention wasn't to have everyone completely clear the surrounding area and cast a wide net in the hope of catching more fish. The most important goal was still to find where the Conduit Array had gone. Once they recovered the Conduit Crystal, everything would be fine.

"I'll go take care of something first. I'll leave this place to you." Velania waved a hand and went inside the tower.

"All right, everyone, gather around..." Lanlos shook his head helplessly and called everyone together.

Quite a few people complained about how troublesome the assignment was, but when the teaching assistant gave orders, they still had to show him some basic respect. Under Lanlos's arrangements, they were fairly cooperative. They formed three-person teams and each took responsibility for a different direction.

As for Lanlos himself, he chose to work alone. After all, he was a teaching assistant. If people found out he could only cast first-circle spells, he'd become a laughingstock.

Watching the group scatter in every direction, Velania smiled faintly from the Astrology Platform. But perhaps it was just his imagination—the smile seemed to hold a hint of something sinister.

The main reason the Western Temple's mission had been entrusted to the apprentices was that these Arcane Aberrations were weak and had almost no desire to attack.

Watching the upside-down, teardrop-shaped, blue-purple chubby little creature wobble back and forth in front of him, Lanlos crouched down until his eyes were level with the two small round orbs near the top of its body. They had to be its eyes.

Tsk, this thing was pretty cute.

He cautiously poked its chubby face with a finger. A series of low buzzing sounds came from inside it, and a jelly-like sensation spread from Lanlos's fingertip.

Just as he was wondering whether he should keep an Arcane Aberration as a pet, he pressed a little too hard and poked right into its body.

"Ah, sorry about that..." He said the words, but his finger kept squelching around inside its fluid-like innards. There wasn't the slightest hint of genuine remorse.

At the same time, the Arcane Aberration swung its apparently sturdy arms at him.

Lanlos didn't dodge. He let the creature's fists land on his arm and body. It felt like a child hitting him with an inflatable hammer—soft and springy.

Cute as a button, not a thought in its head.

So this was what it meant to have little aggression? And this was what Charm 8 could do? He loved it.

With a friendly smile, Lanlos's finger, still embedded in the Arcane Aberration, flashed with a streak of white-hot electricity. Crackling sparks coursed through it, and the creature vanished like mist. Lanlos picked up a pale blue crystal the size of a fingernail from the ground and couldn't help sighing.

This was the first time he'd seen the true power of Shocking Grasp. Last time, the enchantment that resisted energy had nullified it for the man in black, dealing a serious blow to his pride. Enchantments really were expensive—especially the kind that restored their own mana after being used. Even in Quel'Thalas, they commanded a hefty price. What had he done to deserve the attention of such a wealthy lord? No, he meant a wealthy lady.

Maybe next time they met, he could offer to repay her in kind?

As he recalled all the possible ways he might have made enemies in Fastherin, Lanlos tucked the Arcane Shard into his belt pouch, stood, and continued on. The woods nearby weren't very dense, so visibility was fairly good, and it was easy to spot wandering Arcane Aberrations. Besides, they posed no real threat, and he'd already cast a shield spell on himself. Lanlos couldn't find a reason to take things seriously.

For that very reason, he failed to notice a distant bush behind him suddenly rustling in an unnatural way.

As he went along, Lanlos tried all sorts of attacks on the Arcane Aberrations.

There was no need to mention Fireball and Arcane Missiles. The creatures couldn't block them, and as small elemental beings, they were vulnerable to magic across their entire bodies. Nearly every hit was fatal.

Force Impact dealt the least damage, but it could send the little creatures—each less than half the height of his thigh—soaring like balloons. Almost none of them survived the fall in one piece.

Mage Hand could even lift them into the air for a short while. Their two short, chubby arms flailing about made Lanlos feel bad for them. He almost wanted to tie them up and take them home. Of course, it wasn't so he could sneak a few licks...

Speaking of ties, the first-circle spell Animate Rope could do the trick. It could even drag them along, but if they were restrained for too long, they'd develop an instinct to attack. Every now and then, an Arcane Aberration would even use magic, firing one or two Arcane Missiles at him. But with his shield spell, he could basically ignore them.

As for Shocking Grasp, he was surprised to discover how many different ways there were to use a touch spell. Hugs, kisses, lifting them high, kicking, kneeing, slapping them—basically, any form of physical contact worked, even through clothing. The word "grasp" was a bit misleading.

The biggest surprise, though, was how well Shocking Grasp worked with the Windrunner Blade.

The gleaming curved blade spun in Lanlos's hand as he murmured an incantation. Magic gathered, and several bright sparks of electricity leaped and clashed across its surface. A series of sharp, terrifying whistles echoed through the air, making his eardrums tingle for some reason.

Looking at the Windrunner Blade, empowered by Shocking Grasp, Lanlos couldn't help smiling from the bottom of his heart. While playing with the blade, he'd noticed that the hilt was metal too. Since Shocking Grasp was essentially electricity, he'd tried channeling the spell into the blade.

The results were delightful.

There was more to imbuing a curved blade with Shocking Grasp than adding magic damage to each slash. The real point was paralysis. This... this "perfectly legitimate" approach could catch an opponent off guard, and channeling electricity through the blade was at least much safer than making contact with his own body.

And why would a mage use a blade? Because it looked cool!

Lanlos stepped forward into a lunge and leaned into it. A string of incantations suddenly spilled from his mouth, and a light surge of magic gathered in his legs.

Speed Dash!

Whoosh!

Lanlos charged forward so fast he blurred, leaving behind a trail of slowly rising dust. Speed Dash nearly doubled his movement speed, making him as swift as a running cheetah. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed a hundred meters. Not far behind him, an Arcane Aberration, cut in half at the waist, vanished like mist amid several arcs of electricity.

Looking at the blade in his hand, Lanlos's eyes were full of reluctance.

If he'd known it was this useful, he wouldn't have given that fellow Lirath his name back then.

He sighed softly, sheathed the Windrunner Blade, then bent down to gather the Arcane Shards.

His talk about looking cool was a joke. Lanlos's body had originally belonged to a fallen elven noble, and it had already received basic training in archery, horsemanship, and swordsmanship. Combined with the techniques he'd learned from demons, he was actually quite confident in hand-to-hand combat.

His body wasn't very sturdy, but with Fel in the mix, his close-combat ability was currently much stronger than his spellcasting.

If he could, he'd honestly be happy to strengthen his physical combat skills.

But!

To gain the upper hand in close combat, the most important things were a good blade, fine armor, and an incredibly sturdy shield. And all of those cost shining gold coins!

Still, most spellcasters actually spent much more than melee fighters. Lanlos simply hadn't noticed because the Keystone helped him out. Ordinary spellcasters studying Arcane magic had to begin by copying spell scrolls for spells they could use. Without the Keystone's powerful calculations and projections, the cost of a single spell scroll would be enough to bankrupt him. And that wasn't even counting his alchemy, enchanting, and inscription practice, which he'd gotten right on the first try each time. Thanks to his astonishing learning speed and precise mana management, he hadn't had to waste money on mana crystals or mana and health potions while studying, either.

It was hard for young people in this world to get ahead. Most chose to join the military or an established organization with a steady salary as soon as they met the requirements, just to earn a living. Adventurers existed, but most were second-rate. And he'd never heard of anywhere with a guild hall. To earn a reward, you either spread the word and took private commissions or tried your luck at city halls, inns, and taverns. When business was good, you could eat like a king. When it wasn't, you might have to turn to banditry.

In that respect, Lanlos was lucky.

Shameless, low, filthy scum!

From the shadowy side of a thicket, the elf silently peered out with her right eye. Her once sky-clear pale blue gaze now seemed to gather dark, stormy clouds. Resentment and murderous intent crackled like countless bolts of lightning. She wouldn't rest until she'd torn that gray-haired young man to pieces.

Especially when she saw Lanlos gazing at the gleaming blade with an infatuated grin one moment and a delighted smile the next, Vereesa could almost feel a nightmarish current skim across her chest. Though it was only her imagination, the lingering humiliation and fury kept her tossing and turning, waking her from nightmares night after night.

Then, when Lanlos kept stroking the spot engraved with Alleria's name, Vereesa's fur stood on end. She could practically see inside the man's mind, where her respected sister was being subjected to unspeakable humiliation and torment by this pervert...

No!

The absurd images in her mind made Vereesa shudder. She even instinctively nocked an arrow, wishing she could shoot him dead on the spot.

"Hm?" A strange presence flickered through Lanlos's senses and vanished. He glanced back in confusion. Other than the golden maple leaves rustling in the wind, there was nothing unusual.

It was about time to find somewhere to rest. Glancing at his mana, now down to just 24%, Lanlos took a deep breath and pushed away the faint fatigue clouding his thoughts.

It was dangerous for a spellcaster to travel alone. He had to be cautious and always keep an emergency measure in reserve. After leaving just enough mana to cast Shield and Speed Dash, Lanlos checked the sky, took out a regional map, and headed toward a sheltered clearing.

Only after he'd been gone for quite some time did Vereesa emerge from the shadows behind him.

Her outfit was noticeably different from what she wore at the Academy. The brown leather armor accentuated her delicate, graceful figure, lending it a capable, slender look. Her conspicuous silver hair was completely concealed beneath her hood. And since she'd been moving silently through the shade, she'd almost completely blended into her surroundings.

Strangely, she was wearing a loose cloak even in the forest. Mysterious runes inscribed on it shimmered with a faint, strange light in the afternoon sun. Whenever she stopped moving, her whole body seemed to turn transparent, and even her presence vanished without a trace.

Their previous encounter had taught Vereesa that he had keen senses. This time, with the help of her enchanted cloak, she was confident she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

She couldn't kill him, but she'd make sure that shameless scoundrel never forgot the lesson.