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An Otherworldly Scholar - 161
🕑 Added 2024-09-21 02:44:02 +0000 UTCThe pods throbbed. Vague figures moved inside the cloudy liquid. I used my mana sense to see through the crimson membrane but couldn’t see inside. The environment mana stung my skin like tiny grains of sand in a storm. Under my mana sense, the root-monolith where the clumps of pods hung shone like a lighthouse. Pure mana rushed through the roots into the pods. There were hundreds of them, some the size of a human, others barely larger than an apple—ready to hatch.
Before I could move, a System prompt appeared before my eyes.
Chrysalimorph slain.
Level up!
Level up!
Level up!
New skill acquired: [Foresight]
Knowing what was coming, I braced for the impact. The System kneaded [Foresight] directly into my brain. I felt disoriented and nauseous. No matter how many skills I obtained, the process was as uncomfortable as ever. The sensation only lasted an instant and disappeared like it never happened. Another System prompt popped into my face.
Foresight: An improved version of [Awareness], tailored towards Scholars who enjoy fighting. Allows the user to predict the attack patterns of their rivals. Prestige Class Requirement.
This was the second Prestige Class Requirement I acquired. The same piece of text appeared when [Mana Manipulation] turned into [Mana Mastery]. Despite the requirement, I felt no further power-ups. Prestige Classes were extremely rare and hard to achieve, and no book had a comprehensive guide to achieve them. Maybe I still needed more requirements to progress.
I dismissed the prompts. Only an instant had passed since the first one. [Foresight] worked the same way as [Awareness]. My brain was flooded with information about the imminent dangers of the pulsating pods and possible escape routes.
“Follow me!” I shouted, grabbing my backpack and running north.
The closest pod broke, and the creature fell on the soft ground. I didn’t look back, but the sound alone told me the pod's occupant was much smaller than the Humanoid Chrisalimorph. The ground trembled as the root system twisted beneath our feet. More and more splashes of pods bursting reached my ears. Firana and Zaon led the way, followed by Ilya, Wolf, and me. The valley narrowed as we reached the northern border. The path couldn’t be more than an hour of walking ahead, but the root system prevented me from seeing ahead.
“They are upon us!” Ilya yelled, looking over her shoulder.
I raised my head and saw a hawk with the same white bark-like skin and green chitinous wings of the Humanoid Chrysalimorph. The bird seemed too heavy to fly, but its body boiled with mana, leaving a sparkly green mana trail like an airplane’s aerobatic smoke. The scene would’ve been beautiful without the monsters trying to kill us. Firana used [Aerokinesis] to drag down the monster but barely managed to disrupt the trajectory.
Avian Chrysalimorph Lv.13. Magical Abomination. [Identify]: A creature nurtured by the Forest Warden in their failed attempts to create a worthy body for possession. Weakness: None.
Ilya nocked an arrow and pulled the string without stopping. The Cooldown Bow accumulated power. The Avian Chrysalimorph dove upon us, talons forward, and at the last moment, Ilya turned and released the arrow. The monster must’ve been inside her [Archery] range because, despite the rushed shot, the arrow hit the mark. The monster’s bark-like skin shattered, and with a piercing screech as it fell to the ground, green blood gushing through the cracks in its armor.
We didn’t stop to confirm the kill.
“I’m running out of arrows!” Ilya said, using her enchanted boots to keep up with us. We had carefully recovered as many arrows as possible, but the Cooldown Bow and [Piercing Shot] weren’t too kind with the shafts.
We ran down the slope, using the maze of roots as cover. Wolf tended to my wound while we ran. He applied [Regeneration]’s green mesh on the furrows the Humanoid Chrysalimorph had left on my skin, and the bleeding stopped almost instantly. I examined the wound. The claws should’ve penetrated deeper. I couldn’t wholly dodge the attack, and humans lacked the thick skin of a badger. I decided to leave that mystery for later.
With the corner of my eyes, I saw a monster running on top of the root system.
Lupine Chrysalimorph Lv.17.
I cursed. Unlike their fleshy counterparts, chrysalimorphs didn’t seem to have trouble running long distances. This wasn’t a race we could win by attrition. Wolf shot his sling without stopping to aim, and the pebble barely cracked the Lupine Chrysalimorph’s armor. They were sturdier than anything we had faced before.
The monster jumped down the root and blocked our path. Firana darted forward, her sword shining with a silvery gleam. [Puncture]. I grinned. No matter how well-armored chrysalimorphs were, we had options. Firana’s [Puncture], Ilya’s [Piercing Arrow], and the sheer strength of Wolf’s Wind Sling could break the monster’s bark-like armor and allow regular attacks to do damage. Firana pierced the monster’s armor and jumped back before the Lupine Chrysalimorph could bite. Zaon and I summoned our shields and reinforced the frontline. Wolf and Ilya had enough time to prepare a volley.
The armor cracked, and green blood flowed through the cracks, but the Lupine Chrysalimorph seemed unfazed, much like an undead. We were wasting time. I channeled mana into [Foreseight], and the skill showed me the kill. Half a dozen mana swords and skewered the creature from all directions, taking advantage of the cracks from the kid’s attacks.
To hell with worrying about levels. We had to get away fast, but using the root system as a highway would summon the Swarm. A single attack from a Mana Stinger would be lethal. We couldn’t get Mana Poisoning now, or the army of chrysalimorphs would quickly kill us.
“We need to get out of the forest,” I said, but it was easier said than done.
The monsters flooded the clearing, and I pushed the kids through the thicket, using my mana blades to cut through the sea of brambles surrounding the root system.
Vulpine Chrysalimorph
Lupine Chrysalimorph
Avian Chrysalimorph
Cervine Chrystalimorph
Insectoid Chrysalimorph
The monsters started to gain on us. Luckily, there were no Humanoid Crysalimorph among them. I channeled my mana, and the world slowed down. [Foresight] predicted the monster’s paths, angles of attack, speed, and reaction times. There wasn’t a single prediction, but many, vibrating and overlapping like a glitched picture of a videogame. I wasn’t looking at the future but at a sea of probabilities. My brain was overloaded, and I felt like someone had pushed red-hot needles into my brain. Predicting multiple opponents was like herding cats, but the battle was far from lost.
Small fry wouldn’t stop me. [Foresight] had something [Awareness] lacked: a killing instinct. Despite being unable to predict every monster’s movements, I knew the path to kill them as efficiently as possible. Unlike human foes, the monster’s defenses were wide open.
The Lupine Chrysalimorph pounced. Even before it touched the ground, I cast [Stun Gaze]. Our levels were equivalent, and the creature turned stiff as a board. The effect only lasted a second, but it was more than enough. The kids reacted without a command and went on the offensive. I focused on the next opponent. My mana blades impaled the Avian Chrysalimorph as the creature tried to claw my face, and Wolf sliced the Vulpine Chrysalimorph in half—no, he crushed the armor and smashed the creature’s body with a single hit.
Wolf had inherited Dassyra’s arm.
We opened a path and climbed the slope while more and more Chrysalimorphs appeared: winged wolves, six-legged stags, hybrid bears, magic-spitting lizards, and even a strange twin-headed hippogriff, every single one of them covered in white skin and reinforced green chitin. We fought, using every one of our tricks. I was bitten, struck, and thumped, but we gained terrain, always moving north.
I lost count of the chrysalimorphs we had brought down, as most of my focus went to keeping the kids safe—or at least as safe as possible. Although strong, my defensive skills were short-ranged, and I couldn’t be everywhere simultaneously. Zaon helped me keep the girls protected, but at the same time, he got the worst of the attacks. [Steadfast Shield] was a powerful skill, but Zaon was still a low-level combatant.
A human-sized Saurian Chrysalimorph with a slimy twin jaw jumped on my back, and I fell to the ground. The creature must have a concealing skill because [Foresight] didn’t pick it despite its size. The lizard's claws buried through what remained of my hardened leather jacket and into my skin. I tried to turn, but the creature held me down. I raised a mana shield around my neck just as it chomped me. Its mouth smelled like sap.
I heard the bark cracking, and Wolf tackled the Saurian Chrysalimorph from my back. An [Entangling Vine] wrapped around the creature’s neck, and Firana and Zaon gave a perfectly coordinated killing blow, piercing its neck and releasing a firestorm inside its armor. I jumped to my feet. We had no time for respite. An Avian Chrysalimorph dove like an arrow and clawed Ilya’s shoulder. The reinforced jacket absorbed most of the attack, yet blood ran down her arm. I raised my mana shield and blocked the rest of the Chrysalimorph’s flock while Wolf tended to her.
Despite my efforts to keep the kids safe, the Chrysalimorphs slowly wore us down. My crowd control capabilities were limited against many monsters, and Wolf’s mana reserves were low. He was overusing [Regeneration]. I saw the strain on his face. It was beyond physical fatigue and not something one could fight with will alone.
“Something big is coming!” Ilya shouted.
A Lv.30 Chrysalimorph Boar-Bear broke through the thicket like a small bulldozer. It was too high-level for the kids. I channeled my power and cornered it with my mana blades. The bark was hard, but my mana blades could dent even the toughest materials. I pushed more mana, and the bear recognized me as the spellcaster. It ignored the blades and charged at me. The kids dispersed. The Chrysalimorph Boar-Bear crashed against the barrier. Sparks of blue mana flew everywhere, scorching dead ferns and melting snow. I felt the impact through my bones. Fangs and tusks like daggers closed around my barrier, and Zaon and Firana seized the moment to unleash a torrent of fire on the monster. Even if it wasn’t enough to kill it, it was enough to create an opening.
Dispelling the barrier, I channeled all the mana into my sword and sliced the Boar-Bear’s head with a single swing.
“Above!” Ilya shouted, sword in hand. Wolf’s curative mana wrapped her shoulder, but her eyebrow had been cut during the last skirmish, and her face was covered in blood.
Over our heads, a flock of Blood Eagles dove from both sides of the valley. I cursed. We were getting overrun. Zaon and Firana weren’t in much better shape. Their jackets were torn to shreds, and their bodies were covered in minor cuts and bruises. Even Wolf, who was naturally more sturdy than the rest of us, was scraped up.
“I’m going to level up so many times,” Firana grunted, igniting her sword.
The Blood Eagles dove into the forest but weren’t aiming for us.
“Focus,” I said, but the onslaught of Chrysalimorphs ended as soon as it started. We killed a few more beasts, and the forest fell completely silent.
I gave Wolf one of the Mana Potions, and he promptly tended to our wounds. Cuts and scratches were covered in the curative mana mesh, preventing bleeding and accelerating the healing process. The wounds from the fight with the Humanoid Chrysalimorph were healing, but Wolf would need several levels before his healing powers matched Elincia’s potions.
The root system moved to recover the carcasses of the Chrysalimorphs. Firana raised her sword and unleashed a fire torrent, but the roots were unscathed. We could not prevent the Forest Warden from recycling the bodies. I just hoped the second iteration of the Chrysalimorphs wouldn’t be stronger than the first.
I closed my eyes and purified mana from the Fountain to replenish my reserves.
“If I find the Forest Warden, I’m going to burn it to a crisp,” Firana said, sitting on the ground by Zaon’s side. She also closed her eyes and leaned against the tree, exhausted.
“You can’t burn a spirit,” Ilya replied, looking over Wolf’s shoulder.
Wolf grabbed Ilya’s head like a basketball to keep her still and applied [Regeneration] on her brow. Her head looked comically small under Wolf’s hand. She huffed but stayed still.
“I’ll wait for the Forest Warden to possess a body, then I’ll burn it to a crisp,” Firana said, tapping her temple.
“Or you can burn its true body,” Zaon pointed out. “You just have to find it.”
“Let’s find the orc camp first,” I interrupted.
The kids nodded in silence and grabbed their things. We were close to the path between valleys. Zaon’s backpack had been destroyed during the fight, so we decided to drop anything that wasn’t essential and rearrange the important things. We left most of the cooking utensils to make space for Zaon’s blanket and lighten the load.
“We are close,” Wolf said.
Traversing the next valley would be a lot easier without the root system blocking every path.
“This is strange,” Ilya said as we were about to leave. “We killed a lot of Chrysalimorphs. Shouldn’t we get a few levels at least?”
The System prompts were nowhere to be found.
I had a bad feeling.
“The fight isn’t over,” I said, putting my backpack down and unsheathing my sword. I used [Foresight] to examine the thicket, but no monster was nearby. Even the Undead Blood Eagles who had dived near us had disappeared without a trace.
My mind rushed. A Saurian Chrysalimorph waiting for the right moment to pounce on us? No. Any monster should’ve had plenty of time to attack while Wolf was tending our wounds. Whatever was out there was just observing us. Waiting.
“Zaon, take my backpack and get ready to run,” I said.
My [Foresight] didn’t pick anything, yet my instinct told me something was there.
“My [Spirit Animal] don’t see any monsters,” Ilya whispered.
“[Sentinel’s Oath] isn’t warning me of any danger nearby,” Zaon added.
I shook my head. My father always told me to trust my gut. Even if [Foresight] sharpened my senses and sped up my thoughts, the skill was part of the System and was governed by its rules. Depending on the System's inner mechanics, a higher-level concealing skill could easily nullify my [Foresight]. I spied through the old pines just to find more forest.
“Greetings, Wizard.”
A slim figure appeared where I just had my eyes on—green chitin over white bark-like skin, long blonde hair that fell straight like a gold cascade, and delicate androgynous features.
Elven Chrysalimorph Lv.??
Only one person had called me ‘wizard’ since I crossed the portal in Byrne’s cabin—the Lich. A shiver ran down my spine, and, in an instant, I was covered in cold sweat. My arms locked in place, and I almost dropped my sword. Two electric blue eyes shone through the cracks in the elven chrysalimorph’s facial armor.
“Run,” I said.
“The one with the butterfly wings looked more dangerous,” Firana casually replied.
Panic surged up my throat, but I projected to the last drop of my teacher’s authority, and my voice hit like a whip.
“Run! Find the tribes!” I shouted, and Firana recoiled like I had slapped her across the face. The kids quickly recovered from the surprise, grabbed their backpacks, and disappeared through the thicket in less than a second.
The Lich didn’t chase. Instead, he came forward, his steps making no audible noise despite walking on dry twigs and exposed gravel. Not even my [Foresight] registered his existence.
“That was unnecessary, Wizard. I can be a very reasonable person,” the Lich said, stopping a few meters away.
My mind was numb.
“What do you want? I already defeated you once,” I said.
The Lich shook his head. “You didn’t defeat me. You just destroyed my body. You see, after our fight, I found the remains of an old Forest Warden. Just enough to reanimate it, so I thought it could be a great chance to get something different,” he said, examining his hands.
I channeled mana around my sword. I only had to destroy the Lich’s new body and get on my way. An Elven Chrysalimorph couldn’t be much more durable than a Humanoid Chrysalimorph.
“That would not be necessary,” the Lich said, raising a hand. His cold voice came out dangerously annoyed. “As I said before, I’m a very reasonable person. Our last meeting could’ve been a lot smoother without that little glitch of yours making a scene.”
Glitch. The Lich’s wording caught my interest. He had used the term English. I doubted they even had a word for ‘glitch’ in the local language.
“What do you mean calling Loki a glitch?” I asked.
Despite the chrysalimorph’s face being a rigid mask of bark, the Lich seemed entertained. “Loki. What a suitable name for a mischievous creature. A bit on the unimaginative side, though,” the Lich said, looking at me directly in the eye. “Yes. You want to run, Wizard, but you are too curious.”
A monster born in the Farlands had no business knowing why Loki was a suitable name for a Changeling.
“You keep calling me a wizard,” I said.
The Lich’s laughter made me freeze. “You are not a Scholar, as the System suggests, Robert Clarke, in the same way, I’m not a Lich. That’s just the label the System thought fitted me the best. You are a wizard, like me.”
The Lich knew a whole lot about the System to be just an intelligent monster. But he had a point. During our confrontation in the cave, I used magic—not skills, but actual magic. I forced the world to change according to my will. I transferred the energy of the mountain to a single point and melted the cave’s ceiling on the Lich’s head. The System wasn’t involved at any point in the process, yet I was the strongest I had been since I arrived at Ebros. The amount of mana I could control was leagues above the strongest mana blade I could summon.
I wondered if I could put on the same performance one more time.
“So, what now?” I said. “Do you still want me to become one of your subordinates?”
The Lich took a step closer.
“The situation has changed, Robert Clarke. If I turn you, I fear our chubby little yellow friend might strip you of your skills. I would rather you give me that Access Rune while you live.” The Lich smiled without a mouth.
Comments
Tim Judge
this is Rajeesh from your bank. we have seen unauthorised access to your account and need your user name and password to unlock your access
ND_JackSparrow
What a chapter! He got another prestige class requirement? That would seem to imply he is part of the way towards advancing to a class beyond runeweaver. Interesting. The fact that most of the Chrysalimorphs seem to be weaker than the humanoid one does assuage my fears a bit. Even if they all hatch, only a limited number would be the 'elite' units. (Then again, with the reveal that the Lich is the only force behind this monster wave, he might have instructed the monsters to purposefully hold back their power so as to exhaust/weaken/injure the group without killing them). The fact that the Lich reanimated the body of the forest warden means it could very well be the same one that Captain Kiln fought back in the day. It is undeniable now that the Lich is a former human from Earth. That makes it extremely likely that he is Samuel Byrne; though it is theoretically possible that it was a different human who arrived here at some point, we currently have no evidence to point to that. Unfortunately, the fact that he used to be a fellow Earthling does not mean that Rob will be able to reason with him. And giving the Lich the access rune is *absolutely* out of the question.
Anonymous8418
So is the lich Samuel Byrne? I've had my suspicions for a while now and every time he comes up it just adds more and more.
Ben Bass
TYFTC! I do wonder about the prestige class prereqs, doesn’t he already have a prestige class? Or maybe it will kick into high gear with all of the prereqs as the Sytem Avatar bequeathed him the class? Also that Lich is most likely from earth - using glitch and seeming to understand Loki and calling Robert a Wizard, a term no on in this world uses. And asking for the admin token? That smacks of someone familiar with computers.
ElAyVee
He researched the existing classes and found a complete lack of sources on runweaver and other prestige classes, this was during his research to get the kids the knightly classes. And yes, Runweaver is a prestige class, that's the issue, he has no information regarding how his class works from existing literature, so he has to wing it.
Logos
> Prestige Classes were extremely rare and hard to achieve, and no book had a comprehensive guide to achieve them. How does Robert, someone from earth that doesn't have a system, know this? Also, isn't runeweaver already a prestige class of scholar? I'm getting a little confused here
