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Chapter 395 - Revelations
🕑 Added 2024-11-17 03:32:02 +0000 UTCHope you like the chapter!
Hump spent the morning channelling essence into the Silver Sprig, painstakingly restoring its power. Despite pouring much of his strength into it, he managed to restore less than a single leaf, and even that had pushed the limits of his essence. Anymore and he’d be exhausted. He sighed, frustrated. The sheer amount of power required was staggering. The fact it took so much of him, and he couldn’t restore even one sixth of its power just went to show how powerful a divine artifact was. Another day, and he thought he’d have the first leaf, which meant it would be almost two weeks of complete commitment to get it back to full strength—assuming they weren’t pulled into another battle in the meantime.
As he opened his eyes, he noticed Dylan sitting cross-legged on the opposite bank of the pond, his head bowed in meditation. Birds perched serenely on his shoulders and head, while ethereal vines and trees flickered in his aura. There was a sense of peace around the druid that Hump hadn’t sensed from him in weeks. It was good to see—he’d hated the Infernal Halls and Remnant Realm.
Not wanting to disturb the moment, Hump rose quietly and made his way back to the guest house. Nishari followed, racing around him excitedly, enjoying the grass. On the deck, Celaine and Emilia were seated, chatting and soaking in the midday sun. Celaine waved as Hump approached, and Emilia offered a polite smile.
“How are you, Emilia?” Hump asked as he climbed the steps to the deck.
“I’m doing alright,” she said, then gave a shrug. “You know how it is when you lose someone.”
Hump nodded. “It sucks.”
“Pretty much.” She let out a long sigh. “But we live in.”
“And we remember them,” Celaine added.
“I was so sorry to hear about… everything,” Hump said. “Truly, if there’s anything you need, just ask.”
She smiled again, though not with her eyes. “Thank you, Hump. Eric died heroically—there is some solace in that. And my mother should recover fully, though I am not sure she will ever be fully whole once she learns of his passing.”
“I’m working on restoring the Silver Sprig. It’ll take me about two weeks to bring it back to full strength, but if your mother needs it, I could use it sooner for elss effect.”
Emilia shook her head. “Thank you, Hump, but the healers assure me she’s recovering. Using the artifact now would be selfish. There is no need to rush.”
“It isn’t a problem,” Hump said earnestly. “I’d be happy to—”
Emilia cut him off, her tone firm. “We are at war, Hump. The warlocks failed to achieve their objective in Elenvine, so there is every chance that they will return. If one of us is critically injured and you have used the sprig on non-urgent care, I would never forgive myself. Please save it. At least until my mother’s condition changes.”
“I can’t argue with the wisdom in that,” Hump said. “Though I will continue to work at it. If your mother needs it, she’ll have it. I promise.”
“Thank you.” Emilia’s voice softened. “Now, onto another matter—what did you say to Bud?”
Hump stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t play coy. I knew something had happened.”
“Wait a second,” Hump said, pointing at her. “You didn’t know? You tricked me!”
Emilia grinned mischievously. “So, what happened?
Hump glanced at Celaine, who raised an eyebrow. “I’m curious too. It’s not often that you two have a spat.”
“Where is Bud now?” Hump tried to deflect.
“He went to the temple district.” Emilia crossed her arms. “Now, stop dodging the question.”
“Of course he did.” Hump sighed. “I told him…” he hesitated a second, deciding whether to tell Emilia. There was no point in hiding it anymore. Bud was the one that would take it the worst, and he already knew. “I told him that I have evidence that the blessings the gods give to Chosen might actually be bindings on their souls. That they could be designed to stop Chosen from ever ascending to godhood themselves, effectively enslaving them. And that maybe—just maybe—Godfrey betrayed the Pantheon because he discovered their intentions.”
Emilia’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She looked to Celaine, who covered her face with a hand.
“Really, Hump?” Celaine asked. “You thought now was the time for that?”
Hump scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah.”
“That…” Emilia began, then stopped to collect herself. “That is a lot to take in. No wonder Bud looked like his entire world had crumbled. I didn’t think he’d still be upset that my father tore into him, this makes so much more sense.”
“Did it go badly with your father?” Hump asked.
“We are not talking about that now.” Emilia scoffed. “Is it true what you said about the gods?”
Hump scrunched his nose, much preferring to hear more about Bud getting ripped into by Emilia’s dad than having this conversation again. “Whether or not it’s true is difficult to confirm, but I have two sources from different places that say the same thing. And they are both sources I trust. Admittedly, they come from outside of Alveron.”
Emilia leaned back, exhaling slowly. “I think I need to hear the full story.”
Hump glanced at Celaine, who nodded. “We should get Dylan too. If you’ve already told Bud, there’s no sense in repeating it three times.”
“Good idea.”
Emilia tilted her head at Celaine. “You already knew?”
Celaine smirked. “Hump couldn’t keep a secret from me if his life depended on it.”
“It’s true,” Hump admitted. “Once, when we first officially partied up, she locked me and Bud in a room and forced us to spill everything.”
“That’s not how I remember it,” Celaine said, frowning.
Hump grinned. “Bud was traumatised. You know how sensitive he gets.”
Celaine raised a finger. “Okay, now that definitely didn’t happen.”
A small smile spread across Emilia’s lips. “Aww, look at you two! Secrets between you both already. And this bickering is adorable.”
“Uh-huh.” Celaine glowered at her. “That’s how you’re taking this, is it?”
“Oh, let me have my fun. I need the distraction.”
“Enjoy your fun,” Hump said. “I’m fetching the druid.”
Once they were all gathered, Hump told them the same thing he’d told Bud. Though both Dylan and Emilia were shaken, they took the news better than Bud had. They listened, asked questions, and didn’t dismiss him outright. At the very least, he wasn’t carrying this burden alone anymore. His friends had his back. The weight that lifted from his shoulders was even more than he’d expected.
“I’m sorry to rush off after that revelation,” Emilia said after the conversation wound down, “but I must return to my father. I told him I’d be back after lunch.”
“No need to worry about us,” Hump said. “We’ve got plenty to keep us busy.”
She smiled gratefully. “I think it best if we keep the Silver Sprig between us for now. I don’t want it to be misused or for people to rely on you.”
“Agreed,” Hump said. “Thanks.”
As she turned to leave, Celaine called out. “Oh, Emilia, you’re forgetting something!”
Emilia stopped, confused. “What?”
“The whole reason you came to see us,” Celaine teased.
“Right!” Emilia pointed at Hump and Dylan. “My father has invited you both for dinner tonight. No need to dress up. He just wants to meet you both properly.”
“He does?” Hump asked.
“Of course!” Emilia chuckled. “You’re my party. He’d like to know who I’m off ‘galivanting’ around the country with.”
“We’ll be there,” Dylan said.
“Should we bring anything?” Hump asked.
“Like what?” Emilia replied.
“I don’t know. Isn’t it polite to bring wine or something? How do you nobles usually do things?”
Emilia waved him off. “You brought his daughter back alive. That’s more than enough. Just come, relax, and enjoy a good meal. Truly Hump, there is no expectation of you. Be yourself.”
“Maybe without the battle robe,” Celaine added.
Hump made a face at her. “Yeah. I gathered.”
She snorted to herself.
They said their goodbyes to Emilia, promising to see her later, and then watched her go.
Once it was just the three of them, Dylan sighed. “Well, that was exciting. I’m surprised Bud took it so well to be honest. I thought he’d be ready for some divine anger after all that.”
“No, he did great, honestly. It was hard for me to wrap my head around—it still is—I can’t imagine being in yours or his position.”
“Krioc’s blessings bring me peace,” Dylan said. “Whatever his intentions are, I do not regret being his Chosen. I am content with my lot in life.”
Hump was impressed with how at ease Dylan was with the news, but he supposed getting worked up over a hypothetical didn’t fit the druid.
“You are content, aren’t you?” Celaine said. “It’s nice to see, Dylan. You’re a constant for the rest of us, always there when we need you.”
Dylan smiled. “Well, I am flattered! It is rare for me to receive a compliment from you, Celaine.”
She blushed and turned away. “I give compliments.”
Dylan laughed, then turned to Hump. “Now that you’re up, Hump, I wanted to talk to you about what to do with that artifact we took from the warlocks. I’ve just been keeping it in my room.”
It took Hump a moment to realise what he was talking about. “The shield destroyer artifact? Yeah, I forgot about that. I don’t know… it seemed useful at the time so I thought it worth holding onto.”
Dylan leaned from foot to foot, thinking. “It’s definitely handy. Even if we don’t need it right away, it might be worth holding onto for the future.”
“Or we could sell it,” Celaine said. “Not that we need the money, but it seems a waste to leave it lying around.”
“Better than letting it go to waste,” Hump said. “I’ll see if I can come to understand the enchantment first. It might be something I can create in the future, in which case it would be incredibly useful.”
Dylan’s eyes widened with excitement. “Imagine a variant of that on my staff.”
“You’d be a walking, monkey battering ram,” Celaine said.
Hump laughed. “I’ll see what I can do. No promises.” He paused, expression turning serious. “Speaking of artifacts, we’re still owed some rewards by Wizard Aldric. Next time we see General Korteg, we need to bring it up.”
“I’ll admit, I’m rather excited to look into the Royal Armoury,” Dylan said. “And the Inquisition’s Vault actually. It’ll be interesting to see the differences.”
“Will it really be that great?” Celaine asked. “I’m pretty happy with my equipment.”
“You have a divine artifact for a weapon,” Dylan said. “The rest of us, not so much.”
“I’ll admit, I have been considering one of those quivers that never runs out of arrows,” Celaine said. “They’re basic arrows, so not that different to a simple shadow arrow that I can make, but it would be convenient.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more advanced version,” Hump said. “If anyone’s got something rare, it’s the king.”
Celaine hummed thoughtfully. She sat with Hump and Dylan as the two of them had lunch, discussing what equipment might best suit their needs and the future conflicts they would encounter. Nishari ate beside him—a collection of fresh meats that Celaine had purchased in the city that morning. After eating, Hump spent a couple of hours with Nishari, Celaine and Dylan helping out, working on the training that they’d neglected since arriving at Fort Nordric and chasing each other around.
Time slipped by, and eventually Hump retired to the living room where he spent the rest of the afternoon studying the Book of Infinite Pages, absorbed by the many spells he now had access to. There were many. Hundreds of new spells lay before him—far more than he could ever master. He smiled at one in particular: a variant of Earthen Grasp that made a summoned hand fully mobile. It wasn’t just the spell itself, but the potential applications that sent his imagination racing. Telekinesis was a powerful art, and this was something that would give him similar, albeit restricted, capabilities.
SPELLBOOK
Grasping Hand
Transmutation | Utility | Tier 4 | Range: Medium
Description
Create a hand of earthen stone that mimics your genstures and can perform a variety of tasks depending on your intent. It can lift, move, or manipulate objects, interact with the environment, and restrain or attack a creature. Essence requirement increases with the size of the arm and force of the grip.
Notes
y.207 – Nithrand – A flexible tool both in exploration and combat.
It was unfortunate that it was Tier 4, requiring more time for Hump to learn, but its usefulness couldn’t be understated. He imagined controlling what was essentially a new limb requiring intense concentration and essence manipulation but was certainly something he needed. His experience over the last few days had taught him that he was severely lacking utility spells. Though this was not exactly what he needed. Most importantly, he was slow. He relied on holding his ground and defending against enemy attacks before striking with absolute force. Against weaker enemies, it had served him well, but against Karlac there was little he could do but take a beating.
He needed to be more versatile.
As he searched through the book, he found two spells that truly appealed to him. Two that would vastly improve his effectiveness in battle, particularly when operating alone.
SPELLBOOK
Accelerate Thought
Enhancement | Internal Essence | Tier 3 | Range: Self
Description
Temporarily accelerate the speed of your thoughts, granting heightened mental acuity and reaction time. While under the effects of this spell, your perception of time slows, allowing you to act with improved mental precision.
Notes
y.688 – Ajax – A fun little spell, but one that can become addictive. Overuse will leave you with a headache that makes the worst hangover feel pleasant.
At Tier 3, it was a spell Hump could learn fairly quickly, but it fell more into the martial category of techniques which was far from his strong suit. His ability to manipulate internal essence was limited. Stil, even if he could only use it for brief periods, it would give him an opportunity to assess the battlefield and react to threats. Too often had he encountered people that he could hardly follow—Emilia being one of them. Now, he might be able to react.
Next up was an even more exciting concept for him. Something he hadn’t even realised was possible, but it seemed that at some point even the Vesta’s blessings had been deciphered. Hump paused—or perhaps this spell was from before the goddess’ time.
SPELLBOOK
Dimensional Snap
Conjuration | Utility | Tier 5 | Range: Medium
Description
Tear through the fabric of space, momentarily vanishing to reappear at a point you can see nearby.
Notes
y.588 – Ivish – The volatile nature of this spell imposes significant risks when the caster’s focus falters, or external forces interfere. Use with caution, and never when one’s essence reserves are depleted. For many spells, failure means an unpleasant explosion. With this, there is no knowing where in the world you will end up, or if you will still be in this world at all.
Mobility was the bane of any wizard. With this, Hump might be able to change that. Though in this case, very, very carefully.
Comments
lenkite
Also, usurping the Throne of Winter is perfectly fine if it held a person like this Lich Queen's father.
1FantasyFanatic
Really like how Dylan handled this new info. Respect.
1FantasyFanatic
Well said. For the sake of plot I am leaning towards them being evil thieves but I could totally see them thinking they were doing what was “best” for humanity. People are rarely black and white in their thinking and actions.
Diarmid McArdle
You know there is such a thing as too much power maybe the gods were trying too make sure that no one could do to much damage to the world in their absence maybe that’s why they bound the chosen and obscured the path of the practioner
Tristan A
Well obviously Hump could have gone about that conversation differently with Bud. I think he's hooked on to this perspective that the gods are using humans and withholding power nefarious. And that might be true, but multiple things can be true. The gods or maybe some of them might actually care about their people, whether that was their original intent or not. Also, there could be the possibility that they see blessings as a way to uplift those who would most likely die on the path to power on their own. Also we don't know the circumstances under which they "stole" this power in the first place. Sure it probably wasn't the most moral thing, but like this is a vicious world, and it is apparent from that vision hump saw that it wasn't good before the current set of gods. Like gods were literally descending back then and wiping out entire regions with a singular attack.
George R
Awesome chapter
Armo
There is no way that Emilia’s father doesn’t make this dinner very tense. I agree with Hump - I also want to see the Inquisitorial and Royal vaults! And I’m sure they’ll be both grand and available. Hump has been too instrumental across multiple battles for them to ignore him - though it’s certainly still possible. Oh, and I’m sure we’ll get to see more of the Royal family! We’ll see if there is any current fallout from killing Kassius! After all, the warlock war must be putting things in perspective. Wasn’t the truth of Kassius’s allegiance passed up the chain to the king? Somehow, I can picture the King giving Hump land lost to dungeons somewhere just to formally award him a title. Honestly, I’m most looking forward to Hump exploring the city + reminiscing. Maybe we’ll see the trip to the baker Hump mentioned a couple chapters ago, maybe we’ll see some additional backstory. I can’t wait!
Hell 5pawn
That last spell looks like one hell of a fun time.
Diarmid McArdle
them
Diarmid McArdle
Awesome new spells so cool though I was wondering doesn’t a wizard also have and increased lifespan to go along with their abilities like the chosen do or is that a gift reserved for the
BaguaBrady
Ha! Celaine thinks hump can't keep a secret but has no idea he knows Owalyn is free
