Drifting Embers
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[MGM]: 25 - Ashen Dusk
🕑 Added 2025-01-24 14:53:49 +0000 UTCDark smoke curled above the canopy, the eastward wind carrying ash and soot along, leaving a hazy trail of grayness that matched the rainy clouds in the sky. I picked the faint smell of smog amidst the overpowering stench of offal.
The dead carcass of the corrupted Direwolf lay a few feet ahead of me while I tried catching my breath. All the while my talent worked to push my bones back into alignment and mend the torn bits of flesh. The healing was horrendously slow.
I heard the wet footfall growing increasingly near and turned my head just slightly to avoid agitating the wound. Amara sauntered toward my exhausted figure with a shadow of a smirk adorning her face.
"That was a remarkable show you put on." She commented just as she reached me. Her eyes roamed my body, taking in my beaten and battered form and the oozing crimson blood that showed no signs of stopping. "Allow me."
Saying so, she dropped to her knees and rested her right hand on my shoulder. The response was abrupt as I felt every nerve in my body be dipped in icy cold water. A soothing sensation spread along my torso, then to my limbs and even to my head. I calmed down.
"You were watching?" I posed rhetorically. With my mind restored to optimal functionality, I was able to understand the latent reasoning behind my near-death experience.
"Yes, and no." She replied. I waited for her to elaborate even as my body was being put back into shape and consolidating the aftereffects of my level up. "I knew your Dragon heart would pose a problem down the line, and while certain methods exist to counter emotional volatility, the limits of the technique itself are heavily reliant on the aptitude of the person."
"I hoped I satisfied your curiosity then." I uttered as I flinched my shoulder slightly and was relieved to find it functioning smoothly. "But what do you mean by 'yes and no'?"
"Have you not noticed yet?" She answered my question with another question.
I blinked, trying hard to dredge up the memories of my recent battle. I was unable to find anything noteworthy. I shook my head.
"Your level." She hinted. "Did you not notice anything strange?"
"Is it that I leveled up too fast?" I had earned five levels in this battle, but my previous encounter had netted me nine levels thanks to Amara's help. I couldn't understand what—
Amara's help.
I suddenly realized and let out a groan. "You didn't kill anything? That's why I didn't receive any experience from you."
Amara offered me a smile. "Sure took you a while to get it. That said, you would be right about that deduction."
"Did you even provide any help?"
"Sure I did."
I took a breath and asked. "What did you do?"
"You know you're not the only summoner here, you know?" I offered an inquiring look, and Amara was happy to indulge my curiosity. "Blood Wraiths. With my intelligence near 400, I was able to summon a couple of them to keep busy at the task in my stead."
"But if they kill, wouldn't that still earn me XP?" I asked.
"IF," Amara emphasized. "I explicitly ordered them not to kill anything. Because Blood Wraiths function by virtue of siphoning vitality, they are able to severely weaken their opponents without cutting off their pulse."
"And you did that to test me?"
"I had to see if you could even regulate the Dragon Heart."
"And if I hadn't?"
Amara looked me in the eye for a brief moment before she replied. "I would've offered to have it removed. Though the choice would've remained with you."
She's concerned for me.
I adopted a faint smile, now that I was bereft of the wounds impeding me from relaxing my body. Although my torn garments were a minor source of annoyance, the feelings were overshadowed by my recent growth in terms of strength.
"Thank you for looking out for me." I nodded. "What now?"
"Now," she said, "we level up."
[+21.99%]
[+88.36%]
[+57.03%]...
A series of glowing screens crowded my vision, giving me little time to think before the intense sensation of my attributes increasing hit me for the umpteenth time.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
You have leveled up!(×5 times)
You're now level 25!
You have 105 unallocated stat points.
As the rush faded, I saw Amara close her eyes and relish in the feel of her attributes surging once more. She breathed out and gave me a look.
"How does it feel?"
I smiled. "Terrific."
"Now that you're all patched up and significantly stronger than before, we should go rejoin the group."
The smell lingering in the atmosphere was strong, and the scene was a picture of lurid fantasy. Even I, as the painter, was surprised by the outcome brought out by my actions when under the influence of Dragon Heart.
With Amara by my side, we plodded our way through the boggy, wet ground. Along the way, driven by my curiosity, I asked, "Did you use your magic in place of potions to set fire to the forest?"
"Who said I did?" Amara winked at me as she replied.
I shot her a confused look. "But—"
"Don't worry." She said cutting me off. "There are more ways than one to accomplish a single task. You must never be rigid when it comes to matters like these; always be open-minded."
I was curious, though, especially about her anomalous ways. In fact, I was curious about a lot of things, but since we were finally on our path out of this ghastly wasteland, I could wait slightly more before sating my desires.
Jacob met us alongside his acolytes, though I noted one supporting minor injuries. They gave me a curious look, no doubt interested in my story. I would allow them to formulate their own theories.
"Since the forest is essentially on fire and no doubt brimming with monsters, which path are we going to take?" I asked right before we set course to our destination.
Jacob was eager to reply to my query. "Although our strategy was to corner monsters and push them toward the Erdwatch, the section near the Feylance Barony is ways from the center. Alongside its strategic location, it provides valuable cover from the monsters."
"You mean the lake that cuts through the Barony and into End Forest?" I pressed.
"River Yoland, yes." He nodded.
The river in question actually traveled along the borders of Greystone County before opening up into Forbidden Sea. If it was that place, then I could certainly see the application.
Our march began promptly with Jacob leading the way. Apparently he had been equipped with a compass before setting out, and having prior knowledge of the topography of the forest meant the travel went without a hitch.
Now that the pungent odor wasn't blocking my nostrils, I could pick up on the scent my garments emanated with. It was awful to say the least. How others had refrained from making a comment was something I found hard to comprehend.
Despite the cloudy weather, the forest was illuminated enough to allow safe passage. That sight waned as the dusk drew near. A burnt orange took over the skies, and ash swirled in spiraling haze. The scene was mesmerizing enough that our entourage had to stop for a moment in an effort to admire the tragic beauty.
Amara nudged me at that point, and I posed an inquiring look. "Come with me for a moment." She gestured with her head and walked behind a tree. I followed with a curious stride.
"What?" I asked.
She peeked from behind the trunk to take note of others, then shifted her attention back to me. "Seeing how you were so concerned about exposing your Soul Record, I needed to ask whether you wanted me to pack them up and dispose of them." She completed the sentence with a gesture to imitate the slicing of a neck, along with the tacky sound effect.
I opened and closed my mouth, startled at her proposition. "You can't be serious?"
"Why not?" She countered. "You were the one worried, not me. And they know your secret."
"First," I held up a hand, "they don't know my secret. They know I'm strong, they know you're strong, but they don't know us. Second, that was before I realized what awaited us after a single level up, much less after two dozen levels. So, I can positively say that I don't give two fucks about their thoughts or their reactions."
What I didn't mention was that my Dragon Heart vehemently disagreed with any attempts at pretension or playing subtle. I was willing to indulge that bit on the account of having lived a less than fulfilling life.
"You know," Amara crinkled her eyes, an alluring smile gracing her lips, "you look so hot when saying that. I could kiss you right now."
"Really?" I leaned forward in anticipation.
She giggled and lightly pushed on my nose. "I didn't say I would. But keep that up, and I just might."
"Is that promise?"
"It's a probability."
