Chapter 52
Chapter 52
You’re going to have to do better than that.
Max ignored Bob’s teasing, focusing on the five who were attacking him. Ice tried to freeze his steps, but Max avoided it, smiling as he heard a “booo” from Tanila.
“Resisted!” Vaelithrea shouted.
Good communication on the mage’s part.
A roar bellowed from his right, and Max turned, the effects of a Taunt skill by Vraxion not even giving him pause. Still, he acted like a boss might, facing the demon who was normally three feet taller than him. In his Ultimate Form, Max now towered over the demon and brought both swords down at the warrior.
Max felt the strikes against his hamstrings and knees, sensing Miranna attacking him as Vraxion absorbed his blows. A green light appeared on the warrior as Thergar healed.
“Nice timing!” Batrire called out.
“Taunt’s over!” Fowl shouted. Max roared, feeling foolish as he turned, facing his daughter, who would have most likely gained the attention of any boss. When his back was turned, a pair of talons raked across his shoulders from behind.
Stumble…
Knowing Bob was right, Max pitched forward, taking the strikes from Miranna on the same knee, knowing that the level of creature he was trying to imitate would most likely have lost that section of their leg.
Kneeling on a single leg, he swung, struggling to stay upward as his momentum carried him around. An ice spear struck his right shoulder, forcing him to go face down and receive a pair of blades along the back of his neck the moment his head was low enough.
“DEAD!” Rakonath shouted.
Cheers and laughter came from those on the practice field and on the edges.
“You were cheating,” Miranna said as she poked his side with her blade.
“Me, cheating?” Max gasped, pretending to be hurt, as he ended his Ultimate Form, and his body returned to normal size. “How about next time I go berserk or use a power strike again? What then?”
“Yeah, let’s not,” Vraxion said as the demon came closer. “I can still feel how that struck, even with you just hitting a little harder.
“Bah, I kept your health topped up,” Thergar stated. “Even Mother Batrire said I did fine.”
A roar came from above as Shale Spark landed and made her way toward the others, who were all gathering around Max.
“Please, we all know I did all the work,” the dragon declared upon arriving.
Max shook his head and whistled, cutting off the conversations and joking that were taking place. “Alright, let’s chat, and then you five can go relax. We’ve been at this for two hours, and I’ve got other stuff to do. Besides, you’ve improved since the first time.”
He pointed at Batrire, who stepped forward to talk. “Those heals were on point for that last fight, Thergar. You’re going to have to start considering pre-healing if you see that the boss uses an ability.”
“Aye, and don’t depend on that taunt,” Fowl added as he gave Vraxion a gentle poke. “You only get to use that once in a fight, and you never know when something you face will resist.”
“Speaking of resisting,” Tanila said. “While I’m sure your spell was perfectly placed, Vaelithrea, they do resist. Most bosses won’t succumb to a root or ice spell for long. Your best use of spells is creating walls and obstacles to help your team until it’s safe to cast spells.”
Max smiled, looking at Rakonath, who just shrugged.
“What?” the dragon god asked. “Shale Spark did fine. She didn’t set anyone on fire, and she stayed out of harm’s way.”
“See! Perfect,” the red dragon declared.
“I wouldn’t say perfect,” Max said, but he waved off the dragon, who was celebrating. “Miranna, what do you think I’m going to say?”
His daughter groaned as everyone looked at her. “I hate when you do this.”
“But it’s better if you have an idea of what you think went wrong versus me just telling you what went wrong.”
“I would have been in trouble if the boss went berserk or used a skill on me that I couldn’t avoid. Even with my spells, I have to avoid casting them unless necessary as all that would do is draw more aggro.”
Max nodded and winked. “See, you already knew what you did wrong. You came in a little early. Let the boss get mad at Vraxion. He’s a big target and can take it, but once he loses aggro, it makes the team suffer for it.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Fowl muttered.
“Now then, where are you five off to?” Max asked.
The five of them glanced at each other. After a few hand gestures and nodding, Vraxion stepped forward.
“We’re going to be tackling the level fifteen dungeon today. It’s the tree and plant one.”
Max and the others nodded.
“Level fifteen dungeon in a week,” Tanila said. “Seems like old times.”
Max watched as the other gods gave their students gentle pats and hugs, waiting for the moment to end. “Alright, I’ll be the mean one. Based on what you’re displaying, the level twenty dungeon is where you’re going to start being challenged. Remember this isn’t a sprint. I know you’re all riding high after clearing all those dungeons in one go, but this is where you’ll see things change.
“A level twenty-five dungeon is where the first change in monster tiers takes place. They’re going to resist spells more often and take less damage. They’ll also start hitting harder. Don’t underestimate them, even if you feel you’re stronger and faster.”
Nods came from the champions they had chosen.
“Any questions?” Max asked.
“I got one,” Miranna said, holding up her hand. “If you all could do something different at these early dungeons, what would that be?”
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Max was caught off guard by the question, glancing at his old party members and studying them. “The early dungeons? Like pre-twenty-five?”
“Yup!” his daughter exclaimed.
“Go slower,” Fowl said. “I’d take my time.”
“Fowl Hammerfall, when did you ever do anything slow besides get out of bed?” Batrire asked.
“Bah, woman, you know I like to take my time when drinking!”
Max smiled as he looked at Tanila, motioning to her with his head.
“I would agree with Fowl,” she said. “We blazed through the dungeons for a variety of reasons and missed out on a lot of opportunities to farm bosses and drops. I think we were so focused on getting to level fifty as fast as possible that we missed out on what could have been a safer and better-equipped grind.”
“Dad,” Miranna asked, studying him.
“They’re right,” he replied. “I know so many talk about how fast we went through the tower, but it’s not supposed to be a race. Each of you has plenty of time to grow stronger. None of you has to complete the tower in two, five, or ten years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, enjoy the moments you have together. Some of the best times we ever had were making fun of Fowl afterward and his inability to go to the bathroom in a dungeon.”
“What? Really?” Vraxion asked, looking at Fowl.
“Bah, you all can go hump a troll,” their dwarf warrior growled. “I’m going back to my capital, where people don’t worry about my bowel habits!”
Laughs broke out as Fowl winked and turned, motioning with his head to Batrire.
“I guess that’s it,” Tanila said. “I’ve got things to do as well. You all have fun and be safe.”
Max waved and started to move away when he sensed his daughter coming toward him.
“Dad, you forgot something,” Miranna said, wrapping her arms around him.
“Thank you,” he whispered, hugging her back. “I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
She leaned back and smiled. “Trust me, you embarrass me in so many other ways, and hugging me isn’t one of them. We’ll be safe. I promise.”
He kissed her forehead and nodded, watching Miranna chase down Tanila and hug her as well before joining her team.
“They’re good kids,” Rakonath said, having moved to join him.
“And yet they’re not kids anymore,” Max replied. “They’re growing up so fast. Even Shale Spark doesn’t waddle like she used to.”
“That is true. That wyrmling is growing faster than I had expected. It appears a spark does wonders for a dragon. It’s a shame Sog’s not here to watch his champion practice.”
“Yeah, he’s with Cordellia right now.”
“Meditating? Again?” Rakonath asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
“Yup. He’s taking the whole changing thing to heart. If I’m honest, it’s rubbed off on me a little bit in the last few days. I’m trying not to hover as much over Miranna, and I’ve stepped back a lot more on the city things, letting our king and queen handle them.”
Rakonath chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. “You surprise me more than you realize. I know the burden is heavy, but I’m here to help carry it. It’s also good that you decided to limit these training days to once a week for the first month. That way they learn some things while also not feeling like we don’t trust them.”
“Have you been talking with Tanila lately?” Max asked, grinning. “She said the same thing yesterday.”
His dragon chuckled and shook his head. “No, anytime I come to visit Tanila, she finds a way to make me do something for that school she teaches magic at. Even though the students don’t scare me, I sometimes wonder if teaching them all the runes she does is a wise move.”
“And why is that?” Max asked, slowing his step and turning to face his friend.
Rakonath slowed and frowned. “Runes… they are stronger than standard magic. Understanding them is like a dragon unleashing its breath. Eventually, every dragon learns how to use what is inside them. Many different factors can influence the power and strength of one’s control over the gift we are given. You might remember when I had to learn control early on with it.”
Max nodded and chuckled. “I do remember you occasionally using too much fire at first.”
“If what I am thinking is correct, it’s the same way with those runes. Magic operates off of the system’s ability to draw upon certain powers. Those runes amplify it like you’re crafting something. If a student doesn’t understand their true potential and how to control the magic they have, a rune could cause it to go out of control or do something they hadn’t considered.”
He’s right.
“Of course I’m right,” Rakonath grunted. “Bob uses magic differently than others, as does Tanila. Even you, but that is because you interacted with magic through him. She learned runes at a young age and shaped her magic accordingly. The ones Tanila is teaching have had the system before learning the runes, and it’s going to cause problems, I’m afraid.”
Max stood there, considering the way he cast magic. In his mind, he simply willed what he wanted it to do, never having considered what it meant.
“Bob?”
Watch and focus. Rakonath is right. I’ve done things different than most, it appears, and never thought twice about it. I’ll show you how I do it, and then I’ll compare it to how he describes it.
Max turned toward the training area, now empty from everyone but him and Rakonath. He raised both hands at Bob’s leading and felt magic beginning to form in each. A gout of flames shot forward, streaming across twenty feet, constantly putting out heat.
Now watch your left one.
The flames coming from his left hand grew about a third in size, shooting farther by a good five feet or more.
“And that one is…”
Feel it, close your eyes, and watch the mana pour out of you.
Max did as he was instructed, sensing the mana that was leaving his body and the way the spell transformed it. Two spells, both the same, and yet one felt raw and stronger.
Here, look. Right here.
Bob guided his study of the one on his left, and Max could see that there were traces of runic magic, things he could read and recognize, and things that he couldn’t wrap his mind around as the mana poured out of his body and became fire.
Opening his eyes, Max watched the spells fade out and frowned.
“Why didn’t I ever notice it before?”
“Why would you?” Rakonath asked.
“I mean, you knew and never said anything,” Max replied.
“Actually, I didn’t till Tanila brought me to the school. You two use the same kind of magic. Bob and Tanila draw from the same source. The students did not, and watching them attempt it was like… handing a new warrior a sharp sword and making them practice with it. Sure, they might be fine, but they also might injure themselves if they tripped or something happened.”
Frowning, Max considered what this might mean to Tanila’s pet project.
“So… you don’t want to talk to her about this?”
“Gods no.” Rakonath chuckled. “She scares me.”
Max laughed.
Bob laughed.
Rakonath laughed.
Yet all three knew how scary Tanila could be.