Chapter 85: Eavesdropping
After searching the cave, I found a cozy spot in the sun atop aneaby cairn of rocks. Below me, Soltair and Trithe surrounded a small pile of "loot." Much of it was junk, having long since been corroded by the constant fumes and acids of the Basilisk, but that made it easier to tell what was worth looking at. Occasionally, an excited shout startled me from my reverie, but everytime I looked, they were just fawning over some bauble or treasure. I quickly tuned them out, focusing on the surrounding vista.
Far below, at the base of the foothills, several villages made ready for the night. Kitchen fires sent countless streams of smoke skyward, casting a low haze over the region. The falling sun’s rays intersected the smoke, casting a bright red glow over the sky. I sighed, resting my chin in my hands. Among them was Whiteriver Village. I couldn’t help but wonder if the villagers had truly been liberated from the curse. Everyone had been so sure of it.
I hadn’t been able to watch the Basilisk die, courtesy of Soltair, but I’d felt the enormous release of mana.
But, after facing the Basilisk itself, I had little hope. Its eyes were cruel and malicious. There was no way it would let anyone off easily.
I shivered, my chest tightening as I remembered the moment its jaws clamped on the aegis. Just another second, and it might have shattered. The worst part was that there was nothing I could do. I was helpless in front of a monster like that. If Soltair hadn’t been there...
Was this a true monster? Suddenly, Trithe’s words in the goblin cave made a lot more sense. Who would fear a goblin when monsters like the Basilisk existed.
It took me a long time to think through the experience, reconciling my brush with death. As I did, I idly played with my mana. My mind wandered to the strange method the Basilisk utilized in activating its curses. It had all the trappings of a spell, only the process was entirely internal. It also didn’t use a chant, but that wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with.
The church taught humanoid couldn’t replicate the monsters abilities, but that wouldn’t stop me from trying. It was just too interesting to ignore. A welcome distraction from my brush with death, and the searing pain in my wounds.
There were a few benefits to this new way of using magic, too, with almost no drawbacks. Mana got harder to use the greater distance it was exerted over. Even the relatively small diameter of a magic circle had a non-negligible effect, especially with high-level spells. Soltair solar flare had been as big as the arena, forcing him to use his own mana to sustain all of that.
The basilisk had no such inhibition. But even more important than efficiency was the element of surprise. Without the Eyes of Fate, it was impossible to know when it was preparing an attack. There was no way to counter or dispel it. There was no way to resist it. It had only been a fifth level monster, yet had hurt all three of us, Soltair included. Some of its attacks had been as strong as sixth-level ones.
"You all right up there?"