The Forsaken Hero

The time after my unsettling visit to Haven passed in a blur, the days bleeding into one another. Now that I had a glimpse of the looming threat, I spent every spare moment poring over my collection of tomes, searching for potential solutions.

Thron had left me a wealth of information, but most of it was geared towards helping me reach the eighth level. While it expanded my knowledge of magic significantly, much of it wasn’t directly applicable to our current predicament and the dangers awaiting us in Brithlite. Instead, the texts covered new runes, advanced magic circle formations, and, most intriguingly, how to cast sixth-circle and above spells with additional circles.

The concept was familiar, echoing the arrays I’d invented at lower levels, but the execution was entirely different. It reminded me of the teachings I’d received from the ninth-level mage at Western University that all spells above the sixth circle were fundamentally similar. Theoretically, I could even upgrade Nexus into a seventh-circle spell, allowing me to link far more than the current three-hundred soul limit.

That idea was certainly intriguing, but making such modifications would require too much of the precious time I had left. At our current pace, we would reach Brithlite in just over two weeks. With the clock ticking, I had to focus on the most effective solutions to the immediate problem.

I started with the spell Distortion, which I’d cast for the first time outside of practice in Haven. It was a seventh-circle spell that manipulated the very fabric of space, stretching or compressing it without altering the actual physical distance. In essence, it could drastically slow down or speed up movement, depending on the variation I cast.

While undeniably powerful, Distortion had a limited range of a few hundred yards and the unfortunate side effect of affecting both allies and enemies. Moreover, it could be overpowered by sufficiently strong spells, arts, or techniques, like the Remnant’s attack. As far as I could tell, that strange assault had neared the peak of seventh-level power, providing me with a clear boundary to work within.

Intriguing as it was, Distortion held little promise for our current situation. I dug through my spatial ring, my fingers searching for a solution amongst the countless treasures within. They closed around a thick, dusty tome. It had an ancient, leather-bound cover and carried the distinctive musty scent of books confined to the restricted section of the library. I’d never been able to visit that hallowed space myself, but Thron had occasionally brought me texts from its depths.

A sigh escaped my lips as I habitually brushed invisible dust from the cover. I’d been studying this one for hours every day since my vision, but it still felt old and grimy. But, even so, it was the rarest book in my small collection, the crowning gift from Thron.

Absentmindedly, I slipped his letter from my ring and unfolded it, my eyes tracing the familiar words I’d long since memorized. The fold lines were worn to the point of tearing, the parchment soft and feathery in my hands. It was a treasure I held as dear as the flower wreath and the brooch from the Glory Chasers, tangible symbols of those who had helped me reach this point.

"What’s that?" Sari’s curious voice startled me from my reverie.

I jerked up, hastily wiping away a stray tear, and tucked the letter away. "Um, nothing," I stammered. "Just a letter from a...a friend."