Blessed Time: The Complete Series: (A LitRPG Adventure Box Set), page 59
“I don’t know about the daemon.” Jo scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably. “It’s just a rumor at this point, but everyone knows that the baron must be close. He wouldn’t be gathering that many blessed otherwise.”
For a second, they all sat in silence, the music and shouting of the full tavern washing over them. Micah took another sip of water, thinking over the situation.
“Hey, Micah,” Trevor said, an unusually troubled expression on his face. “I’m not feeling super well—would you mind walking me home?”
Micah looked at Drekt, noting that the huge man shared Micah and Trevor’s concerned looks.
He just nodded to Trevor, pushing back his chair and standing up to leave.
THIRTY
SPECIALIZATION
Micah stood back, monitoring his active spells as Trevor occupied the Cliff Guardian’s attention. The creature towered over him, four of its twelve spindly limbs clutching the nearby rock face while the others swung wildly at his brother.
Trevor danced backwards with speed borne from the haste spell Micah had cast on him as soon as the Guardian had sighted them, crawling hastily down the side of the mountain with a territorial hiss.
An air knife hit one of the creature’s claws, drawing a shower of sparks but not doing much damage even as an arrow sunk into one of the monster’s joints. It chittered angrily, raising its angular head and exposing a narrow but long crocodile-like maw filled with forearm-length hooked teeth.
Drekt took advantage of its distraction to bring his sword down on one of its legs, grunting as he hit it hard enough to snap the thin limb at a joint. The Cliff Guardian whirled its head about and snapped at Drekt.
Micah clenched his fist, preparing a spell to defend the big warrior, then smiled as he watched Drekt lean into the attack, letting his enchanted breastplate take the blow. A quick check confirmed that the swordsman’s regeneration was still active as the Guardian’s teeth scraped along the armor, not quite able to penetrate its hardened exterior.
Another arrow ricocheted off of a bony cheek plate as Jo scurried down the cliff above the monster, a pair of wind hawk eggs hopefully tucked into her backpack. Micah checked her progress, eyes slipping back to the fight as Trevor took advantage of the Guardian’s distraction from attacking Drekt to step underneath its almost snakelike form and jab upward with his spear.
At the last second, his weapon shone faintly with green light from Trevor’s martial art, empowering it just enough to punch through the creature’s bony hide.
A leg, ending in a barbed spike normally used to suspend the creature from a rockface, slashed at Trevor. He exploded into action, haste speeding him just enough that he managed to roll to the side, barely dodging the fountain of dirt and rocks where the leg pounded into the ground.
Telivern snorted next to him, fanning its wings as it flicked its nose toward a pair of dots in the sky. Micah looked up and let his mouth settle into a line.
“Looks like we’ll have to step in, buddy,” he sighed, shifting his grip to his spear. “I had hoped that the four of them could handle everything on their own, but I’m not sure how they’ll hold up.”
“Ravi help?” the panther asked cheerfully as she slammed her giant head into his side, purring happily.
Micah squinted into the sky at the approaching dots, almost certainly the wind hawks whose nest Jo was raiding. The purpose of their mission was twofold: getting Jo and Sarah the experience they’d need to contribute in a more intensive dungeon dive, and helping Micah collect the eggs, a vital reagent in higher-level Wind enchantments.
The Cliff Guardian wasn’t outside the realm of Micah’s expectations; the large ambush predators were fairly common out in the wilds, preying on mountain goats and smaller monsters too foolish to look up. He just hadn’t planned on the battle lasting long enough for the man-sized hawks to return.
“Sure.” Micah smiled at the big cat. “You get one while I bring down the other. Telivern can step in if the rest of the party starts struggling with the Guardian.”
Ravi threw herself into the air gleefully, wings flapping as she lifted off the ground. Micah glanced to Telivern, but the buck just snorted dismissively. It’d help, but if it had to it wouldn’t let Micah hear the end of it.
Chuckling to himself, Micah cast flight. Even with his upgraded affinities it used an unpleasant amount of his mana, but a couple of seconds later he was in the air next to Ravi. The big cat swooped past him, trying to fly as close as she could without actually brushing against him.
Micah dove slightly, playfully swatting her tail as the two of them soared toward the approaching hawks. Ravi flapped past him, exulting in the freedom of flight as the wind soared past the two of them. The twin dots of the hawks rapidly grew in front of them.
He smiled. Maybe once the Durgh threat was handled, he’d spend more time doing this. After his years of training, fighting, failing, and repeating, there was something about flight that called to him. The lack of restriction as the sky opened up, a stark contrast from his overly regimented everyday life.
One of the hawks called out, an alarmed screech that drew Ravi’s attention.
Micah sighed. Later. Like so many things, fooling around in the sky would have to wait.
He cast foresight, creating a rainbow of possibilities to spring into being around the two hawks and Ravi. Squinting slightly, he cast pressure spear once, then again and again. Each spell only took a pair of words and a motion of his hand.
Even as the hawk sighted him casting and tried to dodge, the follow-up pressure spear slammed into it, throwing up a cloud of feathers as it blew a hole in the bird’s wing. It fell, only to take another spell square in the torso, hollow bones shattering like china from the force of the attack.
It squawked in pain, only to be silenced as the final pressure spear ripped out its throat. Micah turned his gaze, nodding slightly as he saw Ravi handling her fight easily.
Although a single trio of talon marks had rent her hide, drawing a long gash down her back, the panther had adhered herself to the hawk’s back, snarling and clawing as she tore into the distressed bird.
Micah began casting heal, closing Ravi’s wounds even as she almost disappeared in a cloud of feathers.
On the ground, Drekt had removed another leg from the Cliff Guardian, while Sarah had managed to lodge an arrow in the soft pink tongue of the beast.
Perhaps more importantly, it was bleeding from multiple pinprick spear stabs. Even if Trevor was still a bit immature, he was maturing well as a fighter. He’d learned to dodge and weave, using his mobility and the range of his spear to hold opponents off while the rest of the party damaged a foe.
Then, when the enemy turned its attention, he had the flexibility and strength due to the spellspear class to strike with a spell or his martial art, bypassing the opponent’s armor and making them pay for their distraction.
The same could be said for Drekt. Gone was the shirtless barbarian from Micah’s past life, entering into a rage and almost welcoming attacks. It had taken some attempts, but now that the big man had agreed to wear armor, he was starting to fight smarter, even when in his rage.
Even that one change on its own was a blessing from the Sixteen to Micah. Drekt took fewer injuries, instead trusting in his armor’s magically enhanced carapace and turning into attacks. That meant that Micah could spend more time buffing the rest of the party rather than frantically trying to keep the warrior upright.
Another arrow hit the Cliff Guardian, this one removing an eye. Micah smiled. Sarah and Jo were finding their places too. Against man-sized foes, Jo was adept at exploiting openings made by Trevor’s meticulous style and the constant threat of Drekt’s heavy weapon to dart in and cripple an inattentive foe. As for Sarah? She just shot things, letting the damage from her bow build up over time.
Each and every one of them was developing to have their own place in the combat team, with Micah as the center and an all-arounder, capable of slipping into any of their roles if assistance was needed. They still had a way to go, but he could see the genesis of a team that could help him take down the Durgh Khan below him.
They just needed levels. A lot of levels.
Ravi swooped past him, her claws and muzzle stained red by the missing wind hawk. Micah didn’t entirely know if her bird was dead or if the panther had just toyed with it, but the monster would know better than to bother them while they finished off the Cliff Guardian.
With a crack, audible through the hundreds of paces of air separating him from the rest of the party, Drekt brought his heavy cleaver down on its side, snapping the Guardian’s spine. It reared back, screeching in pain as it flopped to the ground, only for Trevor to dart forward a second later and stab his spear through the creature’s remaining eye, finishing it.
A handful of seconds later, Micah landed next to the rest of the team. All of them were puffing for breath and sharing smiles. Quietly, he checked his status, noting with some satisfaction that he’d finally reached level 20. Quickly, he reselected chronomancer for the third time, eager for the decrease in costs associated with time spells.
Age: 15 [ERROR] / 29
Class/Level: Divine Candidate 20
XP: 180/35,000
HP: 1464/1464
Class Specialty
Chronomancer
Attributes
Body: 24
Agility: 24
Mind: 49
Spirit: 48
Attunement
Moon: 29
Sun: 2
Night: 22
Mana
Moon: 909/1498
Sun: 1160/1466
Night: 1284/1484
Affinities
Time: 10
Tier V - Foresight 7, Time Echoes 1, Temporal Transfer 2, Haste 8
Wood: 7
Tier I - Refresh 11, Mending 9, Plant Weave 12
Tier II - Augmented Mending 18, Root Spears 13
Tier III - Heal 11, Paralytic Sting 6, Explosive Thicket 6
Tier IV - Regeneration 6, Healing Wave 6, Poison Fog 7
Air: 6
Tier I - Gale 8, Air Knife 18, Air Supply 4
Tier II - Wind Shield 8, Sonic Bolt 14
Tier III - Updraft 3, Pressure Spear 8, Sonic Orb 7
Tier IV - Flight 3
Blessings
Mythic Blessing of Mursa - Blessed Return, Ageless Folio
Skills
Anatomy: 7
Arcana: 11
Enchanting: 23
Fishing: 1
Herbalism: 5
Librarian: 5
Ritual Magic: 26
Spear: 22
-Wind Spear13
Spellcasting: 34
Given the absurd mana associated with his new class, Micah suspected that he would be able to cast sixth-tier Time spells. Hells, he was ready to learn fifth-tier Wood and Air magic as well.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the sort of magic that was made readily available for adventurers at any price. Occasionally a spell form might pop up at an auction, but more often than not they were hoarded by powerful factions that would only bestow them on a blessed in exchange for a great service.
Of course, there was always the option of trying to trick a grimoire out of the Golden Drakes, the Royal Knights, or the Royal Family, but Micah knew better than that. Even if he hadn’t experienced the Academy’s tender graces, he would know better than to tangle with behemoths like that.
His only real option was the local noble families. For most of them, there was a reason that they weren’t in the capital. They might be forces to be reckoned with in a border city such as Basil’s Cove, but Micah would be surprised if any of them had a single blessed over level 50. Powerful, but not anything he couldn’t handle with the help of the Luoca if he needed to.
In his time with Keeper Ansom, Micah had become familiar with some of the more notable noble houses in Basil’s Cove, including the higher-tier spells associated with them. Many of the houses specialized in Water and Wind magic—unsurprising for a coastal city—but one specialized in Wood magic. More importantly, the house had originated in the capital, where it had been recognized by the royal family due to a pair of powerful archmagi that used the time element. If anyone had the spell—
“So”—Trevor slapped his back, snapping Micah out of it—“what did you think? Pretty good, eh?”
Micah glanced up. The rest of the party was staring at him expectantly, although there was a hint of snide contempt in Sarah’s eyes.
“Yes, actually.” Micah nodded with a smile. “I already have a good idea for the first round of enchantments for the new members. Sarah is deadly accurate with her bow, but it could use some extra punch. I’m thinking we use one of the wind hawk eggs to put an Air enchantment on it to increase the arrows’ speed and penetration.”
Sarah’s expression immediately changed, the touch of mockery replaced by a genuine smile. Just like her. All she needed was a gift to butter her up, and suddenly they were the best of friends. Still, it wasn’t a weakness he was afraid to exploit.
“The Cliff Guardian is an added bonus.” Micah nodded at it. “They are dual element, rock and wood. By soaking her bow in it, I can probably give the arrows it fires a mildly poisonous and paralytic effect. One on its own won’t do too much, but against a big enemy like the Cliff Guardian or a dungeon boss, the effects will stack and weaken them over time.”
“What about me?” Jo bounced over excitedly. “I was the one that had to climb the blasted mountain to collect the eggs. I deserve something extra special.”
“I was planning on using one of the eggs to make you an amulet of flight,” Micah began, noticing the instant flash of cheer in Jo’s eyes. “Also, the battle made me think about your shortcomings. Right now, you struggle against larger foes due to the length of your blades. I’m not the best with Earth magic, but the Cliff Guardian’s fangs can be used for sharpness enchantments.”
“Flying and stabbing.” Jo grinned. “You sure know the way to a girl’s heart.”
“Actually,” Micah began awkwardly, “I wanted to ask a favor of you. Privately.”
The rest of the party glanced around bemusedly, Sarah frowning slightly as Jo followed Micah away from the mountainside. When they were out of reach he turned, but before Micah could open his mouth, Jo cut in.
“This better not be some sort of weird sex thing.” The woman winked at him impishly. “I’m a classy girl and it’ll take at least three dates to get there. Plus, you’re really kind of young for me. Like, ‘I’m pretty sure that it would be very illegal’ young.”
“But does my age really matter?” Micah asked, unable to help himself from grinning back. “You don’t even know how many lifetimes I’ve lived already. For all you know I’m a thousand years old and trapped in a fifteen-year-old’s body.”
“Yeaaaaah.” She looked him up and down. “That sounds like the kind of excuse that people make as they’re being led away to the King’s dungeons. I’m not the most law-abiding person ever, but I’d prefer to avoid adding ‘sex criminal’ to that list.”
“Well…” Micah blushed as he tried to transition the conversation away from Jo’s ribald flirting. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“But seriously.” She shook her head. “You have to be of age, and if it's something freaky it’s gonna take more than just three dates and a sparkly necklace.”
“Oh gods, no.” Micah waved both of his hands frantically, almost beet red. “I just wanted to see if you’d help me rob Baron Hurden!”
“Oh!” Jo exclaimed sweetly, her smile back in place. “You were going to ask me out on a date after all! That sounds positively divine.”
THIRTY-ONE
EXPANDING THE LIBRARY
“Hold up,” Jo whispered, sending a thrill through Micah as she touched his bicep. A second later, a pair of guards walked past on the compound’s walls, swords clanking at their sides.
Micah crouched next to her in the dark. Mursa’s moon lay hidden beneath a wall of clouds as they waited for the guards to walk out of sight. He shifted slightly, the branches of the bush that the two of them were hiding in clinging to his clothes.
“What if there are magical alarms?” he hissed. “I didn’t see you checking for wards, and I’m certain that Baron Hurden can afford them.”
“Just do your time thing and see if they’re about to go off.” Jo rolled her eyes at him, barely visible in darkness.
“That isn’t how it works!” Micah responded, whispering heatedly. “Foresight only lasts for a couple of seconds and unless the alarm is audible, there’s no way I’ll even know that something went wrong.”
“Then you get to try out that fancy silver whistle you made yesterday.” She winked at him before sprinting toward the wall surrounding the baron’s compound.
Micah swore quietly to himself and followed her, muttering the words to flight even as Jo activated the necklace’s spell to soar over the wall and into the courtyard beyond. He jumped into the air, frantically looking back and forth, hoping that his actions weren’t triggering any number of rituals or blessings that could be defending the estate.
He did have the whistle, an item he’d enchanted with Air magic so that his Luoca would be able to hear it at any distance. He’d learned his lessons from the fight in the Crypt of Rot. It hardly mattered that Micah had access to an overpowered daemon if he wasn’t able to call it.
“Took you long enough, slowpoke.” Jo’s teeth flashed in the dim light. The baron’s compound had occasional magelights dotting its interior buildings, breaking up some of the gloom of the overcast night.
“I thought you had a plan for all of this.” Micah walked up next to her, hand gripping his spear tightly.
“Sure do,” she giggled. “A couple days ago, while you were enchanting the necklace, I talked to the baron’s majordomo about his hiring campaign to find his son’s killers. My level got me a tour of the compound, but eventually they figured out that I only had a common blessing. Alas, I am not nearly elite enough for the exclusive club of mercenaries and thugs that Hurden is putting together.
