Dawn found Richard climbing a narrow rocky path, his breath forming small clouds in the cold morning air. His escape from the refuge had been frantic—activating Wind Steps until his mana was nearly depleted, running through the night desert while explosions of arcane power illuminated the sky behind him like supernatural lightning.
When he had finally stopped, exhausted and gasping, he found himself alone in a sea of dunes under an indifferent starry sky. Guilt gnawed at him for having abandoned Elyndra, but the weight of the Vision Scroll and the Guardian's Seal in his backpack reminded him of the importance of his mission.
[**Status: Veil Apprentice (level 2)**]
[**Mana: 18/21 (regenerating)**]
[**Current Mission: Reach the mountain refuge**]
[**Time remaining: 41 hours**]
He had spent the night in a small hollow between rocks, sleeping intermittently, waking at every sound, with the Guardian's Seal pressed against his chest like a talisman. At dawn, he had studied the ancient map that Elyndra had given him. The subtle markings indicated a winding route that snaked between the dunes toward a rocky formation that appeared to be the entrance to a gorge—the first step toward the distant mountains.
Now, as he climbed that gorge under the growing light of day, Richard reflected on everything he had learned. The Scroll remained blank, refusing to reveal its secrets, but the Seal had begun to interact with him subtly—sending occasional pulses of energy that seemed to respond to his thoughts or emotions.
"There has to be a way to become stronger," he muttered to himself, remembering the ease with which the Society mage had created that wall of blue fire. If the Seekers were even more powerful, as Elyndra had warned, he would need more than enhanced speed and vision to face them.
The System had mentioned developing a magical skill of his own. But how to create something from nothing? Richard stopped to rest in the shadow of a rocky overhang, taking out the Seal to study it more closely.
His fingers traced the intricate engravings of the spiral surrounded by eyes. He activated "Echo Vision" to observe the currents of energy flowing within the object. To his surprise, these seemed to respond to his touch, swirling and extending toward him as if trying to communicate.
"Show me," whispered Richard, closing his eyes and allowing the energies to flow toward him.
A series of images flooded his mind: ancient guardians manipulating the elements, creating energy shields, protective barriers. He saw different elemental affinities—water, earth, fire... but the one that resonated most with him was air, wind. He saw how air could be compressed, rotated, turned into a barrier as solid as steel but flexible as silk.
Richard opened his eyes with new determination. If he had to create his own ability, he would start with something useful, something that could save him in the next inevitable confrontation with the Veil Society.
—
He spent the following hours experimenting, sitting at the entrance of a small cave he had found further along the gorge. He extended his hand in front of him, visualizing currents of air compressing, forming layers and spinning upon themselves.
His first attempts were discouraging—he barely managed to create a slight breeze that stirred the dust in front of him. But with each failure, he adjusted his approach, remembering Elyndra's words about feeling the element, not just directing it.
"Air is everywhere," he reminded himself. "I don't need to create it, just shape it."
By sunset, after hours of concentration and dozens of failed attempts, he finally felt a change. The air in front of his outstretched palm began to visibly rotate, forming a small translucent disc that slightly distorted the light passing through it.
[**Developing skill detected**]
[**Analysis: Elemental manipulation (Air) - foundations established**]
[**Recommendation: Continue practice to stabilize structure**]
The disc barely lasted a few seconds before dissipating, but Richard's excitement was palpable. The system had recognized his efforts—he was on the right track. Determined, he continued practicing well into the night, gradually extending the size of the disc, increasing its density, experimenting with different configurations of air currents.
When he finally lay down to sleep, exhausted but satisfied, the system presented him with an update:
[**New skill developed: Wind Shield (Level 1)**]
[**Description: Creates a protective barrier of compressed air that can deflect physical attacks**]
[**Mana: Variable consumption according to size and intensity**]
Richard smiled in the darkness. It wasn't much, but it was a start—his first truly original creation. As sleep claimed him, a part of him wondered where Elyndra might be, if she had survived the Society's attack. He had seen her perform extraordinary feats, but even she had her limits...
—
He was awakened by a subtle noise—the crunch of a small stone rolling down the outer slope. In an instant he was fully alert, activating "Echo Vision" as he silently rose.
[**Echo Vision Level 2 activated**]
[**Mana: 20/21**]
[**Detection: Multiple presences approaching - 200 meters**]
He cursed silently. They had found him faster than expected. How had they tracked his location? The Seal supposedly concealed his arcane presence...
A movement in the shadows at the back of the cave made him turn sharply, instinctively invoking his newly created Wind Shield before him.
"Lower that before you unnecessarily exhaust yourself," said a familiar voice.
Elyndra emerged from the darkness, her ethereal silhouette illuminated by a faint silver glow. She looked pale, her clothes still stained with dried blood, but her eyes shone with the same fierce intensity as always.
"Elyndra!" exclaimed Richard, dissipating the shield. "How...?"
"No time," she interrupted, approaching with unsteady steps. "The Society sent an advance group. Six agents, including two magic users. They'll be here in minutes."
"How did they find me so quickly?"
"They didn't find you," Elyndra replied with a grimace of pain as she leaned against the wall. "They followed me. My energy... I can't completely hide it in this state."
Richard studied her with concern. It was evident that the previous confrontation had left her severely weakened. She was in no condition to fight.
"We have to flee," he said, beginning to gather his few belongings.
"We wouldn't get far," Elyndra shook her head. "The gorge is too narrow ahead. They would catch us in open ground."
"Then what do we do?"
A tense smile appeared on Elyndra's lips.
"I saw your little experiment last night, while I was watching you. Your Wind Shield has potential, though it needs... refinement."
Richard looked at her, uncertain. "Are you suggesting we fight? I can barely maintain the shield for a few minutes, and you..."
"I'm not suggesting we fight," Elyndra interrupted him. "I'm suggesting that you fight, while I recover enough strength to help you."
Before Richard could protest, the system alerted him:
[**Hostile presences detected: approaching rapidly**]
[**Tactical analysis: Defensive position recommended at cave entrance**]
[**Recommendation: Use narrow geography to limit number of simultaneous attackers**]
Richard looked at Elyndra, who nodded as if she had read the message herself.
"You have to trust yourself, Richard. You've learned more in weeks than most apprentices do in years. The lineage is strong in you."
With no more time to doubt, Richard helped Elyndra move toward the back of the small cavern, where she could recover with some protection. Then, he took position at the entrance, invoking his Wind Shield as he watched the approaching shadows.
The air at the mouth of the cavern vibrated with a palpable tension. Richard planted himself firmly, the Wind Shield humming before him like an angry beehive. The translucent distortion wavered slightly, raising small wisps of dust from the rocky floor. Behind him, in the dim light of the refuge, Elyndra watched, her breath held, one hand gripping the edge of the improvised bed.
The figures emerged from the desert night. Six of them. They wore dark tactical suits, reinforced with plates of some matte material that didn't reflect the moonlight. Four carried advanced-looking rifles, while the other two... the other two had bare hands, but a palpable energy crackled around them. One emanated suffocating heat, visible as distorted waves above his shoulders; the other seemed to absorb light, surrounded by shadows that twisted unnaturally. Mages. The organization wasn't messing around.
"Wonder!" the voice of the apparent leader, one of those carrying a rifle, resonated metallically through a communicator. "Come out now. Hand over the fragment and the Sylvan. We promise you a quick death."
Richard didn't respond. He gritted his teeth, feeling the constant flow of mana feeding his shield. He could feel the pressure of the contained air, a force waiting to be released.
"Fire!" ordered the leader.
The night desert erupted in a chaos of light and sound. The rifles fired bluish energy projectiles that whistled toward Richard. They impacted the Wind Shield with a series of dry *thuds* and contained explosions. The air barrier undulated violently, absorbing the energy, but held. Richard felt the vibration travel up his arms, the pressure increasing against his mana. The smell of ozone filled the air.
"He can't maintain it forever! Keep firing!" shouted the leader.
Richard knew they were right. The shield consumed mana quickly. He activated "Wind Steps." The world seemed to slow down as he slid to one side, the shield moving with him as an extension of his will. The projectiles hit the rock where he had been seconds before, raising splinters and dust.
"He's moving! Flank him!" ordered the shadow mage, his voice a raspy whisper.
Two of the rifle-wielding soldiers separated, attempting to surround him. Richard used "Echo Vision," the energy lines of his enemies glowing intensely in the darkness. He could anticipate their trajectories, their intentions.
With a roar, he channeled his mana. Not toward the shield, but outward. He extended one hand and a blast of compressed air shot out like an invisible battering ram. It hit one of the soldiers trying to flank him, throwing him backward with a muffled cry. The man crashed against the rocks and remained motionless.
The second soldier fired, but Richard was already moving, using "Wind Steps" to slide behind a rock formation. The projectile impacted the stone with a blinding flash.
"Fire mage, now!" ordered the leader.
The air heated unbearably. The fire mage raised his hands, and a sphere of roaring orange flames formed between them, rapidly growing. The heat was so intense that Richard could feel it even behind the rock.
"Richard, careful! That fire consumes mana!" Elyndra's voice, though weak, reached him.
The mage launched the fireball. It wasn't fast, but its size and the energy it radiated were terrifying. Richard left his cover, the Wind Shield shining before him. He knew he couldn't block it directly; it would consume his mana in an instant.
At the last second, instead of blocking, he used his control over the air to *deflect*. He concentrated a lateral current of wind right in front of his shield. The fireball hit the current and deviated slightly, passing centimeters from him with a deafening roar and crashing against the cavern wall further inside, briefly illuminating the interior with an infernal glow. The smell of burned stone filled the air.
The fire mage seemed surprised by the maneuver. Richard took advantage of the hesitation. Using "Wind Steps," he shortened the distance, moving like a blur. He launched another blast of concentrated air, not as powerful as the first, but directed at the mage's feet. The man lost his balance, stumbling backward.
But the shadow mage reacted. Tendrils of pure darkness emerged from the ground around Richard, trying to trap him. They were cold, unnatural, and seemed to absorb the energy around them. Richard felt a chill run down his spine. He used "Wind Steps" again, moving erratically, dodging the dark tendrils that closed where he had been an instant before.
The remaining soldier and the leader opened fire again. Richard kept his shield active, deflecting the shots while dodging the shadow tendrils. It was a deadly dance, a whirlwind of movement and reaction. He could feel his mana decreasing dangerously. The hum of his shield became weaker, the distortion less pronounced.
"He's weakening!" shouted the shadow mage.
A tendril brushed Richard's leg. A glacial cold spread through his limb, making him stumble. The leader seized the opportunity and fired. The projectile went through the weakest section of the shield and hit Richard in the shoulder. The pain was sharp, burning. He fell to his knees, the shield flickering and dissipating.
"Now!" roared the fire mage, preparing another fireball, this time larger.
Richard looked up, pain clouding his vision. He saw the sphere of fire growing, felt the heat on his face. He was finished.
Then, a lance of pure silver light shot out from the entrance of the cavern. It cut through the air with incredible speed and struck the fire mage in the chest. The man screamed, a high-pitched and unnatural sound, as light consumed him from within. The fireball he was forming dissipated in a shower of harmless sparks.
Elyndra stood at the entrance, leaning against the wall, pale as wax, but with one hand extended, from which still emanated a faint silver glow. The effort left her visibly trembling.
The distraction was enough. Richard ignored the stabbing pain in his shoulder. He channeled what little mana he had left, not into a shield, but into a single violent blast of concentrated wind. He directed it toward the shadow mage. The air hit the man with the force of a hammer, interrupting his concentration. The shadow tendrils faltered and retracted.
The leader and the remaining soldier hesitated, seeing their two mages neutralized. Richard stood up, the wind swirling around him, his eyes fixed on them with cold fury.
"Retreat," said the leader through the communicator, his voice tense. "Retreat now!"
They grabbed the shadow mage, who seemed stunned, and quickly withdrew into the darkness of the desert, disappearing as quickly as they had come.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the whistle of the wind and Richard's labored breathing. He fell to his knees again, exhaustion and pain hitting him with full force. He looked at his shoulder; the projectile's burn was ugly, but didn't seem to have penetrated deeply.
He rose with difficulty and ran toward Elyndra, who had slid to the ground, leaning against the wall.
"Elyndra, are you okay? You shouldn't have...!"
She weakly raised a hand. "I'm... fine. I just needed... to give them a push. You did well, Richard. Very well."
Richard helped her up and took her back inside the refuge. The adrenaline was fading, giving way to a dull pain and the harsh reality of their situation.
As he tended to his own wound and checked on Elyndra, who had fallen back into exhausted sleep after the effort, Richard looked around the refuge. It was compromised. The organization knew where they were. They couldn't stay.
He looked at the map he had found, the one marking the temple in the distant mountains. Then he looked at Elyndra. Her recovery was slow, but she had demonstrated that she still had strength. And he... he had survived. He had fought and won, thanks to his training and his new ability. But he needed more. He needed the other fragments.
When Elyndra woke a few hours later, Richard had already packed the essential supplies.
"We're leaving," he said, his voice firm. "This place is no longer safe. We're going to the mountain temple."
Elyndra looked at him, evaluating his determination, the new hardness in his eyes. She saw the young man she had found in the desert, but she also saw the warrior who had just defended them. She nodded slowly.
"You're right. The time for hiding is over. It's time to follow the path."
He helped Elyndra to her feet, supporting her as they walked toward the exit. As they left the cavern, the first hint of dawn tinged the eastern horizon. They left behind the compromised refuge, a small sanctuary that was no longer such, and ventured into the vastness of the desert, their steps directed toward the distant mountains and the next fragment of a lost legacy. The journey had only just begun.
As they walked under the brightening sky, Richard felt a familiar vibration. The system activated, not with a new mission, but with a status update, as if recognizing the significant change that had just occurred.
[Active Skills Analysis:]
[Wind Steps (Level 2)]: Allows the user to move at increased speeds, enhance agility and perform boosted jumps. Consumes mana per second of activation (0.8/second). Note: Control and efficiency have improved with practice.
[Echo Vision (Level 2)]: Allows the user to perceive energy traces, recent past events and detect hidden or invisible presences. Consumes 2 mana points when activated. Note: Energy Tracking Aspect unlocked, allows tracking arcane energy flows and detecting magical anomalies.
[Inscription Comprehension (Level 0 - Passive)]: Grants a rudimentary intuitive understanding of ancient or magical glyphs and symbols. Does not actively consume mana. Note: Latent ability activated by exposure to ancient artifacts and texts. Significant development potential.
[Wind Shield (Level 1)]: Unique developed ability. Creates a personal shield of compressed and swirling air that deflects or absorbs physical and magical attacks. Consumes mana while active. Strength and size depend on concentration and mana invested. Origin: Elemental affinity (Air) combined with protective intention.
[Enhanced Arcane Reading]: Allows deciphering and understanding complex arcane inscriptions and extracting meaning from magically coded texts. Consumes 1 mana point. Note: Evolution of Inscription Analysis, more accurate and efficient.
[Arcane Synchronization (Level 2)]: Allows briefly synchronizing the user's energy with external arcane patterns, enabling manipulation of foreign magical energies. Variable consumption according to complexity. Note: Especially useful for redirecting magical attacks or interacting with ancestral mechanisms.
[Arcane Bond (Level 1)]: Allows establishing a temporary energetic connection with other mana users, sharing and amplifying abilities. Requires lineage compatibility. Consumption shared among participants.
[Arcane Channeling]: Allows directing and concentrating mana with greater precision, increasing the power of specific abilities. Variable consumption. Note: Especially effective when used with the Guardian's Seal.
[Mana Shield (Passive)]: Provides a slight passive resistance to magical and physical attacks. Does not actively consume mana, but its effectiveness increases with greater mana reserve.
[Meditation]: Technique that allows the user to recover mana at an accelerated rate while in a state of deep concentration. Effectiveness varies according to environmental conditions.
[User Status:]
Level: Veil Apprentice (level 2)
Guardian Lineage: 45% awakened
Mana Reserve: 25 / 25
System Note: Increased capacity after multiple rewards and completed missions.
[Linked Objects:]
Guardian's Seal: Equippable. Grants +15% mana efficiency when active. Allows access to places hidden from ordinary people.
Vision Scroll: Unique object. Content hidden until user is prepared to receive its knowledge.
Core Fragment: 1/7 collected. Contains ancestral knowledge about the balance between worlds.
Emily's Amulet: Functions as a conduit and amplifier of arcane energy. Compatible with guardian lineage.
Harmonization Disc: Amplifies energy channeling when used in conjunction with other arcane artifacts.
[Active Missions:]
Find the remaining Core fragments (1/7 completed)
Reach the mountain refuge
Discover the truth about the Book of Ur-Kigal
[System Warning:] Multiple factions seek the artifacts you carry. Proceed with caution.
Richard felt the difference. Despite the exhaustion of battle, his internal energy reserve felt deeper, vaster than before, now quantified by the system. The combat, the development of his own ability, and even his study of ancient texts had pushed him beyond his previous limits, and the system had responded. He was no longer just a survivor with strange abilities; he was beginning to become something more. With Elyndra at his side, though weakened, and new power flowing through him, Richard faced the vast desert with a mixture of apprehension and steely resolve. The path to the mountains would be long and dangerous, but for the first time, he felt he had a real chance to fight.