Spell Weaver-Chapter 120. Big Boom

Alex stepped carefully on the steep, declining forest floor as they made their way down. He heard several distant roars echo through the trees and could feel his pulse begin to quicken at the promise of a fight.

"Val, why don't you fly up top and keep a lookout overhead. Let me know if we have anything closing in on us."

The response was almost instantaneous as Alex's blue cloak unfurled and expanded around his shoulders to reveal wings as the illusion broke. He felt feelings of affirmation come through their bond and hunched his shoulders as Valtherion pumped his wings to gain altitude.

Less than a minute had gone by before he heard Valtherion's voice in his mind through their bond. "Many monsters ahead. Fighting other monsters. Some coming to Alex."

Thanks, buddy.

Alex gripped his wand and scanned the tree line. "Val says that there are a few on their way breaking away from the main group, toward us. Get ready but keep moving toward the valley entrance." The early March chill all but disappeared as he felt his tension rise. "Mark, you’re up!" Alex called.

“On it!” Mark stepped forward and rolled his shoulder before crouching quickly and scooping up a fresh handful of dirt. He rubbed in on his shield while watching the tree line, and just before the monsters appeared, he let out a whoop and adopted a large grin on his face.

The first monster burst through the undergrowth—a bear-like creature with matted gray fur and too many eyes crashed toward them. Behind it, two large shapes with what Alex guessed were antlers moved to follow.

Mark slammed his shield and hammer together and Alex watched as three slabs of thick earth floated up from the ground and began to float in a circle around him. "Oh, heck yes, dude!" Mark shouted in surprise while stepping forward and raising his shield to his shoulder while pulling back his hammer to be ready for a strike. The new earthen skill flowed around him despite his movement. The bear was only a few feet away from them, but to offset the impact, Mark activated charge rather than simply bracing his feet. The two of them collided, and it seemed so odd to Alex to see his friend, who was large—but certainly not the same size as the monster bear—come out on top in the collision. The impact of the beast on shield rang out like a bell and Mark followed through with his hammer and struck its skull with devastating force.

Mark shifted his weight and turned to block the next approaching threat and Alex looked at the slowly rotating shields of earth that floated around him. "Holy shit, he actually got the skill," Alex said to himself.

Sam began cracking up next to him at hearing the words and called out encouragement to Mark.

An arrow whistled past Alex's head and found its mark in one of the creatures beyond, burying itself in the monster's throat. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ian about twenty paces back with his bow already drawn once more, just in time to see him loose two more arrows in quick succession.

Olivia hustled and jogged past Alex while quipping, "Save some for us!" He saw her pull both daggers from her belt and felt that it was odd for her to refer to herself as "us," only to remember the new bond she shared.

Alex activated [Parallel Mind], and at the same time, used his Heavenly Eye to inspect Ian and was impressed to see the progress the archer had made.

Level 19. He and John must have been busy.

Valtherion swooped down next to him and opened his mouth wide before firing off two bolts of mana toward the small group of elks that was emerging from the trees. "Val, how many more are there?"

"A-lot-many. Group coming," the companion said proudly.

Alex had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the vague number. However, it didn't really matter as the question was answered seconds later when another wave crashed through the trees, led by one of the strange octopus-like creatures that Elena had described. Mark held the line with his shield and hammer, and Sam was close behind him, monitoring those in close combat for potential injuries.

But Alex was surprised to note that it was Rylan who dominated the field in the hasty skirmish. His greatsword carved through the monsters with terrifying efficiency, and each swing and cleave took down at least one of the rift creatures, sometimes more. Alex had to admit that he was slightly jealous of his clearly monstrous physical stats as he watched the man move like a force of nature. His swings never tired despite the blade's heavy weight.

As the battle died down, Rylan looked over to their group with a smile that looked somewhat demonic as he had blood splatter covering half of his face. "That's already eight for me." Rylan's voice carried that familiar smug edge that Alex had expected him to hide while in front of others. He stabbed the large greatsword down into the dirt and looked at the group.

Mark's brow furrowed. "Some of us are actually protecting people instead of showing off."

"Yeah, but I can't exactly use my greatsword in your little formation, now can I? Plus, that sounds like something someone would say when they're losing." Rylan laughed.

They moved further down the hill and were already at the entrance to the Valley. As Alex saw what was in front of them, he couldn't help as his eyebrows rose. He saw the hundreds of monsters fighting and battling and knew that if even a fraction of these monsters made it to an unprotected or unawakened city, there would be massive casualties.

Maybe I could knock out a few birds with one stone. Get in an actual field test, clear out some monsters, and knock Rylan down a peg at the same time.

"How about we make it interesting?" Alex kept his voice level and pulled all of the emotion out of his voice. "That valley is full of targets. Let's see who can clear the most."

Rylan swung his sword up and rested the massive blade on his shoulder. "Finally showing us some spine? This sounds like some real fun. Fine by me. No chance I'm losing to some puny mage who hasn't even hit D Rank. What are the stakes?"

"Do there really need to be any stakes other than finding out who is the better Awakened?" Alex asked.

"Oh come on, you can't suggest a competition and then not actually have there be any stakes other than bragging rights. Be a man. Put something behind your words, magic man."

"Alright, fine…” Alex paused and gave it some thought. He was tempted to call him out and have him admit what he’d been doing behind everyone’s back over the last few weeks, but Alex knew he could easily lie if he wanted to back out of it.

No way he’d actually admit what he’s been doing. Especially since people have died as a result of this.

Alex looked down for a moment and then knew what he’d ask for. “If I win, I want my pick of one of your personal enchanted items."

Rylan agreed easily and Alex was surprised. The blonde haired warrior tapped his chin thoughtfully before speaking up. "If I win I get to recruit one of your teammates to my team."

A look of incredulity crossed Alex's face before he started laughing. "I'm not in charge of them, and I certainly don't own them to be traded like players on a sports team. They're on my team because they want to be, and we're friends. If you want to make a pass at one of them, you're welcome to it any time. Pick something else, I'm not going to offer to trade you one of my friends." Alex glanced at Sam and gave him a wink.

Rylan laughed quietly and shook his head. "Yeah, a healer would be nice, but I'd pick Olivia over him any day." Silence fell over the group, and everyone was clearly feeling a little awkward, while Alex had to keep his face neutral intentionally. Rylan decided to take one last jab before naming his prize. "You haven't even seen her fight yet. She and that companion of hers were killing monsters 10 to 15 levels over their own and up a rank at that. Alright, whatever, I'll wager an item against an item then. You can have one of my enchanted items if you win, but I want that spatial pouch of yours if I win."

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Alex shrugged. "Sure, works for me, but you’re not getting what’s in the pouch. One more stipulation: I get to cast a spell before we start."

Rylan immediately seemed suspicious and shook his head. "Why would I give you a head start?"

Alex shrugged again and held up both hands. "Well, mainly because I'm going to cast the spell either way. Even if you run in there and start fighting right away, then, it’s not my fault if you get caught in the spell. This way, one spell, and then we'll go into the fight." Alex paused for a moment and saw Rylan preparing to push against the stipulation further, so he decided to turn the man’s own logic against him. "I mean, if you're really as good as you think you are, one spell won't matter, right? Unless you're worried?"

The barb hit home, and he saw Rylan's jaw tighten. Alex could see it as the blond-haired man gave a curt nod. "Fine, I suppose you'd need a handicap anyway. One spell and make it quick. Don't dismiss any kill notifications; we’ll count them all at the end."

Val circled overhead in an excited loop before settling onto Alex's shoulders.

Alex looked up at his friends and gave an excited grin and thumbs up, and he realized that since most of them had been gone, Mark might be the only one who could anticipate what he was planning.

Alex knelt down and began placing mana stones in a careful line in front of him on the ground. He counted out the four like he had done previously and paused before adding another four to the pile. He glanced up at Olivia, who was standing close to him and looking over his shoulder with interest.

"Give me just a bit of space? This might get a bit… intense."

He raised both hands to move through the practice motions as the blue threads of mana spun from his fingers and into the air. He watched through his Heavenly Eye as the [Mana Thread] skill let him weave multiple threads simultaneously and crafted the large, modified ritual circle in the air. It hung vertically and pointed toward the monsters that clashed in the valley beyond. He looked through it for a moment and thought it was odd how it almost resembled a magical window to look through.

He made sure each line connected perfectly and that the shapes were solid and connected to strands at the appropriate places.

Olivia whistled. "That's… That's a lot of mana."

Her comment made Ian and Pete take a cautious step back as they had walked over to see what Alex was doing. Without an ability to see mana, to them, it likely looked like Alex was just holding both hands in the air. Rylan still maintained his cocky smile as he watched Alex work, though Alex had a feeling that would change shortly.

Alex fought to keep his expression neutral, but excitement rose up in his chest. The ritual circle was larger than the one he'd attempted to make before by about 50%, and he planned to put the maximum amount of mana into it that it could hold. Those two factors, with the addition of the normal spark rune, he expected would make a statement.

I think it's time to show some people what I've been working on.

He reached the last step after just a few seconds and inscribed the spark rune into the catalyst position before beginning to channel his own mana into the construct.

"Val, I need some of your mana," Alex said as he began to get low on his personal mana pool. Valtherion didn't say anything, but he did let out a huff before beginning to infuse his mana.

His companion's energy flowed into him, and at the same time, he activated his own [Mana Siphon] ability to begin drawing mana from the stones in front of him. The ritual circle began to pulse with concentrated energy, though he knew it would take more than this to set it off.

"Oh… Oh holy shit." Olivia said as she took two steps back from Alex. "Okay, that's not just a lot of mana anymore. That's… Uh, everyone might want to take a step back."

Rylan's expression had shifted from smug confidence to mild concern and landed on obvious worry.

"Almost ready," Alex said, his voice strained slightly as he controlled the large mana flow into the ritual.

Val, get ready to shoot a mana bolt through the ritual when I say, okay? It's only going to be active for a second or two.

Valtherion performed an excited lap around him before flapping his wings in a slow and steady rhythm behind Alex and over his right shoulder. The amphiptere's mouth began to glow with waiting magical energy.

"Okay, here we go." Alex grinned and activated the ritual when all the mana was gathered.

For a split second, the invisible construct flashed into existence and became visible to the naked eye. A massive circle of ethereal blue light, crackling with lightning, lit up the entire area in a 15-foot radius. Alex’s hair, from head to toe, stood on end, and he knew that if he could see himself, he’d look like an evil scientist- the mad grin and all.

Now!

Val's mana dart shot through the back of the ritual circle and transformed into something altogether different.

The air crackled and split. What emerged wasn’t the small bolt Val had fired, but instead a column of pure destruction that lit up the valley like a miniature sun. The beam carved a path through the monster horde, leaving nothing but ash and scattered remains in its center. The sound hit them a moment later- a thunderous clap and boom that shook the ground beneath their feet and echoed off the valley walls.

Secondary arcs of lightning, each looked to be as thick as Alex’s arm, leapt from the main beam and struck nearby monsters. They danced between the creatures in a chain reaction that left smoking corpses or twitching bodies. The smell of ozone filled the air and mixed with the gut-wrenching smell of fried meat.

The wind kicked up around them and caused loose stones to skid across the ground. Alex’s own robes whipped against his skin, and he heard several startled cries from behind him as dirt and debris pelted the group.

Alex squinted against the intense light and felt static electricity dance across his skin. His hair stood straight up, and he couldn’t help but laugh at his previous thought of a mad scientist, now truly resembling that picture he’d seen as a kid of Albert Einstein.

The beam lasted only a few seconds, but its effects reshaped the battlefield in front of them. Where there had been monsters before, only blackened ground remained in a beam-shaped crater. The surviving beasts at the edges of the blast scrambled over each other in a panic, their previous battles forgotten. Only a few groups at the far end of the valley still fought.

Through his Heavenly Eye, Alex watched the residual mana spark and dance across the floor of the valley like blue lightning. The trench in the earth itself had steam rising from its edges, and Alex stared wide-eyed at the damage he’d wrought.

You have slain Glacial Elk - Level 16

You have slain Glacial Rokir - Level 19

You have slain Creature of The Deep - Level 18

You have slain Glacial Rokir - Level 20

You have slain Creature of The Deep - Level 17

You have slain Creature of The Deep - Level 20

You have slain Glacial Elk - Level 15

You have slain Glacial Elk - Level 14

You have slain Glacial Elk - Level 17

The notifications continued to roll in and Alex needed to take a moment to gather himself as his vision was almost completely obscured by them.

"I…" He looked up at Rylan's shocked face as the tip of the large greatsword lowered onto the dirt, held up only by the large man's loose grip. "I think I might be winning." Alex couldn't contain the laughter as he looked around at everyone's stunned faces, including Valtherion's own. The small creature had settled on his shoulder and his lower mouth hung open as if he was still shooting the mana bolt.

"Big boom," Valtherion said aloud.

Alex and Mark both burst into laughter and Alex affirmed, "Yes, Val. Very big boom. Good job buddy." Through their bond, he felt Valtherion's own smug satisfaction and was impressed at his own power.

Alex stood up and dusted off his knees, surveying the scene of carnage in front of him, and saw as a truly massive wave of blue motes rose slowly into the air from the fallen creatures and began to stream toward him.

Congratulations Awakened. You have leveled up!

You have 3 Free Points to distribute.

Congratulations Awakened. You have leveled up!

You have 3 Free Points to distribute.

Congratulations, Awakened! You have reached level 30.

You qualify for advancement to D Rank.

Upon accepting this prompt:

Your Race will be upgraded, and your physical and magical form will undergo enhancementAccess to Epic Rarity Classes will be unlockedYour body’s affinity for mana will increaseDo you accept? Yes/No?

As excited as Alex was to see the Rank Advancement, it was the next notification that appeared in his vision stopped his manic laughter. He knew that he’d get the Rank advancement upon reaching 30, because that was guaranteed by the System. But the fact that he’d get offered his Class Advancement at the same time was not something Alex had anticipated.

Congratulations, Awakened! Ritualist (Novice) is ready for advancement! You have reached the threshold of your primary class. Would you like to advance or evolve this class?

Advance: This class stays the same and advances to the next proficiency tier, improving the benefits from the class and granting a new skill in the same tree.

Class Preview: Ritualist (Journeyman) - Level 1

Evolve: This class changes based on the different ways you may have used it or pushed the bounds of its purpose.

Class Preview [Rare Rarity]:

Dual Mage (Novice) - Level 1

Advance / Evolve?

His shoulders fell slightly at the sight of a Rare Class being offered.

No, I can’t think like that. There are a few ways I can update or change what’s offered here…

He knew that one of them was something he could try right away. He looked back at the first notification, offering him the option to advance to D Rank.