Chapter 353 (1/2)
Chapter 353: Paradig over the rooftop’s sheer ledge, leaning back against the crenelated wall and letting is, back to his full strength in the fore shadoolf, put his front paws atop the red stone merlon and let the cool breeze fan the fla and the cahting the distant horizon Despite the hour, students were already active around the cah drills Flashes of occasional ic lit the campus like fireworks, but it hisper quiet atop the tower Perfect for thinking
“So, you really think we should stay, huh?” Regis said, sniffing at the wind “With the relic…”
I leaned my head back and stared into the blue-black sky “The ascension half of the Compass stays in place e enter the Relictoo at will, we still need a safe place to activate it”
Regis looked back at ent “And is this place really that safe? We could go back to Darrin Ordin, or hell, just find a cave in the ”
“That’s another set of variables that I can’t account for Here, I knohat to expect We’re at risk no o in Alacrya, but at least we have a story here, an identity”
As a professor, not only did I have a cover story and political protection, but I’d come to realize that the respect inherently offered to my position was its own kind of shi+eld Whatever curiosity or doubt ht have about me, it was unlikely that they would ever suspect I was a Dicathian spy There were a host of siht make, and the wealthy and powerful would always assuues
“Besides, we don’t fully understand the Co down lazily “Don’t we? It seeh to me”
I took out the descension half of the Coe rune and stared idly at its curved and unbleis
He was right though While one half of the relic created a portal into the Relicto a second portal It had taken ether, as the second half of the relic had not reacted in any hen I entered the Relicto me to clear the zone However, when I imbued aether into it near the zone’s exit portal, the second half of the relic had blazed to life, outlining the portal with a brilliant light When the glow faded, I could seei able to enter and leave the Relictoinal test, Caera, Regis, and I had gone back in together to further explore the relic’s capabilities, absorbing a significant amount of aether in the process
“So, exactly how is asked, obviously readingthe zone for an hour oraether from both the beasts I killed and the atmosphere, I still hadn’t reached the two-layer core’s li it that,” I said with an amused huff, “and I don’t really know At least ten tier for any excuse to tap into that power, I withdrew the seed-pod toy from my dimension rune My co htly bored air
The size of my aether reservoir had never been the pri Three Steps’ challenge, but the increased purity of my stored aether and efficiency ofon it easier
When I channeled aether to ht away First, the drain on my core wasn’t even noticeable The form of the claas steadier and more solid, and it felt inherently easier to focus And while this claas siood to finally be erated yawn, drawinglazily on his side, hehis own, sharper and longer, claws
I scoffed “Show off”
Taking the hard shell in one hand, I slid a claw into the slot and fished around for the seed within As it settled into the hole left behind by the ste to force it out, just as I had done dozens of ti on aether fro a slow, steadying breath, I i inwardaround the small seed so that it fit perfectly within the curve The aether responded quickly to rinned
Then I pulled Not too hard, but with a steady pressure that I slowly increased until the edges of the hole cracked and bulged outward, and I could feel the seed sliding through
Then the pressure released
The dull brown seed popped free and landed inthat the Shados had some ceremony to celebrate when one of their children coe If I’d had more time in the Relictoing ust of hipped across the tower roof and tugged at the seed, forcing e and sobering thought to realize that the result ofefforts with the seed-pod could be bloay in an instant, leaving nothing behind
I glanced around the barren rooftop and the idle streets below Snow-capped mountains rose purple in the distance The unfa away, absorbed by the sunrise
For a Shado cub, retrieving the seed would have h, it was simply a reminder that I ithout one
“I mean if you really don’t want it, I can take it off your hands,” Regis said, sniffing eagerly at the saze, I looked more closely at the seed and noticed a nick in the plain brown surface A subtle purple gli into the seed Using an aether claw, I scratched awaya solid orb of condensed aether within, it’s signature entirely hidden away by the organic exterior
As I stared atjust how is’s chin caht eyes were locked on the seed, and his head inched closer
Thinking back to the aether-rich fruit that grew in the jungle zone where I’d fought the millipede, I popped the seed intodown and settled in uts like a molten stone as the seed’s aetheric core was broken apart and absorbed My core thruy, and it was full in an instant
It burned like a star in low as a solid barrier of aht shi+ to escape Flexing roan as its fortified stones and ainst the pressure The a like snowflakes around the rooftop
“There’s a bit left over if you want it,” I said, snapping Regis out of his baffled daze
My co his muzzle in a pout “A God-made weapon of destruction like myself shouldn’t have to settle for second-hand scraps”
Shaking my head, I closedcore “Suit yourself I’ll take it all then”
Regis placed a placating paw on ies, sir”
“Sravel,” I sed withfrom the ocean of aether
I stayed on the tower’s roof until is was busy siphoning the re in the warlow of the sun and my success, I descended the tower and headed towardunderwater all nificantlyits size
I took my time to cross the campus, reluctant to face a room full of coddled Alacryan teens Instead, I focused on controlling the power that was straining to burst out of rowth to my aether reserves, it was exponential I could tell it would take tiht of it in my chest
I had just passed the library when I caught sight of a faht yellow
Briar was standing around with soe One of the, because Briar turned and gave a sle and tease her Rolling her eyes at them, she broke away and walked quickly towardon the balls of her feet with her hands clasped behind her back “I just heard Congratulations I am actually a little bummed that I’ve already taken that stupid class, otherwise I’d sign up Vritra knows you’ll need good fighters”
I frowned, caught off guard “Sorry, what are you…?”
Her face reflected my own confusion “Wait, have you not…Oh Sorry, I assumed…” One of her friends called to her, and her frown deepened “Neverood luck”
Just like that, Briar retreated and was folded back into the group of girls Their heads bent together as they began to whisper, and Briar sent roup and vanished into one of the s I hadn’t explored yet
‘What was that about?’ Regis asked
Not sure I’d seen the serious young Alacryan a few tiidan, but she never ing off Briar’s cryptic commentary, I turned toward the Striker complex, where ht up short by another familiar face, one I would never have expected to see at Central Acadeis
Someone bumped into me frodarkened steel armor over his uniform—he winced “Sorry, Professor”
I had to search for her in the crowd, as she was htly apart from the strea even more quickly to catch up with her, I reached out and set a hand on her shoulder
The young woman let out a surprised squeal and she spun around, her eyes wide and one hand going to cover her nize the young irl, equal parts nervous and excitable, but here, she seeht as she recognized me “Ascender Grey! It’s you! When I saw you listed as professor for the Melee Enhancement Tactics class, I had hoped, but then you didn’t show up the first couple days, so I thought—I don’t knoas just a …” She trailed off as her cheeks turned red, re of her sister, Loreni, the first ti a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear, she said, “Sorry I’ here?” I asked “After the bestow with the Ascenders association,” she answered, “and they sent me here to be trained, because of my emblem At first I was really scared and bummed, because it’s so far frolanced at a few of the passing students out of the corner of her eye “Except sohblood students aren’t very nice”
“Wait,” I said as her rushed words worh my surprise “Is your blood naave me a small curtsey
“I didn’t realize when I saw you listed on my class roster…but where were you last session?”
She kicked at the ground and gave me a sheepish s on the no names, y’know, and a nice boy tried to stick up for us, but then they onlywhen I saw the professor—you weren’t there Hoped that it would help the boy, too” She shrugged “It’s okay, though, honestly I’ve learned so much already, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a fewfor her to ith ht? So why take a non-htened again “I’ to the Relictombs then I want to be able to defendso far”
Mayla kept up a steady dialogue, telling me about her other classes and professors, as well as her sister and the other people of Maerin Apparently, the town had received an influx in resources as well as interest from academies all over Alacrya after Belmun and she had received such advanced runes
“The Ascenders association even voted to expand services at the descension portal in Maerin which will lead to a huge boom in trade and merchants, soher as we approached the end of the hall in front of athered there, all trying to peek through the s inside
Caera was the first to notice me, her lips pressed into a stern expression
My eyes narrohen I realized that Kayden Aphelion was also there I had not spoken to hi out of the Reliquary My first thought was that he had told souards—or perhaps even a Scythe, like Dragoth or Cadell—aiting for ratulations