B2 Chapter 190: Stupid Prizes, Finale

Kaius watched in shock as the guildmaster stabbed his brother between the shoulderblades, the dagger severing Porkchop’s spine.

Porkchop went limp, legs splaying out. With his chest still shattered from the guildmaster’s casual swing, he did little more let out a soft wheeze of foaming blood.

“Remember this moment of weakness. Remember that intentionality is your greatest weapon, and your stoutest shield. Not fury and system granted skill.” Rieker stepped back, leaving the blade planted.

Kaius’s heart thumped, and he cast his spell—Slip Step. Pale blue motes streamed from the soles of his feet, and he felt himself plunge through the skin of the world.

*Ding! Latent Glyph of Aelina has reached level 2!*

The heavy grip of reality slackened as the grey stone and red blood faded to muted hues. Kaius could tell he was only a half step into some unknown realm, but even with a hair's breadth of separation, the immutable laws of distance bound him tightly no longer.

Hidden secrets whispered from the edges of his vision, tugging on his focus as Truesight revealed what was not and what should not be.

Kaius focused his mind—pushing the shifting half shapes to the background as he turned his full attention to his target.

It was unstable. With every movement, he felt his very being flicker—sliding back and forth like he was transferring his weight between his feet.

“Oh? Space? That’s interesting.” Rieker said, turning to him while a burst of sunlight settled on the stricken form of Porkchop behind him.

It wasn’t enough—with the blade still lodged in Porkchop’s back he was unable to rid himself of his paralysis.

Lightning crackled into existence as Kaius summoned another Stormlash, and took a step.

The world contracted. 

His foot touched the ground three times closer to his target than it should have taken him. Rieker didn’t care, the same easy smile on his face igniting a fire within Kaius’s chest. 

Too casual, too carefree. It was pissing him off.

Hurling the power of the storm at the man who may as well have been made of adamant, Kaius pulled on his power again and again as he stood in one spot. 

Rieker simply side stepped, slipped, and dodged with blurring speed, each and every one of Kaius’s lashes missing him utterly. 

He grit his teeth, and tapped into his Bladerite before lunging into a thrust. A blow that should have crossed six strides stabbed through eighteen, rushing straight for Rieker’s neck.

A twitch took the guildmaster away from the path of his blade. Then he swiped with an open palm.

Eyes wide as his heart thumped with the might of his song, Kaius leapt back again and again. Space shrunk with every step, his being flickering into the inbetween space as he moved.

It was no use; Rieker kept pace easily. 

Right as Kaius’s foot touched the ground, Rieker swept out an open palm, grabbing his wrist. Somehow perfectly timing the rate of his flickers to hold onto mortal flesh.

Powerless to resist, he was yanked forwards, until he stood chest to chest with the guildmaster.

“You forget yourself, Kaius. You do not fight alone.” Rieker whispered to him, almost crooning. 

Then he was careening through the air, arms windmilling as he tried to control his flailing.

Landing on the cold stone of the floor, Kaius’s breath was forced out of his chest.

He looked up in horror to see Rieker rounding on Ianmus.

“And you, you’re just weak. That might change in the future, but you would do best to avoid drawing attention to yourself until that day comes.” 

Ianmus tried to flee, yet even with all of his grace and swiftness—even with the potency of his Magister’s Dash—it mattered little. 

Rieker arrived at his side in a quick burst of speed, and stomped.

A strangled scream escaped Ianmus’s lips as his leg shattered, the sickly white of his shin rupturing through his flesh with a wet tear. “Remember this pain, mage, for it is what your frontline faces constantly. It is what you will inevitably face in true battle, and if you cannot persevere—continue to fight—you will die.”

Kaius leapt to his feet, the world twisting to assist his movement as he watched Ianmus start to channel as he lurched back from the guildmaster.

A single step brought him closer, and his magic fizzled out. Without hesitation Kaius burned another charge, slipping back into the half-space between worlds. He raced across the ground, sword and spell at the ready, and the strides vanished beneath his flickering feet.

Ten steps took him halfway there, and he cast Slip Step for the third time. Another ten brought him into range, and thunder boomed deep within the earth. Lightning crackled, howling with fury as it cut through the air.

*Ding! Latent Glyph of Aelina has reached level 3!*

Rieker kicked off the ground, dodging the lash without even looking back. The leather soles of his shoes squealed in protest as he screeched to a halt by Ianmus.

A single stomp cracked one of the inscribed flagstones, landing a finger-length from the mages head. 

“Dead.”

Ianmus slumped in defeat, releasing his hold on his mana.

Kaius’s heart leapt into his throat as the guildmaster finished decimating his team with brutal efficiency.

Wardog indeed.

Keeping his distance, Kaius burnt through the rest of his Stormlash inscriptions—all fourteen of them—one after the other in a blurring stream of cracking thunder and howling light. No matter his tricks, feints, and quick succession spells, it was useless.

*Ding! Latent Glyph of Drakthar has reached level 30!*

The guild master was too fast.

As soon as he was empty, he gripped his sword with both hands and settled into an inside-right guard, the pommel of his blade pulled in close to the armpit.

Still a foot into the strange half-space of his spell, he charged.

Appearing before Rieker in three steps, he hacked at the man, gritting his teeth as his sword was slapped away. He stepped, circling as he hammered the guildmaster’s impenetrable guard, feinting and probing for openings.

*Ding! Liturgical Bladeform: Primus Ordo has reached level 36!*

“You’re an interesting one, Kaius. Skilled beyond your years, blooded against monsters, wielding magics I have no name for, and too strong by half. It’s still not enough.” Rieker said, smashing his blade to the side so hard that it peeled out a pure note.

“It’s not enough. Not against the machinations of men.” he crouched, letting Kaius’s thrust sail past his ear as he punched.

For the first time in the fight, Kaius flickered at just the right time, the blow sailing clean through him as he fell into the space between worlds. 

*Ding! Latent Glyph of Aelina has reached level 4!*

Rieker just calmly pulled back, smashing aside his retaliation and hammering him again as soon as he reappeared.

The blow hit Kaius in the stomach, radiating agony through his abdomen and forcefully voiding his lungs. Bile surged into his mouth, bitterness tainting it with an acidic burn.

“The powerful will watch you. Finding the things you hold dear. Ferret out your weaknesses.”

Nearly chest to chest, Kaius tried to force the man back with a crushing pommel strike to his collarbone, refreshing Slip Step as he did.

Rieker simply weathered the blow like it was rain.

“And once your weaknesses are known, they will tear you down from the base up. Bait you into a fervent rage, until you make a mistake that reveals you.”

Rieker headbutted him. His nose shattered, head rocking back. Blood ran down the back of his throat, accompanying the eye watering sting.

Hissing in agony, Kaius ignored the taste of iron as he tongued a loose tooth. 

The fire of his frustration started to boil.

Kaius attacked, flowing into a storm of tight swooping lashes and aggressive thrusts as he used every trick he could to try to maneuver the guildmaster into an assaultable position. 

*Ding! Tempered By Dissonance has reached level 34!*

None of them touched the guild master.

“Then, once you have been provoked. They will strike.”

Rieker swung.

The head of the hammer struck his blade right above the hilt. Metal and crystal cracked in a tortured scream, bucking in his hand with potent reverberations.

Strong enough that he lost his grip with his off hand, three fingers not enough to keep hold of the ringing blade.

Rieker slapped the blade to the side with an empty palm, leaving Kaius undefended.

“After that? You die.”

Uncanny Dodge and Explorer’s Toolkit both screamed of the danger he was in.

Kaius tried to leap back. He was too slow, even with his new spell.

A blurring streak hit him on his left wrist.

Bone shattered.

Flesh tore.

His hand flew free.

Kaius gasped, falling backwards onto the floor as he stared at the spurting remnants of his wrist. Every pump of his heart sent thickly congealed blood oozing from the wound. His hand spasmed, uncontrollable twitches wracking the limb.

Except, that was impossible.

It was gone. Ruined. 

Lesser Regeneration worked against him, sealing the wound shut in moments.

*Ding! Lesser Regeneration has reached level 32!*

Now it would only return with the aid of a potent healer. One they had no access to, not without significantly more wealth and political pull, or were willing to wait months.

He was crippled.

Ruined.

Kaius looked up to find the guildmaster looming over him. He shrank back, feeling real fear for the first time. If the man was willing to maim him, perhaps the bout had been more serious than he realised.

“Remember this fear, Kaius. Your brazen overconfidence nearly got you all killed this week.” Rieker said, staring at him with fury on his face. “You are the leader, and steering your team right is your responsibility.”

Rieker crouched, lowering himself until they saw eye to eye.

“Get away from him!” Porkchop roared, unable to do anything more than watch on.

Rieker ignored him, just like he ignored Ianmus who struggled his way to a seated position and fired a beam of light at the guildmaster. 

The spell landed, doing little more than scorching the skin on Rieker’s throat.

“Kicking up the kind of fuss you did with that spider was moronic. It revealed your hand, and forced mine. The only way someone like you lives is with power, or secrecy. Now you have neither.”

Kaius whipped his sword up, point wavering as he held it to the man’s eye. 

Rieker didn’t so much as flinch.

“You could still die, you know. Ro, for all her competency, is not a miracle worker. If she can’t cover up the trail the three of you left a league wide—if someone stumbles across the remnants of her work and gets curious—you could be vanished into some cell before the month is out, waiting for the next Obsidian Temple mindmage to strip you down for every iota of knowledge you have.” the guildmaster said calmly, pushing aside his sword with the tip of one finger.

Kaius sagged, realising that the guildmaster was not after his life.

“Because mark my words, someone will notice. Without a doubt.” Rieker continued, fixing Kaius with a stare that left horror creeping up his neck.

Rieker was right. How could he have been so stupid? They should have taken the easy jobs—levelled a little slower, or at least taken missions that had enough travel time they could have explained their gains as a result of numerous beasts. 

“I see you understand now. That’s good. Remember that fear.” the guildmaster said, watching him closely. “The only question now is if Ro has bought us enough time for you to get strong enough to kill anyone who comes after you.”

Reaching out to him, Rieker pulled a potion from his spatial storage. A square bottle—capped in gold with elegant swirls marking its surface—held a tonic of vibrant white, shimmering and effervescent. 

“Now drink. No pupil of mine will walk around missing fingers.”

Letting his sword drop to the floor with a clatter, Kaius reached for the bottle with a shaking hand. The man couldn’t possibly have given him a true regeneration potion, could he?

Rieker stood, and left him staring at the bottle. A moment later he heard Ianmus yelp, and turned to see the mage cradling his own tonic to his chest. It was different from his own—red, and far more plain.

Behind him, Porkchop growled throatily.

“Quiet you—I know you’ve seen your Patriarchs do worse. The boy will get you all killed if I baby him.” he heard Rieker respond.

Whipping his head over, Kaius caught the man pulling his dagger free from his brother’s spine—where he promptly wiped it clean on his brother's fur before sheathing it once more.

“Still an asshole.” Porkchop grumbled. “Where’s my potion?”

“Don’t get one.” Rieker grinned. “You don’t need it, and there's no point skipping the skill training.”

Kaius narrowed his eyes at the man, before Porkchop mentally poked him across their bond. 

“Drink your potion, idiot.” Porkchop said privately, while he huffed at the guildmaster.

Rolling his eyes—the vigilance of battle slowly leaving him—Kaius eyed the milky liquid once more. If it was a potion of true regeneration, the kind that could regrow lost limbs, then he had just been handed a treasure worth many times its weight in gold.

He had to know.

True Sight brought up its description.

Flesh Regrowth Tonic:

Rare - Tier II

You could put an egg back together with this thing.

A complex tonic brewed from reagents rich in Life and Blood aspects, massively restoring health and slowly regenerating missing body parts over an extended period of time.

Artisan-brewed potion

Health Restoration V, True Regeneration I

The bottle nearly slipped from his fingers as he stared at the description in shock.

Tier two?