jmclarke

Chapter 315: Those that Have Faded

Alex looked all around, his heart hammering.

Students were walking near, near enough to be within earshot, but Baelin’s deep voice was rising.

‘Why?’

‘What was he doing?’ Alex began to panic, frantically looking every which way, until…his brain turned back on. His mentor and chancellor had cast a spell just before his voice started rising. It was some sort of an illusion spell, but Alex had no clue as to what kind.

‘The only way to find out is to ask.’<...

Chapter 314: Morning Amusement and Power

“Baelin? W-what are you doing here?” Alex asked, suddenly very aware that he must look like…well someone who’d been drinking until he passed out.

“I had a free morning, for once,” the chancellor took another long, amused sip of his tea. “And when I arrived in my office, the strangest thing was waiting for me. Roughly fifteen letters that looked like they had been written by…well, it was hard to say, but each was quite insistent that I attend your residence this ...

Chapter 313: For Science!

Captain Fan-Dor squinted across the square, his black eyes searching the crowd, but missing the strapping young man waving at them from a table near a line of food stalls. Gel-Dor's attention fell on Alex. Confusion lined the first mate’s forehead while he pointed in Alex’s direction. The young wizard noted their body language shifting from puzzlement, to uncertainty, to sudden recognition.

“Alex, is that you, boy?” Fan-Dor shouted, as Alex stood, waving the selechar sailors ove...

Chapter 312: Learnings in the Market

“Demons, Third Apostle. Demons have come to Thameland.”

“What?” Izas asked. “This is not time for poetic language, Eldin.”

“I’m not exaggerating, Third Apostle. Were that I was.” The squat man launched into a story of demons, summoners, and cultists.

Izas’ mood fell further and further with every word.

Cultists. Demons. Summoners. Raiders.

All caused indirectly by the Generasians.

The Heroes might not have placed blame on the foreigners ...

Chapter 311: Movements in Sanctuaries of Magic and Faith

“I wonder how Gwyllain’s doing,” Alex muttered, considering ideas for his staff. As he learned more summoning spells, he’d been making a list of which ones could enhance the staff’s power.

“Hope the little guy’s alright. It isn’t exactly safe out there,” he said, referring to the dangers in Thameland’s wilderness, and the hag who’d captured the asrai fae. It was a very different world compared to the safety of the school’s library, where he was n...

Chapter 310: Night Attack and Planning a Trap

Silence-spiders crept across the hills, approaching the encampment’s walls. Three moved across the landscape as one, low numbers decreasing their visibility under the new moon.

Their leader—the Ravener’s Hunter—had waited for a night such as this: the blackest of nights when mortals would be near sightless and vulnerable. It had sensed the usurper’s mana in recent days, and with the new moon above, this would be a perfect time to strike.

Approaching from different direct...

Chapter 309: Partners, Spirals and Tempting Fate

“Nooooooooooo!” Alex screamed internally, shoving down the urge to scream out loud.

But, instead of doing what he really wanted to, he put on his most sincere smile and nodded at her. “It’ll be good to have an alchemist of your calibre with us, Carey. Welcome aboard.”

“Oh, pshah!” She waved a hand like he’d said the silliest thing ever. “I’m just a neophyte in all of this. I’m simply delighted that I finally get to be part of such an exciting venture...

Chapter 308: Ugly Behaviour

By the time the Fool returned to Thameland, the encampment was in a flurry of new activity.

At long last, the surveyors had finally mapped Greymoor. With the edges of the university’s land completely explored, dangerous wild monsters and remaining Ravener-spawn driven from hill and bog, Generasi had mastered the entirety of its domain. The comprehensive mapping had allowed for a standardised map to be produced showing where ore deposits, strategic sites for outposts and natural resour...

Chapter 307: The Spiral

“Normally, this would take months to teach.” Val’Rok gestured to a chair by the fire for Alex to sit in, then scuttled over to some shelves and began rifling through various devices. “But with your level of experience in mana manipulation and alchemy, let's see if we can’t crash you through the basics. If you do well enough, I'll get you access to the more advanced mana technique guides from the library’s lower floors.”

“Alright!” Alex rubbed his hands together in anti...

Chapter 306: The Evil Wizard Val'Rok

Sir Alexander Roth, first of his name, quested up the tower to meet the evil sorcerer Val’Rok. Well actually, he simply climbed the stairs to go see his former professor.

Who, to be truthful, was probably at least a little evil.

And come to think of it, a vague memory of a great uncle also named Ale—

“Aaaaaargh!”

A scream echoed from above followed by the rapid thudding of feet taking stairs two and three at a time. Alex tensed, reaching into his bag for a boob...

Chapter 305: Learning & Teaching

“Why do you do that?” Selina frowned, looking down at the heading circled in Alex’s notebook.

“Do what?”

“Give everything big, dramatic names?”

“Because I’m also big—” He flexed a muscular arm. “—and dramatic.”

“Ugh,” she groaned, much to his amusement.

He fought the urge to grin.

His little sister was now at the stage where a lot of his clowning made her cringe since she was trying to be more ‘serious’ and ‘gr...

Chapter 304: Dark Allies and Operation Grand Summoning Ascension

The monster crouched at the edge of a copse of trees as something stirred in the distant landscape.

Something that gave the Ravener’s Hunter concern.

There were few mortals in this land who could call upon mana to wield like a weapon. Yet, the ones it was sensing, blazing so brightly with magic, were far from ‘few’. This was troubling. The threat was thick in the air, and the Hunter could feel it deep in its core. Where were the two dungeons? They should be near, secretly bu...

Chapter 303: Aftermaths

“Could you be any more vague, man?” Hart raked his fingers through his long brown hair. “Come on, this isn’t some bard’s tale where everything’s gotta be all mysterious and told by candle and campfire, Cedric.”

“Well—” the Chosen began.

“Can we talk while we ride?” Drestra interrupted, scanning the surrounding trees. “We lost time back at the encampment and gained most back thanks to Baelin. Let’s not lose it again.”

“Yeah, let’s ride. Don�...

Table of Contents (TOC)

Here's a table of contents for Fool, by popular request! It is now COMPLETE! Welcome new patrons!

Chapter 907: Generals and Legacy (Final Chapter of Mark of the Fool + Afterward)
Chapter 906: Celebration
2022-04-15 01:38:40 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 302: Reflections and Questions

“Well, there’s no sense in us standin’ about now that we know what’s goin’ on,” Cedric picked up one of the drawings. “Can we keep some o’ these ‘til we get the ones with more details from ya?”

“By all means, copies are available for that very reason,” Baelin said.

“Thanks,” Hart grabbed loads of drawings like he was preparing a stash for the winter. “When we meet up with Merzhin, we’ll have to tell him about these demon worshippers.”

“Ah,...

Chapter 301: The Sage Contemplates a Third Option

“Oh by all the bloody Ravener-spawn! Tell me if I got any o’ this wrong.” Cedric said, his face flushed and his jaw tight. “So there was…this bloody demon conjurer, or summoner or somethin’ o’ that sort in yer city. An’ he went on a bloody rampage before you caught him. But the strongest, rotting, bastard of a demon he summoned got clean away? An’ these pirates follow that bloody demon?”

An agitated group stood in one of the administration tents: the Heroes, Baelin, ...

Chapter 300: And Just One More Thing...

The night passed like a fleeting shadow.

Everyone was relaxed, enjoying each other’s company as Theresa returned with two cups of wine in hand. Drestra seemed lost in thought for the rest of the night. Cedric and Isolde returned a little—well, actually, a lot later—with a couple of trays of meat and vegetable skewers to pass around. With his and the Sage’s conversation over, the tone of things lightened and Alex gave Isolde a slight nod, promising he’d thank his friend later f...

Chapter 299: Brewing Allies

Confiding in strangers was a surprisingly common thing.

He’d experienced it a lot back in Alric, especially working behind the counter at McHarris’, and on a few occasions since he’d been in Generasi. A bad day. A hard time in school. A tough relationship, or a lost job. All of that boiled up inside a person, pressing down on them, sapping their peace of mind with the weight of a thousand stones.

Pressure would build until…whether it was during a moment of stress or a chan...

Chapter 298: Enchantment and Dodging Questions

The bonfire crackled.

The expedition members were celebrating.

And the Fool watched.

Alex nursed his wine, sitting cross legged by the fire with Claygon standing nearby. Idly—out of affection and a need for support—he rubbed the golem’s leg, feeling the filigree against his palm. All around, quiet festivities were taking place.

Five bonfires roared near the front gates of the encampment with teams of expedition members surrounding them, sharing wine and laughter....

Chapter 297: Sewing the Seeds

Victory had the whole group itching for a blow-out party that would’ve left them in a pool of suffering the next morning, unfortunately, reality hit hard after they’d cleared out the dungeons.

Victory was theirs, but there was still a lot of work left to do.

Professor Jules arrived shortly after word of their success made it back to the encampment, and she immediately took control of the situation in her very distinctive way. After a verbal report from Watcher Shaw, she organi...

Chapter 296: Harvest

Alex spun through the air toward the gibbering legion, using the remnants of Haste potion burning through his body and the creature’s sluggishness. Its weapons stabbed upward, clumsily driving at him: a thicket of jabbing spears, blades and spinning axes.

They cut the air, but the Fool sailed higher as his forceshield rushed down, blocking them.

Alex activated the Mark: memories of past flight manoeuvres, Cleansing Movements, acrobatics and dance steps filled his mind, uniting t...

Chapter 295: The Battle of Chitterer Dungeon

Whoooosh!

The monsters plummeted down from the high ceiling, aiming dozens of weapons at everyone below. It was as if the spectre of death was falling to either crush Alex’s team, cleave them apart, or both. He doubted that how they died really mattered to the plunging horrors dropping from above, just so long as they died. With Theresa’s warning and the hideous cries coming closer, the team reacted.

Wizard’s Hands grabbed Small Water Elementals.

The whole gro...

Chapter 294: Storming the Final Chamber

Rmmmmble!

The entire dungeon trembled as the group sped down the passageway.

Stone dust rained from the ceiling, spreading through the air around them. The dungeon core’s dark mana ebbed and flowed, trying to concentrate the might of its raw power in one spot and bring the full weight of the rock down on them. But they were neither stationary nor slow, frustrating its plan. The team kept moving ahead, united in one goal: the destruction of the dungeon core. Frightful ch...

Chapter 293: Breaking Walls

The usurper was there. Right in its lair.

Of all possible scenarios, the worst had arrived.

Within its chamber, the dungeon core’s mana shuddered as its alien mind worked, gathering its thoughts, ordering them. This was not the time for disorganised thinking, but it was difficult to process all that had happened.

Recent times had brought too many unwelcome events its way.

First came the new interlopers into these moor-filled lands. It had been certain the area would ...

Chapter 292: Hand on Glass

Theresa put her ear to the wall on the right side of the tunnel. She swore.

“It sounds like they’re massing,” the huntress warned, quickly moving to the left side and pressing her ear to the wall’s surface. Frenzied voices were increasing behind the thin rock. “Here too!”

“How many?” Alex asked, listening to the echo of monster voices coming from behind and in front of the team. They were growing louder, getting closer.

“At least ten on the right! A dozen o...

Chapter 291: The Delve

Alex focused his mind, pouring his mana into Summon Small Water Elemental spells while the expedition readied themselves at the bases of the dungeons’ hills.

He’d already summoned Bubbles—conjuring the little creature by using the elemental’s name—then kept summoning more water elementals until he’d called four in total. Next, he summoned a fire elemental beetle swarm, then took stock of the creatures before him, concluding that they’d be enough for the time being. He then...

Chapter 290: Magical Reconnaissance

Alex sat on the edge of the hill, chewing his bottom lip while his mind chewed over the Chosen of Uldar. Before too long, Cedric would be heading down into the depths of a Ravener dungeon with him and the rest of his team.

But first, the Wizard’s Eyes would have to explore the underground, inspecting every nook and cranny concealed in the darkness.

Meanwhile, Alex’s team waited tensely, sitting around him in silence, mentally preparing for what was to come. Other teams paced a...

Chapter 289: Dungeon Attack Plan

“Alright, so here’s what I’m thinking,” Alex was stooped over, drawing a diagram on the granite. He’d drawn little hills to represent both dungeons and a few blobs to stand-in for the expedition’s forces. “So, this is the enemy. And this is us…and speaking of us—”

He looked up at the Heroes. “—mind if I include you guys in my plan? You three represent a lot of power.”

He looked in Hart’s direction. “I’ve literally met demons,” he paused. ...

Chapter 288: Fire and Retreat

Alex finished casting Call through Ice, not resisting the strange power’s help with the spell. The monster’s nine pairs of jaws were snapping, blood flowed freely onto its chest wound, cooling it. Cedric sped toward the massive creature, looking to press his advantage.

A portal was open in front of Alex’s Hands, ready to receive his sleep potion. The potion bottle dropped in as another portal appeared in front of the monster’s snapping jaws: instantly, it teleported between a gn...

Chapter 287: The Blood-Hydra

A horror of a monster was emerging from the mound. It looked even more nightmarish than its pictures in the bestiaries. If a hive-queen was the commander for a horde of silence-spiders, then this abomination was a commander for a swarm of blood-draks.

“Damn it! Everyone back! It’s a bloody blood-hydra!” Cedric roared.

Drestra swore from somewhere up ahead as she immediately transitioned from casting spells on the chitterer dungeon below, to chanting the beginnings of a power...