Wild Era 3, Ch 6: Tablet of Ash

The dungeon’s wrath approached in a flood of undead.

There were dozens of wights with long arms and other more dangerous things bounding across the stones and leaping over the fallen buildings. 

Kelin analyzed them, but only enough to assess the threat level. 

Besides the wights, there were more undead knights, some pale wraiths that floated across the ground, dark-boned skeletons covered in scorch marks, and undead hounds with long tongues that hung out of their mouths. 

Swirling white and grey mist surrounded the monsters as some of the motes of spectral energy from the dungeon came with them, attracted by the commotion like half-awakened spirits. 

There were a hundred and thirty undead by the time they all had gathered, with an average level around 186.

They slammed into Kelin’s wards, which immediately began to shatter under the combined force, but a wave of stone walls rose up from Gaius and intercepted some of the damage. 

Then waves of stone spikes stabbed upward from the ground, crisscrossing the field in a chaotic forest that stabbed into the undead and broke up their arrangements.

If he’d used walls out there, they could have stood on top or leapt across them, but the stone spikes shattered as soon as they tried.

It was enough to ensure Kelin’s ward endured. He focused on reweaving it and strengthening the ability for a while as Gaius continued to disrupt the crowd.

Here and there, he also practiced with Soulfire Reinforcement, letting it flow through the stone around him. 

He was working on improving the range so that he didn’t have to touch items directly. Through his soulbond to Gaius, the elemental’s stone almost counted. He just needed a little push to get it there.

When his mana dipped to half, a sphere of Wildfire appeared in his hand and he hurled it forward.

The explosion rolled over the front of the army, catching a dozen monsters in its wake, and the flames sank into their bodies, where they began to burn.

A few moments later, the second horde perished in a storm of Wildfire the same as the first, but the flames leapt even higher.

Bodies lay scattered in every direction.

The Path’s voice echoed in his mind as it tallied the results

Congratulations, Lord of Wildfire.

You have slain a great number of enemies above your level. 

Your Effective Level has risen to Level 195.

You have gained 6 Levels.

Your Soulbound Elemental has also gained 6 Levels.

You are now Level 153.

You gain 54 Intelligence, 18 Wisdom, 18 Aura, and have 36 free attribute points to assign.

He waved the notification away and waited as the wave of soul energy from the battle fused into him. 

You have refined soul energy from the battlefield and gained 67 Aura. 

Combined with the attributes from the levels, it sent his Aura to 789.

A faint smile appeared as he checked his status. 

Then he split the free points, adding 19 to Agility, which took it to 200, and the other 17 to Constitution, which took it to 503. With his 75% bonus from his physique, it meant the attribute was effectively at 865.

A sense of solidity filled his bones and muscles as a wave of intense soulfire ran through them. It felt heavy and liquid, but was lighter than air, and his body glowed with a subtle golden light.

When the wave passed, his body and soul both felt sturdier and stronger.

He had the Second Evolution to think about, so he would have to add a bit more to Constitution still. It wouldn’t be hard to get it to 1,000 soon, in terms of effective strength.

The basic requirement for a mage at Level 200 was only 300-400 Constitution, but there was no reason to be fragile when he had this advantage.

1,000 Constitution was enough to be on par with a Second Evolution warrior, if not stronger than some.

Most mages wouldn’t reach that point until the Third Evolution, or even halfway through it. 

With a thousand Constitution, wounds that would kill another Level 200 mage would feel like a light breeze.

Beyond saving his life, it would help to save him mana when he finished the modifications to his mana shield. He was planning to let through some of the damage it took, which would improve the efficiency. 

Repeatedly enduring blows would be a good way to continue training his physique and resistances, which was a win-win.

His intention was to end up far more durable and practically unkillable in this life, at least against anything close to his level. 

If he ever made it to Sovereign, the advantage would pay off.

There was only the most important notification left, so he turned his attention to it.

For reaching Level 150, you may now choose a Class Ability. 

This is the final selection for your First Evolution.

Choose wisely, as it will help to define your Path. 

You may choose from the following options.

A long list of possibilities appeared, filling his mind with information, so he reinforced his ward and sat down, taking his time as he went through them.

He dismissed most of them quickly.

It left him with about a dozen directly that were from the Path of Soulfire and some others that were related to Endless Flame and Returning Flame.

Some were for purging negative energy and healing, while others were for intensifying damage. 

Teleportation was among them as well, and he almost grabbed it by reflex before he pulled himself back. 

He studied the description.

Echo of the Inner Flame (Path of Soulfire).

Your soul travels where it wishes and cannot be confined by physical matter. Now, your body follows suit by temporarily changing into soulfire. At the Basic tier, you will be able to teleport within the range of your soul sense. At higher tiers, you will be able to travel greater distances.

This ability is limited to those with a Perfect Soulfire Physique. For the initial tiers, no passengers may be brought along.

It was a good ability, a bit more limited than he would have liked, but reasonable for a first teleport. 

Every teleportation ability carried some general knowledge of spatial energy with it, but this one was focused almost purely on soulfire. It seemed like he wouldn’t have had the option at all without his physique.

He studied it for a long moment before he shook his head.

He wanted a teleportation ability to speed up his travel and dungeon runs, but that didn’t mean it was the wisest choice.

He had to focus on his future path, and that meant choosing something that fit Reincarnation.
Even if he didn’t get a teleportation ability now, one would come naturally by the Fourth Evolution. He had a High Spatial Affinity and once he reached that level, he could use it to teleport directly.

He could create a spell at that level which would work almost as well as an ability, although an ability would be slightly faster and easier to use.

The main difference between the two was that abilities were part of your Path, while spells were external. They didn’t share the same core concepts, rarely evolved with you, and were generally weaker.

But for that same reason, they had fewer limitations. 

For now, he had his Cloak of the Mage Knight, which let him travel easily once a night, as well as some teleportation scrolls that could return him instantly to his room in Highmist, and those covered most of his needs.

He turned his attention to the other abilities, sorting through them as he considered the future and what would lead to Reincarnation.

Eventually, he settled on one that was close.

It was a healing spell from the Path of Soulfire called Wave of Healing Flame.

It built on his old Touch of Soulfire and added a heal over time effect that was similar to a powerful regeneration. It also extended his range so that he could heal others at a distance.

The effect would resemble a wave of soulfire wrapping around them.

If he’d been a regular mage, he would have been stuck with that and hoping to change it through intense use in the future, but he had another option.

He studied the ability pathway, which was a blend of soul forms and an innate enchantment that would settle into his meridians.

Then he got to work improving it.

It was easiest to do it now, before it settled into his body.

His Traits for Soul Artisan, Ability Artisan, and Runic Hand all helped as he tinkered with the ability form, altering each part and the overall structure, pushing it toward what he wanted.

He couldn’t completely change its nature from the Path of Soulfire, but he was able to create stronger connections for the Laws of Endless Flame and Returning Flame, and he imbued it with his Soul Recovery ability, ensuring that it would restore both body and soul, which was a natural progression for it.

By the time he was done, the ability was streamlined, elegant, and powerful. 

Its lines looked like a rising flame and they radiated a sense of life that hadn’t been there before, part of a powerful and ethereal presence that was granted by the connection to three Laws.

He checked over his work, appreciating the structure of each line and ensuring that it felt right. Then he nodded.

A massive wave of golden flame appeared in the air around him, swirling with force and vitality. It was based on soulfire, but it was denser and brighter than usual.

Streams of flame flowed through his body and soul, carving new channels as the ability began to settle in. 

Eventually, the Path’s voice filled his mind.

You have gained the Class Ability: Flame of Life (Basic, Unique).

A flame that restores what was lost.

This is a unique healing ability, one that rises from the merger of three Laws, using them as a foundation to begin its own Path, and so it has been marked as Unique. Complete Laws cannot be merged in this way, but as you have only touched the edges, there is some room for flexibility. 

When active, this ability will restore the vitality of body and soul that has been lost, purging negative energies and healing wounds that have damaged the target. It can be used on yourself or another, by touch or at range. 

Unlike most healing abilities, this one requires both mana and soul energy to fuel it. The amount of healing is dependent on the energy infused.

At the Basic tier, it requires a minimum of 100 mana and soul energy, lasts for 30 seconds, and its range is 30 feet.

It took a little while for the ability to settle in, and as it did Kelin could feel his Soulfire Physique protesting. The other two Laws in the ability were stressing it.

Instead of being concerned, he was pleased, since it was a stimulus that might force it to advance in the future.

When it was fully settled, he dusted himself off and stood up. Then he raised his hand and let mana and soul energy flow through the ability. 

He could feel the difference between this and his other abilities. Something about this one was more alive, as if it had a will of its own.

Only Wildfire was similar.

A bright golden flame ignited on his palm and grew larger until it was six inches across. At first, it was a perfect sphere, but then arcs of flame rose out of the sides, forming two wings, and the top rose to form a crested head.

The sphere of flame opened, changing into a small phoenix that trailed a long tail of golden flame behind it. It flew up from his hand and looped around Kelin’s shoulders, rising higher until it circled his head.

Then it landed on his shoulder, where it radiated a soothing golden flame. Wisps of flame fell down from it and onto his body, each of them infused with healing force.

Mana gave the phoenix structure, but the soul energy was what gave it a form of life.

He studied the spell form thoughtfully, a faint smile appearing. 

He hadn’t intended to create a phoenix, but now that he saw it, he couldn’t think of anything more appropriate for Reincarnation.

The spirit wasn’t truly aware, it was just an extension of his will, but seeing those golden eyes and the way it moved like it was alive, with each feather rustling and its head turning alertly, it was easy to believe it was a true spirit and not just a spell.

Perhaps he had done this unconsciously, or perhaps something of the natural power of the three Laws had combined to create it.

Either way, he was pleased with the result.

Thirty seconds later, the phoenix dissolved into a rain of golden light that washed over him with a warm glow, and disappeared. 

While it had been there, it had helped to shield him from negative energies. If he’d been wounded, it would have restored his health.

His soul felt better as well. The infusion of energy from Wildfire had stressed it, but now most of that was gone. 

A wave of good will from Gaius told him that the elemental also felt the effect and liked it. 

“So it begins,” Kelin said quietly. “Let the Path be forged.”

He let out a breath as he dismissed his ward and tucked his sigil away. Then his hand tightened on his staff as he headed into the distance. 

There were only a few wandering undead left in the dungeon, so the path to the first Challenge was clear. 

It took him about an hour to reach it.

On the way, he hunted down the few monsters that he saw and got in some practice with his abilities before he finished them off.

The Challenge was marked by a massive grey stone tablet engraved with silver runes that looked as if they’d been charred in a fire. Wisps of ashen grey light floated around it and the entire area radiated a sense of threat and unease.

A thick mist of ash and necrotic energy flowed around the tablet, creating a forbidden zone forty feet deep.

Kelin stopped a hundred feet away as he studied it.

You have discovered a Challenge: The Tablet of Ash.

Level 190 Elite.

The Law of Ash is both a bane and blessing to the undead. It can bring death and extend silent destruction across the land, but it also buries the dead beneath its weight.

This tablet has been infused with that Law.

Decipher it and you will have an opportunity to comprehend the Law of Ash, but first you must defeat the spirit it contains.

Kelin nodded as he pulled out a few Warden’s Talismans and activated them, layering himself with shields. 

Ash wasn’t a Law he intended to make his own, but he wasn’t going to ignore it either. Any Law could become the basis for a Heroic Ability, even if it wasn’t your main Path.

Ash was related to Fire, even if it was more like the death that came after, and legends said that phoenixes were reborn from their own ashes, so there might be something there that was useful to him.

When he was ready, he knocked by sending a bolt of soulfire from his staff, which slammed into the tablet.

The tablet shuddered as the runes on its surface grew brighter, shining with a dull silver and black light. The mist began to spiral faster, gathering into a dense storm, and flecks of ash floated away from it.

There was an echo like a hammer slamming down on the area and a tall shadow appeared beside the tablet. Its form swiftly resolved into a wraith that was grey and black with wisps of dark flame flowing through its inner structure. 

It floated above the mist, nine feet tall and five feet wide, but its body twisted and changed as Kelin watched, flickering like a slow flame.

He analyzed it.

Fallen Ash Elemental. Undead. Level 195. Elite.

Based on what he could sense, it had been a fire elemental once, but its nature had changed when it became undead.

The wraith raised its hand and a wave of smoldering dark ash flew toward Kelin, threatening to engulf the area and bury him alive.

Kelin split the wave down the center with a wave of his staff and then he set his sigil in the air as he waited for it to come closer.

He could use soul arrows to kill it quickly, but he wasn’t planning to.

Fire wouldn’t do much to an ash elemental, just heating it up a bit, but the soul element in his spells would. It was rare to get such a durable enemy, so he might as well take this opportunity to train.

The next hour passed in an exchange of blows, while Kelin rotated through his spells and training soulfire. 

He also practiced with his new Flame of Life ability, letting the little phoenix fly around him and around the elemental, which it damaged just by touching.

After the first few exchanges, most of his attention turned to his mana shield. He tested various theories as he let the elemental’s blows fall on it.

Eventually, he found a path forward.

The inspiration came from a surprising source, which was the elemental’s resistance to flame. Every time fire struck it, the majority of the energy dissipated, since there was nothing to burn, but some flowed through to the elemental’s soul and affected the necrotic energy that animated it.

He put that insight to work on modifying his mana shield, but in reverse. He wanted to allow energy through that wouldn’t harm his body too much, as well as some of the impact, especially the reverberation.

Eliminating all traces of impact was one of the reasons a mana shield was so expensive.

By the time he finished off the elemental, the idea was mostly complete.

The Path’s voice echoed in his mind as the elemental crumbled away.

Congratulations, Lord of Wildfire.

You have cleared the Challenge: The Tablet of Ash.

You have gained 3 Levels.

You are now Level 156.

You gain 27 Intelligence, 9 Wisdom, 9 Aura, and have 18 free attribute points to assign.

Touch the tablet to begin your comprehension of the Law of Ash.

Kelin glanced at the attributes and tossed the free points into his Constitution, taking it to 521. 

He’d have to get it to 572 to equal 1,000 after his bonus, so it wasn’t far off.

His Intelligence was high enough to wait for that and then he could go back to working on it for a while. 

He spent a little while longer on the changes he was going to implement into his mana shield, planning them with the new insight from the elemental. 

It was an ability, so he needed to adjust the pathways in his body, which was going to be painful.

One of the reasons it was complicated was that he needed to minimize the necessary changes, but the method he’d settled on only required pulling apart a small area of the structure, which would result in a looser protective weave.

In that area, he needed to add a few new rune paths to channel the overflow and energy that passed through to him.

He gritted his teeth as he got to work.

Two hours passed as sweat and drops of golden flame rolled down his body and evaporated, but bit by bit he pulled the ability apart and inscribed what he needed to, weaving the new part of the ability in with a mix of mana and soul energy.

When he was done, he tested out the ability by summoning a new mana shield. It sprang into place instantly and he could feel the difference in it.

This one was more sensitive and felt slightly flexible.

He had Gaius throw rocks at him, one at a time with increasing force, to see what happened.

The shield compacted as the first rock hit it and Kelin felt a minor thump of force against his body, but it was barely anything, like someone tapping his chest.

As larger rocks began to land, the impacts became more considerable, until eventually Gaius hurled a massive boulder that was larger than Kelin’s body.

The rock struck the shield and tumbled to the side, but an impact like a wagon had just run into him shuddered through his bones and he had to take half a step back.
His mana dipped, but only about a quarter as much as it would have before the changes.

When he pulled his robe aside, he could see the impact mark on his chest and across the rest of his body. 

It was a massive bruise that covered him from head to toe.

Thanks to his Constitution and innate regeneration, however, it was already fading.

“That’ll work,” he said.

After that, he had Gaius move on to sharper objects like stone spears, testing how their force was handled. 

The small ones were easy to deal with, since the damage was based on a combination of mass and speed, and speed was easier to deflect with his shield. 

Once their size began to increase, there wasn’t much difference between them and the rocks. It was just a matter of the total impact force.

By the time he was done testing, his bones felt like they’d been rung by a hammer. Echoes of dull pain throbbed along them and his entire body was sore to the touch.

His mana shield was a quarter of the cost it had been before and almost as cheap as his ward, which was worth the trade.

And with his Soulfire Sigil active, it was even more durable.

He summoned a small phoenix and let the bird land on his shoulder, where a wave of healing energy flowed through him, making the bruises and pain swiftly disappear.

A notification was waiting for him when it was done.

Congratulations, Lord of Wildfire.

Your Class Ability: Soulfire Mana Shield has gained a tier and reached Epic.

Your alterations to your mana shield have resulted in an ability that allows some damage to impact your body. Limitations have been set into place to allow only a set amount through, based on your current Constitution.

The average cost of this ability has dropped by 75%. Small impacts will take almost no mana, assuming that your body can endure them without significant damage. 

Kelin nodded in approval.

Since he had a strong physique, he might as well use it. 

He took out a cup of steaming coffee from his spatial ring and sat on a flat stone as he sipped it, letting himself recover to his peak.

The small phoenix on his shoulder was a pleasant companion, its wings flaring with life and flame as healing rained down on him. 

He resummoned it a couple of times, more for the fun of it than the need, and he felt his body and soul relax under the influx of warmth. 

Eventually, he stored the cup away and walked forward to the tablet. The ashen mist was still present and swirling through the area, but it parted around him.

As soon as he placed his hand on the tablet, the world dissolved.

When he reappeared, it was in an ashen realm where grey and white flecks floated through everything. 

There was no land, no air, and nothing else except ash filling the space and stretching for as far as his senses could reach.

Even space seemed to have dissolved here. Its structure was crumbled and broken, with only flecks of spatial energy remaining.

As Kelin took it all in, a wave of power from the Path filled the space and everything began to change. The world swiftly reformed into what it had been before.

It was a green and verdant world, filled with sunlight, water, and life. Trees and mountains, rivers and hills stretched for miles, and the stars arched through the sky above.

Then came a single grey flame that was only a fleck of light in the sky.

But under the force of it, everything crumbled away, returning to the ashen waste that he’d seen at first.

A strange force of insight filled Kelin’s mind, filling his awareness with potential, and the scene began to replay again.

Kelin studied the ash as the cycle happened again, but he felt a sense of disconnect from it, as if it would be difficult to understand.

It seemed the law wasn’t suited for him.

He could still try to infuse it into an ability, but instead he focused on the sense of insight that the Path was granting him and tried to put it to a different use.

His attention turned to the Law of Returning Flame and he tried to look for a connection in the moments where ash changed back to life.

He’d already seen a flicker of the potential in the Flame of Life, where the ability’s nature was to restore what was lost.

If this ash could destroy, then Returning Flame should be able to bring back that sense of vitality.

Ten cycles of destruction passed as he watched and then a hundred. Bit by bit, he felt sparks of insight flowing into his mind, especially when he focused on what the ash had been and watched it return to it. 

Eventually, the energy of the Challenge was used up and he found himself teleported again.

He reappeared on the outside, his hand still touching the tablet.

A thoughtful look appeared on his features and he nodded to himself.

He hadn’t quite got there, but he’d been able to see something of the path.

In time, he should be able to grasp it.

He bowed to the tablet in thanks and then he turned away, heading for the next marker in the dungeon.

It wouldn’t take him long to arrive.