Wild Era 2, Ch 5: Temple of Mist

As Kelin walked into the temple, the doors led onto a narrow tiled path between the rippling waves that filled the left side of the interior and the leaping flames on the right.

It was like walking into a land of primordial mist, water, and fire.

It looked like there was an ocean stretching away to his left into an endless distance, while an inferno dwelled to the right.  

The sky above was a crystalline white roof with peaks that disappeared into obscurity, so high that they merged with the sky and stretched away into the Void, mingling with the movement of stardust and celestial bodies. 

The floor was made of translucent crystal tiles that shimmered in the light of the two elements from each side, and on the pathway where he was standing, cool streams of water and bright flames merged above the tiles, giving rise to a layer of subtle and glowing mist that rose up to fill the temple in a maze of twisting light and energy that changed with each moment.

The temple was much larger inside than it had seemed before he walked in. It looked like it was a self-contained dimensional realm that had been used to safeguard inheritances. The structure of the temple outside was really just a gate that led here.

This realm must have been one of the core sites for the Sea of a Thousand Isles, a place secretly guarded and opened only to a chosen few to advance their knowledge.

Although the Laws here were beyond his current level, he could sense their powerful energy woven through the interior that subtly warped reality. It was what gave rise to the interwoven elements.

Water and Fire were naturally opposed in many respects, but these laws were harmonious, with one changing into the other and then back again, transformed through the intersecting element of Mist, around which everything here was based.

They had found a balance in that element and focused their arts on it. 

It made him wonder what their civilization had been like and if great towers of mist had once risen to meet the dawn on the islands of their homeland.

Now they were gone, wiped away by the undead. 

Given how the undead worked, perhaps some of their arts survived in the wraiths and liches they had become, or had even been picked up by some of the greater clans like the vampires.

Vampires had a fondness for mist and could transform into it at will, if they were powerful enough.

He pushed the thoughts aside as the path led him toward the center of the temple, where a crystalline circle was marked out on the tiles. Although the temple seemed large, space was bent and it only took him a few moments to reach it. 

The circle was at a point where the mist was dense and the two elements looped into an interlocking pattern, each merging into the other to give rise to more mist. 

As soon as he was standing at the center, the temple hummed with energy and the two elements flooded toward him. The voice of the Path resonated in his mind.

The Lords of the Thousand Isles designed this temple to instill the greatest guiding principles of their Laws in their descendants, offering them a chance to comprehend the core inheritance of their civilization.

Ages after their fall, the temple was retrieved by the Sovereign of Silver Chaos from the remnants of their galaxy and placed under the governance of the Path, where it offers a similar advantage to the promising young prodigies of our realm.

Now, it has fallen to you.

The echo of several Laws are strong here, offering you the opportunity to comprehend the fragment of one that is suitable to you, but it will not be easy.

You are currently too weak to manage a Law on your own. At best, you can only touch the outskirts of it by combining it with one of your abilities, and allowing the higher power of the Law to infuse it.

This is how Abilities and Skills can rise to the Legendary or Heroic tier, but that is a later step.

For now, meditate here and find a complementary Law. Then choose one Ability or Skill to infuse with its echo, creating a Path for it to advance to a higher realm.

Success is not guaranteed.

Time does not pass within this temple in the same way as outside and your body will not age, but your consciousness is not immortal, so do not delay. 

You may begin whenever you are ready.

A sense of overwhelming power poured toward Kelin from the elements of the temple. 

Water and Fire drifted around the circle, where they combined into mist and broke apart again, flickering with a thousand insights. 

He wasn’t in a rush as he studied them, letting their essence flow through his soul.

He wasn’t strong enough to comprehend them directly, but by comparing the resonance to his own understanding and how they felt with his abilities, he was able to sort through them to see what was the most compatible.

The Path was right. 

This was a great opportunity. 

It was incredibly rare to be offered the chance to choose a Law and to associate it with an ability. Usually, such things only happened by instinct or chance.

Anything related to Laws belonged to the Fourth Evolution and above, but like with his Legendary class and Wildfire, there were ways to resonate with them earlier.

His current Soulfire class, for example, was Legendary because it held an echo of the true Law of Soulfire. The runes he was studying from the compendium were a path that helped to lead him closer to the real thing.

Likewise, his Wildfire spell was part of the Law of Wildfire.

He’d had a couple of abilities at Heroic in his past life, although he’d gained them late.

What he needed to do here was to find the right echo to infuse into one of his abilities. That would help it to advance to Epic, and later to Heroic or Legendary.

An Ability at Heroic or Legendary wasn’t as powerful as having a Law, but it could still be a great advantage. It would help to increase the chance of getting a more powerful class in the future too.

With the time difference between here and outside that the Path had mentioned, he didn’t need to rush. He let the elements spin around him as he touched each part and sensed the flickers of Law.

Thousands of options flowed through his mind and resonated in his spirit, until eventually he found one that fit. He studied it, comparing it to his abilities and what he wanted to do, and then he set it aside and kept looking.

He wasn’t sure how long had passed, but it felt like it had been a couple of years, or perhaps even longer. More time passed as he searched again.

Mist wasn’t really a Law that was suited for him, and neither was Water, since he had no affinity for it, but Fire was an old friend. Most of his abilities were related to it, one way or another.

What he was looking for was an echo of Fire that could elevate one of them into something more.

Each major element contained endless profundities of Law. Their nature transcended simple limits. They encompassed all possibilities and all Truths related to the element.

When someone formed a Concept at the Fourth Evolution, they were stepping foot onto the path of creating their own unique Law, but it had to resonate with those greater laws of nature and chaos.

Otherwise, it would fail.

He’d been at Level 699 in the past, just a sliver from achieving an Immortal Form and rising to the Seventh Evolution, but he’d never made it. Then he’d been killed suddenly, and he hadn’t even seen the strike.

It had probably been an enemy at the Seventh Evolution that had struck him from afar.

That was why as he considered the Laws in front of him, he looked for the one that would help him the most. If he was going to have to use Soulfire for dungeon challenges in the future, then he also needed something that would work with that.

One by one, he found insights into Fire that would fit, but after analyzing them, he set them aside and kept looking. 

Eventually he came across one that was suitable.

The Path’s voice echoed in his mind as he made his choice.

You have resonated with the Law of Endless Flame. 

This was one of the core Laws of the Sea of a Thousand Isles, a foundation they were lucky to discover early in their history. 

It became a bloodline power of their royal family and was the signature Law of their monarchs, but it was a difficult one for them to master.

Many of them comprehended a part of it and reached the Fourth Evolution, but few were able to follow it to the end and reach the Fifth and Sixth Evolutions.

This inheritance temple was intended to help, but it was built in the final years of their reign and came too late. They never achieved the strength necessary to stop the advance of the undead.

Perhaps your Path will be different, but be warned, this is a powerful Law and the danger is greater than if you fused with a weaker Law. If your soul is too weak, even an echo can destroy it.

Do you wish to continue?

“Yes,” Kelin confirmed.  

Some people might have been concerned by that warning, but his soul had handled the full Law of Wildfire in the past, which was just as unbridled as Endless Flames. If it had been the complete Law, he’d have hesitated, but he’d be fine dealing with the echo of this one.

Then prepare yourself.

The temple around Kelin hummed with celestial force as the currents of mist and water began to disappear, leaving only the flame behind. 

The circle turned a blazing golden red and the air became hot and fiery as the temperature soared. The crystal tiles changed to the same color and flames ran across them, rising into the air.

Pillars of golden flame shot upward toward the unseen roof, ascending toward the distant cosmos above, where they changed form, exploding into endless life that gave rise to the birth of new stars and universes.

It was a perpetual cycle, rising and falling, where the flames sometimes fell to embers, but even in the darkest corner, the hint of a flame still lingered, slowly rising.

Then it was reborn again.

Endless flame that stretched through all of existence, undying and eternal.  

At the same time, the echo of that law surged through Kelin, pouring into his body and soul. It was a force that could crush him into nothing, and his strength was far less than a single one of those embers, but the Path and this temple kept the force of it from erasing him from existence. 

That gave him a chance.

He turned the full strength of his soul and 5,000 years of existence to the task, and pushed that force toward the ability he’d chosen.

Time passed as it felt like he was burning in the endless darkness, his fire dimming, but slowly, the flame settled into place. It changed the ability as it did, rewriting its nature and granting it the potential for greater things.

Then it was done.

The Path’s voice echoed in his mind with a touch of approval.

Congratulations, Lord of Wildfire.

You have fused with the echo of the Law of Endless Flame.

Your Innate Ability: Persistent Spell has been rebuilt according to the nature of the law.

As it was only at the Expert tier, it has risen to Elite. 

In time, it will advance further and do so more quickly than your other abilities, until it reaches Heroic.

The name of the Ability has changed to Endless Flame.

Innate Ability: Endless Flame (Elite).

Imbued with the echo of the Law of Endless Flame, your spells share some of the same qualities. Their existence cannot be erased from the Void so easily. 

At the Elite tier, this ability grants a 40% improvement to the duration and cohesion of all spells, as well as a +15% bonus to their power. 

Once you achieve the Heroic tier for this Ability, a unique Heroic Bonus will appear.

It was a strong improvement over the old effect of the Persistent Spell ability, which had been at only 25% duration and cohesion, without any additional power enhancement.

The future held great promise.

The ability would advance swiftly and once it reached Heroic, it would be even stronger. 

Most importantly, the advantages from it were innate and applied to all of his spells, from soulfire and Wildfire to his regular soul spells. Everything he did would be imbued with the smallest touch of endless flames.

The flames surging through the temple subsided and the mist reappeared, restoring the balance of the elements. Crystal tiles and water returned to his view, spiraling around him.

Then everything began to fade away.

A moment later, Kelin found himself standing on the sand outside of the temple again, and then that faded away too, and he was back in the forest, standing outside the ring of crystal pillars.

The island and the temple on it shimmered in his sight and then disappeared, leaving only a field of untouched wild grass around him.

The mist of the forest and the necrotic taint of the undead swirled through the trees, slowly drifting closer.

He looked around as he settled his thoughts, and then he turned toward the third concentration of mana in the dungeon.

It should be the dungeon boss.

Based on what the Path had said, it would be another challenge that matched his effective level, which meant it would probably be difficult.

He checked his new bracers, making sure they were functional, and organized the loot from the challenge. 

All of the monster cores, necrotic gems, and other random things that had belonged to the skeletons had been placed in his storage bags, which was convenient.

He gave a slight bow to the area where the island had been.

Then he set off into the distance, toward the source of the last mana signature.

On the way, he wandered back and forth across the dungeon, making sure to eliminate every monster he came across.

After the Level 110 challenge, nothing out here felt like a threat. It was just a few stragglers, a mix of Deathrot Skeletons and some Rotting Dire Wolves, and there weren’t enough to justify using Wildfire.

As he went deeper into the forest, the level of necrotic energy slowly increased, turning the forest darker and more dangerous. 

There were no more of the Mistcoat Dire Wolves that were native to the dungeon, just the undead, and the trees were slowly decaying. 

If he cleared out the source of the taint, the dungeon might recover, but it was swiftly approaching a point of no return.

Eventually, he closed in on the location of the final mana signature.

The towering trees gathered into a dense grove that surrounded a large clearing. As soon as he saw it, he didn’t need his mana senses to tell him that it was the final challenge. 

The area was filled with a dark mist so dense it was nearly a river of necrotic energy. All of it poured outward from the center, where there was a low hill and a dark cave that radiated a sense of foreboding. It looked like a jagged mouth opening into the earth.

As soon as he caught sight of it, the voice of the Path rang in his mind.

You have discovered the final challenge of the Rising Mist Chaos Remnant.

Warning: Necrotic energy has completely infiltrated the final dungeon challenge, significantly altering the nature of the monsters here.

You have been assigned an Optional Objective: Cleanse the Affliction.

Completely purge the necrotic energy at this location, which is fueling the change throughout the dungeon, and allow the dungeon to return to normal. If you are successful, an additional reward will be granted.

Effective Level Difficulty: 110.

Kelin rolled his shoulders as he studied the clearing. Then he brought out his Soulfire Sigil, renewed the energy in it, and waited for his mana to recover. 

When everything was ready, he walked forward.

As soon as he crossed the entrance to the grove, a deep rumble filled the air. He couldn’t quite make out what it was at first, but after a moment it became clear that it was a low growling sound, so deep that it made the earth and the roots of the trees tremble. 

It was accompanied by a piercing sense of threat, one that sent cold shivers down Kelin’s spine.

He paused where he was and set the Soulfire Sigil into the air, swiftly drawing a ward circle around himself.

As he waited, the shadows at the mouth of the cave parted and he saw what he was dealing with.

An enormous silver and black wolf was slowly rising to its feet, its fangs bared as it growled. It had to be at least eight feet tall at the shoulder and it was over twenty feet long. 

Unlike the other wolves, it wasn’t rotting, but its eyes were the blazing blue of the undead and necrotic mist poured off of it like an ocean.

Kelin analyzed it as soon as he saw it.

Grey Lord of the Mists. Undead Wolf Spirit. Level 110. Elite.

The Grey Lord is one of the Rulers of Rising Mist, an ancient legend among the trees whose fangs and claws have long silenced all who threaten it, but he has fallen under the grasp of the undead. 

His powers have changed, and although he retains his strength, his mind is shrouded.

The cave behind it had to be its den, but the wolf wasn’t alone.

Standing beside it, an undead skeleton with similarly blazing eyes, dark ebon bones, and strange silver-tinted fingers was looking straight at Kelin. 

Power radiated from it.

The Silver Hand of Death. Captain of the Deathborn Legion. Undead Mage. Level 110. Elite.

A captain of the Deathborn Legion, this mage’s name has resonated among the ranks of the undead for thousands of years.  His finger bones have been infused with necrotic energy to such an extent that the touch of a single finger can kill the living.

The original existence of this captain was destroyed in a war a long ago, but his presence was so strong that his Law still gives rise to specters that bear his name.

Normally, the challenge should have been a Deathborn Summoner, which is the necrotic core that was thrown into this remnant that led to the current situation, but the difficulty has been upgraded to match your Effective Level.

The analysis of the two bosses rang in Kelin’s mind.

The undead mage raised its hand, which glowed silver between the dark mist of necrotic energy.

The Grey Lord tilted back his jaws toward the unseen moon and let out a loud and soul-freezing howl that sent a cold wind tearing through the glade, its presence as sharp as a blade.