Scorching Ascension - 1.34: Second Form (Unedited)

A/N: Thank you for your support!

EDIT: I did an edit on chapter 1.26 to frame the encounter and the decision to deal with Lance a bit better. Events have not changed, but the setup/rationalization has been tweaked. Details in the chapter itself
https://www.patreon.com/posts/scorching-1-26-114324216 

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Ten-inch long claws tore into the first lizardling’s throat, sending smoking blood on another’s shocked face right before he drowned all of them in an inferno of scorching flames.

An arrow flew at him from further behind, and Ethan jumped back. The archer had posted itself a bit to the left and as it waited for another arrow to appear, Ethan’s flames faded to reveal an already dispelling barrier. The defensive magic had caught most of the blaze, but some of the fire had gone through and, to his surprise, the one he’d just torn into was having its neck healed by the barrier caster.

Barriers and heals. And it’s the highest level too.

It was at level 32 and it wasn’t the only one above thirty. There was one more. A warrior. But Ethan didn’t let that intimidate him and as his mental countdown reached zero, he extended a claw and shot another [Small Fireball] toward the caster and this time, it didn’t manage another barrier on time.

The warrior jumped forward and threw down its little buckler, only for it to be replaced by a larger round shield. The fireball hit the shield with a soft click and the next thing Ethan saw was the fireball heading back to him.

Shit!

Ethan jumped to the side, unwilling to be anywhere near the explosion right as another arrow flew at him. He shot fire at it to weaken it, but the projectile curved around the flames and only missed him because he dodged to the side at the last moment.

Ethan stood panting, eyes wide as he recovered, then a chuckle escaped his lips.

This is a good challenge. 

Ethan itched to grab his dagger and mark the lizardlings, but he needed to thin them out first a bit. The archer and the healers were a priority, but first, he needed to push that reflecting shield. That might be the form of a Prime wand, so before the lizardlings could recover much, Ethan raised both hands and drowned the group in fire once more.

Reflect all of that, you little shit.

It turns out, the shield could reflect his raw flames, but it was only a small portion and it did nothing to the remaining flood of mana. From the corner of his eyes, Ethan saw the archer line up another shot while he felt a twinge of unease in his arms and chest.

Shit. Getting mana exhausted again.

Ethan moved to the right, putting the lizardlings between him and the archer, and lobbed another fireball in their midst. This time, it worked. The lizardling’s loose formation was scattered. Some were thrown violently away, while a couple managed to stand their ground. The only one mostly unaffected was the shield-bearing warrior, while even the healer struggled to stand-up straight.

A first notification came through, but Ethan ignored it as a lance dropped in his open palm. He sprinted forward and lunged, stabbing at the still dazed healer while red glyphs shone across the length of the lance.

A shield tried to interpose itself between him and his target, but put more weight in his step and barreled through the flimsy defense while flames burst around him. He might take a couple of hits, but anyone that tried to approach him will pay dearly.

The dazed healer finally realized Ethan was coming for him and cowered away, summoning yet another barrier with a simple bone-wand that disappeared out of his hand once the barrier finished forming. The lance hit the barrier, blew up the gray wall of magic in motes, then pierced through the lizardling’s chest.

Ethan expected the lance to disappear. Wasn’t it only at 1 Essence? Had he been wrong?

Green light began emanating out of the lizardling’s throat, but Ethan shoved the lights back where they were coming from with a narrow jet of flames out of his left hand right as someone drove a spear through the back of his thigh.

Ethan grimaced and whirled back with a backhand that cracked the spear like a twig, followed by a wave of flames. The lizardlings cringed away from the flames and in the end, his offense had been a success. Ethan had hit his mark.

You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 27]

You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 32]

You have reached Level 34. 1 stat point awarded.

With the healer down, the fight was about to become a lot easier. Ethan suddenly ducked, and another arrow zipped above him as he glared at the archer while ignoring the aching pain in his thigh. I’m taking that little shit next.

In the end, the shield-bearer was the only one who could stand up to him for more than a couple of seconds. Whenever Ethan got close to one of the lizardlings, they crumpled as soon as he tagged them with the dagger then burnt them to a crisp and as for the shield-bearer, it only lasted until its Prime-wand ran out of Essence, which was when Ethan took its head off with a point-blank fireball to the face.

The explosion hurt him a bit as well, but it also felt good considering the couple of times this specific little shit threw his fireballs back at him.

No spellcores. No primagems.

That was a bit disappointing, but Ethan couldn’t be too sad considering the haul of fragments. He still felt a bit iffy about taking all the new fragments into the Prime wand as he climbed up the wall and stepped back into the cover of the tunnel, but he’d set himself a goal. He needed to unlock all three forms before he could focus on something else and the sooner he did, the quicker he could turn his attention to other matters. With that in mind, he pulled up his Prime wand’s screen and checked his total.

Prime Wand of the Juggernaut: 

Tier: 1

Form: [Lance of the Juggernaut]

Essence: 1

Stat Bonus: +5

Fragments: 477

Available wand upgrades: 

[Second Form - 300 Fragments]

Oh? The Essence’s at 1?

That might have been why the lance hadn’t dissipated when he’d used its magical effect. His own theory and Ember must have been right, even though she hadn’t said as much. Behaving in a manner that reflected the nature of the wand helped it recover Essence faster.

So I just need to rush headlong into fights and it’ll keep recharging?

Ethan smiled and shook his head. Even his bad habits were becoming an advantage, somehow. Or it might have just been a matter of time. In any case, it will soon become clear.

He took a seat on the ground and dismissed his claws, then confirmed the second form’s upgrade.

I’ll do this, then take an hour or so of rest before I get back out there.

It really did seem like something was going on in the area. The giant underground forest was like a kicked anthill, boiling with activity and fights. That was good for him, as it meant plenty of targets and challenges, but he would still like to figure out what was going on, just in case it had anything to do with the main quest.

Questions for later. Time for a new form.

Prime wand - [Second Form] upgrade confirmed.

Select a form to unlock for your Prime wand:

Spellcaster

Enhancer

What would be the secondary effect of the wand? That lizardling’s shield could reflect attacks. My lance can blow up on impact. What would the wand do? What would the Enhancer-form do?

Ethan was worried the wand wouldn’t bring much to the table, while the Enhancer-form would most likely to be immediately useful.

Alright. I’m getting both soon, anyway, so let’s not agonize about every little choice.

Ethan confirmed the Enhancer selection and sat still. Magic appeared out of the ether and slowly revolved around him, soon followed by a cloud of golden flecks that reminded him of the fragments he collected. They swirled and blended around him for a few seconds, then sunk into his chest.

The magic spread through his limbs, reinforcing his flesh, and then it seemed like it began flowing upward. Through his chest, the neck and they only stopped near his forehead.

I have a bad feeling about this, Ethan thought to himself and right as he did, a message popped into his interface.

Enhancer form: Horns of the Juggernaut

Summon formidable horns that empower your magic. Additionally, when charging toward your quarry, your Might and Toughness are greatly empowered.

Ethan grinned, and his smile turned to a chuckle that echoed in the blue-lit tunnel. With a flex of will, the horns materialized on top of his forehead, near his hairline. They were a deep brown, almost black in the blue light, and they jutted out for an inch or so before they curved backward. Ethan followed their rough texture with his hand. They swept backward and only curved back up near the tip.

He wished he had a mirror to see how they looked, but suffice it to say, he was very happy with his new ability. Now he just had to get back out there and test it out, and finish getting the fragments for the third and final form.

Available wand upgrades: 

[Third Form - 500 Fragments]

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A/N: What do you guys think of the second form?

I hope you all enjoyed this week's chapters! If you guys have feedback/gripes with the story, please let me know in the comments or post it in the feedback channel on the discord. I want to get better :)

See you all next week!