Nate tried not to laugh as the air slashes dissipated against his barrier. He wasn’t even attuning his Legendary Barrier bracer to wind attacks. His opponent, some son of a Baron from the middle of nowhere, finally gave up on making ranged attacks and tried to close the distance. Nate quietly admitted that for a Rare Classer the man had a fairly solid build.

  Like Null, who was somewhere else on the training grounds, the son of a Baron was a hybrid mage and swordsman. The swordsman used wind to enhance his movements, increase the power of his attacks, attack from range and even redirect attacks against him. Plus, with the small amount of mana being used, his affinity for wind mana had to be through the roof. Maybe even higher than Nate’s own affinity for spatial mana.

  Nate imagined if Etrua had anything like a duelling circuit, that his opponent would have been decently highly ranked in an under-sixty division. But all of his style, skill and natural gifts, paled before the tyranny of tier and Nate’s absolute defence. The only reason Nate was on the Combat field at the University at all was to grade out of the Intermediate class and into the Advanced one. It might not matter in the long-run, but the Guild would reward him for doing so regardless and a couple of free Stat Orbs seemed like it was worth spending an hour at the University.

  He knew he would need to attack back if he wanted to grade out of the class but he almost didn’t want to. Maybe it was arrogant of him, but he felt it would be like flicking away a bug. Still, the instructors expected it so he activated Conceptual Runic Mastery. His synergised Skill had everything he needed contained within it and he quickly created a runic array using the Sigils for Earth, Shape and Control. With his almost four-hundred Magic Power, he quickly overwhelmed his opponent, the rocky ground beneath them breaking down into sand before swirling around them. The air armour the man used was quickly suffocated and Nate hardened the earth into a stone coffin, keeping his opponent sealed inside.

  Since his battles in the Tournament over half a year ago, he hadn’t found much need to contain opponents without harming them. At least, not harming them physically. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he believed that his stone burial method was more humane than poking holes in his opponents, but he was certain more than a few of them disagreed.

  The Instructor waited for almost twenty seconds before he called the match. Nate broke down the stone coffin to see a wild-eyed Baron’s son breathing quickly in a panic. Some friends of the man came in from the sideline, helping the swordsman off of the field while shooting fearful glares in Nate’s direction. No one had forgotten what he had done to Fabien Lussier on these very fields after all. Maybe a few of them even suspected he had a hand in Fabien’s death. No proof had been brought forward though and Nate had not been harassed by any more Guard Inspectors. He just hoped the whole situation would end up buried and forgotten. He doubted it though.

  Walking off the combat field he sensed Kiri rushing to join him.

  “Passed?” she asked excitedly.

  Nate looked at the Instructor who was within hearing distance. The woman gave a nod, “Advanced class going forward.”

  Kiri clapped him on the back, her hand impacting his barrier as he raised an eyebrow.

  “What, I was congratulating you?” she replied with a smirk.

  They joked as the pair started making their way back to the dormitories. Halfway there they found Coralie sitting on the edge of one of the many fountains found throughout the University. The ice mage was dragging her fingers through the water, and true to her Class, creating small ice flows with each movement.

  Kiri held up a hand for Nate and he stepped off to the side to wait. As Kiri moved to sit down next to her girlfriend, Nate debated retracting his sphere of awareness. He was close enough to the pair that they were within range of his personal sphere and while he could forcibly reduce the area it covered, his paranoia told him not to. He couldn’t react to things he wasn’t aware of and every metre counted. He really didn’t want to listen in on his sister and her girlfriend, but his fear of being attacked won out and he leaned against a pillar instead, trying unsuccessfully to ignore their exchange.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Kiri quietly, reaching out to lay a hand over Coralie’s.

  “I…” Coralie started, before falling silent again.

  “Is it your Mother again?” pressed Kiri, concern written on her face.

  “Yes and no,” Coralie responded noncommittally, though Nate could sense through her body language that she was already cracking.

  “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” whispered Kiri.

  “It’s not that,” Coralie whispered back as Nate sensed a tear fall before turning to ice on her cheek. That was new, he thought. Had her affinity improved?

  “Can I help?” Kiri asked.

  “Yes, but, I don’t want you to,” Coralie stated quietly before Nate sensed her posture break, words rushing out of the petite woman. “She’s making me join the war effort. She said it would be good for my advancement and will allow her to further my advancement with Guild resources. I’m to join Princess Morgane’s army. I leave within the week.”

  Nate felt Kiri’s whole body tense up and he sighed mentally. It didn’t take a genius to see what would happen next. Kiri loved Coralie. He didn’t know when it had happened over the last six months, but it had been clear to him for a little while now. His sister was in love, and what his sister loved, she would protect. He knew that from personal experience, given the lengths she went to and the risks she had taken to protect him. She had been willing to stay in Etrua even with their troubles for the sake of Coralie and her own family. She wouldn’t let the Ice Mage go to war without her nearby to rush to her rescue. Which left him with a question that he would need to answer. What would he do, given this change?

  Even as he sighed again mentally he knew the answer. He loved his sister. If she was to be drawn towards the war front, then he would go as well, so she wouldn’t be without his backup if she needed it. He hated the situation, but he couldn’t fault his sister. She was just being true to her nature.

  Mentally, he started making plans. He couldn’t let his work start to slip, or at least not by much. And he wouldn’t perform the more secretive or complicated work outside of his workshop. He moved creating the spatially expanded spaces down from his top priority to his third. First priority now was creating a portal mechanism so that he could access his workshop while in the field. Second on his list was the creation of the much larger runic barriers to be sold to Asmuisil. The wealth needed to continue to flow to fund everything else. Then he could work on the designs for the spatially expanded spaces and his living art designs for Kiri, Britt and himself.

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  He looked up as Kiri approached him.

  “Did you hear?” she asked.

  He nodded, already knowing how the quick discussion would go.

  “I’m going,” she stated, though he could see the question in her eyes.

  “I’ll be there,” he replied in a calm voice.

  “...thank you,” she said softly, punching him gently in the chest, his barrier preventing the impact as always, before returning to her girlfriend’s side.

  Nate made his way back to his room alone. It was time to collect his things from his room – the cloud-enchanted bed and a couple of easels and paintings. There wasn’t much else he left lying around his dormitory room anymore. He would just move into his workshop full-time. Informing Britt would be second on his list, before using the unigem to let the University know he was taking a leave of absence. He wouldn’t be surprised to hear they closed their doors soon. The grounds, once frequented by hundreds of Professors, Nobles and well-to-do merchants, were already bordering on a ghost-town. Another week or two and they would be running classes for two to three students. He doubted they would bother at that point.

  The war had up-ended everything and he wasn’t lying when he admitted quietly to himself that it pissed him off. Not just the way that Etrua would supposedly conduct the war, though that was definitely a factor, but how it was delaying some of his own plans. He would just have to make sure that the rewards they received were worth the effort.

  With those thoughts he put his plans into action. Room first, then girlfriend, then Guild. He needed Aisling’s advice on the war and Evindal’s advice on his development towards the Lord of Life Class.

  *************

  Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet looked out over his University with distaste. The grounds were almost empty. Some of his professors had taken leaves of absence due to the war. Many were second and third children of Noble stock and had returned to their family demesnes to prepare for the war with Asmuisil. He had, of course, expected such, but that didn’t change his feelings towards seeing his institution for advancing humanity laying quiet and empty.

  This, he reminded himself, was the price of advancement. Mythic. The highest power he was aware of was almost within his reach. He just needed to make this small sacrifice and he could grasp it, and his future, in his own two hands. Turning back to his desk, he sat and waited for his liege to arrive. It would be their last meeting for a while and they needed to make sure everything was in place.

  Punctual as ever, Prince Bordain entered within minutes, taking a seat as though he owned the place. Verian acknowledged that in the Prince’s mind, he likely felt that he did own the place.

  “Are the preparations complete?” asked Bordain, his deep voice rolling through the Headmaster’s office.

  “Garnet has delivered the final collections and I have her returning to the Capital, ready for your own return. Sapphire has everything he needs now and we should get confirmation that the payment has been made shortly. Topaz has already returned to the Capital and has begun our preparations here. Amethyst is with your brother, Prince Thane. Malachite is in the Castle. Everything is almost ready. Do you want me to send Topaz or Garnet to join your sister's forces?”

  Prince Bordain remained quiet in thought for a moment, before responding, “Send Topaz. Garnet could be problematic. There are multiple plans in place to see the tasks done but adding Topaz should make certain of it. I will need to leave the Capital tomorrow to join my forces. The delayed muster of a few of the Houses has been enough of an excuse for remaining in the Capital, but any longer will cause problems. I expect regular updates,” stated Prince Bordain.

  “You will have them, my Prince,” replied Verian, waiting till the Prince had left his office before returning to his window. A change was coming and he would ride that change to the heights he had always aspired to. A lowly peasant would reach Mythic.

  *************

  Nate walked towards the Guild Jobs board with Aisling on one side of him and Evindal on the other. Aisling had been displeased that he and Kiri would be going to the war front. The amazonian woman had made her thoughts on the matter abundantly clear. However, she still supported him. The change had been evident for some time now, where the famed Storm Spear of the Adventurer’s Guild would offer her advice and thoughts, without trying to control or direct him. The change was both pleasant and uncomfortable. Pleasant because it showed a level of trust and investment in him that he appreciated. Uncomfortable because her displeasure often came with small static shocks and a disappointed look in her eyes.

  Before heading for the job boards, they had stopped to test Nate’s affinities. The alchemical treatments had been everything Evindal promised. The good, and the bad. His previously non-existent affinity for Life Mana now sat at a comfortable thirteen percent. Almost halfway to the cut-off he had set for himself of thirty-percent. Having imbibed six alchemical concoctions already, he was likely going to exceed the twelve that Evindal had estimated. It was probably going to be closer to fifteen. Kiri was already searching for them throughout the city, but she acknowledged that they might need to send Luc all the way to Gashana to get the treatments Nate needed. It was a delay, but it was coming, and in the meantime he still had his Skills and Achievements to focus on.

  Approaching the Gold-tier job board, Aisling answered his previous question, “There will be non-combat jobs for Gold-tiers if that is what you’re set on taking. See which ones you’d be willing to take. I am going to review the Platinum board.”

  Nate stood for a moment, joined by Evindal, as he watched his Guardian walk through a guarded door into another room. Platinum job offers were apparently kept a secret from the rest of them. Not surprising since a Gold was a high-tier warrior while a Platinum qualified as a strategic weapon.

  “She’s proud of you, you know,” stated Evindal, interrupting Nate’s thoughts.

  “I...know,” he agreed tentatively.

  “She doesn’t show it well sometimes, but she talks with me about you. She’s proud of what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come in such a short-time. And she’s proud that you stick to your morals. I am too. Don’t let the Nobles or Royals drag you more deeply into the war than you’re willing to go.”

  When Nate just smiled at the praise, Evindal continued, glancing at the job board, “See any that suit your needs?”

  There were far more jobs than usual, but Nate had to pick one that would see him placed with Princess Morgane’s contingent. It took a minute to find one that he felt was exactly what he wanted. Noting the job number, he tapped it for Evindal’s benefit.

  “Joining as a Healer?” Evindal laughed. “Always a way to advance after all. Here are the things to focus on to get some Achievements.”

  Evindal launched into a hushed explanation of a few low-tier Achievements Nate could aim for as well as a couple that would be more difficult but that he should try for if the opportunity presented itself. It was a matter of moments to get himself recorded against the job and he was told he would need to leave for the army muster within seven days. It took another hour to get his Guild Badge set up for the war, hopefully acting as a deterrent to killing him if he did end up getting attacked. With preparations completed, Nate bid Aisling and Evindal goodnight before using True Teleportation to return to his workshop. He had seven days to prepare everything he needed. It was all the time in the world and no time at all. With a grin, he picked up the spatial plate, channelling Conceptual Material as he began planning the designs for his runic portal. After all, he knew how to achieve this goal. It was the exact same mechanism that had seen him stolen from Earth. Pulling out the notebook given to him by Arikanvil, he began to read. It was time to deepen his understanding of space.

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