Master Of None

Chapter 2019  2019. Familiar Ruins

Just as Walker stepped on the elemental teleportation rune formation, he sensed the manas more clearly. He had missed these things when he had been on it on the way to the Sigil continent once again. But the manas flowed more smoothly in some places. This was the results of improving, and now recarving the formation for the second time. The rune carvers had learned from the past experiences. They had also made it clear that they had advanced their knowledge of how the runes could form together. Especially when it came to the other runes that were made from parts of the basic elemental runes. Natural mana runes had been somewhat formed, while rough, they were there so that the manas could all form together better. This was something that was not entirely possible before Walker had begun showing off natural mana everywhere. He had made a scene of sorts making manas fuse together better than other mages, even those with dual affinities. Because of this, the rune formations had all been improved rapidly. That was also due to the mage tower. But that didn't explain how Walker was sensing more space mana everywhere around him as the rune formation teleported him. He could sense that a lot more spatial mana was part of the formation. When he looked at the recarved and improved runes, he noticed some that held on to that spatial mana better. That they were rough to a degree that they did not perfectly allow manas to flow in to them. However, the spatial mana enjoyed that to a degree. The spatial mana remained there for a short time. Walker could feel it dissipate while other manas came to replace it. This experience was short lived. It was only a blink of an eye in the comparison of the time he had meditation around the spatial flames that were created within the wandering blacksmith's forge. But it was enough time to enlighten Walker here. He could understand that a spatial rune could not just be some flat and smooth thing like the other runes. Mostly because this would need to be an in depth rune that allowed the space it sat in to be affected. That was why the spaces where the manas were being turned on jagged angles which were bad for elemental manas, were working. Space didn't need rules like the way water flowed through a water rune. To be clear, the space mana was something that was everywhere already, so channeling it in a flow made no sense. Therefore, when Walker finally saw this happening, he was shocked. He had partially interpreted the space mana theories of his own improperly. "Hello there?" Gil waved a hand in front of Walker for a moment. He wondered what had just happened in a second of teleportation. "Sorry, I Was thinking about the space mana in the runes. It's much better than before and I realized that I missed some things. I should have focused on earlier. But I will think about that while we move." Walker saw that Ventus was focusing on him with a slight smile. In the time that she had known this party, she had immediately opened her mind and heart to them. One, because she saw them as children just like her own. A mother's instinct was not simple. And two, because she already knew that these people were living a new and wondrous path that others had not before. She could not expect anything by amazing things from them. "I will be taking you all from here. I will move quickly and place you on the edge of that undead ruins. It is a cursed place and I do not wish to remain too close. But from what you said, there will be reasons why you will get inside faster." Ventus understood that the immortal king was not simple. Yes, he was a monster. An elder lich that wanted immortality at any cost. Unfortunately, the forced research and gruesome means had trapped him. An immortal undead in a tower that chained him down. But that did not mean the twisted mind within that monster was anything slow or lesser. Ventus also knew that a dragon's body and parts of a wyvern's body were already corrupted and forced together to make an undead able to defend a corrupted floating city. How foolish would she be if she did not keep in mind that a powerful monster like an elder lich wouldn't want to kill her and use her as its own servant? "Thank you for your help again. You can fly much faster due to your control over the wind." Su's thanks was enough to make Ventus smile before she took her dominator dragon from. This made many of those who were nearby the elemental teleportation rune formation cheer and shout in surprise. The dragons were famous after all. But the people did not stop the party from moving. There were guards to ensure that the party could rush away. Some of the elder dragons were seen flying nearby, while many dragonkin had arrived who the party could spot before they were held by Ventus in her talons. The basket to hold them proved even more valuable every time this happened. The wind manas rushed around and Ventus created a small slip stream to push herself through the air. It was a short time before the party witnessed the human city of Diamond beneath them, but just as fast as it appeared, it was gone. The wilderness around appeared to be affected in small places by corrupted monsters. Some of which still rampaged. Small adventurers and military were with each other taking down the issue. This was them working against the problems spreading around the world. While the manas were more fluid and the world was adapting, the corrupted mana also seemed to be growing. Partially because of the demon king's antics, but also because the world was thinning the shields from the elemental planes. The places so long ago blocked off due to the world not adapting and growing as it should. When the undead ruins appeared, the party felt that they had just barely been in another continent. That they had been false to think that anything like that happened. They Were here again, at their first major adventure with one another. Their minds had trouble keeping up with where they stood now as Ventus lowered herself to the ground. The many tents that existed as the marks that adventurers, grave robbers, and travelers had gone in to never return were still here. The marks of undead that strayed too far and were beaten outside the runs here and there. It was all too familiar. "I might be able to use a teleportation skill sooner than I realize." Walker said this out loud. He had been the one deep in thought the entire time. Understanding the way the spatial mana moved in all angles instead of a flow made him feel he was a fool but also more positive toward his own learning. He could already sense the spatial mana and could use elemental manas to help manipulate it. But with the better grasp on it, he could probably make it teleport him in a bit. "Yes yes yes, you can maybe teleport us places. Focus on this for now?" Remey sighed like she was being told something she had heard a million times. But to be fair, walkers always got like this. Midnight also responded with a growl, but she had taken her dragonkin from. She didn't want to show off her dragon from to the immortal king. She could show her strength and level of growth by walking like this instead. It was her pride but also the threat she was giving to him for tricking her toying with her the first time. "They are right brother, we have more things to worry about. I see many skeletons standing still ahead." Onyx had picked up on the edges of the immortal king's undead ruins. A city fallen because of the terrible deeds it was home to. A place filled with undead of various kinds all controlled by one being. Yet, when they realized that the undead were standing still. Unmoving. It struck them all as odd. When they were last here, they saw the undead shuffling. Moving as if guarding or just exploring by their own instincts. Even undead in other places would do that normally. Never would they stand still as if frozen in place. "I would say that it is highly likely that the immortal king did this knowing that we are coming. He was actually watching as he said." Su looked a little more tense. She wished that Alice had come for another person to use purifying and light skills, but she had remained to heal others. Now the party had to face their first threat again. The evil within the ruins. …

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