Chapter 48

Nick leaned back on his hands, still catching his breath from earlier success. Elia sat nearby, cross-legged and wearing a lazy smile, her tail flicking idly. She looked completely at ease despite the previous evening's events.If Nick hadn't been there, he would have never suspected she was hiding that much pain. "Take your time," she said with amusement. "You look like you're having a moment." Nick laughed softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, something like that. Just give me a minute." Elia gestured as if to say, "By all means," then reclined slightly, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the sun. Taking a deep breath, Nick allowed the system messages to come to the forefront. They blinked into view with a satisfying chime, and the bold text and numbers sent a rush of elation through him. System Notification: You have successfully used a Focus for the first time: Experience Gained: 9.999 You have successfully cast [Windburst]! Experience Gained: 17.111 Level Up!You are now Level 18. Nick's grin widened as he read the messages. Each level added a bit more to his reserves, strength, and mind. It wasn't a significant leap, but he had already far surpassed the human standard of Earth and was beginning to stand out among most civilians here as well, as their classes provided fewer stats per level. It wasn't often discussed, as Sashara's doctrine made it clear all were welcome in her warmth, and Alexander worked hard to prevent any discrimination from happening, but combat classes got up to two times the amount of stats per level—distributed according to their specific class. That wasn't something that could be ignored beyond a certain point. Nick suspected this was the main reason collective classes ended just two years after the class ceremony. That was typically the moment when those with a martial or magical class began to outpace their civilian age mates. His INT and CHA were both just below the fifty-point threshold, and something told him that once he surpassed it, he'd find it easier to achieve his goal. He hadn't managed to break through with his affinity, unfortunately, but he didn't let that get him down. He'd known it wouldn't be that easy. This morning had been about testing the wing bone's properties and figuring out how much it could help him. Experience tales at empire Considering that he failed miserably the last time he attempted [Windburst], Nick would say it was a successful experiment. The System had even recognized his use of the bone as a focus, and he could tell the next time he attempted to cast the spell, he'd have an easier time. The knowledge felt more settled. I'll have to test if I can use it without the bone. It wouldn't be a very useful spell if I could only cast it with a perishable medium that's very scarce. That only confirmed that his decision to craft a focus was right. He would need to ensure he wasn't reliant on it, of course, but the stampede had shown him that he didn't possess the power to stand up to this world's threats. I'll have to talk with Rhea about that. Foci and fetishes aren't my area of expertise; if I understood Ogden's hints, she has some experience in their creation. That's a bit weird since I know she's an alchemist, but that girl is all a mystery. The system messages faded from his view as Nick swiped them away. When he looked up, Elia was watching him, one eyebrow raised and smirking amusedly. "You done yet?" she teased. Nick huffed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that." "Don't be," she said, rising to her feet with a fluid grace. "You looked like a kid who just found his first skill. I figured it must've been something big." Nick hesitated, then grinned. "Let's just say I will be more involved should another threat like the stampede come." Elia's eyes narrowed playfully. "Should I be worried you'll start throwing tornadoes around? Your definition of threat can be a bit nebulous." He laughed, brushing dirt from his clothes as he stood. "Not yet. But give me a while, and I might just do that." She shook her head, chuckling as she surveyed the torn-up field. "Whatever you did worked. That spell you pulled off earlier was crazy. You looked like you were in some sort of trance." Nick rubbed the back of his neck. The ground remained jagged and raw, the air faintly charged with residual mana. "It's... difficult to explain. I wasn't just casting the spell. I was part of it. Everything converged in a way I didn't think was possible." Elia tilted her head, her ears twitching. "And the bone is part of that?" "It's a game-changer," Nick admitted, holding it up. "I can't even explain how much easier it makes everything. It bridges the gap between me and the air; makes it all clearer." "You're not planning to use it constantly, are you? Something like that won't last forever. Mom made me a little doll to help me control my fire after I got my class, but it only lasted a week." Elia's eyes lingered on the artifact, thoughtful. Nick nodded. "I know. I don't mean to waste it." Then, feeling a change in the breeze, he tilted his head and saw a figure fast approaching. Ah, I might not have considered all the variables. "I hope your training plan includes earth magic, Nicholas Crowley, because you won't leave the property until this place is back to what it once was." His mother growled, stopping just a few feet from the edge of the destruction. She had crossed the distance between the house and them in just a few seconds, implying she could reach speeds barely below that of a speeding car if she wanted to. Elia seemed to realize this, too, because she stopped smiling and fell into an almost militaristic stance, as if waiting to be acknowledged by a superior. "Good morning, ma'am!" Elena gave her a long look before nodding as if the foxgirl's presence confirmed something, "You are Wulla's girl?" "Yes, ma'am," was Elia's wooden response. "Keep an eye on him. He thinks he's very clever, but boys like that are usually the first to get in trouble." "Yes, ma'am." Elena, wearing a smile that revealed more teeth than necessary, patted Nick on the shoulder, motioned with her head towards the destruction, and leisurely walked away. It took Nick a few seconds to compute what had just happened, but when he did, he sighed, assessing the damage. Casting minor spells is one thing, but magic of this level might need a different location. Fortunately, the damage appeared worse than it actually was. Dried stalks were scattered everywhere, and a large, shallow crater needed filling. Beyond that, this field was scheduled for replanting in a couple of weeks, so disturbing the earth wasn't too detrimental. Elia was still locked in her weirdly tense stance, so Nick got to work, deciding he could face that weirdness later. With a deep breath, he activated the Stalking Gait to accelerate his mana regeneration rate. Then he reached out to his connection with the earth, tapping into the modest magic of [Minor Elemental Manipulation], and knelt, pressing his hands against the dirt. The difference between the earth and the air was immediately apparent as the connection formed, forcing him to put all his willpower into the simple spell. He had known it before, but having an affinity made all the difference. He couldn't wait to find out just how big the gap between Minor and Intermediate was. He was so close he could almost taste it. Focusing on the ground, he visualized the jagged chunks of soil settling back into place, the torn earth smoothing out into something resembling natural wear. Slowly, the fields began to even out, and the scars left by his earlier spells faded as though time had erased them. Elia watched him work for a moment before stepping forward herself, if only after a furtive glance in the direction of his house. "If we're fixing this, we might as well do it right." With a flourish, a flickering orb of foxfire materialized above her palm. Its color was an otherworldly blue, and the flames danced with enough heat to make Nick hesitate. "Someone's been practicing," he said, raising an eyebrow. Elia gave him a self-satisfied grin. "You're not the only one who's been leveling up. Watch this." With a flick of her wrist, the foxfire shot forward, burning away the shredded stalks of grass without igniting the rest of the clearing. The flame spread across the field in neat, sweeping arcs, leaving a clean surface in its wake. It was a significant change from the wild, chaotic foxfire Nick had seen her use before. "I'm impressed," Nick admitted. "When did you get so good at that?" She shrugged, deliberately casual, and extinguished the flame with a snap of her fingers. "Papa's been pushing me hard lately. He said if I'm going to carry his name, I'd better stop embarrassing him with sloppy magic." "Well, it's paying off." Nick stood, brushing his hands off. The field looked almost pristine now, aside from the empty area. Elia surveyed their work with a critical eye before turning to Nick. "So, are you satisfied? Or do you need to blow something else up first? I'd rather your mother doesn't come back and smite us like ants if that's okay with you." Nick grinned, finding her fear quite amusing. "I think I'm good." Then, he looked down at the wing bone and decided to cut to the chase, "I need to get Rhea's opinion on something." Elia hummed and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't seem interested in rehashing yesterday's events at the moment, so Nick would give her the space she needed. If she was looking for a distraction, he had just the thing. Together, they started their walk back to town. The rhythmic crunch of their footsteps on the dirt path was companionable, and they chatted about little things, mostly consisting of Elia teasing him about his tendency to block everything out while he experimented. When they reached Ogden's shop, they found Rhea standing outside, her auburn hair tied back in a messy braid. She was hanging freshly washed clothes on a line. As they approached, she looked up with a flat expression. "Morning," Nick greeted, noting the pile of damp clothes at her feet. "Laundry day?" Rhea snorted. "Hardly. This is punishment." "For what?" Nick asked. "Did you blow something up too?" Her glare could have curdled milk. "For being mouthy," she snapped, pegging a shirt to the line with a bit more force than necessary. "Ogden said I needed to learn 'discipline.' Apparently, that means spending my morning as a maid. As if being an apprentice wasn't lowly enough." Nick couldn't help himself. "Don't you have a more efficient way to do it?" He knew exactly what she was referring to, and it didn't surprise him that the old man hadn't let the outburst slide. Still, a bit of teasing couldn't hurt, could it? They were friends, after all. That earned him a withering glare. "Oh, sure, let me, an Alchemist, just invent a laundry spell in the middle of my punishment. Better yet, let me enchant the clothes so they fold themselves too. Brilliant idea, genius." Elia giggled, leaning against the side of the fence. "She's not wrong." Rhea pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're the reason I'm stuck out here, you know. If I hadn't been involved in your harebrained schemes, I wouldn't have mouthed off in the first place. So, really, you should be helping me." "Wait, how is this my fault?"Nick held up his hands, bemused. "You exist," she said flatly, tossing him a damp sheet. "Here. Start hanging. Unless you don't want my help with whatever it is you need?" Nick glanced at Elia, who was doing a terrible job of hiding her laughter, then sighed. "Fine. But I'm only doing this because I'm a nice guy." "Sure you are," Rhea muttered, handing him another sheet. "Now get to work." Nick took the sheet and began clipping it to the line, shaking his head. Elia's laughter finally subsided as she perched on a nearby barrel, watching the back-and-forth with an amused smile. Searᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Eventually, the pile of clothes diminished, and Nick stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. As he did, Ogden appeared in the doorway. "Decent enough," he grunted, glancing at the line of neatly hung clothes. "You're free to go. Don't come back before dinner; I need to brew something delicate." Rhea muttered something under her breath and shook her head as Ogden disappeared back into the shop. Then she turned to Nick and Elia, crossing her arms. "All right, out with it. You didn't come here to hang laundry. What do you want?"