The Stubborn Skill-Grinder In A Time Loop

Chapter 79: The Various Avenues of Training

Orodan was the very definition of subterfuge. The embodiment of stealth itself.

Zaessythra sighed, the faithless disbeliever that she was.

“This can’t get any worse at least...”

Elaborate disguise secured; he strode forth. His target? Eversong Plaza, but not directly, not yet.

A true master of clandestine activity needed to case the joint first. And he certainly had, identifying the first target and a weak link. The plaza had a tower a bit further out, somewhat isolated but it had a good view of the tavern and the sentry atop it provided overwatch for the guards of House Argon.

He tip-toed across the ground, his first target isolated in a manner which would make their disposal unseen. At the base of the tower, he acrobatically leapt upwards, gripping parts of the wooden tower which jutted outwards and hauling himself up.

Yes, he could’ve simply teleported or leapt up directly, but doing things the mundane way would lead to gains.

[Parkour 11 → Parkour 12]

Like a nimble cat, he scaled the tower, gripping the final handhold...

...when he both felt and heard a crunch of wood struggling to bear the load.

Orodan forgot sometimes, big as he was, that he weighed half as much as a full-grown bull. Certain small handholds just weren’t meant to hold his large frame.

The wooden beam which jutted out, about to snap off, was quickly dealt with just before it broke.

[Wood Communion 66 → Wood Communion 67]

Wood grain, fused together and strengthened, would no longer give way.

Of course, the near-snapping of wood was more than audible on a quiet night, and the sentry up top walked over to peer down the edge. Armed with a bow, the woman had a frown on her face as she looked down.

[Stealth 9 → Stealth 10]

The sentry looked down the side of the tower... but Orodan’s fingers buried into the wood, squeezing himself against the wall much as he could that he might hide beneath the overhang.

“Hmm? Creaky wood... I suppose. Baron needs to pay for better construction on these third-rate towers, any day now the lousy thing will topple right over...”

The sentry hadn’t noticed him yet! As expected of a true master of stealth.

Of course, the crunching of wood as it gave way under his fingers was yet again quite noisy.

“The hells? Something under there?” the sentry asked as she nocked an arrow and stooped over to get a better look.

Only for Orodan’s hand to come up and envelop her entire face.

“Mmmph!”

[Surprise Attack 46 → Surprise Attack 47]

Before the woman could put up a fight, Orodan’s Celestial skill cleansed her mental representation in her mindscape, sending her to unconsciousness. She’d come to eventually, a day or two later, but for now was in an unawakenable slumber. ȑᴀNOꞖËş

He put her down in the corner and surveyed the area.

Eversong Plaza looked the same it always did at this time of night. It wasn’t even five minutes into the loop yet. His early loops of charging into and dying against the forces arrayed here had given him intimate familiarity with their patrol patterns and positions.

The Apprentice-level guards along the perimeter stood in front of all entrances to the plaza; bored but still keeping watch over the roads leading in from nearby neighborhoods. Past them were the Adept-level enforcers of House Argon, surly faced men and women who looked tough and occasionally reminded a regular guard to remain vigilant in their duties.

Vision of Purity told him that the majority of the enforcers were inside the tavern itself. However, three enforcers were outside the tavern at this time. One, a woman wielding dual daggers who Orodan remembered starting his early death loops off by instantly killing. The other two, a great-axe wielding Adept and a spear-wielding Adept.

A decent complement of guards and enforcers; numerous and vigilant. However, neither the Apprentice-level guards nor the Adept enforcers were the issue. The problem, when it came to Orodan’s stealthy endeavors... were the eagle-eyed lookouts standing watch from atop the tavern’s balconies and roof.

And just as he looked at them from atop the tower...

...so too did one archer frown at him. Peak of the Adept-level, this man looked to be the watch commander for House Argon’s soldiers at Eversong Plaza.

The man must’ve known the sentry he’d disabled or simply been familiar with the postings, for his frown quickly turned questioning and he asked something of the other lookout near him.

Stealth was as much a mindset as it was a skill. Orodan, used to barrelling through everything like a bull in a pottery shop, hadn’t even considered that he didn’t need a direct line of sight to use Vision of Purity. Consequently, he had stood tall atop the tower and gazed over the plaza and its guards instead of remaining hidden behind the tower fence and using Vision of Purity’s ability to see through the fence while remaining hidden.

Well, better to learn now than trigger every detection measure when attempting to travel to Lonvoron. Part of the reason for his fixation on stealth this loop was so he could potentially weave it into his infiltration attempts for Lonvoron.

His enhanced hearing picked up their chatter.

“Say... isn’t Rulstida supposed to be on the north tower tonight? Who’s that?”

Thinking on the fly, he swiftly ducked down behind the fence, using the brief moment where the suspicious lookout on the tavern roof turned his head to question the other lookout regarding his concerns.

He swiftly used the cover of the fence and began climbing down the side of the north tower, dragging the unconscious sentry with him, obscured from the sight of the lookouts.

“What’re you talking about? There’s nobody there.”

“What the... they were just... lazy bastard must be taking an unscheduled break.” the lookout questioned and then called down to one of the enforcers on the plaza floor. “Hey! Buximus! I can’t see the north tower guard from here, can you go give them a slap on the head and tell them to do their job?”

“Isn’t Rulstida supposed to be up there? She’s not usually the lazy sort...” the great axe wielding Adept murmured and then looked to two nearby guards. “Right, you two, with me. She’s probably at the foot of the tower taking a piss is all. Can’t exactly aim off the ledge like some.”

Where there was suspicion and the sending of an enforcer... there was also opportunity.

The three Argon soldiers came around the side of the tower blind to the lookout on the tavern roof, all grouped together...

“Oi! Rulstida! You taking a piss? I don’t want to walk in on you, but the watch commander’s being paranoid and ordered me to check- argh!”

...and Orodan gathered all three into a tackle, like a farmer gathering a bundle of hay. And smashed them into the side of the tower, causing it to tremble.

[Stealth 10 → Stealth 11]

[Surprise Attack 47 → Surprise Attack 48]

The average warrior would’ve perhaps tackled one, maybe two. But Orodan could take advantage of being built like a tree and swooped all three with his long and stout arm span.

Of course, tackling them hard enough that the tower shook was something that could be seen, even if he immediately used Domain of Perfect Cleaning to knock them out.

“What the hells... did that tower just shake? I swear I heard something on the wind too. I don’t like this one bit!” the paranoid lookout said and then called down to an enforcer on the ground level. “Varania! You heard that too, right? Communications amulet on, take twenty troops and get me an answer!”

“On it! Troops four, five, seven and eight, with me!”

Excellent. Even more opportunity for stealth!

Orodan tucked the four unconscious bodies away in a nearby storage shed and waited for the approach of the twenty-one targets.

“Tower’s empty! No sign of sir Buximus or the other two who went with him!” a guard cried out.

“Spread out and search the streets damn it! I want answers! Communications amulets on!” the Adept barked and then spoke to her own amulet which was glowing. “Yes sir, no sign of them, we’re splitting off and searching the streets as we speak. We’ll be getting additional reinforcements? Yes sir.”

As the Adept spoke to the watch commander, Orodan could see fifty more soldiers pour out of the tavern, weapons drawn and making for the tower.

Near him though, was the first troop of five Apprentice-level guards that had split off.

Both arms shot out, and he grabbed all five of them in a big bearhug, lifting them into the air and running with them into the storage shed.

He threw them down to the ground like tossing stacks of lumber.

“Guah! Under attack! Und-”

A singular slap went across all of their faces, resounding across each cheek as the palm continued onwards through pure strength to impact the next. All five were disoriented, and a follow-up usage of his Celestial skill put them to sleep.

[Stealth 11 → Stealth 12]

Unfortunately, the call had gone out, and the two nearest troops were now coming his way in a sprint.

Orodan immediately hopped out the open window of the storage shed and began making his getaway. Yes, he could’ve teleported, used chronomancy or simply used overwhelming strength and speed to incapacitate them all...

...but that would’ve defeated the purpose of this training, which was to adopt stealth as a mindset and hopefully gain skill levels.

“I heard a commotion in there! The intruder must be that way!”

He gained distance and ducked into an alleyway, taking two more turns before crouching behind a trash heap.

“Seven hells... we got nine bodies in here! They’re... they’re alive still!”

“Damn it! Where are the pursuit specialists when you need them?” the Adept yelled as she practically barrelled through a thin wall two houses down. “The footprints in the dirt lead this way. Find them! Now!”

Of course, Orodan’s concern wasn’t his pursuers...

...but the stray cat which had been eating a tossed fish from the heap. It now looked at him, utterly frozen as he was crouched behind the heap alongside it.

Orodan stared at the cat.

The cat stared at Orodan.

And the dirty rag covering his head which had eye holes cut out at the back.

What was a disguise?

A disguise, in his view, was something that helped him blend into the scenery. To make his existence unquestionable.

And as Orodan thought this, he too endeavored to be nothing more than a part of the environment.

Like a mountain, he sat there, imposing. His frame large and solid, his bearing ominous. His motion, absolutely and utterly still, like a statue. Did anyone question the existence of the sky? Of the mountains? Of the oceans?

No.

Then so too, would none question Orodan.

The cat sniffed him...

[Disguise 12 → Disguise 15]

[Intimidation 28 → Intimidation 29]

...and it turned back to eating the scraps it was fixated upon prior.

“I can’t decide what I should be more impressed by. That your ridiculous disguise worked, or that you intimidated a cat into pretending you’re not there,” Zaessythra said.

“No sensible being should question the existence of the ground beneath their feet. Accordingly, none shall question me.”

Zaessythra’s mutters about him always finding some way to exceed her notions of stupidity were ignored.

In all seriousness, Orodan felt there was something more to the Disguise and Intimidation skills that he could leverage. He also felt a window to his soul itself open up when utilizing the combination, but nothing had levelled. More training needed to explore the matter further.

Cat successfully tricked; the soldiers of House Argon went in another direction to where he was.

Before leaving, Orodan gave the mangy stray a pat upon the head, causing it to jump in surprise. Proof that his disguise and stealth had in fact worked.

Consequently, he doubled back and decided to swoop down upon the unsuspecting guards and enforcers near the north tower where he began his clandestine operation.

There were at least twenty guards surrounding it, so the immediate area was quite packed. The top of the tower though... remained empty.

Orodan clambered up to a nearby roof...

...and then leapt from there to the tower. Immediately hiding behind the fence at the top the moment he reached.

“Hey! I saw something move! Check out the top of the north tower!” the watch commander archer ordered from atop the tavern roof.

The soldiers did as asked.

The first one up was an enforcer, an Adept-level spearman.

And the moment his head crossed the top of the ladder, Orodan pulled him behind the fence, and a loud thump could be heard.

“Fire! Open fire! Intruder at the top!”

“Sir our troops are still scaling the ladder!”

The following three guards who followed up the ladder were also yanked behind the fence at the top and knocked senseless.

An angry pyromancer exited the tavern, emerging onto the second-floor balcony. Hands glowing with flame.

Elite-level, and someone Orodan frequently dealt with. Aeglos Argon.

“What is this farce? We’re under attack and you act so hesitantly?!” Aeglos Argon roared, striking the watch commander with a burning fist which scalded half the man’s face and flung him off the roof. The man was wounded and in great pain but would live. “Stand back. Anyone near the tower will die.”

Without fail, Orodan always killed this worm. This occurrence of badly wounding his own house’s soldier was just one more reason why the scum’s death was entirely justified.

A mighty fireball shot towards him, and he used the cover of its glowing blaze to quickly leap off the tower and to a nearby roof without detection.

Orodan was mid-sprint as the entire north tower exploded in a shower of flame and wooden splinters. Many of the guards near the tower were injured, but the warning was thankfully enough for them to get outside the fatal radius.

“Master,” Aeglos Argon said, activating the communication amulet around his neck. “I can confirm that we are indeed under attack on the surface. I do not have a gauge on their numbers. Yes Master, I will remain here and guard the tavern entrance. We shall await your arrival.”

Before Aeglos Argon’s necromantic master arrived then, Orodan was determined to end the cruel pyromancer’s life. And most importantly... he wanted to ensure that the wicked scum never saw it coming.

His loud footsteps upon the roof tiles he was running across must’ve been heard, for a group of ten guards led by an enforcer began running after him, causing Orodan to duck into yet another alleyway. They were on the verge of catching up when he saw a nearby well and hopped inside.

It was entirely dry. If he recalled, a replacement well had been built at the town center in front of the mayor’s mansion. This one was now defunct, the underlying aquifer having run dry and never having been suitable in the first place. At the bottom, a few skeletons. A likely spot used by the thugs of House Argon to dump bodies.

Orodan’s fingers dug into the inner stone walls of the well, and he hung on, waiting for more pursuers to arrive.

“Saw one of them come this way! Search the houses! You two, have a look at the well!”

The two guards approached, and Orodan immediately lunged upwards and grasped both their faces, pulling them into the well. It was a brutal and quick motion in which they had no time to even scream as they were smashed against the stone walls and put to sleep.

[Stealth 12 → Stealth 13]

“What the...?! Hey! Over here! I looked away for a moment and those two vanished! All of you gather, we’re checking that well! Ranged weapons at the ready, shields up front!”

Nowhere to flee now... or so it seemed until he saw a small alcove in the well leading into an excessively tiny tunnel.

Orodan simply wasn’t built for fitting into tight spaces, he was far too big. Consequently, he began shoving rock aside as he expanded the tunnel in the process of delving it. In the process of it, it he encountered a species of bats half the size of a human which quickly fled from him.

A minute of burrowing later he arrived in a mucky, brown and filthy pit.

The smell of it confirmed that it was a cesspit. Hmm, perhaps that was why this well was shut down. Poor dumping practices could often lead to the contamination of wells.

In any case, burrowing further out and up wasn’t a problem from there.

Of course, upon emerging and nearing the next group of guards, the stench became a noticeable impediment to stealthy movement.

“Good Gods! What in the seven hells is that stench? Karhagen, did you eat the tavern keep’s special milk and honey pastries again?!”

“Er... no sir, not today.”

“Then what-”

[Stealth 13 → Stealth 14]

[Surprise Attack 48 → Surprise Attack 49]

Orodan’s fist connected with the back of the Adept’s head, causing him to fall to the ground limply, knocked out cold. The other five guards immediately turned to face him.

The farthest left and the farthest right ones were thrown into the wall of a nearby building, while the central one was given a solid headbutt. The remaining two then had their heads smacked together and with them incapacitated the entire troop was down.

The scuffle hadn’t been heard, the other soldiers of House Argon were farther out. Near where Orodan had pulled two guards into the well. His stench might give him away, but that was a good training exercise in his opinion.

“Get moving! They say they’ve found an intruder near the old well! At least ten of our number are down! Stay sharp!”

Orodan allowed this patrol to pass without challenge. He used Vision of Purity and now looked over Eversong Plaza.

The previously heavy presence of guards and enforcers was far thinner now. With most of them having sallied out towards the well.

This left a skeleton crew of watchers, with the presence of Aeglos Argon providing the real force.

A presence which would soon be erased.

The tavern was up against the mountain; sneaking up from behind would’ve involved scaling Mount Castarian from the other side. Doable, but for now Orodan chose the far simpler method...

...of loudly banging upon the nearest empty building while remaining out of sight.

“What’s that?” a guard asked.

Aeglos Argon however, was far more paranoid.

“Step away or die!”

The warning was shouted for the Argon guards, as a large fireball sailed towards the building, practically wiping it from existence.

But that was fine, as Orodan had begun moving the moment the fireball left the pyromancer’s hands. Using the cover of its blazing light which disoriented the guards and blinded everyone else, he dashed and got right up to the nearest two.

[Stealth 14 → Stealth 15]

Two powerful fists clobbered them insensate, and Orodan ran back to the perimeter of buildings on the outside.

“Recall the troops! The intruder is here!” Aeglos Argon barked. “I’m certain I saw something moving!”

Orodan yet again began banging on another empty building from out of sight, and soon as the fireball came, once more he swiftly rushed out, beat two guards down and returned to the perimeter.

The next one would have to be the last. Mainly since he was running out of empty buildings to use as bait, and because Aeglos Argon had begun to catch on.

“Show your face you coward! Cease your craven behavior and face me head-on!”

Orodan thought it ironic that this clearly terrified mage would say so.

Still, the perimeter of guards had thinned out, and Orodan saw a clear opening to reach Aeglos Argon.

One more.

He banged upon an empty building while remaining out of sight one more time. Predictably, Aeglos Argon reacted, hands blazing with fire and his face showing clear signs of fear. Except this time, it wasn’t a fireball which erupted, but a blazing beam of fire.

The same beam which Orodan had died to many times over in his early loops. Smart, far less obstructing of his vision than a giant fireball. Less of a sudden blinding flash of light too.

But that was fine, for Orodan had recently learned to think like a mage.

And as the beam of fire made for the building, he recalled a trick he’d seen his old friend Mahari do once.

He stepped out for a brief moment, forgoing stealth and allowing Aeglos Argon to look at him for the first time. And as their eyes met, Orodan had a predatory smile on his face.

[Waterstream 20 → Waterstream 22]

The beam of fire met an overcharged stream of water...

...and a massive explosion of steam erupted outwards.

The sheer amount of fire and water meeting meant that the entire plaza was now covered in steam, making visibility quite difficult.

“I can’t see a thing! Get out there and sweep the area! Now!” Aeglos ordered. “You and you! Stand guard near me!”

The Elite pyromancer was frantically looking around, trying to get any indication of where Orodan might be. And then, he heard the cries of pain.

Gasps and choked screams began to sound out, as one-by-one Orodan began knocking out the guards who were sent into the steam. He intentionally waited a second after each hit, allowing them to get a shocked grunt or cry of pain out, that Aeglos might try and track their position through sound.

And it worked.

Terror and panic had stricken the pyromancer. He threw out fireball after fireball, the explosions clearing the steam away. Thankfully Orodan had thrown the beaten guards a distance away, the fireballs would have turned them to ash otherwise.

The explosions managed to mostly clear the steam away, but it was too late.

The nose of one of the lookouts scrunched up at the horrible stench Orodan gave off from burrowing into a cesspit.

That man was picked up and bodily hurled like a pebble towards the other remaining lookout, launching them both off the tavern roof. And before the pyromancer could turn around to wonder where that smell came from or who got rid of both his guards...

...Orodan’s hands wrapped around Aeglos Argon’s head from behind.

“Greetings.”

[Stealth 15 → Stealth 17]

[Surprise Attack 49 → Surprise Attack 50]

The mage’s neck snapped as Orodan turned his head a hundred and eighty degrees that he could look at his killer.

This was surprisingly good training all things considered.

And who knew what these previously seldom-trained skills could add up to?

#

“And that’s why... I need to find some way of dealing with bloody light magic.”

[Deception 4 → Deception 5]

Truthfully, he was surprised he’d even gained a level given how utterly bad he was at lying. Least of all through lying to the old man who doubtlessly saw through him like a piece of razor thin paper.

“Hold your horses Orodan. I barely understand half of what you told me, about being enemies with some ‘tentacled’ being from the void who’s disguised as a human who also wants you dead. It’s clear that you’re full of it,” Old Man Hannegan said. “You’ve never been one to lie, so quit horsing around and simply ask me what you want.”

Well, he’d lied by omission, not directly. But... when it came to Orodan, even that was enough to clearly be seen through, especially by the old man.

“Cut me a break old man... am I that easy to read?” Orodan asked.

And here Orodan thought he might try practicing his Deception skill. Perhaps blending it in with Stealth might help, or so he had thought. It was a whimsical idea anyways. Even the singular level gain in Deception felt off, and Orodan knew that he would never truly be in tune with the ability to lie and deceive people. It simply wasn’t in his nature.

“I’ve been dealing with you since you were an irritating delinquent with a penchant for causing trouble on the job site. You couldn’t lie to save your life.”

“Good thing I come back every time I die then...” Orodan off-handedly said.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing. It would only give you a headache, and I’m sure you’ll have enough of those with this warehouse I’ve now built,” Orodan replied.

“Don’t remind me you dumb delinquent! The silly yarns you’ve spun had me forgetting about this thing... how am I even supposed to present it to the client with a straight face?” the old man asked. “And these pipes you’ve put in are entirely worthless. What’s even meant to flow through them?”

“Er... right. I haven’t figured that one out fully as of yet,” Orodan answered. “One day though, steam will flow through those pipes.”

“And when’s that?”

“Today,” Orodan said with a smile.

One loop down the line he’d get the steam pipes right.

“Bah! You’re making no sense at all... it’s like you’ve been possessed by a demon that’s supernaturally talented in all these strange skills the real Orodan knows nothing about,” the old man said.

“What’s stopping you from running to the Cathedral then?”

“Who else would be this bad at lying?” the old man asked. Fair point. He was quite horrible at lying and he doubted even a toddler was as bad at it as he was. “Now if you’re done here... we can talk about that question you had.”

“What question?”

“Your question about countering light magic?” the old man reminded him. “What? You didn’t think I’m capable of reading between the lines? Easy enough when you have the subtlety of a rock.”

Fair enough.

“You know how I might go about countering it then?” Orodan asked. “Where should I look?”

“The Gods,” Old Man Hannegan said, causing Orodan to frown. “Specifically, the Cathedral. Who best to teach you light magic and the methods of countering it than those who use it themselves?”

Learning from the enemy? How foul!

Yet, Old Man Hannegan wasn’t exactly incorrect. If anyone knew light magic and knew it well, it was Ilyatana and her cronies. Bluefire didn’t cover light magic all that well, with most students interested in elemental magic opting for the flashier and more destructive pyromancy. Yes, he had many spells across various schools of elemental magic, but the two elements he hadn’t yet delved into were light and darkness.

To cross an entire tier, to fight an Administrator who was likely at the peak of the Embodiment-level... how else would Orodan do it? It was all well and good that he had somehow gotten to Lonvoron last loop, but even then... he would be floundering about uselessly unless he grew to become capable of standing against the wrath of the Prophet.

And one of the key centrepieces in standing against a foe so ridiculously superior to him, was learning how to resist light magic. His resistance skills were the biggest difference maker in combat. Against enemies who he had advantageous resistance skills against, he’d repeatedly beaten the odds.

In pure melee combat, if he kept working hard, he felt he could perhaps survive against the Prophet soon. Against those beams of light though? No chance. Not unless he learned a new skill.

And it seemed the best way of doing that truly would be the Cathedral.

“Well, I can’t say I’ll spend more than a day with those sycophants...” Orodan muttered. “I have other places to be.”

“You look like you’ve swallowed a sour lemon, Orodan. Did a priest offend you recently?” the old man asked.

He recalled nearly being mind-controlled by Ilyatana during his first meeting with an Avatar. He remembered how she’d participated in possessing him alongside Agathor and Eximus, commandeering him like a dirty meat puppet.

“...something like that,” Orodan replied, choosing not to elaborate.

“Hmm, well I won’t pry if you don’t wish to say. In any case, since that whole mess at Eversong Plaza I’ve heard the Cathedral’s wanting to send some priests and relief efforts this way. Heard whispers that they’re recruiting,” the old man informed. “Might be a good chance for you to get in touch with them? Not sure if they’ll teach you what you’re looking for in a day otherwise.”

“Recruiting?” Orodan asked. “I’m not interested in becoming a diviner.”

“I wouldn’t have mentioned it if they were recruiting only the priestly sort,” Old Man Hannegan said with a chuckle. “A passing priest told me they were looking for soldiers and mercenaries too.”

“They’re recruiting soldiers and mercenaries? That’s new...” Orodan muttered. After all, this was his first time hearing they were doing that. “In any case, I doubt their lot are coming along for the good of the people old man. More likely they’re trying to get their paws on what’s beneath the mountain.”

After all, the Cathedral was doubtlessly interested in the ancient machine Orodan had disabled. And that affair had gone quite poorly, as in, his stealth had much room for improvement. Orodan had forgotten to account for the scrying eye orbs hidden at certain spots in the plaza. Naturally, the Master-level necromancer had been ready for any skulking and evasive maneuvers from him. Necromancers in general, alongside beast tamers and those who commanded golems, were in the unique position where stealth, espionage and assassination were dramatically harder against them.

Orodan had been quickly discovered, and then he’d had to go about regularly battering his way forward from that point on.

Still, it was a problem he intended to tackle across many loops.

“What’s beneath the mountain?” the old man asked.

“Don’t worry about it. The knowledge will only have people coming after you,” Orodan said. “Now then, can’t say I’ll interact with these approaching hounds and cronies of the Gods... but the Cathedral may have a thing or two that’ll help me.”

“Hounds and cronies? Not saying I haven’t had my doubts about the Cathedral as well Orodan... but whoever’s wronged you, I hope you don’t let the hatred fester in your heart for long,” Old Man Hannegan said. “Despite the wrongs of a few, there are still good people who serve the Gods.”

Frankly, he still hated Ilyatana alongside the other two of the tyrannical three, but the old man wasn’t wrong. Orodan had moved past allowing his hatred to control his actions. If he killed Agathor, Eximus or Ilyatana, it would be because their deaths were necessary to prevent more people being harmed.

And he’d seen people such as Uldrine and Myntasa; he wasn’t blind to the fact that innocent folk with good hearts placed their trust and faith in the Gods. Orodan simply disagreed that the vile despots deserved their worship.

“Perhaps you aren’t wrong old man,” Orodan said. “Anyhow, remember to hold onto that ring I gave you. I suppose it’s about time I paid the Cathedral a visit.”

“The Cathedral itself? They’re a bit more stringent in what they teach than wandering priests might be... the lot in Trumbetton have always been a bit prickly in my experience.”

“Aye, the Cathedral itself. I have my ways of learning what I need,” Orodan said. Whether by force or simply ransacking a library, he would acquire what he needed. “And you mistake me; I’m not headed for Trumbetton...”

“...but the Cathedral of the Prime Five in the capital.”

#

Karilsgard was bustling with activity as normal. Perhaps even more so now that the tapestry of fate was in a state of utter pandemonium and the recent events surrounding an ancient machine, Novarrian interference and the betrayal of a noble house of the Republic came to light.

The walls of the city were tall, and lined with even more ranged troops, mages and war machines than usual. The number of foot patrols had increased, the mounted patrols sweeping the roads were frequent and the pair of famed dragon riders doing flyovers were a visible message to the people and any would-be interlopers in this time of uncertainty.

Of course, Orodan had to worry about none of that as he strode down the road towards the city gate. His fate was ‘normal’ enough, as in, it simply couldn’t be closely read just like everyone else. Long as he didn’t make any long-distance travel, gain levels in Domain of Perfect Cleaning or directly fight the System, Orodan’s fate would be the last thing to expose him.

Of course, having a soul and fate open to Observe was a different matter. And he’d not thought to change his Wainwrighting Apprentice title.

“Hold there, militia man. Which county do you hail from?” the capital guardsman, an Elite-level swordsman asked, while gesturing out with a hand for Orodan to stop. “Can’t be Vondarius or Exerston county...”

“He’s from Volarbury county corporal, saw their uniform when they sent us to visit the mayor once,” another guard informed.

“Volarbury county, eh? You being a militia man or visiting the capital isn’t the issue,” the capital guard corporal said. “The reason I stopped you is because your Status is a bit...”

“Suspicious?” Orodan offered.

“You said it, not me. I’m not the sort to relish in stopping people and giving them a rough time... but you’ve got to admit, a man with your bearing and armaments donning a militia uniform can’t just have the title of Weaving Apprentice,” the corporal said with a friendly smile. “Orodan Wainwright, is it? While I can appreciate a good practical joke, I don’t think I’ve ever seen or been taught of the Wainwrighting Apprentice title during my academy days. My gut says you aren’t here to cause trouble, but the circumstances bear questioning is all. If you don’t mind saying, what’s your business in Karilsgard?”

“Just here to visit the Cathedral, corporal,” Orodan answered. “Have some matters to discuss with the priesthood and diviners.”

“The Cathedral you say? They’ve certainly been busy with recent events. Don’t know how easily you’ll obtain an audience with how much they’ve been running around like headless chickens,” the man said. “High Oracle’s locked in her chamber alongside half the high-ranking diviners, and everyone else is scrambling to get answers. The tapestry of fate’s supposedly in an uproar.”

“Hmm, how unfortunate,” Orodan replied.

“Indeed. Anyhow, off you go. Good fortune to you in your business,” the corporal said and waved him off. “And if you ever find yourself looking for a new career, the capital guard’s always looking for more.”

“Can’t say standing guard at a gate interests me, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Didn’t think you’d bite. Was worth a shot though, take care.”

As Orodan walked off he heard the junior guardsman talk.

“You let him off rather easy sir... did your skill get a strong reading?” the younger guard asked. “A job offer too?”

“The skill’s Legendary for a reason lad; it’s never let me down over the years. Didn’t sense he’s a bad sort... got the feeling he’s more than a little hot-headed though...” the corporal murmured. A skill which could get a sense for someone’s character, interesting. “Strong bearing too. Doesn’t carry himself like any rank-and-file militia man that’s for sure.”

Though, despite those words, Orodan sensed a pulse of dirty mana go out from the corporal’s communications amulet to someplace deeper in Karilsgard.

In any case, it wasn’t a concern for him. Orodan continued down the streets of Karilsgard, passing the commercial district before entering the temple district where the Cathedral of the Prime Five lay.

The doors were already open, the giant double doors leading inside to five separate doors, denoting each of the Prime Five. The Cathedral’s operations seemed mostly regular, save the lack of any priests or diviners of Ilyatana in sight. The other four Gods’ chambers of worship were operating normally, though some mean-looking rough soldiers stood guard in front of the chamber leading to the chamber of worship corresponding to the Goddess of Fate.

The common folk denied entry were understandably unhappy. Even a well-dressed and wealthy merchant was among them. To the side, lazily leaning on a pillar, was a surly man with a resigned look on his face and a pointy hat on his head. Master-level, Orodan gauged, and the man was looking rather intently at him, but said nothing for the moment.

“This is outrageous! We’ve come to pray, to offer donations, and the Cathedral would turn us away?!” the wealthy merchant demanded, behind him, an assortment of other traders and businessfolk.

“I assure you, good merchant, your concerns are justified. However, by order of the High Oracle herself these doors are to remain barred,” the young armored faithful of the Cathedral said. “It’s out of my hands. Protesting to me will achieve nothing.

“How could Lady Lakshiya do this?! I have an auspicious trade deal coming up and need to have my fate read! My entire fortune depends on this!” the merchant clamored. “Last thing I need is that damned Esgarius to get one over me again!”

“Esgarius of Trumbetton?” Orodan asked, prompting the merchant to turn around. “Of course he would have an advantage in that regard, he used to be an adventurer himself.”

“Why yes! That clever rascal has all but cornered the market on goods sold by adventurers. I don’t know what swindling or backstabbing he’s engaged in, but I can see him taking over even the markets of Karilsgard soon if we don’t put a stop to him!”

Esgarius was wildly different in some ways from Orodan, but also shockingly similar in others. While Orodan didn’t quite understand the man’s single-minded thirst for gold, so too could it be said that many didn’t understand his own focus on strength. Despite their differences in personality though, Orodan respected Esgarius for having a certain standard of conduct. And the greedy merchant had helped him many a time.

To stand and listen to some irate ponce besmirch his name wouldn’t do.

“Backstabbing? He’s certainly rather greedy and covetous, but the man’s always honored his trade deals down to the copper,” Orodan said. “He pays his employees well and looks after the families of any fallen underlings of his. In that regard, he’s far better than most merchants in this city of snakes.”

“Y-you! A supporter of his, are you? How much did he pay you to say those words?!” the merchant barked. “Some no-good thug you are, speaking on that fraud’s behalf.”

Orodan was on the bottom step of a landing. He decided to rectify this matter and remind the merchant that sometimes speaking too loudly wasn’t a good idea.

He stepped up, looming over the second tallest person in the vicinity by a good head. And the merchant must’ve finally realized how tiny he was, for he shrank backwards.

“The man you speak of is no fraud. Rather, the lot of you before me might qualify for that term. Recant the falsehoods you spout about Esgarius of Trumbetton,” Orodan ordered, glaring at the puny man menacingly. “Or answer to me.”

[Intimidation 29 → Intimidation 30]

Orodan didn’t typically enjoy bullying those weaker than him. And if the criticism was true, he would’ve simply shut his mouth and let them air their fair grievances. In prior loops, many had called the God of Death a coward, and while Orodan defended Malzim’s actions, he never threatened anyone over the truthful criticism.

But to spread falsehoods? He would sort the matter out himself.

“A-ah... er...”

The light mage shook his head.

“If the ritual was ready, they would’ve sacrificed the captives already. That they haven’t means they still have preparations to do,” Silestor explained. “Human sacrifices to generate energy are the simplest part for a ritual of demonic summoning. Properly preparing it though, is another thing. The materials are expensive, and the time needed to get it right is exceedingly lengthy. On the other hand, if we rush them, they might trigger it early without safeguards. An outcome which would kill them as surely as it would us. We’ll need far more forces here to prevent a devil rampaging throughout the county.”

“Devils are no tougher than any other foe,” Orodan said. “I’m going in. Remain here if you wish, Silestor.”

“Damn it Orodan!”

The man protested but came along all the same.

They rounded a few corners before finally entering a large subterranean chamber. It was here that an army of raised undead, cultists, vampires and necromancers awaited the two of them.

“Dogs of the Cathedral! I see the famed Silestor Lumenarin presents himself before us. Even with the tapestry of fate as it is, you’ve still managed to find us? That is quite... vexing,” a gaunt necromancer spoke, irritation in his voice. He was at the Grandmaster-level, and the horde of raised minions looked to be under his command. He then gestured to a grand ritual array behind him. “We have a ritual of demonic summoning here, ready to call forth not just any demon... but an Arch-Devil!”

“You fiend! To think your pathetic band can control an apex ruler of the hells is pure hubris at best and fatal arrogance at worst!” Silestor yelled. “Not only will you die, but the county will face terrible damage.”

Orodan didn’t necessarily think so. The devils he’d met in the hells weren’t comically evil, and the myths of them rampaging mindlessly upon being summoned were more than a little fabricated and nudged forth by the Conclave’s propaganda.

The likelier outcome was it appearing, slaughtering its summoners and then leaving to return to the hells before it attracted any further trouble. The Alastaian Cathedral’s regular summoning of demons just for the purpose of exterminating them had done wonders in convincing the devils of the hells that the planet simply wasn’t worth it. And the longer it remained upon his world, the greater the odds of an angry Avatar or two descending upon it alongside World Guardians and supporting armies.

“Hah! You act as though we have any concern for the lives of the pitiful farmers and merchants inhabiting these lands,” the necromancer said. “You’ve caught us at an inopportune time; the ritual is incomplete and our ability to control the demon is not yet set. Regretful, but we can always raid the next village. I am all too happy to activate this ritual right now and teleport to safety myself, leaving you with an angry demon and no assistance! Now then... tell me where the rest of your force is. Your power is great, but even the lord of the famed Lumenarin Bloodline could not have slain Ereksigor; he was a Grandmaster vampire. Was it a Chosen? An Avatar?”

“Neither... it was my ally here,” Silestor declared.

The necromancer’s eyes narrowed.

“Who is this rag-covered slave you bring before me? Another corpse to add to my growing army?”

Rag-covered slave?

Orodan glared directly at the necromancer. And as he gazed into his foe’s eyes to look into their soul, so too did they look into his. His target’s mind was weak.

[Disguise 19 → Disguise 20]

[Intimidation 32 → Intimidation 33]

The man froze, and then suddenly... it was as though Orodan was no longer there.

“Come alone have you, Silestor?” the necromancer said. “How can you alone stand against so many?”

The nearby vampires and some of the cultists immediately frowned in suspicion. One of the cultists, a blood mage, immediately cast some sort of detection spell.

“No illusion or mind control...” the blood mage muttered.

The strongest vampire of the bunch seemed enraged. It didn’t look willing to tarry any longer.

“Lord Vajrath is compromised! Attack!”

As it was charging, a wave of light shot out from Silestor, turning half its body to ash and killing two more vampires outright, leaving only one.

The half-destroyed vampire laid on the ground, trembling and in its death throes. The nocturnal predators were feared not just for their strength but also their regenerative abilities. Yet, the reason why the Lumenarin alongside him was so feared and despised by them was for his ability to entirely halt their regeneration with his light. Something the standard light mage wasn’t capable of.

The Grandmaster necromancer who Orodan had affected with his disguise was far too preoccupied with Silestor’s movements. The gaunt foe was in the midst of casting a necrotic spell when his inability to realize Orodan existed was fatally exploited.

[Light Beam 8 → Light Beam 11]

[Surprise Attack 50 → Surprise Attack 51]

The necromancer’s body vanished in a beam of blazing light which carried on, punching through rock and causing the chamber to dangerously tremble. The raised dead immediately suffered a loss of power, the remaining necromancers struggling and having to devote far more mana to keep the horde at optimal strength.

Not normally how Orodan fought, with spellfire and surprise on his side. But it was good training, and necessary to hone his skills. Fighting these foes in melee would have been far too easy and he would’ve learned nothing. Though, it was a good opportunity to test his light magic and spellcasting abilities.

“Damn it all! Activate the ritual! Send in the dead!” the cultist ritual leader roared; her face red with rage.

The horde of shambling corpses advanced, and these looked to be a distraction for the various blood mages in the back who were poised to slaughter the captives.

Unfortunately for them, there would be no ritual sacrifice today.

His right hand glowed with power, the river of time stopping and then beginning to flow backwards.

“What the... where are they going?! What’s happening!?” the ritual leader demanded.

It looked a bit odd, seeing two-hundred captive villagers rapidly blur through the motions, movements and actions they’d gone through in the past day. Yet, like a blurry storm of bodies, the scene began to rewind. Through their binding, their captivity, and all the way to their arrival...

...and past that.

The undead horde were bowled over as Orodan’s power over chronomancy forced these captives through them and out the tunnels where they would be safe and sound in their village. Time Reversal, bringing them back to where they were before they’d even been captured.

“Chronomancer! Target him immediately!”

The blood mages quickly left their failed ritual and began launching spears, orbs and waves of blood at him. These harmlessly spattered off, dealing no damage whatsoever. To his side, Silestor was dealing with defending against numerous necrotic spells being cast at him, and the undead were still advancing about to close distance.

Orodan even felt a powerful mana channel try to connect him and a Grandmaster-level blood mage, the leader of the ritual he’d interrupted. Blood magic at high levels was a rather devastating field of magic.

Of course, against a warrior with a skill that allowed him an endless source of vitality, it was rather futile. Orodan not only had a lot of life force, but also the skill to control it deftly. He had a bloodthirsty grin on his face as he allowed the tether to connect, willingly disallowing the protective effect of Mana Resistance which would have otherwise stopped her then and there. The woman then tried boiling the blood in his body and even ripping it right out of him.

This, Orodan allowed...

...with the added gift of sending a flood of vitality down the tether so large that she would have no hope of containing it.

Using direct blood magic against him was a poor idea.

The woman shrieked and her body began mutating horribly due to all the excess vitality she was flooded by.

[Light Beam 11 → Light Beam 13]

And Orodan cast a continuous beam of light from his finger which eviscerated her and was then dragged across the ranks of enemy mages, slaying over a dozen of them and the final vampire which had been mid-charge and ready to meet him in melee.

This greatly eased the pressure on the light mage fighting alongside him, and Silestor began returning devastating spellfire of his own, scything down more ranks of undead minions and the remaining enemy necromancers and cultists.

Within twenty more seconds, and another level gained in Light Beam, the battle was over and the foes within all lay dead.

Orodan smiled.

“See Silestor?”

“...stealth.”

The light mage looked ready to have a conniption.

#

Needless to say, the corpses of the dead that the necromancers used were returned to life. The people of the village were grateful.

They’d gone around dealing with perhaps three more locations afterwards. Orodan had gotten additional target practice in with Light Beam, netting two more levels, and they now sat within a private office in the basement of Karilsgard’s Cathedral.

All was well.

Besides the clearly furtive Silestor Lumenarin of course. The light mage was pacing back and forth; stuck on deciding whether to glare at Orodan for reading the tome in front of him, or to just come out and say what he wanted to say.

“I suppose I can see what summoning does in theory, but it’s so... inefficient.”

[Fate Disconnect 57 → Fate Disconnect 58]

As Orodan studied, he also practiced strengthening the shield of soul energy around his fate, making the waves in the tapestry just a little less tumultuous.

“Which is a good thing! The less efficient the techniques of these foul cultists, the better,” Silestor barked. “Why are you reading these despicable tomes? Do you know how much blood goes into the writing of these? Much as I detest their zealotry, the Cathedral would rightfully see those texts burned.”

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you’re shielding me from their corrupt arm, yes?” Orodan asked. Though the truth of it was that Silestor’s presence and Orodan’s fondness for the surly light mage was what kept him from rampaging within the Cathedral. For this loop at least. “Besides, knowledge is knowledge. The individual determines the morality, not the technique.”

“I fail to see how devil summoning is a useful technique for you to study. You’ve displayed half a dozen improbable skills which are far more versatile and awe-inspiring than mere summoning, and yet you fixate on this bloody craft?” Silestor asked.

“You don’t think I actually have any interest in summoning devils, do you? What would I even call them for? A cup of tea and a friendly chat?” Orodan queried. “At my level of strength, devils are akin to any other being I’ve encountered. Nothing particularly special, though some of them are quite proficient in enchanting and the soul arts.”

“Then why?”

“I told you that I seek to learn light magic in order to counter an enemy of mine. There’s more to it than that,” Orodan said. “They’re capable of drawing light from some manner of otherworldly plane or dimension. This devil summoning has some interesting tidbits that might help me understand the matter.”

The Prophet and the Conclave both pulled the light they used from some external plane. Orodan’s reason for studying the bloodstained tomes in front of him was so that he could understand how this occurred. Yes, he had Dimensionalism, but finding where the hells this extradimensional plane of light was would be a difficult task.

To that end, studying devil summoning couldn’t hurt, even if he had no use for it otherwise.

“They’re also capable of Dimensionalism? A deadly foe...” Silestor muttered. “You intend to disrupt the connection between them and this plane they draw power from?”

Orodan planned to do far more than just that.

“Something along those lines,” he replied. “In any case, while I can see how devil summoning works, it’s quite indirect. Having to use copious amounts of mana and vitality just for the purpose of ‘calling’ a devil seems utterly wasteful.”

Alastaian cultists and their technique of devil summoning really was no more than devil calling. Indeed, it wasn’t as though the cultists pulled a demon into the material plane. Rather, they simply expended a great deal of vitality and soul energy in the form of sacrifices, alongside mana, in order to call out to the hells and hope a devil would come answering their call. Even the Cathedral’s own method of demon calling was similar at core, though they had expensive and prepared energy batteries instead of live sacrifices.

It was the magical equivalent of a loud and powerful scream across dimensions. The most technically demanding part of the ritual was making sure that the call went out towards the right dimension. Alastaian dimensional studies weren’t very advanced; consequently the cultists didn’t know exactly where to direct the call. However, over generations of trial, error and fatal mistakes when monsters from the void were summoned and mistaken for demons... they’d come to a vague understanding of where to send the call.

Thenceforth, a demon might or might not answer, depending on how it felt. There was also a binding component to the ritual which sought to control the demon, but Orodan had no interest in that. The entire thing was mostly useless for him, who already knew Dimensionalism.

Frankly, summoning or as it really was, calling, seemed to be a dead end for the moment. At least until he could actually find where the extradimensional plane of light was. Only then could he call down the light from there.

...perhaps someone affiliated with the Conclave could help?

He flipped the bloodstained tome shut and began reading the other one.

“I suppose I can shelve devil calling for now,” Orodan said. “This Pillar of Light spell’s a tricky one.”

It was the spell he’d seen Silestor use earlier in the day, when the man had called a pillar of burning light down from the sky.

“You picked the most difficult recorded spell in the school of light magic. I can count on one hand how many people I know who can successfully cast it. Three of them are dead, lost to history, and the other one learned it after fifteen years of study and is still an Initiate,” Silestor explained. “It requires immersing yourself into a mindset of not just generating light via mana but calling it down from the very heavens.”

Orodan agreed with that advice. It was in fact why he was bothering to learn the spell. The act of ‘calling’ down light, he thought, might give him some tangential insight into calling the light forth from the plane his enemy used.

“I don’t quite understand how I’m supposed to call power forth and not just generate it myself,” Orodan admitted. “My mana comes from my own body. Even pyromancers casting a Firestorm or wind mages casting a Tornado will first form a mana tether above their target area and then the spell will form. This tome says some flowery nonsense which I just don’t understand.”

Even Orodan’s Spatial Fold and Teleportation required him to supply energy to the initial target area, from where it would carry on. But this tome had no mention of doing such a thing.

How was he supposed to just call a pillar of light down from the skies?

The answer... put a sour look upon his face.

“Faith,” Silestor declared. “To call forth the light of the heavens, one must have faith in their own abilities and belief in something grander than themselves.”

“...what?” Orodan asked, finding the idea absurd. “You don’t even have faith in the Gods of Inuan... what nonsensical idea is this?”

“Not faith in the gods, Orodan, but faith in the result. To cast the Pillar of Light, one must weaponize their belief, truly set their mind to calling the light of justice and purity down from above that it might smite evil,” Silestor said. “Tell me, do you not have any skills which do the same?”

“Of course I do,” Orodan said thinking about Reality Alteration or Warrior’s Reciprocity. Even at a lower rarity, Wood Communion also required much in the way of belief, to sculpt wood and guide it into the shape he wanted. “But that would mean...”

“Yes. The spell is of Legendary rarity,” Silestor revealed. “What? Did you think all those people trying to learn it are untalented churls? That only five people in recorded history managed to learn it through luck alone? It’s a Legendary spell for a reason. Took me years to learn it myself.”

Orodan wasn’t delusional. He had the time loops on his side, and he certainly had the mettle and natural work ethic to learn Legendary, Mythical and even two Celestial skills. His humble roots would not allow him to get too big of a head, but it wasn’t inaccurate to say that he was talented.

At certain things.

Light magic wasn’t one of those things. If it took Silestor, who seemed to be a real prodigy of light magic, many years to learn the Pillar of Light, then it would take Orodan a decent while.

Furthermore, Orodan wasn’t sure if he could ever mentally submit himself and adopt the mindset of calling upon power from the heavens. His faith in the Gods had shattered long ago when they’d antagonized him, and the concept of calling upon purifying light was just silly to a man who relied only upon his own strength. If he was to learn this spell, it couldn’t be the regular way; a different mindset would be needed.

Still, learning light magic could only benefit him. And he was dead set on figuring out how to borrow the concept of ‘calling upon’ something.

[Fate Disconnect 58 → Fate Disconnect 59]

Orodan continued practicing that particular skill, even as he spoke. The chaos in the tapestry of fate, while still cataclysmic, had yet again noticeably reduced.

Orodan shook his head.

“Even if it takes me a long time to learn this, I don’t plan on easing up on my efforts anytime soon,” Orodan said. “This skill... the underlying concepts behind it are important for what I’m after. No matter how strong I get, there’s always something to be learned in the strangest of places.”

Who would’ve thought that Orodan would gain such knowledge and insights from the Cathedral of all places? Well, at least Silestor was a rather likeable fellow. Not a stooge of the Gods and only interested in keeping many of the supernatural threats facing the Republic at bay.

“No matter how strong you get, hm?” Silestor queried, his voice oddly subdued. “And just how strong would you say you are, Orodan Wainwright?”

“Not strong enough. Not yet... maybe not ever,” Orodan answered. “There is always something greater lurking beyond the horizon, just out of view. Though I’ll always embrace the responsibility to face it.”

“Responsibility, huh? You said that when we first met...” Silestor muttered. “I think, Orodan Wainwright... that you’ve also taken upon yourself the responsibility to deal with what comes down in six months.”

“What makes you say that?”

The light mage remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“I’m not a fate reader...” Silestor quietly said. “But some of the senior diviners, even if they can’t parse the threads right now, can still verify the existence of them. They told me some interesting news...”

“And what might that be?” Orodan asked.

“The majority of the Alastaian threads of fate, even in the midst of this storm... are no longer dark and corrupt. Tell-tale signs of the imminent Eldritch corruption,” Silestor said. “This event, it occurred around the same time as the tapestry of fate went off. Are you responsible for all this, Orodan Wainwright?”

“I believe you might’ve stumbled onto something, Silestor Lumenarin,” Orodan said with a smile.

“Your arrival in the Cathedral today was no coincidence, was it?” Silestor asked, and Orodan nodded. “The tapestry goes into flux, capital guard tip me off about a dangerous man and you arrive here with no fear of picking a fight, displaying one improbable ability after another. The only Orodan Wainwright my sources tell me of is a county militia man in Ogdenborough... right where some politically volatile events occurred. And you then come bearing the uniform of their militia, with the same name as that man.”

“And yet I haven’t had a pillar of light fall from the sky upon my head,” Orodan remarked. “You’re still trusting of me.”

“No matter what test I ran, what device or divine artifact I used, there’s no indication that you’re under any sort of possession or reincarnation. For all intents and purposes... you are Orodan Wainwright.”

“That is my name,” Orodan replied and then looked the man squarely in the eyes. “You wish for answers?”

“Though I’m in no position to demand them... yes.”

“Then sit down, Silestor... and let me tell you about a hot-headed idiot. A mere Apprentice-level swordsman who died charging a foe many times his superior,” Orodan began. “Let me tell you about how I died on this day and began the time loops.”

“The time loops...?”

And so, they spoke.

Silestor was exceptionally skeptical at first. The man rigorously questioned every detail of Orodan’s story, particularly about his first life. If anything, it was a nice change of pace as the majority of people he revealed the truth to focused more on the later escapades and the bigger events in later loops such as the Eldritch Avatar, the Hegemony and him assuming control over the time loops himself. The light wizard was particularly interested in his early loops, however.

After the first twenty minutes, the man leaned back in his chair.

“Alright... it’s apparent to me, utterly idiotic as you are, that you were chosen for this.”

“Of all the things to conclude, that’s what you took away?” Orodan asked. “People usually come to that realization far later in my narration.”

“You recount experiences that only a poor man raised as an orphan and having made it to the county militia would have. There are no attempts to portray yourself as exceptionally smart, cunning or chosen. You’ve made plenty of mistakes in the early loops, yet despite all that your hard-headed stubbornness has allowed you to succeed where others would have eased up or failed,” Silestor explained. “From what you say, your talent in Cleaning wasn’t even apparent in the early loops. Which can only mean that whoever chose you did so for good reason. You really were just a dumb bumpkin militia man.”

“...thank you? I never denied that aspect of myself...” Orodan muttered.

“Exactly. Now I know you’re no fraud.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense,” Orodan said. “Moving on, Guzuhar was certainly a new experience. I’d never been to another continent before...”

They continued. And Silestor began to wholeheartedly believe Orodan once he gave intimate details of the north continent. He spoke of Cyvrosdyr and receiving the second Quest which guided much of his journey. Of Spearwater, of Clan Iron-Bear, Ozgaric, and his battles alongside the Iron-Bears against the raiders and their bloody God Agorhiku. And he spoke of his first encounter against the Eldritch Avatar where he gained Eldritch Resistance.

Then, he spoke of his long loop where he’d been betrayed by the tyrant three and continued on from there till the end.

Silestor paid rapt attention the entire time, shaking his head in confirmation whenever Orodan spoke of a betrayal by the Prime Five, or frowning in concern when he informed him about the Eldritch Avatar, Hegemony or the worse foes he faced beyond Alastaia.

Finally, after two hours of talking, back and forth and many questions, throughout which he increased Fate Disconnect two more times, his explanation ended.

“I do not normally feel so... but after hearing your tale and of all the world-ending monstrosities out in the cosmos who could end Alastaia and everything we hold dear on a whim, a deep mental exhaustion has set into my very bones,” Silestor said. “As unbelievable as it is, the notion of a time loop isn’t so shocking in light of all the things I’ve seen you do thus far.”

“You see now why I need to learn light magic? The enemy I face is a foe beyond any this world has seen,” Orodan said. “Even with my best efforts and much more time, I can’t be certain what it will take to survive against it let alone prevail.”

“If anyone’s suited for the task, I believe it will be you, Orodan Wainwright,” Silestor said. “Having heard your entire story, I can see how light magic would be important to you. Next... loop? Is that how you say it? Yes, next loop... come find me for more training. I appreciate honesty, so simply tell me up front what your circumstances are alongside a few relevant demonstrations of your abilities. I’ll believe you rather quickly and we can get to work from that point onwards.”

“I will not forget your aid,” Orodan declared. “We shall see one another again. Though, for now... it seems we have visitors.”

“Visitors? I thought I told them all to leave us be for at least a few hours... especially after all we’ve achieved, they should give us some leeway,” the light mage said.

“Ah, that would be my fault,” Orodan admitted. “I’ve been practicing a particular skill during our time together. One which is making it rather apparent where the disruptions in the tapestry are coming from.”

[Fate Disconnect 61 → Fate Disconnect 62]

The shield of soul energy around his fate grew even stronger, and with it came the accompanying reduction of the mayhem he was naturally causing in the tapestry. And as it did...

...the door swung open, revealing the people Orodan had sensed nearing their location.

A High Oracle with a livid look on her face, and multiple armored faithful of the Cathedral behind her. And at the rear of this group was the Chosen of Ilyatana, Heredin Aeronsul. The man’s eyes were glowing gold.

“I see... the pandemonium in the tapestry originates from here. Who are you, mortal? Come, let me take a look at you...”

“That will not be necessary, tyrant. I have only one thing for you,” Orodan said.

A broom was produced from his dimensional ring.

He would have to apologize to Silestor later for eliminating his employer and purging any Blessings of Ilyatana the man had.

#

“What an absurd notion! ...will it work on me?”

“Arrogant and haughty as you are, I would rather not use that ability on any allies of mine.”

[Light Beam 16 → Light Beam 17]

He shot out a casual light beam from his fingers, using the nearby ravenous monsters as target practice. He kept the energy low enough to injure and send them running but not kill. And just when they thought the attack over, he swiftly pulled the dispersed energy of the beam back to himself and shot a new one, gathering the energy of the old into it.

“Bah! I assure you my mind is made of incredibly stern stuff!” Talricto declared. “Why, I’ve traversed the most horrific environments across the cosmos! This one time I...”

He tuned the spider out, choosing to continue his practice.

The spider elicited fondness and irritation in equal measure. But even then, funny as it would’ve been to use his new Disguise-Intimidation combo on the dimensional spider, Orodan thought it exceedingly irresponsible and more than a bit low. He’d seen how the Grandmaster-level vampire cowered in terror as though suddenly privy to a horrible cosmic truth.

Those who could not see past his disguise had it easy, their weak minds unable and unwilling to even acknowledge his existence. It was those who had minds strong enough to see him and resist the effect that had a problem.

Even without coming up with a full skill for it, his new ability was powerful. Orodan had an inkling that he could absorb Disguise and Intimidation into Incipience of Infinity if he kept at it. The problem though, was that the potential consequences of someone resisting it and suffering from madness were horrid.

This meant that until he had a better grasp on the skill combination and managed to successfully fold the two relevant skills into Incipience of Infinity, he couldn’t test it against innocents under any circumstances. Shattering a murderous vampire’s mind before executing it was acceptable. Accidentally driving hapless guards, soldiers or civilians insane was not.

Better to practice it against enemies only for now.

“Anyhow, I’ll see you on Lonvoron, Talricto,” Orodan said. “...assuming I even get there this loop.”

“I see... going to bullishly insist on making your own way there, are you?” the spider asked.

“Quite so. I have a meeting with a certain Embodiment-level archer. And I have no intentions of allowing it to shunt me away this time,” Orodan declared.

Talricto got the hint and took a hike, winking out of existence and presumably off to Lonvoron.

This left just Orodan upon Alastaia’s barren moon. Gray rocks, various creatures hungry for his soul but too scared to approach...

...and a confrontation with a spatial spider waiting to jump upon his Teleportation.

Soul energy flowed through his body. Stronger and just a bit more efficient thanks to the singular level he’d gained in Incipience of Infinity.

[Teleportation 89 → Teleportation 90]

He winked out of space from the moon. And as expected, halfway into his travel, he felt the subtle signs of something changing the destination of his teleport.

His exit destination, the void between galaxies.

“At last, the source of this disorder is reve-.”

As much soul energy as he could muster was thrown into both his hands.

[Light Beam 17 → Light Beam 20]

His body suffered a decent amount of damage from the sheer amount of power he channelled, but the two continent-sized beams of light coming out of his hands collided with the arrow of light sent by the Embodiment-level spatial spider...

...and an explosion occurred as the arrow punched right through Orodan’s spells.

As it reached him, the arrow was now visibly weakened however, and his Smite of Abrupt Deliverance smashed it out of existence.

A feral grin emerged on Orodan’s face. This stupid spider wanted to bully Orodan with ranged attacks, did it? Then it could have the ranged duel it wanted.

“Light magic? Quite some power for so crude a usage of it... you do not carry the bearing of a mage either,” Alagameth spoke calmly. “A paladin? A spell sword? It matters not. Cease your destructive actions upon the tapestry of fate... or receive judgement at my hands till you yield and agree to change your ways.”

“Then by all means, bring all the judgement you have to bear,” Orodan challenged. “A duel of light magic, you against me.”

It was madness, plain and simple. This spatial spider with an oversized bow far bigger than its spindly body should’ve been able to handle, was at the Embodiment-level. Even with his recent training and the singular level gained in Incipience of Infinity, the gap was still too large!

A magical duel would’ve been hopeless!

Which was exactly why Orodan considered it good training.

The spider’s beady eyes held a look of arrogance and the desire to give Orodan a thrashing.

And Orodan’s own eyes held a look of defiance and the desire to give Alagameth a scalding.

[Light Beam 20 → Light Beam 21]

A potent arrow of light met two massive but crude and unskilled beams of light, penetrating right through them.

Only for Orodan to pull the dispersed energy back to his hands via Domain of Perfect Cleaning and fire the beams a second time before the arrow reached.

[Recycling 5 → Recycling 7]

The arrow still punched through. The spider must’ve at least been Transcendent when it came to the usage of light. But that was fine, as yet again Orodan’s Smite of Abrupt Deliverance met it and smashed it aside.

The totality of his soul energy was thrown into a teleport. Now at the Master-level, having attempted to brute force this fight enough times, it genuinely made the spatial spider struggle to re-direct it.

He had gotten the drop on this opponent before, he knew how to do it again if necessary...

...but that would have been weak.

Instead, Orodan remained at range, casting light beam after light beam, flummoxing Alagameth who expected him to press his advantage with raw power.

And throughout the battle, Orodan used feints and clever maneuvers. At first, he thought to move around under the screen and cover of multiple beams of light, yet that proved useless when he realized the spider could see him anyways.

It hadn’t gotten to be as old and powerful as it was without having some ability of seeing through bright flashes of light.

Then, Orodan achieved unexpected success by abusing the fact that he didn’t have to care about running out of power. He cast intentionally bogus Teleports which simply teleported him in the same place or not at all. Taking control of a properly cast Teleport was one thing, but taking over and re-directing an intentionally flawed Teleport whose spell structure was botched was another. He had additional tactics too, such as simply dropping Teleports mid-cast, throwing power into them but abandoning the spell entirely. And at other times he made the hand gesture for a teleport but instead cast a Spatial Fold to move a short distance away.

These tactics severely frustrated and exhausted his opponent. The spatial spider was doubtlessly powerful, it was an Embodiment of Space. An apex existence within System space!

And yet, its energy wasn’t endless like Orodan’s was. Orodan’s raw power with a Teleport was high enough that the spatial spider couldn’t afford to ignore or not bite on a feint. It had lived for an unfathomably long time, far longer than Orodan... but it didn’t have a lifestyle revolving around fighting, and Orodan suspected his own Combat Mastery was higher.

The possibility that these feints could be real forced Alagameth to take every one of them seriously. Intentionally flawed Teleports forced it to expend energy trying to grab them. Teleports abandoned mid-cast did the same. And unlike Teleportation, it simply couldn’t re-direct a Spatial Fold the same way.

“Such an irritating thing...” it muttered. “Your tactics are vexatious but will not avail you against true skill.”

“What true skill?” Orodan asked. “All I see is an Embodier struggling against a mere Transcendent!”

An embarrassing insult! Yet, it hadn’t grown old in a dangerous universe by being hot-headed. It didn’t rise to the bait and instead chose to fight patiently.

Still, as Orodan gained levels in Light Beam, the exhaustion in his opponent was beginning to show.

Orodan’s clever battle tactics allowed him to slowly corner it. Its real weakness was the fact that it was unwilling to kill him. He had little doubt that if it was truly serious, Orodan would have been dead by now. But fighting while restrained by a sense of ethics weakened it.

Its spatiomancy was incredibly potent, but without it and the willingness to kill, it wasn’t too dangerous. And when fighting Orodan, who presented the constant threat of an overpowered Teleport and close combat, it simply couldn’t afford to ignore any feints. Under these circumstances, while Orodan had to launch multiple attacks to block a single one of Alagameth’s... he still slowly began to stalemate it in a purely ranged duel.

At last, the spatial spider looked as though it had enough.

“Cease. No more of this game. We are at an impasse,” Alagameth said, stopping combat for a moment. “You are young but powerful and possessed of incredible potential. Just as I hold back, I sense that you do as well. I am unsurprised that a being capable of causing such calamity to the tapestry of fate is such a powerful foe. But that will be enough. I shall leave now and-”

[Space Mastery 96 → Space Mastery 97]

[Combat Mastery 109 → Combat Mastery 110]

[Recycling 7 → Recycling 8]

Weaving didn’t gain any levels this time. Perhaps he needed to actually hone his understandings of it through the craft itself. Still, it was used all the same to direct a monstrous and overpowered cast of Teleport straight for Alagameth.

And just like last time, when the spatial spider proved that it wasn’t an Embodiment of Space for nothing, Orodan used Recycling to recast another, even more powerful, Teleport, bringing him right up to grabbing distance of it...

...and a swift hand lashed out and tapped Alagameth over the head.

“Got you,” Orodan declared. “That’s my win. Well... long as you’re holding back and trying not to kill me at least.”

“You... did not kill me?”

“Why would I? You’ve taught me a lot. Though I do wish you’d stop holding back.”

“You are a mad man... but not a bad man,” Alagameth calmly said, and Orodan could sense the incredibly subtle gatherings of soul energy within its spindly body.

Not this time.

“I see what you’re about to do. The sentiment is appreciated,” Orodan said, gathering all the soul energy he could. “But unnecessary. I will make my own way to Lonvoron... or die trying.”

He liked Alagameth, he did. But he would not allow anyone or anything to steal the satisfaction of earning something through his own sweat and blood. But how could Orodan prevent a righteous spider trying to save his life from throwing him towards Lonvoron?

After all, it had been holding back throughout the fight but when it got serious last time, it had flung him right towards his destination with no resistance.

The answer was a simple one.

To beat a spatiomancer...

...destroying space itself was always an option.

[Spatial Fold 88 → Spatial Fold 90]

The entire fabric of space around them tore apart as Orodan’s massively overpowered Spatial Fold caused the canvas to tear.

Immediately, predatory things from different sections of the void began to come through the cracks.

“Lunatic!” it hissed, showing emotion for once. “If you wish to die so badly, I shall not rob you of the choice. Fend for yourself if you wish.”

Alagameth swiftly disappeared, skillfully navigating the torn canvas. But it certainly wouldn’t be sending Orodan anywhere else under these circumstances.

Fighting in the void was tricky business. There was no footing, and Orodan often had to rely on spatial or dimensional movement to get anywhere. But he could also propel himself via spellfire if needed, and his kinesthetic sense was good enough that he could spin around a hundred times and be thrown about only to recover and continue fighting from any awkward orientation.

And as the first few predatory beings came through, Orodan used Dimensional Step to bring himself to the nearest one, a thousand-legged centipede with shimmering black scales which seemed to absorb all energy.

He carved it apart, shattering its chitinous shell and causing yellow ichor and lifeblood to spill forth. The following four, Transcendents, also died under a furious and wrathful blitz of melee which caused the remaining ones to quail and realize that he was no prey for the likes of them.

It was then that what he’d truly been waiting for came through.

The torn canvas ripped apart even further as a gigantic Living Crystal the size of a star system entered the fray.

And as a thin crystalline tendril extended towards him, seeking to forcibly assimilate him via mental assault, Orodan knew that this was his chance.

He got close, very close.

[Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 80 → Smite of Abrupt Deliverance 81]

And as Orodan delivered one of the strongest Smites he’d ever struck...

...he stood atop its face, and gazed deep into its core, where he sensed the window to its soul was.

The Living Crystal, a massive gouge on its surface, stared at Orodan.

Orodan, a feral grin on his face, stared at Ur-Vah’sahn.

He gazed into its soul, but in turn...

...it also gazed into his.

[Skill Absorption - Disguise 20 + Intimidation 33 → Incipience of Infinity 128]

The sheer power roiling through him at the high-level skill absorption caused some decent damage. It wasn’t the old System any longer, but his own. Consequently, any grand combinations or absorptions weren’t facilitated via veins of System energy in the divine dimension... but through his own body.

Still, it worked without a hitch, and most importantly...

...a manic shriek of agony and frenzy echoed out across the void.

The core of raw, unending crystalline power gazed into the depths of a mere man. And when it found no bottom to this insignificant warrior, its mind could not accept the contradiction.

Orodan himself felt under incredible mental pressure. Most of his body began bleeding as the cells began dying.

Unlike the Grandmaster vampire, this was a calamitous being of the Embodiment-level, feared and avoided by other Embodiers like Alagameth too. Not only was allowing it to gaze into the very depths of his soul an assault upon its psyche, but it was also a test for Orodan’s own mental prowess and the depths of his mind and soul.

Fifteen agonizing seconds of mental combat ensued.

It was an existential conflict between Transcendent and Embodier. The outcome should never have been in question.

And yet...

...the Living Crystal’s psyche began to fracture as Ur-Vah’sahn the Harmonious swiftly began to understand what disharmony was. The various voices and minds within it began maddening due to the deep gaze into Orodan’s soul, and great cracks began to appear on its physical body too.

His eyes bled but maintained a steely gaze with its core, and with it, Orodan bestowed unto it the truth. Not the truth of the Eldritch, but a truth of his own.

The terrifying cosmic truth of Orodan Wainwright.

The revelation of true infinity.

[Incipience of Infinity 128 → Incipience of Infinity 130]

The Living Crystal began to crack and grow insane. And in its throes of frenzy and the slow death of disassembly that Orodan had inflicted, it lashed out.

He wasn’t its match in direct combat. Yet he’d done it harm enough.

The darkness of death took him as an attack capable of wiping out star systems was unleashed.

And yet, Orodan had a defiant smile on his face all the way to the end.

A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him, and he rose with a satisfied smile on his face.

He now had a skill which would allow him to move about unnoticed. The absorption brought Disguise and Intimidation into his Celestial skill, bringing them up to the Transcendent-level as a part of his skill.

With this, he could act more freely on Lonvoron without raising a ruckus. Although, the matter of getting there under his own power and actually besting his attackers in the void between galaxies still remained.

As many death loops as it took, Orodan Wainwright was determined to see this through.

There were various avenues of training waiting to be explored.