A Relatively Powerful Mage

Zhaire sighed in relief as he led Betelgues through the familiar Seagrass Plains. For the past month, they had been marching back to Celestia. With the civilians in tow, they had avoided the flood plains, taking the long way around. Finally, they were back.

What annoyed Zhaire the most was the lack of anything to challenge his limits. He had spent a month stagnating, only gaining a single level from the numerous Ogrog who had challenged him for his position as Alpha. At least when he only had one hand, the fights had been interesting; now, they were just a one-sided slaughter that wasted his time. Even those had become rarer, with the Ogrog realizing he was far above them. He was tempted to leave the main group and search the floodplains to hunt more of the colossal snakes. However, he had responsibilities now and couldn’t just go charging after monsters solely to get stronger. Hopefully, there would be monsters he could fight while achieving the order's mission.

As they got closer, the familiar gave way to new developments. A small village sat at the foothills leading up into the mountains, reminding Zhaire of ranger stations outside national parks. Next to the lodge was a massive stables, with Starseekers in an adjoining paddock. However, they were nothing compared to the colossal hedgehog-looking creatures that lazily grazed on the seagrass in an enclosed pasture. At the center of the small town were a few houses and a tavern.

The final structure that caught his attention was a stone archway. At first, Zhaire didn’t think much of it, as it didn’t appear to be anything more than simple ornamentation that would be at home in your average park. However, he quickly changed that assessment after noticing the intricate marking engraved throughout. There was also a conspicuous terminal a few feet from the arch.

“They have a tavern now? Do you think they’ll have enough for everyone?” Brad asked.

Before anyone could reply, a figure left the lodge, walking out to meet them. Zhaire thought he recognized the man, a hunter whose name he couldn’t recall.

“Welcome to Starfall Lodge,” the man said with a forced smile.

“Don’t worry, we’re used to camping and fending for ourselves. Though, if you're willing to part with a few of the hogs, we’d happily pay a fair price for them,” Zhaire reassured the man, eliciting a genuine smile this time.

Zhaire couldn’t blame the man; keeping the Ogrog supplied had been a nightmare. They ate several times more than an average person, and their default state of being was unruly.

“That can be arranged. What about the host with you? Will they proceed to Celestia?” the man asked.

“Most people will, but we’re honestly unsure about the Ogrog. I was hoping Imri could talk with them,” Zhaire said with a shrug.

“Ah, yes. Lord Padar is actually here to greet you. He teleported in about an hour ago and is enjoying a beverage while awaiting your arrival,” the hunter said as if it had slipped his mind and just now occurred to him.

“He teleported in? Why didn’t he just walk the rest of the way? Seems like a waste,” Zhaire said.

“He teleported from Celestia,” the man explained, causing Zhaire to do a double-take. Apparently, the mage had gotten stronger while he was away. Zhaire had hoped he had surpassed the man, but that seemed unlikely now.

Zhaire made his way into the small tavern, ducking inside. It was a small, dimly lit place with only a handful of people present, most of whom sat directly at the bar. A lone person sat at a table, their hair standing out against the poor lighting, shifting colors that reminded Zhaire of a white-hot flame. It took Zhaire a moment to recognize Imri with all the changes.

“Zhaire,” Imri said, inclining his head in greeting.

“Mind if I sit?” Zhaire asked. Imri just nodded and motioned to a chair.

“I see your campaign was a success,” Imri commented.

“I’m sorry for how I acted when I left. I was working through some shit, and it affected me more than I thought. I only just realized how much I was acting like him,” Zhaire rambled, his words not at all what he had planned to say.

“It’s fine; you were grieving,” Imri said.

Zhaire just nodded. He tried using Identify on Imri, but it didn’t return any information, the same as last time.

“Don’t suppose you’re level 34 or less with that new appearance?” Zhaire asked, with his level sitting at 35.

“It’s higher than that, and the changes are from reaching tier 2 in my heritage. You should talk with Caroline; she should have something to help you reach tier 2 now that you're over level 30,” Imri said.

“I see,” Zhaire said, trying to subdue his competitive instincts.

“Oh, and I have something for you,” Imri said.

Instead of Imri handing him something physical, a system prompt appeared in his mind.

New Title Gained

Minor Noble of Celestia

Notice: Return to the area of effect to receive the benefits

“What’s this?” Zhaire asked.

Imri spent several minutes explaining the nobility system. While Zhaire had no interest in growing a settlement, he liked reaping the rewards. It irked him that the power was reduced because Imri had the higher-ranking title, but that only made him want to gain an even higher title.

“Why are you giving me this?” Zhaire asked.

“When you gave me your progenitor nexus, I promised I would eventually grant you a title,” Imri reminded him.

Zhaire nodded, having completely forgotten about that deal, likely because he hadn’t ever expected it to be honored.

“I have another favor to ask,” Zhaire admitted.

“You have an Ogrog problem,” Imri guessed.

“Yeah. They just followed me because I was the strongest, but I wasn't sure what to do with them. They’ll eat us out of everything if we leave them in one place for too long,” Zhaire admitted. Imri simply nodded and motioned for him to lead the way.

The Ogrog portion of the camp was never well defined, as the powerful creatures didn’t even bother with tents. As Zhaire led Imri through, the Ogrog gave the strange duo looks that held reverence and fear. A few of them sniffed the air around Imri, trying to figure out what he was. For his part, Imri seemed unconcerned by their antics, which was something he hadn’t even managed without practice.

The Ogrog they sought out was what Zhaire presumed to be an elder. They were the only Ogrog to be shown deferential treatment for something other than physical strength. Even now, stronger Ogrog stood on guard as the duo approached.

Imri boldly approached and began speaking in deep guttural tones that made the German language seem flowery. The Ogrog were immediately taken aback, clearly not expecting anyone to speak their language. When they eventually got over their shock, they responded, with Imri translating.

The conversation was short and straightforward, which shouldn’t have surprised Zhaire. They considered themselves the strongest but had no interest in building cities or ruling the planet. They wanted to fight for someone who could rule the planet. It alarmed Zhaire how much their attitudes reflected his own.

Fortunately, Imri had no interest in seizing the title of Alpha. When Zhaire questioned why, he simply stated he was too busy to babysit oversized children. With that settled, it only left one question: what would they do with them?

“If you can keep them under control, they might be useful proxies for heavy machinery. At least, until we can get our hands on the genuine article,” Imri mused out loud.

“They aren’t going to work construction for long. They live for fighting,” Zhaire explained.

“They’ll get plenty of opportunities for that,” Imri reassured him. “Well, now that the Ogrog have been dealt with, I should be getting back.”

“Isn’t it a little late to be hiking back?” Zhaire asked, assuming Imri didn’t have the mana to open a portal more than once from this distance.

“Come on, I’ll give you a lift. I’m sure you want to get the benefit for that title as soon as possible, and the man you sent with the Nexuses has been paranoid he will get robbed. Not that anyone can steal credits, though that would be an intriguing ability; I wonder if that girl's Thief profession can get something like that,” Imri rambled on.

As Imri was talking, a small peephole-sized tear in space materialized, showing a building on the other side. It was a portal, but to Zhaire’s shock, it stopped opening, remaining at the minuscule size. Surely, Imri didn’t think he could fit through that.

“You have to accept the teleport mentally,” Imri explained as he touched Zhaire’s shoulder.

Zhaire was still baffled by what the space mage was doing but played along, mentally giving his consent. The moment he did, his surroundings shifted. He was no longer in the small hunting village but a small city bustling with activity. The smell of sizzling drake wafted through the street as vendors shouted to be heard over the crowd. It was obvious where he was, but it took Zhaire a moment to catch up with what had just happened.

“How?” he asked dumbly.

“Sometimes, it's more efficient to open a small portal, depending on the mass and distance involved. Then, I can teleport through, technically traveling only a few meters,” Imri tried explaining, but Zhaire just shook his head.

“So, this is Celestia; it’s changed a lot in only a few months,” Zhaire commented, cutting the nerdy man off before he started going even more in-depth into his formula for determining the most efficient method of transportation.

Zhaire thanked the mage, giving him a not-so-subtle hint that he was fine from here. It took Imri a second before he caught on and excused himself. Alone, Zhaire made his way through the now-unfamiliar city. It was too late in the day to do all his shopping, but there was one stop he didn’t want to wait on.

Despite most non-entertainment businesses being closed, Zhaire wasn’t surprised to see the alchemist's shop still open. He entered and was surprised to see who acted as shopkeeper. A bored-looking Sylvi tapped her fingers against the counter.

“You’re back, and you’ve been busy,” Sylvi said, staring directly at a single spot, undoubtedly using Identify on him. Zhaire did the same, relieved to discover he had stayed a few levels ahead of the special forces operator.

“I hope you haven’t been stuck behind a counter this whole time. It wouldn’t be fun if only Imri and I were competing for the top spot,” Zhaire teased.

“She isn’t going to accept a mission to a floating city, xenoformed hellscape, or some unknown land with new monsters trying to kill us. She is spending some well-earned time on leave with her girlfriend,” Caroline said sternly.

“Yes, dear,” Sylvi said smoothly, kissing the petite alchemist and then moving to tidy the shop.

“What can I get for you?” Caroline asked Zhaire in her typical soft voice.

“I heard that you might have another heritage elixir for someone who had reached level 30,” he said.

Caroline visibly brightened at that request and started talking hurriedly: “I do. This is so exciting. You’re the first one to reach level 30. Well, not the first. Imri is obviously over level 30, but he doesn’t count since he has a strange heritage. A few people are close, but none have quite reached it yet. I’ll need to know your current attributes to determine which elixirs I can sell you.”

Zhaire did as she asked, writing down his attributes. The enthusiastic Alchemist scanned it, nodded, and went to a backroom. She returned a moment later with a small glass case containing half a dozen vials.

“I don’t have a lot of options, as it doesn’t seem possible to create a tier 2 from anything lower than a tier 2 material. So, there are no Umbral Tigers or the typical Drakes. Fortunately, we did manage to slay some tier 2 Drakes that people had mistaken for dragons, and that’s what these are made from. That or Troglodyte are your only options, but I assumed you’d want one of these,” Caroline explained.

“Then those are all the same?” Zhaire asked.

“Not quite. The exact effects differ slightly, depending on which materials are used to create the elixir and my overall crafting efficiency. The first three are similar to the tier 1 version, only far more potent. The next two are made from wings and talons, something I couldn’t get to work at tier 1. I don’t know the exact effects because each interacts differently, depending on who consumes the elixir. I can tell you that the wing and talon will likely give you physical manifestation and focus more on offense. It would significantly boost your strength and agility,” Caroline explained.

“And the last one?” Zhaire asked, motioning to the sixth vial.

“It has a heart, just like the first set, but the second ingredient is a gland not found on the tier 1 version. It’s what gives the Drake a breath weapon, and I’m fairly certain it would impart that ability onto whoever uses this elixir,” Caroline said.

“I’ll take that one,” Zhaire said immediately. While wings and claws would be great, having an elemental ability so he wasn’t solely a melee fighter was just what he needed. With this elixir, he would get stronger, hopefully closing the gap between him and Imri.

“Unfortunately, you can’t take this yet; the requirements are too high. In a level or two you should meet the prerequisites to consume it safely. I’m also working on a slightly less demanding version,” Caroline said.

“I’ll take it,” Zhaire said. “I just want it so I can take it right after I level,” he added when the alchemist hesitated.

“That will be 250,000 credits,” Caroline said. Zhaire blanched at the price, but they were tier 2 materials crafted by the best alchemist. Zhaire brought out a pouch containing the highest-level cores from the campaign, and they eventually settled on a dozen cores and 50,000 credits for the elixir. Zhaire was surprised at how much the cores went for and was pleased knowing he had hundreds more to sell.

Caroline wrote down the attributes he would need on the next level to safely consume the elixir. At his current attributes, it would be safe with two levels. Zhaire gave the paper a cursory glance before nodding. After Zhaire had read it, Caroline handed over the vial. Zhaire gingerly accepted it and held it up to his eye. It was blood red with motes of an even brighter red, like a lava lamp. It was strange to think that so much power was contained in such a small container.

Shrugging, Zhaire uncorked it and tipped it back, much to the horror of a shocked Caroline.