Rise of Tyrus

Tyrus was growing to hate his time in Valis. Selena's behavior almost cost him his life, and now he's in danger again. The last part was entirely his fault, but sometimes a curious person can't resist snooping.

While racing across rooftops, Tyrus looked back to see Sezor's guards pursuing him. They were incredibly speedy, outpacing Tyrus by far. In seconds, the pair closed the gap, wielding their terrifying swords in sync. Tyrus’ augmentation usage went from a trickle to a raging river, and even that wasn’t enough to outrun them. The clock tower loomed in the distance, and beyond it, the Explorer Guild, but he knew he wouldn't reach it in time. He furrowed his brow as he thought of what to do when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar phrase from one of them.

“Wind Bolt!”

A sudden, ear-splitting sound like a whistling arrow filled the air, followed by a minor explosion in front of him. As the dust cloud swirled around him, Tyrus pressed on across the roof of the house. As he burst through, he checked behind and saw that a small piece of the ledge was missing.

“I would’ve died if that landed!”

Refusing to stop, he persisted in his frantic sprint. The guards emerged from the cloud and lifted their arms. At the same time, they cast additional Wind Bolt spells toward Tyrus. He failed to recognize it earlier, but the sorcerers were intentionally targeting the location they believed Tyrus would descend upon. That disturbed him; why not aim at him directly?

Tyrus opted not to stay and investigate further, concluding it was better to depart from the rooftops. After touching down on the succeeding one, he sprang off and hurried through the confined spaces. He navigated the terrain without a fixed route, randomly crisscrossing through any available path. He thought he was doing well since he hadn't spotted the sorcerers and assumed he had lost them... until he remembered sorcerers can track others via their mana signatures.

Right before he could mentally criticize himself for omitting such a pivotal detail, a figure approached one end of the alley gradually. Tyrus made a clicking sound with his tongue, then quickly spun around on his heels, only to find another person at the opposite end. Upon raising his gaze, his heart pounded in his eardrums. He was getting ready to climb the walls when a deep voice suddenly boomed.

“Jump and I’ll slice your head off before you make it to the top, you Beastfolk.”

The initial guard was the one who spoke. As he inched closer, he dragged his sword against the stone buildings, generating a screech that made Tyrus wince. He had an impression that the man was trying to be threatening by using that tactic, but all he did was make Tyrus want to rip his ears off and throw them at him. His current review of Valis is moving in the opposite direction.

Tyrus was unsure of how to proceed. Dual Shot was the first option he considered, but memories of the rock spider fight deterred him. Until he enlarges his mana heart, he should be mindful of his usage. Even if he used the spell, would it even hit the target? The cloaked figures were faster than the rock spider, and they were also smarter. They would hear him utter the incantation and be on high alert. Using Dual Shot was out of the question.

The guards were only a few steps away and ready to strike. Tyrus surveyed the area for the last time. In the alleyway between two shops, he noticed high windows that only a small child could fit through. A dangerous plan came to mind, and Tyrus wasted no time in executing it.

In his mind, he summoned Beast Transformation, growing claws and fangs. He combined augmentation with Beast Transformation and launched himself through the window by kicking off the opposite wall. The moment his body contacted the glass, he experienced searing pain in his back. He bit his tongue and crashed through the window, shattering glass all over. Falling onto the hardwood, Tyrus collided with several glass objects. Shards of it rained onto his messy hair. Tyrus wanted to take a quick break and clamped his chest.

But fate seemed to have other plans, for in that moment of vulnerability, a powerful swell of mana enveloped him. His surroundings shifted, and he stood in an otherworldly workshop like none he had ever seen.

Before him floated an array of fantastical tools, suspended in mid-air. Swords glimmered with white light, quills bobbed as if guided by unseen hands, and an unloaded crossbow pointed its imaginary bolt directly at him, its form simultaneously menacing and mesmerizing. The sight left him momentarily stunned, wondering if he had stepped into a dream or some enchanting illusion.

As his eyes darted around the room, they landed upon the pristine, white shelves adorned with vials of mysterious liquids—each one emitting a soft glow of its own. The colors danced before his eyes, evoking a sense of wonder. Green, red, and blue vials, their contents holding secrets and power beyond his understanding.

Adjacent to the vials, he spotted a collection of metallic objects in an assortment of shapes and sizes, each one gleaming with a craftsmanship that bespoke a master’s touch. His eyes landed on an assortment of rolled-up scrolls and leather-bound books.

At the front desk, beneath a glass covering, an exquisite assortment of swords, daggers, and reagents were arranged meticulously, each item pulsating with a vibrant hum of mana. The air seemed to shimmer with the raw energy emanating from these objects as if they yearned to be touched and wielded by a worthy hand.

Tyrus’s heart pounded even faster as he realized that this was no dream; the workshop was alive with animated objects that now seemed set on his demise. His instincts kicked in, and he had to act swiftly to survive the onslaught.

As another sword hurtled towards him, he reacted with lightning reflexes, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the weapon as it lodged itself into the wall. But there was no time to celebrate his close call, as more objects awoke from their slumber, each one seeming to possess a malevolent intent.

Ducking and weaving, Tyrus danced with death as he dodged a quill with a wickedly sharp ink tip that aimed for his eyes, a curved dagger that sheared a sliver of his bangs, and an inexplicable miniature dragon that unleashed actual flames. The heat from the dragon’s breath singed the edges of his clothes, making him acutely aware of the genuine danger he faced.

Without hesitation, he lunged forward, seeking cover behind a nearby shelf, as the objects continued their relentless pursuit. The workshop seemed to have turned into a battleground, with Tyrus as the unwilling target. He looked toward the entrance and saw the two guards standing firmly outside, waiting for him.

“And I’m trapped… Great. What do I do now?!” To answer his question, another sword had stabbed through the shelf, right under his arm. A dagger appeared out of nowhere and hurled itself at Tyrus's head. He swooped down and ran to another shelf, panting.

“They know my exact location? How is that possible…”

Tyrus glanced at the instruments and back at the awaiting figures. An idea came to mind, one that he did not know if it would work or not. He jumped to his feet and bolted for the entrance. Tyrus rammed through the door and launched himself back onto the roof. As soon as he jumped, the magical instruments shot through the opening like water in a broken dam and sped toward the guards.

“What the!?”

One of them brought up their weapon and defended against the flying sword. His comrade sidestepped and sliced through a metallic orb. Though it looked like they were holding themselves well, more objects poured out and assaulted the men. Tyrus smiled at his work, but then heard metal clanging and hooves in the distance. From down the street and past a few stalls, he saw a plethora of armored men riding horses.

“Uh oh, time to leave…”

He gave his pursuers one last look before heading toward the Explorer Guild. Tyrus had to make it there quick or else he’d pass out on the street. He used up way too much mana and was not looking forward to experiencing mana deficiency again. If Fiona were to be aware, she would most likely take drastic measures to prevent it. Tyrus speculated that his mana heart was the size of a small crate, all thanks to his meditations and mana core. Compared to when he first started out, in which it was a size similar to a bottle, he made great progress. Yet it wasn’t enough when it came to long battles. That was a problem that would need correcting.

“If that wasn’t enough, I still didn’t find a hat,” he grumbled. “I’ll just have to ask Grant and Reo if they have one lying around.”

While today was the worst experience of his life, there was some good news. In a stroke of luck, his pursuers were gracious enough to shout out their incantations for the air element. Wind Bolt, as he had gathered, was a spell that harnessed the very essence of air, enabling the sorcerer to conjure a devastating force capable of tearing through stone. The best part was that it was a single-shot spell, unlike the Dual Shot spell.

Just to test things out, Tyrus extended his arm and shouted, “Wind Bolt!”

To his expectations, nothing happened. He hadn’t learned the air element yet, so he couldn’t summon spells related to it. Lighting and Fire spells were the only magic he could use. With that thought in mind, he took a deep breath and aimed his palm at the sky.

“Lightning Bolt!

An attack similar to Dual Shot burst forth, but much smaller and consumed less mana. The power streaked into the night, erupting in an explosion of sizzling light. Tyrus watched until the light show ended, and a wide smile appeared on his face.

“So that’s how it works! Now I don’t have to rely on Dual Shot!”

The cost to use Lightning Bolt was significantly less than Dual Shot, yet weaker in power. That was to be expected, as higher levels of spelling would use more mana. If true, then Lightning Bolt was a spell meant to be weaker than Dual Shot. To his excitement, he had found a reliable spell that he could cast without worrying about bottoming his mana heart.

“But why do I have to add lightning to the incantation? I didn’t have to do so for Dual Shot…”

Tyrus was drawing a blank, but suppressed his thoughts for later when he was nearing the Explorer Guild. He leaped off from a nearby roof and landed on top of the guild’s roof. He glanced around the area, expecting the cloaked figures to swing from the shadows, yet no one came forward. All he saw was some folks passing by without a care in the world. Since the front door was locked and mostly everyone had left, Tyrus sneaked to the edge and scaled downward where an open window was waiting. After one glimpse around, he jumped in.