Leveling up the World

Chapter 834: Item Reviving

Searching through the destroyed city was more cumbersome than one might think. The few sections that had survived the vortex had been emptied by fleeing survivors and then picked clean by scavengers whod come for a quick profit. The more dedicated ones prospected the walls of the newly created chasm, searching for fragments of valuable materials propelled there by the force of magic. Dallion himself had joined them, though he had something very specific in mind.

Hey, partner. A fury floated down from above, stopping in the air ten feet from Dallion.

At one point, he had been a looter, or at least he so claimed. Even before the battle at the vortex fields, the fury had decided that it would be a lot safer and more profitable to avoid combat and just go through the devastation that it left behind. There were always valuables to be found, and occasionally, one would come across something that nobles would give anything to obtain.

I think I found another one for you, he tossed a small chunk of sun gold to Dallion.

Using a spell, the otherworlder grabbed hold of the item mid flight and carefully examined it. It was definitely part of something larger, but not the thing that Dallion was looking for.

Nope. Another spell floated it back to the fury. Not one of mine. Thanks, though.

No problem, the other laughed.

On the surface, the fury hunter appeared to be in his late teens. In truth, he was three times Dallions age, though only half his level. The ever-white clothes contrasted with the dirt and darkness of the general area and the people rummaging through it. Allegedly, his name was Frost, but that was highly doubtful. When it came to hunters, many kept their past hidden. The same could be said about Dallion. No one suspected he was a noble. His ability to fly had made it impossible for him to deny he was a mage, but the story he gave to the few who had inquired was that he had been rogued long before the war started and now was here looking for means to increase his magic trait on the down low.

I found you some pots as well, Frost floated closer. A rough sack full of small clay pots, each the size of a childs fist, moved along with him. Theyre whole, but might have a few chips here and there.

Its fine. Dallion grabbed the sack and put it on the ledge beside him.

Why do you even want these things? There are much better souvenirs.

They have their uses.

Whatever you say. Got anything for me?

A few scraps. Dallion glanced at the small ledge that had been chiseled into the wall. Not the most orthodox use of his carving skill, but quite useful at present. Sky silver mostly.

Every little bit helps.

Ignoring him, Dallion concentrated on the wall in front of him again. Combining magic with his forging skills, he could see a large fragment of the gearwheelor something that looked very much like ita few feet into the wall. Originally, it had been part of Adzorgs device, now the only item in the world that could free him from the generals clutches.

A few of the old timers left this morning, Forst kept on going. The Alliance has been crushing the Azures, leaving lots of empty settlements behind. Easy pickings, some might say.

Why dont you join them, then?

We both know that theres no such thing as easy pickings, especially near a border. Besides, being a fury might be hazardous for ones health so far in. Same could be said for a mage.

I told you, Dallion sighed. I have nothing to do with the war.

Me neither. But who do you think will believe us?

Seeing that the fury wasnt leaving, Dallion decided to take a break. Turning around, he sat down on the ledge he had carved, then reached for his flask. Frost did the same, using an air current to fetch his from the bottom of the chasm.

What will you do when you find what youve been looking for? he asked.

Leave. Dallion took a gulp. Ive business in Nerosal.

Nerosal? Wasnt the province engulfed in civil war?

Not for a while. The old archduke got it back. Although the Order were the ones really in control. Doesnt matter, though. Ill just be there to see a few friends before I continue south.

Theres nothing south.

Good. So, theres a chance for a little calm.

The fury shook his head. Well, good luck. Ill stay a bit longer. Theres still plenty to be found here. Maybe by the time Im done, the war will be over and Ill have enough to live in luxury till the end of my days.

A hunters dream. Pity that so few of them reach it.

The conversation devolved into pointless small talk, after which the fury flew back down in search of more precious metals. Naturally, the small pile that Dallion had found flew off with him. This provided enough quiet for Dallion to focus on his own task.

Lines of magic threads were drawn in the air, slowly building up a nine-circle spell. Any onlooker without magic would remain confused. There didnt seem to be any apparent effect. The spell flashed, then disappeared, leaving everything unchanged. The difference was that now Dallion could reach into the rock itself, as if it were made of water, and pull out the gearwheel fragment. Just to be on the same side, he used a spell to do that as well.

That much will do, dear boy, Adzorg said. Theres no point in going for the teeth fragments.

The fragment emerged from the stone surface. Neither the battle nor the aether vortex had managed to destroy it completely. It was worthless, of course. Without the archmage or the rest of the device, there was nothing it could be used for. Still, a vow was a vow.

Time to put it back together, Dallion said.

PERSONAL AWAKENING

Reality shifted. Night had just started in his realm, mixing the faint glow of the stars and Moons with the strong neon light of the Moonstones. Making his way to the crystals, Dallion looked at the night sky. Most of the stars were green, with a few yellow ones scattered here and there. For all intents and purposes, one might say that he had learned, if not all, then a great majority of skills. Only the more exotic ones remainedskills that would take anyone a lifetime to learn while exploring the world.

I can just make an illusion, you know, Gleam landed onto Dallions shoulder, soon to be followed by Ruby.

That wont work on Moon vows, he replied.

The condition of the wheel wasnt specified, either, the shardfly said. Put the pieces in a bag, hand it over and youre done.

From a technical point of view, she was probably right. Dallion didnt want to take the chance, though. The general was as slippery as they came. He had already used quality issues as an excuse to increase Dallions debt back when he had loaned him the armadil shield. If Dallion were to give him a broken part, there was every chance he might do the same.

Im strong enough not to use tricks, Dallion replied.

The rest of the item fragments were on the ground a few steps from the Moonstone crystals. There were twenty-seven in total, all of various forms or sizes. Ideally, Dallion would need a few more to render the item flawless, but as Adzorg had said, even the current amount was enough should he resort to magic.

Hey, boss! Lux popped up right in front of Dallions face. Can I help?

No, Lux, not this time. Dallion petted the creature on the head. Its all forging and magic.

Magic? The aetherfish familiar emerged as well.

My magic, Gem.

Dallion placed the piece he had just found on the ground, among the rest. Moving them about, he quickly recreated the general pattern of the item. It was large, containing an impressive amount of awakened metals. There was a time when he wouldnt have dreamed of fixing something so broken, especially made out of these materials. Now, it was simply a matter of creativity and ingenuity.

Silver and purple markers appeared around the shattered item. Dallion ignored the silver ones, focusing on the ones that showed him how to thread enough magic threads to connect the pieces together. One by one, he merged the threads together like a surgeon attaching a severed limb. Each time two threads were merged, a crack separating the items vanished.

After several hours, the item was whole again rather it was mostly whole. While the parts had assembled as if they were never broken, there were plenty of cracks and dents. One final thing remained before the item could be whole again: entering its realm and going through the mending labyrinth.

That brings back memories, Dallion thought as he linked the item to his own realm. A golden door formed in the ground, connecting the two realms. Without a moments hesitation, Dallion jumped in.

Overall completion 37%

A blue rectangle emerged as Dallion walked through the labyrinth.

Thirty-seven? he asked. So much for doing a good job.

If magic could fix the world, dear boy, the emperor would have ordered us to do it.

True. The magic was the epitome of shortcuts and exceptions, but it was no substitute for the real thing. Summoning his harpsisword, Dallion continued along the labyrinth.

The fashion in which special metal items were repaired didnt differ from the average ones. Dallion still had to find all the missing pieces and place them in the respective holes. Now and again hed have to face a crackling or ten, but those were so weak that he felt ashamed for using a blade to begin with.

All the time Lux kept insisting on helping, and ultimately, Dallion agreed. The firebirds healing magic had grown considerably, but even it wasnt strong enough to deal with materials of this nature. That didnt stop him from trying. Meanwhile, Dallion diplomatically ignored the lack of progress while continuing with the repairs himself.

After three days and a half, the sought after rectangle finally appeared.

Realm fully mended!

The GEARWHEEL is now flawless.

ITEM REVIVER

(+2 PERCEPTION, +2 BODY)

Youve brought a dead item back to life. Keep in mind the item had no guardian. Things would be a lot more complicated if it did.

An achievement? Dallion wondered.

Not bad, though he didnt expect it. Still, there was no point in looking a gift horse in the mouth. A few points here and there were always welcome.

Going through the maze one final time to admire his work, Dallion then stepped back into his realm and severed the link.

Youre getting overconfident, Harp said, standing near the Moonstones in her nymph form. You shouldnt be.

Her comment had an instant sobering effect. While he remained great at mending, a tinkering noble wasnt something that would instill fear in the hearts of others or help him face Grym.

I was just caught up in the moment, Dallion lied. Im done, though. With this, my last shackle will be gone.

The last shackle, you know. Theres a lot more training you need to go through. You have all the skills, but none of them are at a hundred. You have two rare traits, but youre still neglecting your empathy.

Dallion looked at her. Grains of concern were visible everywhere throughout her body. It was obvious she was worried about somethingsomething that would require more strength than he possessed now. Was she scared he might fall to Grym? The new Star? Or the void itself?

Ill practice what I can on the way, he said. And I wont get cocky.

Youll try, she replied, then disappeared, reverting to her harpsisword form.

Dallion remained silent for a few seconds more, then left his awakening realm, taking the gearwheel with him.

The first thing he did upon returning to the real world was to cast an illusion spell over it, giving the item the appearance of a crude lump of silver. Carrying the item in all its glory was enough to tempt anyone, even low-level hunters.

Grabbing the sack of clay pots, Dallion cast a flight spell, ascending into the air. It was time to visit the person he despised most in this world.