1.47 Asin Goldheart

Asin Goldheart, the hooded Mage, walked through the streets of a town, clutching at the wound in his stomach. Whatever skill the blasted woman had used on him was interfering with the healing pill. One inch, and that beam would have severed his spine. Asin shivered. It wasn't a thought he wanted to plague his mind.

Asin had let his newfound power get over his head and underestimated the woman. His duel with her had opened his eyes. He was far from powerful, he had barely escaped with his life. Perhaps he should have accepted the [Demon Priest] class he was offered way back then.

He would not underestimate the woman again. But Could he ever hope to defeat her? Castra had used such powerful spells one after another while maintaining the [Barrier] spell to protect her apprentices. If he tried to do the same, he would have consumed twice as much as Mana, and he would not be as fast. The woman had fine control over her Mana.

Castra had shown him what it meant to be a graduate of the Black Coral Academy. He and Castra had once been in the same class, and while she had graduated, he had failed in his first year and was put out of the Academy. That had led him to pursue a different power, the power of demons. But that power had come with its own nets and hooks.

He did not regret his decisions. He did not! The problem was he had lost what freedom he had left. "What a mess this is."

Asin had taken Castra's arrival at Naiker's Field as an opportunity to kill her and add her personal Nexus Shard to his own collection, but the woman was no opportunity for him. She was a glaring stain to his plans—a thorn that needed to be plucked out lest it ruined everything.

A thought nagged at him. Had Castra recognised him? It was a possibility, every [Mage] had a unique Mana signature. Surely she had not. It had already been more than a decade since he had last seen her. Besides, if she had recognised him. Few things would not make sense. Well, if she had, he would learn soon enough.

For a long moment, Asin stared at the wound in his stomach. "I will find a way to destroy you, one one way or another."

***

"This is the place?" Michael asked.

He frowned, eying the gaping mouth of the cavern before them. Michael and Liam had been assigned Watch Duty for the last two days, but it seemed today's mission was far more important than any Watch Duty. The mayor had sent Michael and Liam to retrieve something from the cave. What was so important that it justified sending the only two magic users in the village away to retrieve it when the village could be in danger? Nobody had bothered to tell him the answer.

"Yes," Liam said. "Now be careful. The danger inside can make your skin crawl."

Michael adjusted the large basket he carried on his back. It was too unwieldy and awkward to carry. Liam, it seemed, was having no problem with his basket and unlike Michael's, and his basket packed with a sackful of something he did not know.

"What's in there?"

"You will see."

Michael growled. He wanted to punch something. Why was everyone acting so mysterious today? He suspected whatever they had come to retrieve wasn't even that good.

Holding the oil lamp before him, Michael followed Liam into the cave. The darkness inside made him feel like he was being eaten by some giant snake. 

Michael's heart pounded. 

What could make his skin crawl? Too many horrible thoughts spun in his mind. It seemed watching too much TV had its own downside.

Calm down, Michael. It's just a cave.

Liam paused once they reached the wider part of the cavern and inspected the area thoroughly. "It is good that they aren't out and about," he said. "It will make our job easier."

"Care to explain what's this about?"

"Why our quarry, of course?"

Michael snarled. This was getting old. "Would you stop acting so fucking mysterious and tell me what we are doing."

Liam laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to feel like those mysterious heroes in this story."

Michael gave his friend a blank stare. Really, that was his reason for not telling him what they were after. What was he, five?

"So, will you tell me what we are after?"

"Yes, yes," Liam said, waving his hands. "No need to pout like a girl."

Michael bristled. Michael Twain did not pout. No Indeed. He opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Wasn't he the one who had portaled to another world? Wasn't he supposed to be the hero? Wasn't he the one who was supposed to go around and make snarky comments about people with no consequences? So why wasn't he? This was an injustice!

While Michael was collecting his thoughts, Liam retrieved the sack from his bucket and poured its contents into the cavern floor, drawing a wide circle around Michael. 

What's he doing? Is that sugar?

"Enough with the games, Liam. Why are we here? And what are you doing with that sugar?"

"Fine," Liam said, tossing the empty sack away. "We are here for ants. The sugar is to lure them—they love the stuff… You should cast Insect Bane now, you do have more Mana than I."

Michael gaped. "Ants," he exclaimed. "Our village could be in danger and we are here to collect ants?"

"Quickly, Michael, use the spell," Liam said, ignoring his tirade. "You would not want the ants to crawl up your breaches. Make this spell smaller than the sugar circle, would you?"

Michael muttered a thousand curses at Liam, but he did as he was told. "Seriously! Ants?"

[Insect Bane]

A dome of pulsing green energy covered them, just shy of touching the circle of sugar.

They did not have to wait long as the ants—the colour of sunsets—crawled out of cracks and crevices in the cave. The ants were the size of particularly large rats. 

Liam was right, he would not want those abominations to crawl up his pants, or any ants for that matter.

Oversized ants! Why wasn't Michael surprised? Giant cockroaches, giant ants, they were all the same.

 "What is wrong with this world?"

Michael grabbed Liam by both his shoulders and shook him. "Why does it always have to be giant insects? Why can't it be a giant fluffy rabbit with horns and wings? It is absurd, but no less absurd than these abominations. At least giant rabbits would be cool and not something that makes your skin crawl or make you want to vomit."

"Michael, please—"

Michael looked down and realised his friend was green with nausea. To his horror, Liam vomited. Michael hurriedly skirted out of the way. Thankfully, none of it landed on him.

"Just climbing on a horse makes me sick and you shaking me like that…" Liam groaned. "O-no, it's coming again."

Watching Liam, Michael had to force his own nausea down.

"What now?" Michael said once Liam stopped heaving, pointing at the ants, who were scooping what little sugar they could collect and scuttling away.

"Those are called Bomber Ants. We need to…"

"Bomber Ants? Why? Do they explode?"

"Yes."

"Of course they do," Michael said, letting out a resigned sigh. At this point, Michael thought nothing would surprise him. Nothing at all.