Chapter 24: Blessings of Mana

It was a beautiful women.

Long lavender hair cascaded down to her waist, like a flowing river. Long eye lashes and parted bangs framed a delicate face reminiscent of a princess blessed by the moon. She had one knee cupped to her chest, leisurely watching them enter with unperturbed silence. Argo would've been entranced by her beauty- willingly frozen there for all time. 

But a terrible scar marred the left side of her face, in stark contrast to her picturesque beauty. Half of her face had turned an inky black. Like a waning crescent, the corruption had spread over her beautiful contours. The hair around the shadowy side of her face had turned black, her lavender eyes bleeding into a crimson red.

Clutched in her tender embrace was a silver blade, or what remained of it. It looked like it had once served as the body of an elegant sword, but its bottom half had been severed. The handguard, hilt, and pommel of the sword were nowhere in sight.

"Ah, adventurers once again. I've been waiting for so long, but it seems like you are not the people I've been destined to meet," the women said disappointedly. 

Her mellow voice drifted into the air, causing Argo to slightly relax. He felt a weird obligation to help her. Try to showcase something that would remedy he disappointment. Argo unconsciously felt the grip on his sword loosen, his mind nearly succumbing to the exhaustion that clouded his head. Her voice was like a lullaby, coaxing his soul into an eternal slumber.

Faye tapped him with the pommel of her blade, allowing him to regain his clarity. "Careful, she's dangerous." Argo heard a hint of anxiousness in her words. 

"Are you the one responsible for all of this?" Aria demanded resolutely. The blade of her katana sliding out of its sheathe in a hiss of steel. Despite her actions, she didn't attack. From what Argo could discern she was silently gauging the power of the women before them. 

"I've been waiting for so long... my lady had tasked me with protecting this sacred relic in hopes of giving it to the destined one. But no matter how much time passed, they never came. I gave up on waiting, in favor of hastening the process by any means necessary."

Argo's thoughts blurred, 'My lady? Sacred relic? Destined one?'

Was the women referring to Selene? And was the sword holding in her hands the sacred relic she was speaking of? From his observations, it looked eerily similar to the blade depicted in the murals. The one Selene held as she journeyed to the summit of Blackrock Island's volcano. The intricate craftsmanship had left a deep impression on him. 

'But who was the destined one? She lured and corrupted adventurers to find this individual?'

With the latter half of the women's sentence, her left eye flared in crimson light. The air chilled considerably, a sinister aura sinking into their surroundings. It was in deep contrast to her previous laid-back, and elegant demeanor.

Argo's blood chilled, and he couldn't stop himself from slightly trembling. He was on the verge of collapsing. The only thing keeping him up was the enhancement of his body through essence. He thought they could take a break before confronting the being laying within the shadows.

"I had expected you to fall to my minions, or at least let them tire you out. What a surprise you managed to defeat them so quickly."

The enigmatic lady had already lost her sanity. Argo could quickly deduce by the corruption spreading over her face, and the malevolent aura permeating the air. It looked like she had been guarding this sanctuary for decades, a cold and dark place devoid of light. Her original passiveness had been forgone; a perverse desire to corrupt adventurers to expedite her fate had long replaced it.

Argo was saddened by the truth dawning on him. He had expected to confront some hideous, heinous Abhorrent as the final boss. Some repulsive creature that stood as the manifestation of evil. The one responsible for all of his suffering for the past week. But the sight before him left him very conflicted- the women before them looked like another victim. 

"Ah, no matter. I shall wait a little bit longer," she signed in defeat. "It's always so discouraging."

With a wave of her hand, the air stirred. Three figures stepped out from behind the ornate columns, each exuding a palpable pressure. Argo could feel his companions tense, they didn't expect the situation to turn out like this. The beings revealing themselves from the shadows, mana coalescing around them. 

They were humans, powerful ones at that. A burly man wielding a red great sword, a women wielding a silver spear, and a slender boy who wielded twin daggers. The mana swirling around them was evidence they weren't significantly beyond his companion's abilities. It was a relief they weren't anything in the higher echelons of Rank 0.

Argo's heart quickened nonetheless, scrutinizing them. They had fallen into a trap- but they didn't really have much of a choice. They would simply have to overcome this ordeal through sheer power.

She had stationed her strongest forces right next to her; regardless of what path they took, they would inevitably be met with powerful warriors. Argo couldn't tell their exact power, but from their sheer aura he could surmise they were at least Grade D, some reaching early Grade C. 

He felt uneasy, she had been down here for years or even decades. Her strongest warriors were only those reaching that level? It might've made sense considering anything stronger would've been able to resist such corruption. But it still left him suspicious, was she hiding a stronger being somewhere else?

Aria blurred, reappearing in a flash of azure light. She wasted zero time in confronting an enemy- any opportunity she would take willingly. Her blade sundered the air, attempting to strike down the man wielding the great sword. She must've surmised he was the strongest one. Aria's aura had heightened to its peak; a galaxy filled with radiant stars enveloping her in a divine aura. 

Faye met the spear-wielder head on, exchanging a flurry of blows in seconds. Her summon jumped into the fray- assisting her from the side. Black light entangled against silver in a dance of death, both figures locked in a stalemate. Argo's mind whirled with how they could both keep up with such powerful adversaries. Last time he checked Aria's stats were around D, and Faye was F.

Was it hard for the women to maintain precise control over stronger individuals? All of that manipulation should take a toll on any being no matter how strong. More intricate control must require more effort, from what Argo could deduce. 

Before Argo's thoughts could continue, twin daggers flashed from behind him. He dodged, rolling across the floor in a cloud of dust. He had been on high alert for any attack. Yet, his assailant had somehow managed to graze his back with his blades. He felt blood trickle from his back, staining the floor in crimson.

Argo's aura heightened, white mana coalescing around him. He was tired, and barely hanging on by a thread. He focused on strengthening mana reinforcement. He wasn't operating at his peak strength- such was the result of using his Inherent. 

As he haphazardly parried a flurry of strikes, Argo accessed the Records in a desperate gamble. He had received a plethora of new skills and items for eradicating the women's army. There were bound to be spells he had gained that could turn the tide.

Quest: Free the Sun from it's eternal bindings.

Name: Argo

Epithet(s): Last Hero

Rank: 0

Inherent: [The Miracle]

Traits: [Dichotomy], [Hero of Finality]

Skills: [Hex Barrier], [Basic Swordsmanship], [Flame Bow], [Fire Lance], [Fire Circle], [Wind Step], [Mana Shield], [Swift Steps]

Stats: [Strength: F+], [Endurance: E-], [Dexterity: E-], [Agility: E-], [Mana: F] 

Equipment: [Embrace of Gleneus], [Iron Sword], [Silver Longsword], [Iron Gauntlets], [Wooden Buckler], [Iron Dagger], [Apprentice Wand], [Bracelet of Strength], [Earring of Endurance], [Wolf Cowl], [Robe of Endearment], 

A torrent of information flooded his mind. He created some distance, diverting some of his attention to the new skills and drops he had obtained. He quickly discarded his unnamed sword, equipping [Silver Longsword], [Bracelet of Strength], and [Earring of Endurance]. Argo poured all of his effort into barely dodging the storm of strikes.

The assassin moved like in a blur- Argo barely keeping up with him due to a variety of factors. If it was the original human, he had no doubt the boy would win without much effort. That was the difference between stat levels. 

Clothes would take longer to manifest, and he believed with a cursory glance the items he had chosen would give him a slight edge. An ornate earring, and simple band manifested itself out of light. Argo felt his strength and endurance rise by a sub-rank, allowing him to gain a slight reprieve as he exchanged strikes with the rogue.

His new sword gleamed with a pearlescent light, an edge much sharper then his previous weapon. It was of regular quality and craftsmanship, but it far outmatched his old sword. It felt slightly heavier, and well-balanced allowing Argo to move with more finesse.

With renewed vigor, Argo parried a dagger thrust before the Record whispered in his mind.

[Combine [Flame Bow], [Fire Lance], and [Fire Circle]?]

'Huh?'

He had never heard the Records speak to him before. The only time he could recall was when he had first entered the Tower. And you could combine skills? Sweat pouring from his brow, Argo accepted the merging of multiple skills as he tried to dodge the storm of dagger strikes.

[Success! You have obtained [Inferno Ballista]].

[Combine [Gale Step] and [Swift Steps]]?

[Success! You have obtained [Gale Drift]].

[Combine [Hex Barrier] and [Mana Shield]]?

[Success! You have obtained [Greater Hex Barrier]].

The intrinsic information contained within each skill flowed through his mind, and Argo activated them like it was second nature. The sense of equilibrium of mana in his core tilted, multiple spells conjuring themselves out of air.

A vibrant, multi-layered green barrier materialized before him; blocking a slash cloaked in a red hue. The barrier he had summoned felt significantly stronger then before, remaining sturdy and draining less mana after deflecting an empowered attack from a Grade D individual.

Argo dissipated it, capitalizing on the small opening to deliver a vicious kick. He empowered a five second application of [The Miracle], hoping it would incapacitate his adversary. Argo felt the youth's abdomen crunch, giving away in a shower of white light as he sent the boy flying into a nearby column.

'I'll make this quick.'

In the split second dust flew into the air from the collision, Argo activated [Inferno Ballista]. His confident was at an all time high. Coupled with his stats breaching early E levels, Argo's strength had soared from earlier. It was still a far cry from contending with someone at the likes of D. But if stats were the only thing that mattered in battle, then the world would be vastly different then it currently was.

A longbow crafted from crimson flames appeared in his hands, a halo of fire surrounding his feet. A javelin of pure fire stretched itself against the incendiary bowstring. The temperature in the room rising drastically. It felt like he was standing in the middle of a volcano- but it didn't bother him in the slightest.

From what Argo could tell, the fire circle below his feet augmented his ability to manipulate and strengthen fire related spells. He felt the mana in the air undergo a profound shift. It bended to his will without resistance, inheriting the traits of fire while receiving an enhancement. He drew the string back, a dense amount of mana exuding pressure around him.

But he could also surmise the powerful spell he had conjured required a charge time. Intrinsic with all powerful spells was a wind-up time of drawing in mana, conjuring the spell, filling it with mana, then releasing it. Any misstep would result in the spell collapsing. All of this information came to him like it was written on the back of his hand; courtesy of the Records.

His target excelled in swiftness, a user proficient in daggers capitalized on speed. Argo could only hope that his kick had knocked him out for a bit; and that the sheer power contained with this spell would obliterate him. He had placed everything on this one attack. Argo realized he wouldn't be able to best his opponent in close combat. His technique and stats couldn't measure up an experienced warrior. So he would have to result to something else.

The stones around Argo heated in an incandescent orange. He poured all of his mana into the conflagration of flames, his heart roaring. The dust stirred, revealing the teen boy gazing at him with an empty look. A crimson aura poured into the youth's body, as his figure blurred toward him. 

'I won't let you.'

Argo strained his mind, activating [Greater Hex Barrier]. A green shield wove itself out of mana, slamming into the moving figure, before crushing him against the column again. The youth struggled, his face contorted into a grimace as he was squeezed between dark stone and green energy.

'I have to stall him for as long as possible, but its taking too much damn mana!'

Maintaining two spells was proving to be a laborious task for Argo, after all he was no mage. But despite that shortcoming, it felt like the mana in the air were surrendering themselves to him. It was like they desired to flow into his core, and be subjected to his will.

'Blessed by mana, huh.'

Argo had greatly underestimated the blessings of mana. He thought it was only limited in his ability to manipulate, and absorb it. But it seemed to go deeper then being able to manipulate it to a significantly easier degree then the average person. It most likely helped him in spell conjuration, and multi-tasking befitting a seasoned mage. That was most likely why he was capable of maintain two strong spells without the likeness of a mage. Regardless, he felt the mana flowing into his core was still not enough.

Within a couple of seconds, the barrier shattered, dumping the youth onto the cold ground. While actively suppressing the abnormal flood of mana brought about by the blessings, Argo was unable to maintain the barrier for too long. Keeping two strong spells up at the same time should've already been impossible for someone at his level. But he without a doubt would discard any notions of hiding his boon if he was in significant danger.

The assassin didn't waste a moment, disappearing in a flash of red. Compared to others, the youth's use of mana was designed to be discreet. Like a leaf blowing in the wind- he almost seemed to blend in with the air. Avoiding pitfalls and cracks in the floor, he moved like a shadow as he crossed the distance between them.

Argo's sensitivity to mana had increased- most likely the result of the deeper connection he had forged with it. And if there wasn't such a dense amount of mana in the air as a result from his spell, he wouldn't have noticed the assassin approach at all. Both of those factors had allowed him to barely react.

To Argo's shock, the assassin threw both of his daggers. He must've realized he wouldn't reach Argo on time, deciding to abandon his weapons to disrupt the spell. They pierced the air, the wind whistling as their silver tips threatened to skewer Argo. 

'Done.'

In the midst of a blazing firestorm, Argo released a lance wreathed in blistering fire. The sheer firepower contained within the spell knocked the daggers off course, pulverizing his adversary in a incandescent explosion.

The cathedral rocked, flames and ash engulfing Argo's surroundings. The powerful force had brought a standstill to all of the skirmishes for a moment. 

[You have slain Arlo, a mundane-level human].

Essence poured into Argo, but he didn't feel any qualitative change. He was currently augmented with two accessories, and was coming off an abundance of essence from slaying the army. He doubted killing another human would increase his stats at the moment.

He averted his thoughts from the darkness roiling in the pit of his stomach. He only hoped the excuse of self-defense would ward off any darker thoughts infringing on his consciousness. 

The pews had been crafted of a dark rock, impervious to the flames burning around them. The smoke slowly started to clear, revealing a charred husk of what remained of Arlo.

'For what its worth, I'm sorry.'

Argo glanced at the state of his companions as he slumped against a pillar. The sheer amount of mana he had used drained him of everything. Enough that he was unable to maintain mana reinforcement. Without the accessories boosting his endurance and strength, Argo would've been knocked unconscious during [Inferno Ballista]'s wind-up time.

Aria was overwhelming her opponent in a flurry of strikes; she would either deliver a series of chaotic slashes or unsheathe her crescent blade in flashes of light. She had finally decided to release her power in full force; crescent blades constructed of cerulean energy scything her opponent down.

Argo deduced his opponent had been at the lower ranges of Grade D, while Faye and Aria dealt with a low Grade C. He was lucky, if he was pitted against someone nearing the likes of Grade C, he would've have no chance of victory. 

Faye was a little bit worse for wear, focused on defending streams of silver light. Her enemy was ruthless, fighting with vicious poise and power. After all, Faye's stats didn't even reach the upper F ranks. Her squire was playing a pivotal role in their duel- capitalizing on any openings that appeared. It allowed it's master to gain bits of reprieve against her superior opponent. 

Argo attempted to shake off his weariness, trying to figure out a way to assist Faye.

Before he could, a silent energy descended on the battlefield; enveloping the surroundings in serenity befitting a night sky.