Fear Not The Elf Who Knows 10,000 Spells - Chapter 24

Floating atop the battlefield I gave the whole area one last surveying look, using full sight mana detection, before shutting it off to normal mana detection. I was starting to get a headache.

Everyone's mana levels were gone as they didn't have the life force to generate any. Meaning, thankfully, hopefully, everyone was dead, Dave.

I flew away from the battlefield to the direction of Ackerheim, as I was lost in thought. How do I get the Shineglow Moss from the Death Tunnel?

Yeah, I saw them scattered throughout the tunnel lighting it up, but they were too deep.

Hmm... there were some closer to the exit from the other side. Maybe if I flew over the mountain, find the other hole of the Death Tunnel I could get in, get the moss and get out without having to fight the Ancient Einsam. Should be possible, right?

I should have enough time to do that. Exterminating the army took less than an hour, for the whole thing. The part the took the most time was fighting that knight and assassin.

Alright, it's not even dawn yet. Time for that experiment.

I went down to the ground, landing on some grass away from anything, not even animals were around me. Good. I can concentrate and see if my suspicion was true, without something interrupting me.

"I thought you were in a hurry?" Minus questioning tone came through the link.

"Something I just have to check." I said as I closed my eyes, passively letting my mana detection stay on, but not focusing on it, only on myself, on my own body and magic.

Jilwer.

I used only Minus' mana while casting the spell. I let my body speed up while observing it.

!!!

I couldn't help the grin forming on my face.

Just like I thought, my mana reserves were refilling before my eyes, in real time at a much accelerated rate.

This is just my theory, but based on what I'm seeing Jilwer normally speeds up everything about my body, physically and spiritual, which can probably account for why I can do things faster even if they don't have to do with physics. This includes not only my metabolism (gonna have to check how this deals with poison, and if I can get poison resistance out of it), but also my magic biology.

Like how fast I refill my mana reserve.

Of course I never noticed before because, well, very obviously the cost of casting Jilwer and up keeping it, was greater than the sped up mana renewel. That's not counting all the spells I use in conjunction with Jilwer.

But here, using Jilwer only and with someone else's mana? Welp, I got outright fast mana regeneration.

"T-This..."

I blinked as I forgot about Minus. Huh, noticing it now, she was also giving me mana, bit by bit so I'd keep refilling my own reserves without overwhelming me. Didn't even notice her doing that till now.

What I did notice and very obviously was the emotions I could feel from the link.

"Young Trenn, this... do you know what this is? What you're done? Discovered!?"

I elation I felt from her, the sheer giddiness was like that of a little girl.

There was just a feeling of pure euphoria sprouting from Minus. I mean, I'm glad she's happy but why's she acting like this is that much of a big deal? Isn't she centuries or millennia years old? I can't be the only person to discover a quick mana refuel method.

"Mana Regeneration?" I asked.

Minus giggled and laughed. For quiet a while too.

I waited a few minutes till she calmed down. Once she regained her breath, she spoke again.

"Thank you." The sheer sincerity in her words freaked me out a bit. Was me helping her, in whatever I did, a good thing or a bad thing?

It sounded like I helped her unlock the last piece of a puzzle to something or other.

"You're welcome?" I said questioning once again.

Minus laughed once more.

"You do not know how revolutionary what your actions just were, young Trenn. But do know that they are most definitely worthy of praise." Minus said, gratitude pouring from the link.

Oh. Cool.

"I can not wait till I have you studying under me."

Aaaaand we're back to stranger danger territory once again.

"...Cool." I said back lamely.

It took a whole hour for my reserves to fully refill from the half fill they were at.

Good to know. Now it was finally time to head to Froststaub mountains.

===x===

Four Schnellwurf and about half an hour later, I was floating in the sky looking at the exit of the Death Tunnel overlooking the South-Eastern Sea.

Schnellwurf was one hell of an overpowered travel method. An almost two months trip (of normal walking) shrunk down to half an hour. Fuck yeah.

Only an eighth of my mana was used. Schnellwurf was economical as hell. And even that amount of mana was regenerated quickly thanks to Minus feeling pretty damn generous for whatever I helped her discover.

I looked at the exit, entrance—Whatever, opening of the Death Tunnel in front of me with none too little worry and trepidation.

There is no rope anchored to a wood post on this side. I'd have to get in and out quickly without the Einsam noticing me.

Just get the Shineglow Moss and get out.

...Having mana detection on will have the Ancient Einsam detect me instantly. In order to avoid it sensing me, I need to have my own mana suppressed to the absolute.

I can do it. Zero mana emission.

But I'd have to stay still. Move like a fucking snail.

But it is possible. I can do it.

If it doesn't sense me. If it doesn't know I'm there, I can get in and out without it even knowing. It can only exist in one location. It can't be everywhere in the tunnel.

I took a deep breath and let it out. I'm freaking myself out. I need to calm down.

Review the list of spells that can help in this situation. I knew quite a bit so far, even if I didn't have the chance to use them, or didn't see the need or preference for them.

If there is one thing I can say about old Schroff's mountain folk spells that they are were designed to ensure survival for many situations. That was the point of them, beyond hunting and growing crops.

No, well, one could argue that's also for the sake of survival.

I slowly floated down from the side of the tunnel's entrance, just in case the damn monster was looking out.

I lowered my mana as possible, then I was on the cliff of the Death Tunnel, back to the wall next to the entrance.

I killed my mana emission. I took a breath.

Okay, so far so good. I need to get the timing for spellcasting absolutely right.

First things first.

Schattenschritt.

I summoned just the necessary amount of mana for the spell and instantly cast it.

My presence seemed to dim. My shadow seemed darker, like it was climbing up at me, lengthening in any place there wasn't direct light. With the cloudy sky, I was starting to look like a living shadow.

The spell for temporarily concealing myself in darkness worked as intended.

Adlerblick. The spell for hawk eyesight.

Totemseele. Layered over it, I cast a spell that temporarily grants the qualities of an animal. According to Schroff, usually it's just speed and strength. You'd have to study an animal, or beat it down, and sit next to it, synchronizing with it's life, mana and body to learn how to call on the quality you want for when you use this spell.

I invoked the direwolves I fought while living and travelling upon this mountain.

They may not be the stealthiest—and that might be a preference rather than an ability issue—but they were the best at tracking their prey. Even if they weren't that strong, their senses are top notch, so it should help in noticing anything amiss. Hopefully.

That way, I can catch anything off before the illusions begin.

Finally, Geisterjagd.

This was a spell that reveals traces of recent movement, footprints, scents, any type of trail. It is a spell cast on myself and my senses, rather than the environment. Which means, the Einsam wouldn't detect mana on the surroundings.

I thought about trying Erdgeistflüstern for extra measures. A spell to communicate with the spirit of mountains, rivers, the land, etc.

However, the spell was a crapshoot for me. All I got was a map of the surroundings, which I could already do with full mana sight.

Yeah, I could feel vague emotions from the surroundings, making me able to tell if animals or people passed through and area recently, or get a feelings of death if some predators hunted a prey, but overall, the spell didn't work as advertised for me. Or maybe I'm just not compatible with it.

I tried it on the mountain here near the Death Tunnel once. There was the feeling of death and decay as expected. Lots of forgotten fears. But there was this feeling of, how to describe it, like an old woman watching over things. Like a sense of amusement, fascination with the world and deadly focus.

It was most definitely the Ancient Einsam fucking with me somehow. I didn't bother using Erdgeistflüstern after that.

I took another deep breath, and released it. Mana complete suppression go.

Alright. Let's do this.

I turned my head and lean in to look into the Death Tunnel. It was dark with points of bright light that was the Shineglow Moss.

There was a patch twenty feet the tunnel's mouth.

I could hear the Einsam in there. It was... breathing? A steady breath. It was a sleep?

My eyes widened, a small smile coming to my face. Lucky me.

Slowly, every so slowly I took a step inside.

My pupils dilated as I fully entered the tunnel. I could hear the Einsam loudly with my enhanced senses, as it's breath reverberated off the walls.

There. Far into the depth of the tunnel, about half way in the length of the tunnel was the monster. I could see the Ancient Einsam with its back to me. It was sitting on a large rock. The shape of its shoulder rising and falling the smallest bit.

19 feet to the moss.

I took a step further, crouched, quiet. Even my breathing was shallow, trying not to let even a decibel of sound.

17 feet to the moss.

The Einsam didn't move. It's position didn't change.

15 feet to the moss.

The ground was thankfully mostly even, and more importantly solid. No fragile or crumbling stone to crack under my weight, when stepping on them.

13 feet to the moss.

I kept the Einsam in my sight. Yes, with my enhanced senses I should be able to sense the instant it wakes up, or moves.

I couldn't afford to put my hopes on "shoulds".

11 feet to the moss.

The wind came from behind me. The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, or calmly hitting the beach's sand, echoed behind me. And with it, the ocean wind came, making a whistling noise as it passed through the cave.

9 feet to the moss.

I froze. For one heart stopping moment, I worried that the "noise" of the ocean would be too loud and wake up the Einsam. I'd have to rocket myself out of the tunnel instantly if that's the cave.

But what if this is normal? It lives here. It had lived here for millennia—allegedly—so doesn't it makes sense that the natural sounds are just background noise to it. Stuff it heard so many times, and go used to so much it doesn't notice or focus on anymore?

5 feet to the moss.

Well. Shit.

There are sharp uneven rocks as part of the ground.

I could walk over them but would they break? Make a cracking sound?

Wait no. I'm overthinking this. There's a very easy solution.

I cast Luftstieg, and rose up in the air, just a few inches above the ground, enough to not be touched by the uneven terrain.

Leichtstein.

Then I cast the spell to make things weigh less on myself and waited.

The ocean wind came whistling, and like a feather I was blown inward into the tunnel.

-1 feet away from the moss!

I stopped!

I canceled Leichtstein and forced myself to stay suspended in mid-air.

Was the mana I emitted in my sudden actions felt?

I snapped my head to the Einsam and it was still just as it was in place. Still moving it's shoulders lightly up and down, still consistently breathing. Still asleep.

My hands were on my mouth and nose, focusing on not letting out a peep while my heart thundered in my ears.

God, fighting the damn thing was better than this.

For one single moment, the traitorous thought of just casting some quick and overpowered Zoltraak came to mind. Just kill the damn thing right here and now quickly, and never have to worry about it again.

Except how many times did I think I killed it, only to turn out that it tricked me and survived.

That thing's senses for mana and attacks on it were insane. Hell, I tried sniping it from outside the tunnel a few times, and still it didn't work. Worse, I might have entered without the rope tied to me, if it hadn't been for Flink shooting an arrow to where I was warning me.

And right now I was inside the tunnel. Without the rope.

Okay.

Okay, okay, okay.

Focus on the task.

I looked at the moss from my peripheral vision, still keeping all my focus on the damn monster.

I reached out and grabbed some.

You know that feeling when you shaking someone's hand and get shocked from static electricity.

I just felt that, but the magical version. There was a spasm from my mana interacting with something.

My eyes widened. I gathered my mana for a Schnellwurf, pointing myself out of the cave, all while watching and waiting for the Ancient Einsam's reaction.

What did I touch? Did I touch some magical item? Maybe another of those mana tendrils the Einsam acts with?

Yet... the Einsam didn't move. Nothing changed about it's posture or behavior.

I glanced at the Shineglow Moss for a second. Yep, it's the damn stuff I need, and nothing seems off about it.

I looked back and the Einsam was still the same.

I fucking hate this horror movie shit.

Jilwer.

I grabbed a handle. Four times, stuffing them in my travel bag, and cast Schnellwurf out of the cave.

A sonic boom echoed and I rocketed out of the damn Death Tunnel, out running the fucking Einsam!

"WOOOHOOO!" I cried out at the open skies, and I flew up to head back to Ackehiem—

CRASH!

The sky was gone. The lights were dimmed.

I was still in the Death Tunnel having smacked face first into the ceiling.

I looked around in panic.

Blood drained from my face. Heart thundered ever louder, and as the ringing in my ears drowned out any sound.

The Ancient Einsam was there, standing on the ground a dozen or so meters away from me. It's laugh a scratching horrifying sound, like a cat trying to mimic human laughter.

Floating above its hand were Shineglow Moss. I looked at my back to see some missing. Except what I had in my back was just some dirt.

I looked back to see the Shineglow Moss held by the Einsam get stripped of it's illusion to show dirt in the shape of the moss.

"Oh you motherfucker!"

"Ḩ̶͂a̶̺̅h̶̺͑ḁ̵̈́h̶̲̿ả̸̠h̸͈͠a̶̦͒h̶̜̎ã̴̝!̴̬͐"

===

Minus: One day. I've literally known this child for literally one day and he already unlocked the path to unlimited mana for me. I fuckin love this kid. This kid is mine!

Also obligatory boss fight. Trenn wasn't escaping it. :(