The Exalted Mage - Chapter 18: Mysteries

The bodies were still warm when she finished dragging the last one beneath the trees.

Four corpses now rested in a haphazard pile, limbs splayed and twisted among fallen leaves. Blood had soaked into the roots and moss, black beneath the light of the night. Veronica stood above them, watching in silence. Her breath was steady, and her expression, unreadable. She was deep in thought.

Jameson had said enough—at least, before the curse took him.

The Ashen Covenant had been in Greystone for nearly a year, according to him. At first, they’d moved quietly. Just regular travelers looking for a place to stay. But they had faith, and a lot of it. Talks of rebirth through fire, like that of a phoenix. He claimed that they didn’t reveal their true purpose all at once. It came gradually, festering into people’s minds.

Jameson hadn’t even been a local. He was part of a passing mercenary company, here on unrelated work. When the Covenant found him, they offered something his employers never could.

Power. Belonging. A purpose tied to something larger than themselves.

That’s what most people would like to believe. But in the end, almost all power and greatness is to their own benefit. The weak seek power, then get drunk on it.

Since their arrival, he and his group had remained in Greystone as the Covenant’s hands in the shadows. They handled tasks, eliminated threats, took wandering townsfolk when the opportunity struck. He spoke of the sacrifices plainly, as if they were unfortunate but necessary. Said that the summoned demon would be strong enough to bring them back once the ritual was complete.

To him, was a sacrifice really a sacrifice if they were brought back?

He thought so.

Veronica, however, didn’t believe that. Not for a second. Demons or demonic power couldn’t bring back the dead. Not in the way most people would consider “living.”

She pressed for more—about the Ronswick envoy, about their role—but Jameson’s voice cut off mid-word. A brief stammer. A strained gasp.

Then silence.

Darkness crept across his skin, thin strands like living ink spiraling from his jaw to his throat. His body stiffened, head slumping forward as the light vanished from his eyes. A binding seal—designed to kill its bearer on command. Similar in structure to a slave crest.

The others followed moments later. The wounded mercenary. The one scorched by flame. All dead the same way.

Someone had noticed their failure—and erased them before she could learn more.

Veronica exhaled slowly. She had intended to execute them anyway. They were too far gone—willing to ambush, to kill, to sacrifice innocents for power. If they’d do that to her, what chance would an ordinary villager have?

She felt no pity. Whatever regret they’d felt at the end didn’t undo the lives they’d taken or were willing to take.

It was safer to hide the bodies, rather than let them rot in the open. Even if the cultists knew about her right now, it wasn’t good to have the townspeople panic. It wasn’t too clear whether some of them were in on it either—townsfolk or even Welterman himself.

She hoped they were far enough away that no one had heard the fight.

Veronica placed both palms against the ground and channeled mana downward. The earth rumbled, cracked, then collapsed inward. The bodies dropped several meters as the soil caved in around them. With a final pulse of mana, she sealed the ground shut.

She straightened, bitterness settling in her chest.

During the apocalypse, every living soul mattered. Every survivor was hope. Killing now—even when necessary—felt like a waste.

But she knew better than to hesitate. It was all for the greater good.

Death to the demons—

—and all those who worked with them.

She dusted off her hands and turned her back on the corpses, buried bodies to be forgotten forever.

The Ashen Covenant was moving faster than she remembered.

In her last life, they had been a minor ember—fanatics, yes, but scattered. They worshipped demons like desperate children staring into the sun, not truly understanding the fire they were calling to. Their rituals were fringe. Harmless, almost. Delusional attempts at communion with something they thought could be tamed.

But something had shifted. Or maybe perhaps, something had gone unnoticed for far too long.

Veronica walked. Step by step, back toward Greystone, boots crunching over damp leaves, the quiet hush of the forest curling around her like a closing fist. Her mind traced the cracks in memory.

In the future, the Covenant had never become more than a background threat—loud in philosophy, lacking in force. Once the invasion began, even their most devoted broke under the truth of it. There had been too many demons. Too much hunger. Nothing left to worship when the gods of flame and teeth arrived and made clear they had no love for their followers.

So why were they bolder now?

She vaulted the fence without effort, landing soft in the dark, and slipped between buildings until the inn came back into view. The lamps inside were low. The common room had thinned—just two patrons left, murmuring quietly over mugs of something steaming. The innkeeper gave her a nod. She nodded back and climbed the stairs.

Her room was cold.

Veronica sat at the edge of the bed before leaning back against the stiff pillow, her thoughts too loud for sleep. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling, though she didn’t truly see it.

Something didn’t line up.

The Covenant had been too organized. Too deliberate. Willing to act this early—far too early. Summonings like that hadn’t happened before the first cracks appeared. Not this far in advance. Not in some nameless mining town on the edge of the kingdom.

Veronica sat up, exhaling slowly.

No point worrying about it now. I just have to stop whatever they’re planning. I’ll deal with the Covenant once I’m strong enough.

With that thought settled, she slid into meditation.

She had already defended herself against assassins—ordinary men, nothing more. Now that she was Tier-2, it was time to do what most mages delayed far too long.

Her second set of mana rings.

She guided her mana inward, feeling for the familiar structure around each core. The first rings were already stable, steady, and efficient. The next layer took more focus—more precision—but unlike most mages, this wasn’t unfamiliar territory. She had done this ten times over in her last life.

The rings formed slowly, one after the other, locking into place with a subtle resonance that hummed through her chest. Her breathing steadied as the pressure eased.

♠♠♠

After a simple breakfast, Veronica headed out once more—this time toward the barracks.

Captain Luthen had sent word that morning before she even made it a few steps out of the inn. A guard had come up to her, asking whether she was free. If she were, then they could use her help again in furthering their training.

She had time, so she saw no reason to refuse. Constantly visiting the ritual site wouldn’t do her any good since they were aware of her movements now. As for getting strong—that was tougher to do. Unlike the first and second tiers, she couldn’t simply just work toward them actively. She needed a catalyst for the new few tiers.

The training yard was already active when she arrived. Guards rotated in pairs, shields raised, weapons dulled for practice. Luthen greeted her with a nod, clearly relieved to see her upright and alert.

“Same as before?” he asked.

Veronica rolled her shoulders. “Go all out. I won’t be as tired today.”

She took her place at the edge of the yard and began casting—controlled spells, precise bursts, focused impacts meant to test reactions rather than overwhelm. Fire and force snapped through the air, forcing the guards to move, adapt, think.

She felt it immediately.

The difference.

Mana moved more smoothly now, circulating through her body with less resistance. Less waste. Less strain. This was thanks to the second set of mana rings she formed last night.

[You have completed a quest: Form second set of Mana Rings]
[Reward: Excess Mana Conversion]

The reward was quite simple, according to what Sage explained. Essentially, whenever Veronica generated excess mana—it would expel itself into her surroundings. Sage could then use this to empower any barriers she created. This would prove very useful in the future. Especially whenever she really went all out. Her exalted form was like a living battery for this.

By late morning, the guards were exhausted, but grinning. Luthen called the session off, thanking her once again as they dispersed.

It wasn’t glamorous work—but it mattered. And it kept her sharp. She was even paid 200 Vix for her time. A personal payment from Captain Luthen.

After combat training, she and a group of about ten guards went out on patrol. They checked the perimeter of the town and some areas of interest deeper in the forest. They faced a weak pair of goblins that had created a camp. Veronica mainly watched. The guards were accustomed to fighting these monsters. Only occasionally did Veronica throw a fireball or two to kill a straggler. She didn’t want to waste higher tier spells on weaklings.

She also spent this time looking for clues in the forest. Unfortunately, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Along with that, she had them avoid the areas where she had fought the assassins the night earlier. No point in causing unwelcome panic.

Her time with the guards ended after killing roughly seven goblins and two forest wolves. According to Luthen, it was the new record for kills in a couple of hours.

Later, as she finally sat down to eat and relax, a familiar presence dropped into the chair across from her.

“So,” Finn said, flashing the same shameless grin as always. “When are you going to teach me magic? I promise I’ll be your greatest disciple.”

Veronica sighed into her meal.

Here we go again.

Veronica didn’t even look up. She sat beneath a canopy of high branches and warm sun, the midday breeze rustling through a nearby bush like soft applause. The small public park just off the main square had a few wrought-iron tables, all worn with age but still sturdy. It was quiet here. Peaceful. She’d chosen it specifically to avoid the heat and noise of a tavern or the suffocating air of her room at the inn.

But relaxing wasn’t exactly the word she’d used to describe being hounded by a child.

She finished a bite of her sandwich and dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “I’ve already told you, Finn—I’m not going to teach you magic. I don’t have the time for it.”

“C’mon, pretty please? I’ll do whatever you want!” he said, leaning forward dramatically as if that might sway her.

Veronica reached for her drink. A cold cup of Lemonair Lemonade. It was a drink quite popular among the townsfolk. The sweetness balanced with a faint herbal bitterness. It was quite refreshing.

She took a long sip before answering. “There isn’t anything you can do that I’d want enough to waste time teaching you magic.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m already being nice by not tracking down your parents and telling them what you’ve been up to. Sneaking around at night, spying on cultists—seriously, Finn?”

“I don’t have parents.”

The words landed with weight. Not loud, not bitter. Just... there.

Veronica paused mid-motion, her sandwich still in hand. Slowly, she looked up.

“I’m an orphan. Grew up in town. I never knew them,” he said, voice flatter than usual. The usual sparkle, the childlike excitement—gone, for a moment.

“I see,” Veronica said quietly. “Sorry. That was... insensitive of me.”

She didn’t look away, but neither did she press him for more. She just sat there with the food growing cool in her hands. The breeze passed through again, quieter this time.

Some silence passed between them. Finn shifted in his seat, kicking at a pebble with the edge of his boot.

“I’m still not teaching you magic,” she said eventually, taking another bite.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.

She smirked slightly.

“And stop staring at me while I eat. It’s rude watching a girl chew.”

Finn crossed his arms, turning to the side in a show of mock offense. “Fine. But I’m still going to follow you. I know you’re going to be up to some super cool magic stuff—especially with the Ronswicks arriving soon.”

Veronica sighed and shook her head. “Do whatever you want.”