jmclarke
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Chapter 589: The Terror of Advancement
🕑 Added 2023-05-18 22:10:27 +0000 UTC“Alex and Claygon could be in trouble.” Isolde gripped the arms of her seat. “I have never seen a construct like that before in my life. Nor have I heard of one.”
Thundar squinted at Magnus. “Did you see what Prime did to everyone it went up against? By my ancestors, Vesuvius was the only opponent that could challenge it.”
“I…I am aware,” Isolde said. “I know Claygon is powerful, but this Prime…”
“He’s got tricks that will be hard for Claygon to deal with.” Theresa’s jaw clenched. “Where did this guy come from anyway?”
“That is a puzzle, but I cannot help but feel there is something familiar about the man…though I cannot say where I know him from.” Isolde’s grip on her armrests tightened. “Is he an expedition member, perhaps?”
“Not one I know,” Thundar grunted. “Having Prime around would’ve been pretty damn helpful when that petrifying Ravener-spawn showed up trying to kill everyone. I think I would’ve noticed a construct like that before.”
“Me too,” Theresa muttered. “It couldn’t be someone from the hells, could it? Someone looking for revenge.”
Thundar looked at her sharply.
Selina gasped. “Oh no, do you really think so?”
“I dunno, we did irritate a lot of demons and their allies when we went down there,” Thundar growled. “But most of them are too dead to come looking for vengeance. And I don’t remember anything that looked like…that ‘force construct’ thing trying to kill us down there.”
“I also do not believe that it is a cultist…why would a cultist enter a contest at random?” Isolde raised an eyebrow at the masked man, then looked at Professor Salinger, seated across the arena.
The Professor was shaking his head at the masked competitor, and rolling his eyes.
“I wonder if he knows him—Oh dear.” Realisation struck the young nobleman. “I believe I know who he is. This is…not optimal.”
“Is Alex in danger?” Selina asked. “Who is that masked man?”
“No, he is not in danger,” Isolde said. “If my assumption is correct, at least…but some folk might be on the verge of losing a lot of coin.”
Thundar swallowed. “How uh…how real do you think that danger is?”
“Unfortunately, quite real. I believe Alex faces—”
###
“Magnus Ekavir! Alex Roth! ” the announcer called. “Prepare your proxies!”
Claygon nodded at his father, raising his war-spear. “We will…defeat this threat together, father.”
Alex swallowed. “We’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
A wave of anxiety washed over him—coupled with images of the large amount coin he and his friends had bet on his match as it sprouted wings and flew away—but all he could do was acknowledge his anxiety and let it pass. He didn’t want Claygon sensing his fear, and he also needed all of his faculties to face this opponent.
Magnus raised his gloved hands then began casting a spell using a staccato, clipped, rhythm and precise syllables.
Mana gathered around him and the hairs on Alex’s neck began to rise.
‘That’s a huge amount of power,’ he thought. ‘Maybe a sixth or seventh-tier spell?’
The man’s voice—low, gruff and clearly disguised with wizardry—continued to rise in volume, until it reverberated off the walls of the arena. With hushed breaths, the audience waited in anticipation.
Within the arena, the air shimmered as though the day had turned scorching hot. Power pooled unseen, wavering within the cage like the desert heat.
A nebulous shape began taking form.
Black force magic congealed, creating a towering figure that loomed at least half again Claygon’s height, and twice his width. A head shaped like a giant’s axe-blade emerged above hulking shoulders that materialised with a pair of force-magic ballista mounted atop them. A wide torso formed, bearing a pair of arms as thick as old oaks, each ending with a fist the size of Alex’s torso.
Six broad, spear-like legs protruded from a humanoid torso, but instead of a bottom half that resembled a centaur’s, the lower body was that of a silence spider or other insectile monster. Each leg twitched, scraping their sharp tips along the ground.
The stone screamed.
A long tail ending in a scythe-like blade that could have cut Alex in half with a single stroke, lazily flicked back and forth.
“Prime…is incredible…I can see how it defeated Vesuvius…” Claygon said with admiration.
“Thank you,” Magnus politely acknowledged the compliment in that same clipped tone.
“Yeah, buddy.” Alex studied the construct, noting the ink-black colour of the force magic. His suspicions were all but confirmed. “Yeah, now I understand why Vesuvius lost, especially when you know who’s controlling Prime.”
“Who…is it?”
Alex answered mentally. ‘Someone in disguise, buddy. I’m not going to out him, but I’m gonna let him know that I know who he is. I’m not going to play along like a fool.’
The Thameish wizard glared at Magnus. “Hey, we’re punching down a little, aren’t we? What’s someone like you doing in a competition like this?”
Magnus met Alex’s gaze with a forceful intensity. “Prime is capable of much more than punching. From the rumours and reports I hear, your Claygon is capable of much more than punching as well. I hope I won’t be disappointed.”
“Who…are you?” the golem asked. “Father said that…you are in disguise. I…want to know who I will actually be fighting.”
Alex winced.
“It’s rude to out an opponent who wishes to compete incognito, Mr. Roth,” ‘Magnus’ said.
“I’m not the one who called you out, Magnus!” Alex fired back.
The announcer and audience had gone silent, eagerly watching the drama play out.
“Father said that he would not reveal who you are…” Claygon said slowly. “But I am not…father, and I want to know who I’m fighting.”
“I…” Alex was about to say something to his golem, then bit it back. “I can’t say I blame you there, buddy.”
“Hmph, it’s still uncouth…but, Claygon is a warrior and only new to the world, after all, so I will indulge him,” ‘Magnus’ said. “Fine, if it’s my name you want, then you can have it, brave golem. You are facing my proxy, Prime, and as for me…I am…”
‘Magnus Ekavir threw back his cloak, revealing arms sheathed in long black gloves reaching to his shoulders. With his left hand, he peeled the glove from the right arm.
The audience held their breaths, then in concert, they gasped.
Where one would expect to see an arm of flesh, blood and bone, a prosthetic force construct was revealed.
“Shit,” Alex swore as the man removed the mask covering his face.
A dark complexioned face, with a chin edged in a thick black beard, stared back at him.
It was a face he knew well, right down to the disciplined, no-nonsense expression.
“I’ve been fighting under a moniker,” he proclaimed, “But this brave golem has asked for my true identity, so I shall share it with all of you. My name is Professor Harsha Ram.”
Gasps swept through the audience.
Some swore.
Others leaned forward in excitement.
“And that’s exactly what I was afraid of…” Alex muttered. “A full-on professor who specialises in combat magic. He’s got to be capable of seventh…maybe eighth tier magic. Yeah, as I said. We’re in trouble.”
“Thank you…for giving me your name,” Claygon gave Ram a slight bow. “May we have…a good contest.”
“You have fine manners,” Ram complimented him.
‘Can we…win, father?’ Claygon asked mentally.
‘Honestly? I don’t know,’ Alex thought. ‘Just because you’re a university professor at a magic school doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a combat monster, but it does mean that you’ve mastered magic in a way that most wizards can only dream of. Seventh-tier spells, eighth-tier, possibly even ninth-tier. And the thing about Ram is—from everything I know about him—the man is a professor and a combat powerhouse.”
‘We have…beaten foes stronger than us…many times. Remember Zonon-In. Remember the demons. Remember Kaz-Mowang.’ Claygon thought.
‘True, but in those situations, we had strategy, surprise, numbers and coordination on our side. Now we only have you and me against a wizard with at least three to five times my experience…actually, no wait.’
Alex’s eyes narrowed on Prime. ‘We’re not strictly facing Ram are we? …we’re facing his proxy. And you’re also a state of the art powerhouse, Claygon. You know what, forget my nerves. We can do this.’
‘We will…do it. We will do it.’
“Well, this is quite the surprise, folks!” the announcer shouted. “No wonder our intrepid challenger has been destroying the competition! A professor of the university is indeed a very skilled wizard! So, tell the audience, what made someone as…powerful as you choose to grace our humble competition?”
Ram smiled. “There has been much talk lately about new constructs and advancements in alchemy. But—in the face of new trends—many fail to remember that other disciplines make advancements as well.”
The professor gestured to Prime. “Prime is the result of a spell prototype that I created. For millennia, wizards have had to rely on expensive or dangerous golem craft, unreliable summoning magic, or the lengthy process of familiar-binding in order to create loyal and powerful servants.”
Ram’s pride in his construct was obvious. “Well, to that, I say no more! The domain of the wizard is the spell. And modern spellcraft can do anything if pushed properly: here, you’re seeing a construct produced by a single powerful spell! No lengthy alchemy, no bargaining with an otherworldly entity…just pure magic and imagination. That is the future, unbound by beakers and summoning circles! I intend to prove that today: Prime will face and defeat Claygon, who is—according to many—the epitome of golem-craft. You can call our contest a proof of concept, if you will.”
“For science it is, then!” the announcer shouted. “Two cutting-edge advances in magical study, facing each other in our arena today, folks! This is not just an epic match-up! This is history in the making!”
The crowd roared their enthusiasm.
“Witness something that has never been seen before!” the announcer’s voice echoed through the venue, but even his words couldn’t drown out the internal screams gripping Alex.
He looked up at Toraka—sitting in the VIP box—surrounded by potential clients. Her lips had flattened to a hard line and her body language was stiff like lightning coursed through her body.
The potential buyers were whispering to each other, pointing between Prime and Claygon.
“Shit…shit, shit…shit.” Alex muttered.
‘This is bad, colossally bad.’
If Prime beats Claygon, that could damage the image we want our new golems to have…or even golems in general. Ram’s spell could devastate the Golem Works and my business ventures with Toraka and Lucia.
A cold sweat rose on his skin.
There was no possible way to compete with ‘learn a spell and make all the constructs you want anytime or any place.’ He had to prove that Claygon’s quality and value far exceeded Prime’s.
And even then, it’d be an uphill battle.
‘He’s crushed all kinds of monsters and adversaries to get here,’ Alex thought. ‘For me to prove that our golems are worth the coin, we can’t just beat Prime…we have to crush it. Humiliate it. Annihilate it.’
‘I…hear you…father…’ Claygon raised his war-spear.
“Give it your all!” Ram’s voice rumbled. “I will not accept anything save for your best!”
“And that’s what we’re here to see!” the announcer shouted. “Wizards and their proxies giving their all! And now that all is revealed, we have kept you—our wonderful audience—waiting long enough! And so, get ready for Prime and Harsha Ram vs. Claygon and Alex Roth! Who will come out on top?”
Alex tensed.
Claygon’s stance shifted.
Prime’s fists opened and closed like the snapping jaws of a ferocious beast.
A smile curved Ram’s lips.
“Let’s find out!” the announcer shouted. “Begin!”
The bell rang.
And Ram wasted no time.
The ballistae on Prime’s shoulders immediately released a torrent of bolts at Claygon. They expanded, blurring through the air until they were the size of the golem’s war-spear, driving into his chest before he could even move.
A tremendous explosion rocked the air as he was pushed back by unrelenting force.
Ram’s expression twitched.
And the golem stumbled.
Alex lifted his staff, calling on its power, pouring flight magic into Claygon who was able to steady himself before he fell backwards.
“And we have a devastating opening salvo from Prime!” the announcer called. “How will Alex and Claygon respond?”
“Like this,” Alex said.
“Like…this,” his golem said in tandem.
And power poured into his fire-gems.
###
Author's Notes
Hello twenty-three cool fools, almighty chosen, wise sages, and mighty champions! Thank you for your support!
To those of you who guessed Ram? Great job. I'm glad you caught my hint at the end of last chapter. :)
Cya tomorrow!
Comments
ItWasIDIO!!
Petty Eddie has arrived
Damon Moore
I think people are jumping the gun and misjudging what we've learned about the spell so far. The "6th or 7th tier spell" comment was made by Alex and isn't an official measure of the spell's tier. My theory is that he didn't just make a big ass force construct spell to beat up an old student with, he managed to make it castable at 4th tier, making it far more accessible than Alex's expensive, limited quantity golems.
Julien Fellegara
Without even speaking of the fact that Alex is weaker than him as support. It's like judging the cars without taking account of the drivers.
Fleetpanda
Agreed here. I know the fourth tier spell thing is for the big team tournament, but it was *implied* that it’s a rule for the whole competition. Also his argument makes no sense. A golem can be used by anyone at all, meanwhile this spell is a very high tier, meaning only master mages could use it. Honestly, how is the fact that high tier magic can replace other tools such a revelation. He’s being unsportsmanlike and his entire point is ridiculous.
Robert Paulson
Ok, this has to be said. I've enjoyed every bit of writing from this author.....but I'm on the fence here. It begins by his opponent casting a 'sixth or 7th tier spell' in order to summon his proxy. My understanding was that 4th tier was the limit in the games. I understand that its his construct, but on that wavelength, what's to stop someone like Baelin from bringing a higher tier demon or dragon or some such in order to win the games? An instructor is competing? I was under the impression that there were rules to limit the one-sided possibilities of over classed people wiping the floor with competition. I understand the premise....lets prove this method is better than that.... But this presents like a Ferrari designer competing against the best boy scout at the soap box derby. I'm sure Alex and Claygon will in some fashion prevail, but there will be a caveat hindering pure victory for whoever wins. Just seems like fight scene filler at this point, not adhering to any spirit of the games as previously alluded. I'm disappointed.
mant06
Also fun to see how advanced force magic looks like, though in my opinion, the real advantage of this kind of spell would be adaptibility to suit the opponent/s one is facing, so not for the just learn the spell types. Edit: Tears of the Kingdom allows for some quite innovative telekinetic lifting and bashing(indirect). Force cpnstruct that gathered objects to cover the spells could be quite the beast especially if some good starting materials are provided. It could be quite suitable for Alex if he can make golem cores to cast and direct the spell.
mant06
There is also the issue of mental input and feedback. Ram's spell while very impractical for golem and summoned work is novel and that could cause Alex and Shale troubles for a time as people found out about the points you brought up. But items that would allow people to 'cast' simple utility spells like force ball or wizards hand will likely sell very well. As they wouldn't use that much mana, their desingns are already pretty matured and they would be actually be helpful to people in practically every facet of life.
Will Mill
can't wait\
Orims
Gondolas only work in Generasi though, so that would make this spell truly useless.
Ryan
I assumed the spell would be self sustaining after cast, like the gondolas relying on ambient magic. Even if so its still not perfect reasoning, but if you consider the games as a highly visible advertisement for this prototype spell formation it seem like a reasonable justification
Code Reed
Plus it's not a one and done spell right? For something like that he'd need to chanel magic onto it constantly. It's a construct, not an actual being, so it would just evaporate without enough mana. Yeah this is stupid. Make a one time purchase of a highly capable golem with the capacity to get stronger. Or pay out the ass for a 6th-7th tier mage, and continue to pay them while they work for you. Unless he's got a bunch of tier 2-3 versions. Even then I'm struggling to see what they could do better than the actual wizard that made them. Sure, it's a tank, but the mage is still the weak point.
Orims
Exactly! The games cutttof is 4th tier spells which tells us that even in the greatest wizard university in the world it's a respectable strength magic, so a sixth tier spell is kind of meh considering that you can probably summon a war spirit with a fourth level one or just buy a golem. All in all it's a good tradeoff for a super specialised mage such as him but probably not worth it yet.
Code Reed
Probably, but as long as he doesn't actually involve himself in the tournament officially, like officiating any matches, I don't see a problem. Though, the open ended rules that ANYONE can enter, means even Balin can enter if he wants to, it's just wildly inappropriate. Ram turned public opinion to his side, by saying this was to advertise his advances in magic. It's not like he needs the money. Now if he entered ONLY to get the money his reputation would sink like a stone. Anyone beyond a certain level appears to be discouraged in one way or another from participating. He went in disguise after all, and only revealed himself to the last opponent. He played it smart.
Mayukh Joshi
Exactly, thank you for pointing that out. This was what I was thinking the whole time I was reading that segment!
Aurora1325
thats fun
Nevermind rules Rams argument makes no sense. Only a high tier mage would even be able to use his spell even if it is more powerful.
mhaj58
Aren't there rules against a professor at Generasi competing in the games? Seems like letting a referee bet on a game he's officiating.
