[Omen of the Witchblade] Chapter 99 — Heavy Lies the Crown

New Quest: Heavy Lies the Crown

The manastorm has caused a fundamental shift in both the trial’s landscape and its denizens. Monsters within the influence of the manastorm are now stronger, with many reaching levels of power previously unintended. Monster evolutions otherwise reserved for Vagrant and Wayfarer Authority tiers of the Convocation have been witnessed within the hallowed hall of martyrs. To prevent the spread of this affliction and the subsequent dissolution of this Exile Authority tier trial, all entities that enter the hall of martyrs will be sealed within until the end of the trial.

Objective: Enter the manastorm ravaged hall of martyrs (0/1).

Reward: (1) [Crown of the Fool]

Divergent Objective: Return to the standard area of the trial (0/1).

Reward: (1) [Boots of the Coward]

“Yeah, yeah, I can take a hint,” Mel said. She stood and brushed the crumbs from the evening’s meal off her newly re-summoned [Sanguine Coat].

[Increased Max Health(Food Buff)]: Maximum health is increased temporarily.

[Increased Max Mana(Food Buff)]: Maximum mana is increased temporarily.

[Increased Max Stamina(Food Buff)]: Maximum stamina is increased temporarily.

[Increased Mana Recovery(Food Buff)]: Mana recovery rate is increased temporarily.

[Increased Stamina Recovery(Food Buff)]: Stamina recovery rate is increased temporarily.

[Enhanced Vigor Aspect Skills(Feast Buff)]: Defensive parameters of Vigor bound aspect skills are enhanced temporarily.

Over the course of the meal, the cost to her health was negated, but she still didn’t have any blood. Mel wasn’t going to use her own unless she really had to. Instead, she used something she never thought she would ever touch.

The vials of [Cursed Blood].

Thankfully, her coat didn’t look any different from normal. Perhaps the blood was a little brighter, but that was it.

She looked at her sleeves, then up at the inner brim of her hat. The coat no longer seemed to suit her.

With a small injection of mana and a clear mental image, Mel changed her [Sanguine Coat] into a bloody cloak that fell over her in a curtain of dark crimson.

She shook her head and changed it back, but with one alteration. Nah, that’s dumb.

Instead of having the coat buttoned up tight against her, Mel altered it so it flowed out and around her like a cloak would while keeping the decorative sleeves.

With her hands firmly grasping her collar, Mel made one other adjustment. Pulling, she extended the collar up until it brushed the sides of her cheeks and curled away slightly.

Mel took off her [Smoke Dash Bangles]. Time and time again, they had caused the same issue that had plagued the naga. She could move her hands so fast now with Grade 10 agility that further increasing the speed of her hands was beyond her ability to control with a High Copper body.

Just like Gwen’s discovering.

Instead, Mel placed the bangles around her ankles. Footwork was naturally slower, increasing its speed would be a greater use of their unique trait.

Much to Mel’s pleasure, when she examined the item again, they were updated to reflect the change in location.

[Smoke Dash Anklets]

(Copper Rank, Armor)

(Epic)

A pair of golden bangles that were won in open combat with the long-dead Impaler. The naga that earned them could never fully control their power, resulting in remarkably swift–yet inaccurate–strikes. Choosing to equip them on your ankles has altered their effect.

Imprint: Greatly raises movement speed. When under the effect of altered area terrain, substantially raises movement speed.

Now that her wrists were free, Mel re-equipped her [Frostbite Scorpion Carapace Bracers].

Ah, much better!

She summoned her [Frostbite Stinger Twinblade].

“Sometimes,” Heath whispered. “I am painfully aware that I am the least cool one here. Even after I picked all the dark aspects!”

Mel glanced over her shoulder. “Only sometimes?”

Something about Heath drew Thomas’ concern. He studied the boy, then relaxed.

Some of the other competitors cried out in surprise when they saw Gwen pull out her beloved legendary greathammer, “Big Sammy”, from the [Soul Kiln]. What had been the size of a fist rapidly expanded into a colossal weapon larger than a person.

The greathammer shimmered faintly with Star affinity.

Several of the other groups watched warily as Mel’s team readied themselves for the coming trial. More than a few faces looked like they were considering putting on those [Boots of the Coward].

Over the course of the feast, Mel had learned that the majority weren’t here for the manastorm’s bounty. By the time it had occurred, most had already been on the mountain.

It didn’t seem like a good idea to ride out the competition here, but desperate people made desperate decisions.

Some had actually been here to train, to make a solid effort at rising through the ratings, but they bit off more than they could chew. Even before the manastorm, the mountain’s conditions were incredibly tough.

She turned to them, causing a few nearest to flinch away. “We all shared a meal and the stories of our lives,” Mel said, pitching her voice to ring out across the half-worked cavernous opening. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we all received the same quest. If you aren’t fully committed to fighting the newly empowered monsters–with the very real chance of death–then I suggest you find another cave to hole up in. There are many on the summit that don’t lead into this hall. Soon many others will come, drawn to the power of the manastorm. Do not be here to greet them.”

With that, she turned, her [Sanguine Coat] flowing out behind her like a banner of blood.

“Show off,” Thomas said, standing beside her.

Heath’s eyes sparkled as he watched her. “I’m loving the new coat, Mel. It really makes you feel like a main character in an anime.”

“Way to ruin the moment, Heath,” Mel grumbled. “Let’s go.”

Gwen chuckled, dragging her BFF hammer along. It left a deep, trailing groove of sparkling dust behind.

Nobody approached them, but Mel could hear a series of conversations cropping up behind her. At the very least, she gave them something to think about.

She hoped they wouldn’t come inside. The last thing she wanted was to have one of them trying to kill her. Nothing would stop her from viciously retaliating, but she wouldn’t feel good about it.

After about 20 feet, a shimmering static veil of mana appeared in front of them. It looked like a cross between a fog wall and a curtain of overcharged mana.

Mel put a hand out, expecting to be let through. Instead, the entire field bent inward like a rubber sheet. Applying a little extra force, the veil parted and begrudgingly admitted her.

It felt like trying to push her way through a long hallway filled to the brim with static charged rubber sheets. She felt her hair pulled in every direction, her coat fluttered behind her like it was caught in a gale. All the while she had to concentrate putting one foot in front of the other until, suddenly, she was out.

Gwen, Thomas, and Heath all came staggering out after her.

Divergent Quest Complete: Heavy Lies the Crown

Objective: Enter the manastorm ravaged hall of martyrs (1/1).

Reward: (1) [Crown of the Fool]

New Quest: Heavy Lies the Crown II

You have made your choice to willingly put yourself in imminent danger. You are now sealed within the hall of martyrs until the end of the trial. Due to the temporal corruption of such high concentrations of mana, the Convocation is employing time compression upon your immediate surroundings. To aid you, a Convocation Timer will be displayed at all times with the localized time compression factored in.

Objective: Slay manastorm corrupted monsters.

Reward: 50 Extra Battle Points per defeat.

(1) Random [Aspect Coin] per defeat.

Additional Objective: Slay the manastorm corrupted boss monsters.

Reward: 2,500 Extra Battle Points per defeat.

(10) Random [Aspect Coins] per defeat.

Tiny gold crowns made out of interlinked gilded triangles appeared over each of their heads. They were small enough that they could’ve been worn as bracelets.

Mel looked up and felt for her crown. “Huh, it’s moving. Ouch! Damn thing is sharp.”

[Fool’s Crown]

(Convocation Item)

Granted to those who persist in folly, this crown is a poor imitation of the [Glory Crown] issued to winners of a Convocation trial. Despite this, the imitation seeks to impress with its gaudy design, ultimately failing and attracting monsters to attack the wearer in a fit of jealousy and disdain. It does, however, possess a hint of the [Glory Crown’s] majesty. Just enough to pass itself off as useful. Impostors, more than any other, crave validation. Even above their own usefulness.

Imprint: Increases Battle Points gained by 15%. Increases enmity from any monster within visual range. Taking damage destroys the crown.

“I’ve never seen a quest continue like this,” Thomas said. “And time compression, while a common–”

Gwen grasped at the [Fool’s Crown] above her head. “No, I’ll get hit immediately! Can’t I give it to someone else?” The hovering, gaudy trinket continuously shifted away from her fingers, perpetually out of reach.

Heath had arrived at the same conclusion. He was trying to corner it with both hands, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth from the effort.

It didn’t help that nobody could see their own crown.

Thomas reached up to Gwen’s false crown, the first to realize the problem. “I feel as if I will be devoured by your regal ancestors for even trying this.”

The crown darted away from his nimble fingers, making it clear that there was only one way to get rid of a crown.

“Sorry, Gwen,” Thomas said. “It looks like we can’t stack it all on Mel and protect her like–”

“The president,” Heath said, nodding.

Thomas stared at him. “No, not like that at all.”

“Suppose not everything has twists to it like the [Primeval Brew],” Gwen said sourly.

“What did it mean by–oh.” At the top of Mel’s vision was a large timer that was nearly invisible until she tried to focus on it.

[Convocation Timer]

13:14

“Hold the phone!” Heath shouted, discovering the Convocation timer as well. “Why does it say thirteen hours?! We had nearly two days left!”

“Time compression,” Thomas explained. “Judging by the time we had left, and the amount of mana condensed in this location, we’re compressed by a third or so.”

“Shouldn’t that mean we move faster or something?” Mel asked. “I never paid attention in Temporal Studies.”

Thomas gave her a dry look. “Why am I not surprised?”

Gwen also turned to him expectantly.

“You too?”

She nodded, giving him the puppy dog eyes. “I did have a lot to catch up on, y’know.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. “All right, quick and dirty breakdown on mana-induced temporal compression.” He raised his wand, eyed Gwen and Mel to see if they would complain, then started to draw in the air with it.

Heath stared, enraptured by the glowing lines forming shapes. “Wow,” he breathed. “It’s just like the old Disney ad they used to play.”

“Heath, buddy, you gotta shut your face for now,” Mel told him. “And listen to the biggest nerd here.”

“Thomas is such a nerd,” Gwen said dreamily, watching Thomas.

To Magi, that wasn’t really a bad thing.

Thomas hardly seemed to mind. “Somewhat similar to the classical effects of gravity with relation to mass, mana causes a similar function in the time-space continuum. The more mana you have, and the denser it is, the more it alters the movement of time. Normally, this isn’t an issue. Watch.”

He created a thin sheet of colored light in the air. “Imagine a rubber sheet. We place a heavy ball here.” A sphere of purple light dropped onto the sheet and stretched it down. “It causes a change in the local temporal substrate. Normally, this isn’t an issue for long.”

As they watched, the orb dissolved into a thousand grains of glowing sand and spread across the sheet. With the weight evenly distributed, the sheet returned to normal.

“Even extremely powerful concentrations of highly dense mana will only warp time for picoseconds at best. However, the Convocation has seen fit to section off this area.”

The sheet shrank considerably, and the ball reformed. The thinner and smaller sheet stretched deeper from the added weight. When it dispersed, there wasn’t enough space for it to spread out and it sank back into the dip that had formed from the ball.

“Without the room to disperse across a wide area, they’ve effectively made it impossible for the mana to normalize. It’s entirely possible that the compression could grow worse, with more mana added to the system.”

Heath stared at the pretty shapes, then looked at Thomas. “But mana is just like…energy, right? It can neither be created nor destroyed.”

Mel laughed.

“What?”

“Oh, you’re serious. Let me laugh harder.”

Thomas shook his head. “Mana isn’t like typical energy. To get into it would require a deep understanding of the relatively flawed Cartesian Dualism, but suffice to say that mana comes from somewhere else and every time we use it, we are introducing new mana into the immediate environs by way of–”

“Thomas,” Gwen prompted. “What does the time compression mean for this locked area of the trial?”

“Right, sorry.” He cleared his throat. “For all intents and purposes, we’re moving at a slower rate than the people outside of this area. About a third. Which is why the timer has gone from forty-some hours to thirteen. Roughly a third of the time people outside have.”

“We have even less time to reach third place,” Mel realized.

“Yet more opportunities to harvest massive amounts of Battle Points,” Thomas said, stepping up to the ledge and looking down the spiral staircase that ringed the pillar they stood upon.

Columns of stone ran up and down haphazardly throughout the room, some only a few feet away. They would have to stay close if they wanted to keep tabs on each other.

Looks like ambush city down there.

Mel had planned out how they might find a safe spot to rest when they grew too tired. She never thought that they’d suddenly have to sprint to the finish line. “So that means every second we’re talking is really three seconds? Let’s go!”