Adventurer: An Isekai LitRPG Adventure (Ends of Magic Book 2), page 1
Adventurer
Ends of Magic
Book Two
Alexander Olson
First published by Timeless Wind Publishing LLC 2024
Copyright © 2024 by Alexander Olson.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Alexander Olson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
First edition
Editing by Silas Sontag and Lorne Ryburn.
Cover art by Miblart.
Contents
Map
Prologue
1. A Long Fall
2. Insights and Intuition
3. A Plan for the Future
4. New Capabilities
5. Old Rivals, New Friends
6. Strange Readings
7. Difficult Study Materials
8. An Emerald Division
9. Preemptive Siege Breaking
10. Wherefore Dost Thou Flee?
11. Town Delays
12. Secrets of Storage
13. A Field Revisited
14. End of Summer
15. Puzzles of Magic
16. A Grudge to Rest
17. Ethics of Captivity
18. Gemore Once More
19. Crafting Conundrums
20. Guardian’s Challenge
21. Guardian’s Farewell
22. Into the Wilderness
23. Wilderness Montage
24. A Lair of Ash and Venom
25. A Glottal Stop
26. To Mourn a Joker
27. A Beast of Terror
28. Dungeons? Dungeons!
29. But Why a Dungeon?
30. Dungeons Are for Suckers
31. Post-dungeon Hangovers
32. A Den of Comfort
33. The Leveling Game
34. The Calm Before a Metal Storm
35. A Catastrophe of a Plan
36. A Complicated Battlefield
37. Wait for It
38. The Second Coming of Tesla
39. When the Cavalry Wears the Face of a Foe
40. To End a Swarm
41. Glory in Battle
42. Departing the Field of Victory
43. The Worst Kind of Surprise
44. Several Marathons
45. An Unexpected Face
46. Friend or Foe
47. A Matter of Magic
48. A Foreboding Future
Afterword
Full Status
About the Author
About Timeless Wind Publishing
Groups
Groups (cont.)
Map
Davrar
Prologue
A Meeting Most Monotonous
Archmage Taeol dho Droxol, Ninth Finger and Fourth Researcher of Giantsrest, slumped back in his chair. He looked up at the ceiling far, far above. Archmage Exea just kept talking. Increased production this, greater slave reproduction rate that. He did not care.
His gaze meandered over the room, eyes lingering on the lines of architecture that were rigid yet elegant. They were at the top of the obelisk-spire of Drozahn. It was the tallest tower of Giantsrest, a space built for Giants, not men. This room was the pinnacle of Giantsrest, the place all of the thousands of toiling students below his feet fought and schemed to have a chance at entering. It stretched hundreds of feet in all directions and was decorated and protected with grand magics. And what did they use it for? Meetings.
Yes, there were magics to prevent echoing and ensure that every word spoken within this space was clearly audible. Enchantments to let them see anything in view of the tower, conjure accurate maps of the surrounding terrain, and access information stored in archives below.
Like the fingers of a fist, the Ascendent Council of Giantsrest was composed of the very top Archmages of the Ascendent Academy. They were the most proficient mages on Davrar, and this arcane wonder was theirs to do with as they pleased.
But if Taeol had to listen to the prune-faced woman talk about how well her governorship of Halsmet was going for five more minutes, he was going to start disintegrating serving slaves to make a point.
Instead, he raised a hand and twiddled his fingers. A young man and woman, barely clothed, hurried to his side, lowering their heads and presenting trays of delicacies. Taeol snatched a sweet bread and a small handful of olives before being distracted by the slave. His other hand drifted lower, thinking about what he might do after the meeting.
Assuming Exea ever shut up. Taeol popped an olive into his mouth with one hand, continuing to feel up the slave with the other.
That’s something the Ascendent Academy really does have, though. Creature comforts. Proper privacy is impossible and so is proper research. But you can't beat the luxuries. I should start planning to head back to my tower. But without materials…
Taeol sighed, eyes drifting along the mages at the table. More than a dozen archmages, all listening with various degrees of attentiveness. Archmage Dennar sat at the head of the table today, having negotiated the chairman position for the meeting. Taeol didn’t know why the old bat wasn’t telling Exea to move on. Probably some political bribe of some kind or another. Or maybe they were fucking. Taeol didn’t care. He was only here to make another request for materials to let him resume his research.
But Taeol was down at the far end of the table, denoting his current favor. Or lack thereof. Next time, he’d ensure that whoever he brought across dimensions was properly managed.
Taeol ate another olive, pushing the slave away. He was about to slump further down and resume examining the room when a crackling orb of lightning appeared at the end of the table next to Taeol. The empty end of the table reserved for the honored founders. Taeol flinched away from it and didn’t even notice that Exea had stopped talking.
The ominous orb only lasted for a few seconds before it popped, revealing a man sitting in a chair.
But this room is more warded against teleportation than my own asshole!
The man didn’t look anything like the others sitting around the table. He was thin and ascetic compared to their fat and pampered figures. His robes were simple and black instead of their colorful and heavily enchanted draperies. And his eyes.
Taeol took pride in his eyes. Their color and glow indicated the heights of Magic which Taeol had achieved. He loved seeing the orange illumination radiated by his gaze when he cast a spell.
But this man’s eyes… they were spirals of multicolored light, shining spiraled patterns wherever the man looked.
That was what it took for Taeol to recognize the new arrival. Taeol’s head slammed against the table as he prostrated himself from his sitting position.“Founder Badud! Praise to the Giant!”
He was echoed by the other mages around the table, though none showed quite the same total subservience as Taeol had. That was good, it meant all the other archmages were fools. If Badud was back, then that meant everything was about to change. And Taeol could ride that change to get what he needed.
After a moment, Badud’s deep voice rolled around the table, grating like a distant avalanche. “Well, it is time to see how Giantsrest has been doing since my last visit…”
“Enter!”
Taeol nervously entered the room, and the door swung shut behind him. Badud had taken over Archmage Dennar’s office, which held a prestigious position just beneath the spire chamber. It was a large, sumptuously decorated room. Taeol noted that some of Dennar’s singing sculptures were cracked and broken, with the rest encased in a silence spell.
He’s not going to be happy about that. I doubt he’s happy about Badud taking over at all and disrupting his nice little fiefdom. Though I’m certainly not happy about how long I had to wait. Did Badud really have to talk to nearly everybody else before me?
Taeol gingerly took a seat in the chair that Badud waved him to. It wasn’t a well-cushioned one. After a second, the honored Founder looked up from the stack of papers and raised an eyebrow. “How is my dimensional protégé doing? Cracked the [Mass Teleport] problem yet?”
Taeol leaned forward, grinning. “No, but by my own thumb I finished the dimensional work I proposed when I was a student.”
Badud’s other eyebrow went up. “Did you now. The project I told you to forget about?”
A drop of sweat rolled down Taeol’s forehead.
Did he? I… honestly can’t remember.
Taeol held up a shaky hand. “But I achieved tangible results! I brought a member of another world here to Davrar to learn his secrets! They had flight without magic, and towers as tall as this one built of steel and glass!”
Badud’s mouth changed into a thoughtful expression. “Interesting. That must have been expensive for Davrar, I will need to check on…” He waved the thought away, refocusing on Taeol. “Impressive magic, which is reason enough on its own. Have you started disseminating the knowledge
Several more drops of sweat rolled down Taeol’s face. “Well. The man I brought here. He escaped. He decided he’d rather keep the secrets that could change Davrar and had some way to resist my spells. He broke out and went to Gemore. I gave him every chance to return, and hired a team of Gemore Adventurers to kidnap him and bring him back here, but he’s still there.”
Taeol knew he was whining, but this was something he deserved to whine about. He’d had his triumph with magic! Why hadn’t everything else followed?
“He isn’t even spreading the knowledge in Gemore! He’s just happy being an idiot adventurer, running around punching things! Who does that? Who turns down the chance to learn magic from an Archmage to go fight with their fists?” Taeol scrubbed at his sweaty face, not caring how juvenile it looked.
He glanced back up. Badud’s eyes were intent and focused, pinning Taeol in place. “What is this man’s name?” the Founder said slowly.
“Nathan Lark. I summoned one who was pushing the boundaries of knowledge to teach me of all the secrets of that world.”
Badud’s gaze did not waver. “Is he a Questor?”
Taeol blinked in confusion. “What? No. He’s just a man. I blew his arm off with a [Disintegrate], even if he had it healed later. That wouldn’t happen in the first place with a Questor.”
Badud frowned, looking concerned. “Did he say anything strange about Davrar? What you are describing – it sounds like the start of a Questor. Was there nothing else?”
More sweat popped to life on Taeol’s face. Was Nathan a Questor? That would be… bad. Probably. Maybe Taeol shouldn’t try to capture him anymore. He opened his mouth uncertainly, trying to recall those unpleasant memories. “He left a strange drawing on the wall of his cell. And a short piece of text carved into the table. I didn’t know the language, and [Translate] returned gibberish. I have copies of them.”
Taeol reached into one of his dimensional pockets, flicking through his notebooks until he found the right one. He pulled it out and flipped to the page where he’d copied the markings.
Badud read them over, eyebrows furrowed. “Hmm. I cannot tell. Maybe…” He looked back at Taeol. “Capture him. You have made a regrettable mistake here. Succeed, and I will grant you the Insights behind [Mass Teleport]. It is a useful spell that I wish Giantsrest knew of, and you are well positioned to spread it. This new knowledge may also be of use, but you must earn it.”
Taeol spluttered. “But… but I don’t have any funds! Or retainers! Just my tower. I need something more.”
The corner of Badud’s mouth curled up. “You have Insights. Teach. Make promises. Gather a following and use them to capture Nathan. You have power. Use it for yourself – no more handouts. Learn this lesson well, Taeol. However smart you are, you must put your shoulders behind an effort for it to succeed. You cannot merely plan and rely on others to act. You must engage actively. Be willing to stir your hands in your enemies’ guts.”
With that, Badud made a flicking gesture and the door opened. Taeol was dismissed. He left, sweating even harder than before.
Badud watched the enchanted door close behind the overweight mage, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully as a grin spread slowly across his face.
“I hope he is a Questor. It would be nice to have a rival. Kingdom-building is boring. Giantsrest has its creature comforts, but it’s at that interminable phase where the numbers need to come up before it can truly expand. And it’s always more fun if there’s some resistance to the expansion phase.”
Badud shrugged. There was nothing to do but wait. And occasionally intervene if a small nudge could send Giantsrest down a better path. He bent down to examine the reports on slave numbers. It looked like some of the archmages were prioritizing their preferred physical traits over everything else, leading to an unfortunate slowdown in growth rate.
Sometimes I wonder why I involve myself. But then I remember our goal, and the satisfaction to be gained from grinding your rival’s work beneath the boots of your empire. In time, Giantsrest will be the Kalis conclave recalled from prophecy and will stand above all others.
Chapter 1
A Long Fall
“Iapprove.”
Those were the only words Kia had spoken after she’d grabbed Nathan from the Adventurer’s Guild. They had climbed up through Gemore, entered the staircase inside the mountain, and headed back to the Seal. There was a gate that blocked access to the stairs, but Kia had opened it with an enchanted key.
It had been a few days since the Solstice and Nathan’s duel with Simla. The rest of that day hadn’t heralded further surprises. The Heirs had sworn variations of Nathan’s Oath, to fight to stop the Endings themselves instead of merely protecting the people of Gemore from them.
It had been a dramatic moment, to be sure. The other trainees – now Adventurers – had stuck to the standard Oath, but after Nathan’s duel none had spoken against the Heirs. The new graduates seemed to hold Nathan and the other Heirs in even more awe than they had previously.
And yet, they were being shuffled into the standard Adventurer operations. Yesterday the Heirs had gone on an uneventful patrol along the southern transit road. They had another scheduled tomorrow.
Those seem awfully close together now that I think of it. Aren’t patrols only every other week or so?
Kia spoke again, pulling Nathan’s attention back to the present moment. “Your Oath. I hoped that others would follow your example – start a new era of Gemore adventurers. But a river’s path shifts slowly. I am glad that Khachi swore the oath alongside you. You will do great things.”
She looked back over her shoulder at him, golden-red braid catching what little light there was. Her eyes glowed a soft blue in the dark tunnel, and Nathan couldn’t see her expression. “Or you’ll die. That’s the Adventurer’s life. At least you would die attempting to slay a giant.”
Nathan nodded back to her, not sure what to say. He was pretty sure he knew why they were here – Kia was going to teach him the Airwalking Talent, or at least the start of it.
He’d spent some time thinking about the events of the Solstice. It was a lot to wrap his head around. The Tales of Ending had reverberated through Nathan’s head again and again. He’d talked to the Heirs about them, learning more details.
Magic, Gods, Monsters, Undeath, Wrath, Storm, Deicide, Elements, History, Spite and Silence.
There were still so many unanswered questions. The Ending of Elements had been the most recent, with a few survivors establishing Giantsrest several centuries ago. According to a few second and third-hand accounts, the Ending of Elements had been a shifting conflagration of the natural elements, where a storm of fire gave way to dozens of feet of snow that was soon washed away by a torrent of water from the sky.
How did anybody survive that for three generations?
And Nathan had sworn to prevent the next one. The Ending of History. If only he knew what that meant. The general consensus was that all of the buried history of Davrar would reawaken. All of the horrors from all of the dungeons would emerge and cover the land with myriad death.
So, Gemore cleared the dungeons and tried to learn how to counter the threats within. They built weapons, forged enchantments and studied the knowledge of their predecessors to weather the storm that would be the Ending of History.
How did one go about fighting that? Clear all the dungeons? Nathan didn’t know. But he’d keep an eye out for any clues about it. And prioritize developing his [Magic Absorption].
Except now, Nathan was hoping to pick up another piece of the build he’d planned for – flight. If he was going to fight the mages of Giantsrest, he’d need to catch them.
Yeah, that’s another thing I’m going to do. Protect a city, topple an evil empire, and save the world from a cyclical apocalypse. I definitely have direction. It feels good. Here, I have Davrar, and its assistance means my only limits are my goals. But these goals may be too much.
Nathan voiced some of his doubts, responding to Kia’s earlier comment on his Oath. “It seems… like too much sometimes. How can I accomplish such a thing?”
