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There were books with long and tedious names that led to the name of Zarian’s current technique. There were books which had Zarian throwing up what looked like a mix of ninja gestures and gang signs.

There were also books that were more serious and had historical tellings of hell breaks and how to seal those. The Dancing Librarian Dungeon even had books on sealing dungeon entrances for dungeons that had gone wild.

Sealing required some investment in Mysticism, an aura controlling ability and/or tool, and some decent Willpower and/or Wonder as extra insurance. Then everything else relied on the know-how.

It was possible for anyone to cast minor ritual spells or build enchantments, just like it was possible to blacksmith common stuff. But the study was rigorous and the bar for talent was high if the practitioner was outside of a class devoted to those specific magical disciplines.

Hell, even Zarian had needed Hannah’s help multiple times. Just so they could make sense of the many volumes of uncommon books they had to absorb for useful information.

If they hadn’t gotten Lore Eater combined with Hannah’s Swift Research and Zarian’s Fractured Mind, then making a competent sealing technique with the gear to match would’ve taken far longer. But here he was, victorious after using Overwhelming Darkness on a small platoon of advanced kobolds, and he hadn’t lost control.

The fight had worked out as a good trial run. He’d gone through the sealing technique slowly on purpose. He wanted to make sure he had the basics down pat.

He could go faster once he had more confidence. That was the most important part other than finding a gift for a friend.

“I need more fights,” Zarian said. “I should probably do the cultivation part, though. But let me look at the nice goodies at least.”

<You’ve defeated 32 Kobold Wolf Dragon Idolizers, Levels 48 to 54!>

<You’ve defeated 6 Kobold Wolf Dragon Enforcers, Levels 62 to 70!>

<Your skill, Parasite Cloak +2, leveled up from 30 to 32!>

<Your skill, Grimoire of Black Magic 102, leveled up from 21 to 22!>

<Your skill, Grimoire of the Dread Mire Hell Gator, leveled up from 19 to 21!>

<Your skill, Spectral Spider Network +1, leveled up from 24 to 25!>

<Your skill has advanced! From Spectral Spider Network +1 to Spectral Spider Network +2!>

<Spectral Spider Network +2 (Level 25): Summon hand-sized spider ghosts who carry a link with you and each other using phantom network threads. They are highly proficient in supernatural stealth, distraction, and rare arcane webbing. Through them, you can open direct communication channels and use their senses to perceive their world. Scales with Mysticism. Advancement: +1 allows the spiders to phase into the minds of your allies for a more direct networking approach. +2 improves all the qualities of the spectral spiders and lets them partially scale with Wonder.>

“No way, seriously?” Zarian couldn’t believe it.

He put away all of his grimoires. He reread Spectral Spider Network +2 from the top to the bottom. He refocused on the +2 Advancement especially.

If Para was his best skill, the spectral spiders were growing up to be a great skill of their own.

As a freely flowing winter gust blew through the forest opening made from the eruptions of the prior fight, Zarian turned toward a squad of ghostly spiders scuttling closer. They were all stronger now.

Their power and levels were based on his Mysticism and Wonder combined along with some other scaling factors tracked by the System. His Overpower trait played a part as well, at least stat wise.

“How much better are you guys?” Zarian asked, kneeling down.

The spectral spiders raised their faces up to him. They formed a pose with their front legs raised. Then they burst into frenzied action.

They moved faster. Almost too fast for most people to track. They coordinated with each other far better than before.

They lunged perfectly into a tower of spectral spiders while balancing on one leg each. Then they tumbled down gracefully and scuttled up and around Zarian like little speed demons.

Para formed hands and attempted to catch them. The spectral spiders skittered past her grasp and kept evading her.

Then they evaded her while dancing about like little lunatics.

Zarian chuckled while watching their antics. Staying knelt in the fresh snowfall covering the ruins of the battlefield, he looked around and enjoyed the peace and wonder.

I don’t mind the library setting, but four months of that can really make a man want some time spent in nature, Zarian thought.

The weather was nice, but the Spectral Spider Network +2 was nicer. Now that the little guys scaled partially with the Wonder stat, their perception and fortune would be greater. The spiders had more faith and luck on their side, too.

More importantly, Zarian’s awareness when observing through them improved. When he tapped into the spiders jumping all over him or hanging out nearby, their vision and other senses reached out further and were more acute.

He did a quick scan with all of his spiders in the immediate area. He smiled at the squad of spiders hauling the bronze spear to him before he gave the weapon a quick look over with his Identify trait.

Yeah, it was rare quality and it could extend and release impact waves after a strike, almost like a gong. Zarian could either feed it to Reiki’s dungeon or get one of his village merchants to sell it for a price. Or maybe he could keep it as a trophy.

“Spears are supposed to be the easiest weapons for anyone to use. They’re mass produced for a reason. Maybe I should learn to use it in case I can’t do my stuff.”

Zarian lobbed the bronze spear up and down. It made a metallic hum sound when it collided with his gauntlet-clad hand.

Without further ado, he stored it in the pocket dimension inside of Para. Maybe an idea would come to mind later on what he would do with it.

He looked up as Ezda’s large form crept up to him. With the ground mostly barren except for rubble and fresh snow, she stood far above him.

That was until she crouched down and was basically on all fours. She panted almost like a beast.

He could smell her breath, and it was less rancid than before. It even had a touch of mint. She really had been taking more care of herself.

Damn, I’m curious what the Blood Prairie Savages have been up to, Zarian wondered.

Zarian held back. It would be way more gratifying once Ezda finally opened up to him fully. It was almost another game, but more social.

How long would it take until the former alpha elder revealed everything?

“Impressive show of power as always, Alpha Elder Zarian,” Ezda complimented.

“It was my first test run. I was very slow. But that’s by design. I’ll speed up the process with more practice.”

Ezda looked curiously down at the gauntlets. There was a gleam of excitement and wariness in her eyes. Like she wanted to play with fire, but she was afraid she would get burned.

She spoke around the subject, which picked up on what he wanted. “If you wish for more battle experience, then I recommend a voyage into the Blood Prairies. It is a good time for such. The Fortress Bears will awaken, and so will the Bear Men.”

“Those sound like interesting targets,” Zarian replied.

“Yes, indeed. They are both monsters who exist in alliance with one another. It is suspected that the Fortress Bears guard an epic dungeon, while the Bear Men go out to raid and drag back their spoils to feed the dungeon and reap benefits.”

“And how come you haven’t dealt with them?” Zarian asked.

“We have tried to deal with them until a more monstrous bear has killed some of our elders. So we only fight the Bear Men and will sometimes fight the Fortress Bears, driving them toward easier prey than us gnolls.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

A question came to mind that Zarian should’ve asked a while ago. “Do you know Ekri the Tailor?”

If Ezda had a humanoid face with bare skin, she would’ve looked as white as a ghost.

Instead, her canine mouth dropped open. Her eyes widened. Her entire body shivered as her fur bristled. Then she let out a low growl that made the air shake for a few seconds until she finally got a hold of herself.

She looked apologetically at Zarian.

The Madness Wizard reached over with one hand. He gave her scratches behind her hyena-ears.

The powerful gnoll elder, a Level 91 Blood Brute, froze up on the spot while on all fours. After a few minutes, Zarian pulled his hand away, but Ezda leaned her head toward him for more scratches.

Zarian rolled his eyes. He provided Ezda with some more scratches. Then he finished things off with head pats before he took his hand back and gave Ezda a hard look that said she couldn’t ask for more.

It took several long minutes before Ezda recomposed herself fully and continued the conversation.

“I know of Ekri the Tailor. He’s one of multiple barons who rule from the shadows of Carrowmore with thrones made of silk and skulls. He doesn’t seem like a secretive baron. He’s too upfront. Too chatty. But he’s horrifying.”

Ezda shuddered, her gaze turning dull, her mind lost to her memories. “I remember when I was a pup when he took the flesh and fur off of my elders and left them alive. The shame was so terrible, they gave themselves up to be feasted upon so a new council of elders would rise.”

“When you said feasted upon, you practiced cannibalism?”

“Most evil-born creatures do, even for practical purposes. Sometimes, we must even commit sacrifices, self or otherwise. But rarely do the elders sacrifice themselves to the next generation. The shame of what Ekri the Tailor had done to them ran too deep for them to endure.”

“Damn,” Zarian said. “Okay. Noted. Ekri the Tailor is that guy.”

Ezda shook her head. “I do not think he can withstand the might of your dark magnificence. However, he is still dangerous, my alpha. How do you know of such a powerful creature?”

“One of my party members ran into him. Ekri gave her a card and an invitation to Carrowmore. We’ll be on our way there once we settle things down here in this part of the continent.” Zarian hummed. “In fact, my party member, Naomi, wants to face off against the guy and dominate him for some reason. I guess Ekri the Tailor made her feel too insecure or something.”

“The savage, fist-fighting human? I like that human. It’ll be a shame if Ekri the Tailor strips her of her flesh and dishonors her, but I suppose humans like her will strive for excellence while under your leadership.”

Ezda nodded before continuing.

“As for Carrowmore, hm, there are numerous ways to get there. Going straight north through the Blood Prairies is one such way. Or you take the Stone Sea River going north to reach the edges of the Coldbooth Castle Mountains, then find your way down to Carrowmore. That might prove to be a most valuable route once we conquer Castle Grimrock for you, my alpha.”

That would depend on how they would access the Forgotten Kingdom before taking the trip to Carrowmore. But that was a concern for later.

“Future plans are nice, but they’re in the future. Let’s do what we can today.”

“Your wisdom holds no bound.”

Zarian chuckled. Ezda was really laying it on thick. Even Naomi wasn’t this bad when she had placed herself as subservient to him and called him ‘the sir’ half a year ago.

Zarian stood to his feet and dusted off the bottom of his gambeson. He gestured for Ezda to stand and follow him.

They walked for about an hour. They saw winter beasts prance or prowl through the snow-laden, stony forest.

Some were like elks or moose with magic antlers. Others were prowling felines that could turn invisible or control the snow to raise veils.

Nothing bothered the wizard and the gnoll. Nothing would dare when Ezda was in the area, who was very much like a beast herself.

Then they reached the area Zarian was looking for.

“You must wait till Early Spring to catch the fish here,” Ezda said. “Though prepare yourself. The fish can be big and rebellious.”

Zarian chuckled. “That’s okay. I have a friend who’s been bugging me about this for half a year now.”

Before them was solid ice on top of an expansive lake hidden in a circle of fortress hillocks. Zarian and Ezda walked through stone pathways covered in snow around the lake’s bank. They moved past ancient statues and hedge gardens blanketed under more of the white winter substance.

They found stairways, leaning towers, ramparts, and parapets on top of dilapidated walls that circled around the lake’s perimeter. Zarian enjoyed the walk after spending months cooped up in a cubby or laying about between shelves in the dungeon’s book cases.

He enjoyed the crisp taste of winter with each breath.

His intelligent Parasite Cloak fluttered and reached out, stroking across the ancient walls and ceilings, flowing as many streams of leathery material, tendrils, and arms. Some of Para’s attention turned to Ezda and provided many pats and scratches.

The gnoll seemed both wary of and eager for more affection from the Parasite Cloak +2.

They stopped on top of the tallest tower above a messy mass of fortresses. The view of the lake from here was exquisite. The World of Castles and Caverns didn’t disappoint.

“We are being followed by spiritual types,” Ezda said. “More monstrous than bestial. They wait for our guard to fall before they strike.”

“My spiders had already found them.” Zarian smiled softly. “Do you have a way to deal with the spooks or do I have to call a buster of ghosts?”

“Blood,” Ezda answered. “My blood skills have enough magic to catch and disrupt spirits, even if they are hard to hit solidly.”

“Hm. I suppose my spectral spiders can fight them as well. The ghosts aren’t strong, only in the Level 40s. Do you want to beat on them or watch me do my cultivation?”

Ezda tilted her head, her ears lowering slightly with uncertainty. “What is cultivation, my alpha?”

“It’s another style of techniques that involves gathering and cycling and affixing energy. There’s also pills involved for some reason,” Zarian explained.

She gave him a questioning look.

Zarian shrugged and continued. “I’m not interested in pill popping for levels. That sounds weak and might net low vitality. Besides, the style of cultivation I’m looking at isn’t for generating more power, but it’s for gaining better mastery of my unyielding power.”

Zarian raised his gauntlets. “These stop-gap measures are automated to help me execute certain moves. But if I can’t go through the entire song and dance, I won’t be able to use my darkness. So, I need to cultivate so I can start freestyling again. And once I can freestyle at One Percent Power, I might go up another percent or keep it at that.”

“I see,” Ezda said. “You must dominate the darkness with your cultivation so you can use its apocalyptic power upon your whims. Then you can consume and destroy whenever you please and let those who earn your favor exist under your dark grace.”

Zarian opened and closed his mouth. He decided not to correct Ezda, because he wasn’t sure if she was right or wrong.

The gnoll stayed nearby instead of hunting down ghostly monsters. The new and improved spectral spiders handled the ghosts themselves.

Ghostly combat filled the battered and snowed-in halls and walkways of the lake-perimeter fortresses. Zarian took a quick glimpse and witnessed spiders twirling in the air and performing acrobatic kicks on wraiths who should’ve passed on to the next life a long time ago.

The spectral spiders were helping the monster ghosts along. Sometimes with little flying spider kicks. And sometimes with their highly magical webbing.

Zarian even saw one spider use webbing like a lasso to wrangle down some ghosts. Who had taught them that?

Zarian shook his head and returned his focus to himself.

He sat on the edge of the crenellation overlooking the lake. He crossed his legs and put his hands together in a particular pose, both knuckles pressed together.

He breathed in and out deeply before going through the entire sequence from the top. His hands moved and gestured quicker than before as the words flowed out.

“Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique. Unlock Dark Lock One. The Worm Lurks Buried Deep Under Fabled Myth. One Percent Power Unsealed.”

Zarian slowed down for the last part. The mini-cubes on the vambraces moved in sequence. Dark light glowed from the gauntlets. The air darkened above the lake and fortresses.

Then Zarian uttered the last part: “Cultivate.”

Immediately, Zarian was plunged into darkness. Everything was cut off. The world, the universe, even the Star System, they were all gone.

He was in a place that stretched forever. An endless void with a hunger that was deeper than any abyss.

This was his darkness. This was the overwhelming power that wanted nothing more than to destroy and consume forever and ever.

Even at one percent, Zarian could feel the power trying to break away from him. He barely started, and he was having a hard time trying to move it into a cycling loop.

Overwhelming Darkness was nestled deep into his soul. But in this place, as he cultivated, it felt like he was inside the fathomless depths of an unstoppable behemoth.

It was as if he was another morsel that his own darkness would consume.

He needed to move it, cycle it, and master it. He needed control of this power.

But the more he tried to grapple it, the more it felt like he was fighting something that couldn’t be defeated. It felt like fighting something that was supposed to break free and reign as an unstoppable force forever.

Zarian kept trying. He kept pulling just to get some measure of success going. He kept reaching to overcome a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of his monstrous power.

He wasn’t even starting against the entire one percent of Overwhelming Darkness. He just wanted a piece. A thread. A hair, even.

Then after much struggle, Zarian caught hold of that one tiny strand.

In this other world, perhaps a place of his own imagination and spirit, he remained seated in a meditative pose while the dark strand ran through his midsection, the core of his body. It circled around his body, flowing through energy channels and spiritual gateways described in the cultivation manuals.

Zarian kept that going. He stayed focused despite the pressure squeezing down on him from Overwhelming Darkness.

He denied his own fear of failure. He put everything into cycling the thread again and again. Then, finally, he felt the burden lift off his shoulders.

He cultivated naturally while up against a single piece of his One Percent Power.

When Zarian awakened from his dream state, he found himself fiendishly hungry and thirsty. Deep snow buried the ramparts and crenelation around him. It was dark now, which was perfectly fine with him.

Ezda remained hunkered down beside him. She lifted her head when she heard his breathing shift.

“It’s been three days and four nights, my alpha,” Ezda informed.

“Oh, I’ve been out that long, huh?” Zarian croaked.

“Not only have you been out, but more interesting enemies close upon us.” Ezda sniffed at the air. Her hair bristled. “The taint of corruption is in the air. Your wife shedded her tears. Now we must deal with those who are deeply stained.”

No kidding.

Zarian sensed the corruption in the air using his Basic Aura Manipulation trait. Luciana’s divine touch was distinct, powerful, and creepy. Worse yet, the corrupted weren’t making any sounds.

No cries. No howls. Not even a grunt. They were all silent.

This wasn’t like facing the corrupted back at the subterranean floors of Castle Grimrock. This might be far worse.

At the very least, he had a nice gold notification to look at before the action broke out.

<Your skill, Overwhelming Darkness, leveled up from 1 to 2!>

The cultivation technique worked.