Ch209: Messing Around with Magic

Krvavy’s hands slide just a little further apart, palms gliding with the grain of a slightly wobbled wooden haft. Her grip on this generously sized Soulbound weapon of hers grows tighter... more firm and secure...

She takes a long and deep breath, uncovered chest steadily rising as she focuses her will.

A rich red light bleeds through both of the barbarian’s hands, the bones, veins, and tendons within subtly silhouetted by that sanguine glow. In that very same second, crimson flames surge free from the gaps between her black-scaled fingers, rushing along the length of this long wooden shaft. A blaze of blood-red fire quickly coats the overly large axehead, utterly engulfs the ridged hammer, and swirls around the crystalline spear, while sheathing the sharp fang all alone at the other end.

Krvavy scowls, air hissing through her clenched teeth. With just a thought, she cuts the spell short.

Imbued Inferno is... cool. Having her huge halberd of an axe coated in bloody, crimson flames definitely increases her intimidation factor. And it is just great for aesthetic reasons. But... it isn’t always ideal.

For one, the mana cost is quite high. Though that is much less of an issue now than it was when she first got this spell. If she can find a way to make it more efficient, then great. But that isn’t her goal.

No, the main ‘issue’ that Krvavy currently faces is more a problem of practicality.

Fire gives off light. Which can be useful in certain situations. But it can also be quite the annoyance as well. For instance, having a fairly bright source of light more or less pointing into her own eyes doesn’t particularly help in trying to see into the darkness beyond said light. And while, yes, the flames of Imbued Inferno aren’t anywhere near as bright as they realistically should be... this is still a ‘problem’ that Krvavy would like to ‘fix’.

Mostly just because she needs more practice altering her spells, and this gives her the perfect excuse to do just that.

The barbarian slowly breathes in, staring intently at her axe, and slowly breathes out.

Flickering tongues of crimson flame erupt from beneath her palms, a furious and raging inferno sweeping across the entirety of her Soulbound weapon, coalescing into a cluster of violent swirling storms centered on its many heads.

Krvavy winces and instinctively forces her eyes shut. But even then she can still see the bright red blaze through her eyelids. “Tsk.” She clicks her tongue, snuffing out that spell.

She let her mind wander a bit, and accidentally did the exact opposite of what she wanted...

Maybe... maybe starting with Imbued Inferno wasn’t the smartest choice...? Fire isn’t exactly meant to be dull and dim. Trying to go against the very nature of what her magic is manifesting is, clearly, not an easy task.

But what other choice does this Drakling have? It isn’t like she has many things to complain about, when it comes to her magic. None of her other spells have a ‘problem’ – no matter how petty and inconsequential – that Krvavy could try to fix...

And she still isn’t quite sure what she could even want from her next Beast Magic spell, even if she is a little overdue for that...

Krvavy furrows her brow, absentmindedly shifting her weapon’s weight between her hands.

Does she really need her axe to be covered in flames? Yeah, it is cool and having that as an option is nice, but is it truly necessary?

The barbarian lightly bites her bottom lip, fingers drumming on the haft of her oversized axe, that repetitive motion slowing down to a stop. She closes her eyes and turns her focus inward, chest slowly rising and falling with each steady breath she takes. Her core pulses with power, beating in time with her heart. The mana within her soul begins to bubble and boil, writhing and roiling and getting all riled up as it grows hot and excited. Like a lit and sparking fuse or a scorching river of lava, that energy flows down her channels, through her hands, and into her axe.

Veins of heat rise to the surface of that weapon’s wooden haft. Some spread like calmly curving vines, glowing gentle shades of red, while others are more jagged and violent, like fiery cracks in the earth. But all of those searing lines, regardless of their appearance, surge along this long and slightly bendy shaft, rushing towards its many different heads. Those shaped chunks of dark metal begin to smoulder and shine, gleaming the brightest around the warm wormy veins sizzling across their surface. The crystalline spearhead burns like a hot coal, steam rising from the slightly hooked fang opposite to it.

Flickering tongues of flame and hungry sparks crackle at the edges and points, the parts that would be used to inflict damage on others.

That faint firelight catches on Krvavy’s carnivorous teeth, her pale lips spread into a wide grin.

This is what she wanted!

It isn’t as flashy as having a literal inferno clinging to her axe, but it still looks pretty cool. And it didn’t take all that much effort at all: Krvavy only had to aim her intention more towards heat than flames.

The barbarian hefts her axe up and swiftly swings it through the air. The sharp edge glows brighter as the wind warps around its heat. Little fiery flecks mark the arc of her attack, fading away before they can land on the barren cave floor.

With but a thought, Krvavy pumps a bit more mana into that spell. The heated glow emanating from those mottled, molten veins grows in intensity as the three heads, and the spiked cap at the opposite end of this sturdy shaft, simultaneously burst into blazing blood-red flames.

It takes just another thought, and some more mana, to stifle that crimson inferno. The fiery, crackling lines pulse as those flickering flames fade away, leaving a simmering and searing heat in their place.

Satisfied, the Drakling smiles and dismisses that spell. Near immediately, her Soulbound Weapon dims back to its usual, undamaged state.

Now if only there was a way for Imbued Inferno, or really all of Krvavy’s Fire Magic, to avoid cauterizing wounds... She wants her enemies and opponents to bleed so that she can gain some mana back with Transmute Blood. But the level of precision that would be needed for that is... probably beyond her current abilities.

Not to mention that she doesn’t exactly have an easy way to test that sort of thing...

Krvavy idly twirls her axe around.

This hasn’t taken nearly as much time as she expected, so... maybe she should get to work on getting her next Beast Magic spell? At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to figure out what kind of spell she even wants. In fact, that might be all she really needs to do... Krvavy was supposed to have automatically gotten a new spell when the skill hit level ten, after all.

Her uncertainty has kind of shifted into procrastination, hasn’t it...?

She needs to put her foot down and finally do something about that. Though, technically speaking, she is still procrastinating by choosing to do this instead of resuming work on the fortifications...

The Drakling shakes her head. A relatively quiet clack echoes throughout the dimly lit cave as she rests the base of her Soulbound Weapon on the ground.

So...

What exactly does Krvavy want as her next Beast Magic spell?

The Drakling slowly paces back and forth, using her axe like a walking stick and tapping it against the stone floor with each step she takes.

There are a lot of possibilities, almost enough to give her choice paralysis, but not many of those options are actually all that viable... Well, not for Krvavy, at least.

To make this a lot easier, it’d probably be best to first consider copying one of the spells that Beryl and Khalia already have. If she really doesn’t want any of those, then she can waste some more time trying to figure out what she truly needs.

Both her precious puppy and her sweet berry have three Beast Magic spells each. Krvavy doesn’t remember the exact details of those spells, but that doesn’t really matter. She just needs a vague idea of what they do to help inspire her actual decision.

The little bit of magic that Khalia has access to is entirely combat related. One of her spells transforms her claws into deadly weapons, while the other two are shouts that strengthen allies and weaken enemies.

All of those sound good. At least in theory.

It wouldn’t hurt for Krvavy to have some sort of backup that would help her fight unarmed. But... the only reason she should ever be unarmed is if her Soulbound Weapon is destroyed, and at that point having stronger claws or sharper horns probably wouldn’t be much of a game changer... Besides, if she is ever caught without her axe, then she can just breathe out plumes of fire or ice.

So what about some sort of roar? A Draconic roar, to stay on brand? She... would need to look over the details of Khalia’s two shouts before trying to make such a spell. Krvavy doesn’t want to make her precious puppy’s magic redundant, especially not when she has the option for her own roar to have totally different effects.

The barbarian idly nods, leaning onto her axe.

That idea is actually growing on her the more she thinks about it. If she could have an aoe spell that reduces the resistances, the magic resistances, of all nearby enemies... Maybe it could even emit a shockwave of some sort, ensuring that people, or things, that don’t hear it are still affected?

Okay... That is one good option. What about Beryl’s spells? Those three – or two, really, as Krvavy already knows Calm Creature – are a bit more fresh in her mind. The Drakling spent these past two weeks with that tanned tomboy of hers, after all.

It also helps that both spells are pretty vague and don’t go into detail about what they actually do. Which isn’t the most helpful here, but it does make them easier to remember...

Animal Aspect: Magic infuses your body, temporarily lending you the power of beasts. Associated attribute = Insight.

Detect Beasts: A pulse of beast magic is emitted, giving knowledge of the locations of nearby animals. Associated attributes = Insight & Perception.

Krvavy is naturally drawn more towards Animal Aspect than Detect Beasts. That was the one that she had considered getting in the past. But, thinking about it, they both have quite a bit of value. Especially if she gets better at altering spells on the spot.

Detect Beasts is useful for hunting, but would be even better if she could get it to detect people as well. That sounds like it should work in theory... people are just animals... but it isn’t perfect. That sort of spell wouldn’t detect non-person enemies like that crystal golem. Or the slimes.

As for Animal Aspect... Well, that is complicated. It provides a decent amount of potential utility by letting Krvavy improve her senses, and it would also be useful in combat by giving her some physical buffs. But Krvavy can only keep so many spells active at the same time. If the effects aren’t significant enough, then she will pretty much never use it...

Maybe she can sacrifice the utility, which she honestly doesn’t really need, to make the combat related buffs stronger...? The reduced versatility and focused intent should make that possible...

“MAAAAAAAAATE~!”

Krvavy jumps in place, spine straightening as she is jolted from her thoughts. Her head snaps towards the direction that needy howl came from. She stands completely still for just a moment, before shrugging and – before she can regret it or change her mind – sharply whistling back.

“MAAAAAAAATTEE~!! MAAAAAAAAAATEEE~!!”

Those (extremely) eager and (entirely too) excited howling shouts grow louder, louder, and louder still as Khalia hones in on her Mate’s location.

The Drakling dismisses her axe, that wonderfully oversized weapon of hers fading back into its place inside her soul, within the span of a fraction of a single second. Her inhuman feet spread just a little further apart – one slightly behind the other – as she braces herself, fully expecting to get tackled by the Were-Beast barrelling towards her.

But, thankfully, those fears don’t come to fruition.

Khalia slows to a jog shortly after coming into view, shaggy tail wildly wagging away behind her. “Maaaate~!” A big, wide grin fills this Greenskin woman’s face, those four pointy little tusks on full display as she bares her sharp teeth, amber-gold eyes gleaming bright.

A smile of her own creeps onto Krvavy’s face, her precious puppy’s bright and beaming joy too infectious to ignore. Her heart flutters just a bit as both of her hands are swiftly snatched up, bestial fingers slipping between her own black-scaled ones. “What’s u–?”

“Mate~! Come hunting!” The Were-Beast bounces in place, her big and bare breasts jiggling even after she squishes them right up against her barbaric Mate’s body, quite thoroughly invading Krvavy’s personal space. “Elfy found tracks!”

“Fresh tracks?” That question gets a quick and overly enthusiastic nod. Which sees the barbarian’s brow furrow by quite a bit. “Did Beryl go out again today?” An uncaring shrug answers that.

“Come! Come!” Khalia cheers, pushing and pulling Krvavy further into the cave, closer and closer to the outside world. “We hunt~! Together~!”

Krvavy bites the inside of her cheek. “Can you wait a couple minutes first?”

“Rrrrgh!” Khalia snarls, baring her four little tusks and her sharp teeth once more. “No, now!”

The Drakling stifles a sigh. “I just want to finish what I was doing here first.” She quite calmly explains, weakly resisting this aggressive Greenskin’s attempts to drag her away. “I was messing with magic and about to get a new spell.”

The Were-Beast’s fluffy ears flick and twitch. An unhappy breath of air hisses past her tusks and teeth. “Will it help hunt?” She skeptically asks, amber-gold eyes narrowed into thin slits.

“Uh... maybe if we have to fight something big or dangerous?” Krvavy’s uncertain response doesn’t exactly inspire confidence... “But it’ll be quick. I’m not going to sit here meditating for an hour or anything. It should only be a couple minutes at most.”

Khalia clenches her jaw, teeth grinding together. “Rrrrrrrgh...” Her clawed fingers dig into the backs of Krvavy’s hands. “O...kay....” She reluctantly relents, scowling and looking so beautifully grumpy.

“Thanks.” The Drakling leans in, planting a soft kiss on her precious puppy’s forehead... only to quickly follow that up with an Inspect. Which earns her a rather suspicious glare. One that a warm and innocent smile doesn’t seem to placate. But that isn’t too much of a problem. Not if she is fast and doesn’t waste any time, at least. And so... her attention quickly turns towards two similar but different spells that can be seen on the stat sheet hanging at the edge of her perception.

Empowering Howl: Increases the physical attributes, resistances, and the damage dealt by all allies who hear the howl. Associated attributes = Charisma & Toughness.

Shaking Roar: Increases the damage taken by all foes who hear the roar and has a chance to break their resolve. Associated attributes = Might & Charisma.

Various thoughts and ideas snap together like pieces of a puzzle as soon as Krvavy refreshes her memory with those descriptions. A part of her still wants to get some version of Animal Aspect, but the idea of having her own shout or roar is growing on her more and more...

With a deep breath, she makes up her mind. Well, she partially makes up her mind. Krvavy still needs to think about the details of what her new spell will due.

And that is surprisingly easy. Both of Khalia’s spells have a pretty big blind spot, one that Krvavy thought of earlier: magic. Empowering Howl is entirely physical focused, even if the description is slightly ambiguous regarding that, and she only wants half of what Shaking Roar does. Unlike her precious puppy, Krvavy doesn’t exactly enjoy chasing after fleeing enemies.

So instead of coming up with something entirely new, she can just develop on her initial thoughts.

Krvavy closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can feel her heartbeat slow as she focuses inwards towards her core. It is blindingly bright. Shining even more radiantly than it was when last she looked upon it. Each pulse of this not-heart feeds energy into her channels, that mana purple-blue with the faintest tinge of maroon.

Her attention trails ever so slightly upwards, travelling along the thicket of false veins that culminate in the gnarled node at the top of her throat.

Her mind grasps at the various thoughts detailing what she wants from this spell.

It should cripple those who stand against her, tearing away their magical resistances and leaving them vulnerable to her might.

It should bolster those who stand by her side, strengthening both their magical resistances and their magical might.

It should be more than mere sound. It should burst out with the force of her will, so that even those who cannot hear will have their weaknesses laid bare before her. It should crash into her foes, so that they physically feel her wrath and her fury.

Her intent coalesces in incorporeal might. Power flows from the reservoir of her soul, rushing upwards like a raging stampede.

Krvavy’s head snaps back. “RRGHAAAA!” A shockwave carrying the untold echoes of pain and hate erupts from her open mouth, slamming into the cave ceiling above. Dust and small specks of stone fall down around her.

“AAARWHOOOOO~!” Khalia follows her Mate’s magical roar with an excited howl of her own. The shaggy fur trailing down her spine stands on end, as does the beige-brown pelt that covers her arms and legs. Despite not being in the direct path of that sound blast, her messy hair has still been blown back and away from her grinning face.

The Drakling takes a deep breath, feeling a faint ping at the edge of her conscience.

Requiem Roar: Echoes of ancient rage and suffering burst from the depths of your soul, carrying outwards in a wave of sonic and psychic power. Allies within range of these echoes have their Base Magic Resistance bolstered by at least 10% and have the strength of their magics increased by at least 20%. These positive effects increase proportionally with the trust and faith that the ally has in you. Enemies within range of these echoes have their Physical Resistances reduced by at least 10% and their Base Magic Resistance reduced by at least 20%. These negative effects increase proportionally with how intimidated or distressed they are by your presence. Duration is determined by proximity and your overall power. Costs at least 100 mana per use. Associated attributes = Charisma & Insight.

Quite the wordy description there... Though that was kind of expected. This is pretty much two separate spells mashed together...

And those ‘two’ spells are pretty good.

Sure, the numbers don’t seem particularly big at a glance, but those are the minimum values. So the effects will never be weaker than that. Which makes it pretty reliable. And if these values are added or subtracted rather than used as multipliers, then they aren’t even that low to begin with.

Hopefully that is how it –

Wait.

Krvavy doesn’t need to hope. She literally just used that spell. She can just check her resistances and figure out how it was calculated herself. And this should also give her an idea as to what the maximum value is as well!

Krvavy frowns.

She isn’t wearing her loincloth, she isn’t wearing anything, so it is very easy to see that her resistances haven’t been altered at all.

Requiem Roar does not appear to have buffed Krvavy. Which... is mildly disappointing. But, in hindsight, that does make some sense... The description doesn’t mention doing anything to herself, just that it effects allies and enemies.

“Mnnghhhn...!” Khalia impatiently whines, shifting her weight from one bestial paw of a foot to the other, her face scrunched up in an exaggerated scowl. “Ready now?”

The barbarian blinks. “Almost.” Krvavy reassures that wonderful Were-Beast of hers, smiling widely and warmly. She almost forgot that Khalia was here. “Say... what’s your base magical resistance right now?”

It takes some effort, but that well-behaved Were-Beast holds back a snarl. “Seven. Five.” She angrily forces out, her shaggy tail furiously whipping back and forth behind her butt, its erratic movements completely devoid of even a hint of happiness.

Krvavy’s brow shoots up. “Seventy-five?!” She grins even wider as the hate-filled hyena curtly nods back. “That is...!” Krvavy stops herself before she gets too excited. “What is it normally?”

“Three. Five.” The corner of Khalia’s left eye twitches, the claws on her pawed feet scraping shallow trenches across the stone floor.

The Drakling raises a hand and reaches over, patting her impatient puppy on the head. “Good girl~.” Those two words cause Khalia to freeze up as conflict rages within her.

Considering the fact that Khalia pretty much has unwavering trust and unquestioning loyalty to Krvavy, it fairly safe to assume that the extra forty percent is the maximum amount. Which is honestly kind of amazing considering that the minimum is only ten percent. Does that mean all the effects can increase by up to four times, or do they all have their own separate scales?

Regardless of the actual answer, Krvavy is quite happy with this new spell. At the very least, the defensive part of it is more than she could have hoped for.

“Alright,” the Drakling gives her Were-Beast’s hair one last ruffle before pulling back. “I’m ready now.”

Khalia’s conflicted impatience melts away in an instant. “ARWWHOOOO~!” She excitedly howls. “Lets go go go go~!”

Krvavy stumbles to the side, doing all she can to stay standing as she is suddenly, and rather strongly, tugged off balance. “Hold on!” She shouts, struggling to stop herself from getting hauled off through the cave. Her inhuman feet find some measure of purchase on the ground, skidding across rock and stone. “We aren’t going on a hunt while naked!”

“Mnnhhhgh!”  The Were-Beast whines and glares at her Mate.  But Khalia is a good girl...  One that doesn’t want to waste her time arguing.  “Quick!”  She demands, dragging that Drakling in the opposite direction, towards their home.