37. Training In The Shadows

“This is a pretty blade,” Lukas commented, holding up Magic Elvis’s creation up to the light. It was unbelievably light and sharp despite the lack of any enchantments or alchemical treatments. The almost-black blade intrigued him the most. “I still can’t believe we made this.”

“Right,” Magic Elvis grumbled. “We.”

“I did the handle, guard, and final polish,” Elvis said, throwing up a hand and rocking excitedly. He looked like a giddy schoolboy proud of his stick finger art. “They’re good too, right?”

Lukas nodded. “Good job with the pommel.” He rested the blade on two fingers just past the guard. It stayed perfectly level. He knew of its existence for quite some time but had ignored it until the clones completed the project. “Well balanced. We need to figure out how to get the most out of the magic.”

“Enchanting is whole another ball game,” Magic Elvis said. “They have a completely separate workshop for that, and I’m not allowed in. But, the magic in there is attuned to shadow. Perhaps we can use it as a source for a spell? Reduce the strain and drain?”

“That’s not the worst of ideas,” Lukas said, swinging the blade. It was so light it felt like he was playing with a twig. He passed it back to Elvis. “Figure out how to do it. Then, we can pass it on to an agility-empowered clone. It's about time they get something that’s not mundane.”

“Where do you stand on claws and katars, boss?” Elvis asked. “Shadow Seekers’ unarmed training combined with their insane speed could make them terrifying.”

“I’d much rather stick to the reach and speed of short swords and daggers,” Lukas said. “Don’t get me wrong, claws and katars have their uses, but if we’re facing anything big, we need weapons that bite deeper.”

“Perhaps after we figure out how to solidify shadows, then?”

“Perhaps. My question is, what can a claw or dagger do that a dagger or sword can’t do better? It’s all the same once magic and abilities enter the mix. Let’s stick to simple stabbing and slashing weapons for now. I don’t mind if we go more exotic for chopping and bludgeoning. It's about time our high-mass front liner gets a decent force multiplier.”

“A hammer with a claw or pick end is probably best, then,” Magic Elvis said. “It’ll be a decent substitute for when the Three-Stage Spear isn’t as effective. If we’re lucky, I might be able to pour some magic into that, too.”

“What good is shadow-attuned magic in a hammer?” Elvis raised an eyebrow.

Magic Elvis shrugged. “Make it lighter. Another source of magic. I don’t know. Ten hours in the workshop drains the will to live and all creativity. Ideas are your job. And El-Prime’s, of course.”

“The forges are enchanted, right?” It was a rhetorical question. Lukas was more talking to himself. “We won’t get any better waiting for the foreman to put us on something worth our time.”

“Apparently, we’re not the only ones to have joined to figure out their magic drawing techniques,” Magic Elvis said. “It’s not uncommon for people to get poached by a competitor or to leave and start something of their own.”

“I’m pretty sure Kat’s dad did the same a lifetime ago,” Elvis said. 

“Answer my question, please.” Lukas already knew the answer. He had seen more than a few glances of both smithies in the clones’ memories. “The forges are enchanted, right?”

Magic Elvis nodded. “I’ve seen the foreman draw magic from the forge into the steel. His billets glow sometimes. He’s used other sources, too.”

“I think instead of learning how they draw out magic, we need to also focus on making billets besides those filled with shadow magic,” Lukas said. “Make our force multiplier extra multipliery. Maybe get close to the power hammer they use for the harder and extra stacked steel.”

“But they don’t let me get close—”

“Figure out a way. We need our vanguard to hit hard.”

Lukas got up and started getting dressed. He wore his hooded cloak, an alchemically treated leather breastplate, and steel-reinforced boots. The runic shortsword hung from his waist, and he strapped the diamond-shaped buckler to his left arm.

“Where are you going, boss?” Elvis asked.

“The undercity?” 

“What? Why?” Magic Elvis echoed concerns half a second later. “I thought you weren’t—”

“I’m not going to fight or delve. It's time we focus genuine effort into training Altered Mass. Making high and low-mass clones isn’t enough. The ability grows fastest when I move the slider, and pushing myself will hasten things.” Lukas called forth the Shade’s Mantle but kept it tucked under his clothes. “I won’t fight anything. Just find an isolated patch away from prying eyes to push myself.”

“I suppose that’s a good idea.” Elvis sighed. “We need the minor ability as soon as possible.”

“Indeed. It's worth the risk.”

Lukas left the inn through the window, leaving one arcane-specialized clone behind to train and wait for Penelope to call on him. Both artisan clones left for work. He kept one unsummoned to watch his back once in the undercity and wished there were more.

Not enough clones.

It seemed the more his soul pillar ascended, the stronger Lukas’s soul would grow, allowing it to be split into more pieces. In his last life, only the amount of magic he had and focus mattered. Fracture’s system was far more limiting. However, Lukas hoped that with the right essences, he’d enjoy exponential growth, doubling the maximum number of clones with each tier.

The undercity near the Western Port Gate only had half a dozen guards. The line was also short. The crowd looked like a mismatch of experienced delvers who knew exactly where they were going and wanted and green individuals hoping to complete simple jobs without standing in long lines.

Lukas’s wait was only ten minutes. Within half an hour, he was deep under Iskander and had branched off from the main caverns, following hand-painted signs. It didn’t matter that he was heading towards nowhere, in particular to areas where nothing, not even the undercity dwellers, lurked. He only stopped after finding a long isolated cavern devoid of life except for the giant bioluminescent mushrooms.

Before starting his Altered Mass training, Lukas made another attempt at something he hadn’t managed despite training all week. First, he cleared his mind, thinking of nothing but Silencing Shadows. He had activated the spell as soon as the guards were out of sight, but now, he really gave it all of his attention. Shadows tightened around his slender frame, and ambient magic flowed around it, seeming to pass through him. The speed of their currents barely changed, unlike when he first learned the spell.

Once Lukas was sure that his channeling was as perfect as he could get it, he finally split his attention. One part of his mind kept Silencing Shadows going while the other half shaped another clone. His heart skipped a beat as it started to work, almost ruining his concentration. At first, it was only the magic-flow technique that intertwined with the clone’s shell, but then the spell also started to bond. 

The clone manifested draped in shadows, and the journal vibrated.

“Holy shit, boss. I’m brand new!”

You have unlocked a new specialized clone. It specializes in manipulating shadows and erasing their arcane presence.

Shadow Clone has progressed to rank 1!

Magic demands of clone creation are reduced.

Lukas grinned. There was something about the undercity. Its concentration of magic made funneling extra energy into abilities and spells significantly easier. He also focused better in the dark and had it to thank for the success.

“Scout and surveil.”

“And carry you out if you break bones,” the clone said. He flashed a shadowy thumbs up. “Got it!”

El-Four retreated into the shadows and disappeared without a trace. Lukas couldn’t sense him at all. He also wanted to test unlocking new specializations using Shadow Sight, but he didn’t have the clones to spare and also wanted to conserve magic. His hand clasped the enchanted belt buckle. Its energy stores were full. He hadn’t used it since the delve with Penelope. Now, he hoped it would save him when he screwed up.

Deep breathe in. Deep breathe out.

Lukas slid Altered Mass’s slider to the lowest point before he started running. It was tempting to use the Haste spell, too, but he resisted. Once at terminal velocity, Lukas moved the slider to its highest point and threw himself into a mushroom stalk. Cracks echoed through the cavern. Much to Lukas’s relief, it was the calcified outer layer and not his bones. In fact, he barely felt the impact. 

He only ever used the high-mass form when creating clones, and its sheer durability never ceased to amaze him. Lukas threw a punch at the mushroom, putting his shoulder and hips into the attack. His windup was long, but the fist flew fast. The power behind it broke through the stalk’s outer layer. Lukas pulled back, moving the slider to the lowest point.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. Timing is everything.

“Frar.” Lukas threw another while pushing the slider to the highest point. The sudden change almost pulled him off balance, but he had braced his knees and managed to right himself. His fist didn’t just crack the calcifications but broke through them. Radio-active green bioluminescent fluid sprayed his coat. 

“You need to train more with that, boss.” El-Four almost made Lukas jump, speaking from right behind him. He spun around, ready to reprimand, but struggled to spot the clone. “Over here,” he said from Lukas’s right. “I’ve already done a lap. We’re alone. I’ll do one again in a bit.”

“I need you to watch all paths in and out of here,” Lukas said. “I’m being pretty noisy. Someone or something is bound to hear us and come scoting.”

“Yes. Yes. We both know nothing around these parts is a threat to us. Big rats. Maybe lesser troglodytes. You should train at high mass more. Especially the transitions. If you ever need to get in a melee and don’t have us, it's one of your biggest assets.”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Lukas asked before targeting another mushroom and charging it. 

This time, he kept going at terminal velocity until he was about six feet from the mushroom. Then, he threw himself and moved the slider while in the air. The stalk almost folded in half. He didn’t bother resting or punching and repeated the process, causing vast ecological damage. Lukas worried that testing himself against the caverns’ walls was more likely to cause accidents and resisted.

Lukas mistimed and tripped a handful of times. In most instances, he was in his high-mass form and suffered no injuries. But then, he twisted his ankle once while running and another time, waited too long before moving the slider. The latter instance came with loud crunches along his left side. 

“Laeknir!”

The vet’s magic, combined with the blood essence, knit his bones back together. It was a painful process that came with an impossible itch under his skin. He groaned and writhed as the magic put the broken bits back together and ensured unnecessary tissue didn’t get in between them. Apparently, it was a regular issue with standard regeneration magic.

Lukas needed to consult Esther soon. If Penelope failed to come through for him, he hoped she’d guide him toward the essences he needed. Lukas also intended to tell her about Minarv’s ritual. He was growing to trust her and believed she wouldn’t rob him or screw him over. Esther had plenty of opportunities since their first meeting and hadn’t done anything to harm him yet. He still didn’t quite understand her or her purpose. It was likely there was a lot more to her than the friendly vet persona she displayed.

When Lukas ran out of breath, he took a few minutes for breathing exercises and dispelled El-Four. His magic had naturally recovered enough, and absorbing the clone’s shell helped him get the rest of the way. Lukas attempted to create another clone using the Shadow Sight spell. He failed. Only an ordinary arcane-specialized clone materialized. He made a couple of attempts before settling on a magical stealth variant again.

The clone wordlessly returned to its duties, aware of Lukas’s frustration and annoyance with the failure. He knew that poking the bear would only result in a tongue lashing or dispelment. It took a couple of hours of training before the journal vibrated again.

Altered Mass has progressed to rank 5!

Slider limits have expanded.

Minor ability upgrade available.

Please choose from the following:

• Emergency Alteration: Gain the ability to make yourself weightless enough to float at low mass or become a heavy, durable, immovable wall at high mass. Extreme Alteration burns large amounts of magic and comes with equivalent mental strain.

• Cover Weaknesses: Your bones and muscles gain minor elasticity at low mass, reducing the risk of breaks, sprains, and strains. Meanwhile, at high-mass, your stamina demands aren’t as high, allowing longer acceleration, and you won’t tire yourself out as fast.

• Instant Reset: For three times the magic cost, instantly set your mass to anywhere on the scale. Repeated usage comes with compounding mental strain.

Lukas instantly picked the second option. He didn’t care for the third, as it seemed like a shortcut around the timing and control issues. Cost for convenience never appealed to him when practice and hard work could solve an issue just as well, if not better. Emergency Alteration almost gave him pause for the low-mass benefit, but the clones wouldn’t enjoy the benefits for quite some time, at least.

Meanwhile, Cover Weaknesses did exactly what he needed. It covered Altered Mass’s greatest weaknesses. Lukas had hoped to fix the fragility issues at low mass, and it did just that. After training for several hours, he also appreciated the extra stamina at high mass. Instead of attacking in bursts, a vanguard clone could hopefully become an unstoppable juggernaut.

Instead of returning to Iskander straight away, Lukas trained a while longer, pushing himself in the hopes of another rank. Now, mistakes in low-mass forms were more tolerable. They still hurt, but he ‘bounced’ back from them a lot faster and didn't need to rely on the final charge of his belt's healing spell. Lukas also went for much longer and harder during his mushroom-punching sessions without tiring out. 

Will this be enough?

Penelope had likely already sent Bass down into the depths to investigate. He hoped to use her for the quest but still worried about her interfering with the laboratories’ destruction. 

As a result, when Lukas returned to Iskander in the early evening, he visited stores specializing in magic. It was unlikely explosion spells would have the intended effect, but that didn't stop him from looking. Lukas didn't just check the usual popular shops but also followed Snake's list. 

Most of the more exclusive businesses that served the Shadow Seekers only made themselves open to the guild late in the evenings. They entertained Lukas well enough, treating him far better than others did after seeing his clothes and guild badge. Unfortunately, none of them had what he wanted or was within his budget. And even when Lukas received ample opportunity for thievery, he resisted. Ruining relationships with the guild just as he was getting in their good graces was counterintuitive for his long-term plans. 

Lukas had joined the Shadow Seekers just because he wanted weapons training, and it didn't need connections or immense wealth. He never intended to tie himself to them in the long term. But now, the organization was starting to grow on him.

He was about to call it an evening, having exhausted all the options of the day, when one address in particular caught his eye. It was close to Esther's clinic. In fact, they shared a wall. 

“Arcane Consulting And Procurement Services.”

It didn't cater to the Shadow Seekers for another couple of days and then again on the weekends, but he took a risk anyway. 

He took familiar paths, not bothering with sticking to populated streets. El-Four followed along the roofs. Lukas only knew the clone's location because he occasionally hooted, trying his hardest to sound like an angry owl.

It was as expected. The address took him to a squat, wonky building that grew out of the side of Esther's house. It looked and felt perfectly mundane, radiating no extra energy than the ambient norm. The only reason Lukas had registered it before was because of the crooked construction.

He knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

Lukas knocked again. 

“We're closed!” 

“Esther! It's Lukas.” He banged on the door, striking it with his fist.

Grumbles and stomps followed.

“Why did you come to this door?” Esther demanded, throwing the door open. It was odd seeing her in her non-clinic clothes. She wore a long, flowing dress that barely contained her thick muscled arms.

Lukas held up Snake's scribbled notes. “I was just following this. I didn't realize it would actually be you. Maybe a neighbor or a secret lover.”

“Blighted dog.” Esther sighed. “I told him to send more guild members here. Especially you. Come in.”

“Why, especially me?” Lukas asked, slipping through the door. 

“He believes I have a soft spot for you and can convince me otherwise.”

Lukas raised an eyebrow. “I'm not sure I follow.”

“I technically still am the Iskander chapter head of the Shadow Seekers’. Bastards won't accept my retirement.”