Spell Weaver-Chapter 98. Power Play

"...in what appears to be the work of the first superpowered serial killer. Over the past several days, bodies have been discovered in two Northeast Safe Zones, all bearing the same gruesome signature. Victims seem to have been burned from the inside out, leaving authorities baffled and residents terrified.”

Mark looked at Sarah. "This is pretty messed up, right? If someone can get in and out of two Safe Zones, they must be registered with the government somehow."

The reporter continued, "This development is particularly alarming given the government's recent crackdown on unauthorized power usage and registration protocols. The ease with which the killer appears to be operating raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current security measures."

"Can I turn it off, Mark?" Sarah asked, her voice sounding tight. "It's all anyone's been talking about at work, and it's just so gruesome."

Mark turned it to a different station. “Yeah, it’s heavy stuff. Let’s focus on the celebration for today, huh?”

In the backseat, Alex sat with his eyes closed, his mind split between two tasks. One part of his consciousness was deep in focusing on the cycling technique he’d been doing daily. The spinning of his mana had gradually increased, though it still wasn’t powerful enough to push impurities to the edge of his Core like Eura had told him to anticipate. The other part of his mind was engrossed in mana-shaping exercises he’d created for himself over the past week.

The new exercises were modeled after those Eura had taught him, but instead of Ritual components, they were designed to help with mana rune patterns that were used in “setting” the rune. Evan had given him the patterns to the two runes that he felt comfortable teaching, which were the activation rune and the spark rune.

While Alex couldn’t create either of them himself yet, the mental exercises and mana shaping would help lay the groundwork for his future plans and progression.

The car fell into a comfortable silence for a time as they neared the new Guild Headquarters site.

Soon, Mark pulled the vehicle into the busy parking lot, and they could all hear the sounds of laughter and cheering. “Woah, there’s a lot more going on here than Olivia let on, huh?” he said.

Alex leaned over in the back seat and looked through the front window between Mark and Sarah. He was stunned to see such a large amount of development had happened in the month and a half since he sold the Rift information on New Year’s.

“No kidding. This is crazy. Seriously, this was all woods when Sam and I left here.”

“I’m sad he didn’t come with us. I barely got to see him this week,” Sarah said.

“Well, you’ve been too busy helping out at your fancy job,” Mark said. “Though, even with you and Olivia having to work, I feel like fourth place is still pretty damn good.”

“Yeah, yeah. I told you I was sorry I couldn’t help more in this last week, but things have been crazy at work. Director Matthews wants me to be at so many of these meetings to observe peoples’ aura that it’s actually getting to be a bit frustrating. It’s not what I signed up for… anyway, I’m glad he’s getting to spend time with his parents. I think it will really help him keep healing from his time in the Rift.”

“Yeah, it’s been great to see their relationship grow. I’m surprised that they seem to understand the changes he went through in there. It’s a lot to recover from, that’s for sure.”

Mark looked over his shoulder. “Just him?”

Alex raised both hands. “I’m doing fine, seriously. I was only in there for what felt like two months. He was in there for almost two years. Also, they only kept me locked up for a day. Sam had it way, way worse.”

Mark’s reflection in the rear mirror tightened, but Sarah spoke up first.

“I know, it was horrible. Just don’t keep pushing aside your own healing. You have a tendency to shove it down and just focus on other things; now, with all of your plans and supercharged willpower, you just keep pushing on for days.”

Alex rolled his eyes, and when he refocused, he saw Mark nodding along with her. He rubbed his eyes and knew that they had a point, particularly with his recent use of [Parallel Mind] through the night, he was beginning to feel a bit stretched thin and he realized he might not just be pushing himself to grow for the sake of power, but also to distract.

“Alright, alright. We can talk later, Sarah. You can put me in touch with one of your coworkers from before the integration. As long as they don’t work for the Hunters Association, I’m happy to talk with one of them. For now, let’s park and figure out what’s going on with all of this. I thought it was just a celebration. There’s got to be a hundred cars here.”

The paved parking lot was huge and large sections of forest had been leveled to even allow for parking in dirt areas off of the paved lot. When they found a spot to park and piled out of Mark’s SUV, Alex looked into the back and called for Valtherion to join them.

“Alright, buddy. Time for the cloak illusion. And remember, tone down the flashiness this time.”

“Understand. Val will make best cloak!”

The air shimmered as his companion wrapped around his shoulders and let both wings drape down diagonally from his left shoulder on either side of his body. As the illusion settled, it suddenly looked like Alex was wearing an elegant blue cloak with subtle gold trim.

Alex sighed. “I said tone it down. Can you make it brown instead? At least then it’ll just look like I’m wearing some normal cloth.”

“No! Val is blue, so cloak is blue. Brown is not Val color.”

“That’s not how colors work, Val. Just because you’re blue doesn’t mean everything blue is ‘Val color’.”

Val’s tone took on a stubborn note. “Nope. Everything blue is Val. Val is best color.”

Mark and Sarah burst into laughter as they waited for their conversation to end, and Alex pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Fine, keep it blue. But can you at least make the trim less… sparkly?”

The gold trim dulled slightly, and Alex nodded in resignation. “That’ll have to do. At least in the drive up we saw some people with capes and armor on.”

The group began walking toward the main set of buildings when Mark pointed out two news vans parked in closer spots.

The new Adventurer Guild Headquarters sprawled across several acres, with buildings connected by brick walkways. It reminded Alex of some of the fancier college campuses he’d seen.

Construction crews were still working at the edges of the property. The sound of their equipment mixed with the voices of the crowd heading toward the buildings. Where there used to be forest, Alex now saw freshly cut stumps and construction trailers lined up along the tree line. People kept streaming in from the parking lots - some wore uniforms and directed traffic, while others wore business clothes or just regular street clothes.

The Guild has uniforms now?

"Check it out," Mark said, pointing to a group in matching shirts. The words 'Future Guild Member' were printed across their chests.

"Someone's already cashing in. This is like a college campus tour," Alex said. He watched as a Guild member in a fancy uniform took pictures with some kids nearby.

"Looks like Val fits right in as a fashion piece," Sarah said teasingly while nodding towards some attendees wearing colorful robes and cloaks, likely looted as System rewards.

As they made their way through the crowd, they saw a large banner with the top ten teams listed. Their team was listed in a box with their five names, and Mark gestured toward it. “Fourth place. Man, if we’d been able to just clear a few more Rifts this last week…”

“Hey, considering our team was brand new to this, I’d say we did pretty well,” Sarah said.

Alex was sure he could hear a hint of competitive disappointment in her voice, though. “Yeah, and the two of you literally only had a couple of levels to start with. Now, you’re both close to your class selections. We made huge progress and you got some big gains. It might not feel like a lot compared to my growth in the other Rift, but I’m serious. It took Olivia more than two months to hit level 12, and she was doing this stuff every day and as her job. Mark, the fact that you’re nine in under a month of pushing is pretty wild. That’s not even to mention that we’re moving and fighting a lot more like a team now, too.”

There were nods from them both as they kept moving through the opening campus area. They passed a table laden with various magical items for showing as examples. Unfortunately, this included several glowing Mana Stones.

Suddenly, a scaly blue tendril snaked out from Alex's cloak and snatched one of the stones from the table.

"Val!" Alex hissed, but the stone had already disappeared beneath the cloak's folds. He laughed nervously and waved to the table, giving a quick apology and pressing his hands down on the edges of his cloak.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Mark quickly pulled a stone from his backpack, which held his spatial pouch and placed it on the table. "Sorry about that," he said to a nearby attendant, who looked confused but shrugged it off.

"We really need to work on his impulse control," Sarah muttered as they moved away from the table.

Alex nodded and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Tell me about it. At least he's getting better at blending in... mostly?"

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As the four of them approached a small crowd forming on one of the sidewalks that entered into the campus, Alex used his uncovered Heavenly eye to scan several people. Suddenly, he realized what was happening. “Some of these people aren’t even Awakened.”

“What, seriously?”

“Yeah, when I try to analyze them, nothing happens. On top of that, they don’t have any mana leaking from their skin.”

“Oh hey! Newcomers, come on up!” A short woman with brown hair waved with a smile.

The three of them looked at each other, and there was a brief pause. Then Alex shrugged and walked over.

“Are you guys here for the tour?”

“We’re actually a team, here to watch the podium event,” Alex said. “What’s happening here?”

He scanned her and saw that her name was Jennifer. She was only level three, Intellect as her highest stat, and a plethora of other information that he didn’t need.

The girl's breath caught when she saw Alex's face. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, and her eyes went wide. Alex noticed how she looked between his normal eye and his celestial one before catching herself staring. She recovered pretty quickly, but her voice was higher than before.

"People have been arriving most of the norming, and the main event hasn’t started yet, so you’re not too late! Our Guild Members are sharing stories and experiences from the Teams Event in the main building before the actual awards for placements are handed out. In the meantime, the Moderators of the Adventurers Guild have asked that we give tours to anyone interested." She smiled brightly and nodded to the group of ten or so who were standing nearby. "Would you like to join us? We were just about to begin.”

Alex looked at Mark and Sarah and agreed after receiving a shrug and a nod. They waited a few more minutes, and their small group stood apart from the others. Alex caught a few strangers staring in his direction, and he did his best to ignore their looks.

It’s something I’ve just got to get used to. It really doesn’t matter what they think.

Despite knowing what he was thinking was the truth, it didn’t stop him from turning to Mark and Sarah so that his back faced the others.

“You know, if you stopped scowling, the scar and the eye might not look so intimidating,” Sarah whispered conspiratorially as he watched a group of two teenagers from the corner of his eye.

“I’m not scowling.”

“Uh- yeah, ya are,” Mark said with a snort.

Alex forced his brow and forehead to relax after realizing that he had, in fact, been scowling. “Ugh, I just forget that my face has even changed sometimes. Being at the new house is so nice and secluded and you guys are all used to the changes, it’s easy to forget.”

Mark and Sarah shared a look. “I wouldn’t say that we’re used to it. It definitely makes you look more serious, and your demeanor has changed a lot overall since returning. Sometimes,” Sarah said, “if it weren’t your voice and the normal way you speak coming out of your mouth, I really would think you were a different person.”

Mark nodded in agreement.

Alex grumbled a response and heard the guide speak up to call everyone to follow their lead through the new headquarters.

Jennifer- as they learned, was a Guild Member and newly awakened. She led them around, and Alex kept catching her sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. Every time she did, she'd stumble over her practiced speech a bit. He could tell she was trying hard to stay professional, but it was clear she had questions she was dying to ask.

Fuck. I mean, I know the scar and eye look a little wild, but it can’t be that distracting, right?

She continued to lead the group, floating around like a bubble of positive energy. She pointed at several management buildings, built in a modern fashion that reflected the morning light. Alex was impressed by the sheer amount of work that had been finished in a short amount of time.

Jennifer guided their group past a carefully positioned Guild banner. Alex noticed the crew of cameras and an interviewer doing a segment with their group and the banner in the background. From there, it became increasingly obvious to Alex that the tour- or likely the entire event - was choreographed.

Their guide told an exaggerated tale of how the Guild had promising members enter and scout Epic Rifts for them before giving a brief description of how valuable an Epic Rift would be for the Guild. She led them past some painfully staged groups of Guild Members training in a nearby open space. They moved in a tight formation and swung fake swords or practiced flashy fire skills.

Good lord, Elana. Is there even a real celebration? Or is this all just one big PR campaign?

They passed another group of Guild members doing some kind of rescue demonstration. One guy floated in the air using wind magic that looked way more ostentatious than it needed to be. The others called out lines about teamwork and being prepared that sounded rehearsed.

This is nothing like the real thing.

He remembered how messy and scary actual Rift combat was.

They're making it look like some kind of game.

Alex was beginning to feel a bit miffed when his train of thought was interrupted by what Jennifer was saying.

"And here we have the Grant Training Facility," their guide announced with rehearsed enthusiasm. "Named after the wonderful family who previously owned this land. In fact—" she brightened, "the Grants are here today with their recently returned son, Samuel. They've been incredibly supportive of the Guild's mission."

Alex's step faltered. Beside him, Mark perked up.

"Did she say Sam's here?" Mark whispered, nudging Alex. Through the building's massive windows, they could see Sam with his parents, surrounded by a small crowd of interested onlookers. The teenager looked simultaneously uncomfortable with the attention and happy to be near his family. Mrs. Grant kept one hand on Sam's shoulder as she spoke to the group, her sandy blonde hair and bright smile matching her son's.

"Look at him trying to hide behind his mom," Alex said with a small grin. Sam was fidgeting with the neckline of his hoodie, which was a nervous habit they'd all grown familiar with, though they had seen less and less of it in the last couple of weeks.

Their guide continued, "The Grants have an inspiring story to share about the importance of our mission. Samuel returned home just a month ago after being trapped in an Epic Rift for over a year. He possesses an incredibly rare healing class and is one of the first people to level high enough to be a D-Rank awakened. And, thanks to the heroic efforts of Guild Member, Alex Moore—"

Mark let out a poorly disguised snort. "Oh man, heroic efforts? Is that what we're calling getting yourself trapped in a Rift now?"

Alex elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up."

Sarah shook her head, her expression a mix of amusement and disapproval. "I can't believe they're advertising his power like this. A rare healer? Might as well paint a target on his back. Though I suppose that's the point—showing off their valuable new member."

“Yeah, he said he had someone pretty aggressively try to recruit him at the hospital a week or two ago. I can’t imagine this is going to help very much.” Alex said, wondering if he should speak to Elana on Sam’s behalf.

“I don’t know, maybe it will? If word gets out that he’s with the Guild and has their full support and backing, that could give him something to lean on if he’s approached by Mr. Rich Somebody looking for a personal healer.” Mark countered.

Alex responded with a skeptical snort and looked to his left as one of the tour group members spoke up, "Actually could we meet them? It would be amazing to hear their story firsthand."

Jennifer beamed. "Of course! The Grants have graciously agreed to speak with visitors today. Let's head inside."

As their group filed into the building, Alex noticed Sam hadn't spotted them yet. The teenager was nodding politely at something an older woman was saying, though his eyes kept wandering to look at other spots in the room.

Alex focused on a thin thread of mana, directing it toward Sam.

Need an escape plan?

Sam's head jerked up, his eyes going wide. "Alex? Where—"

Look for the enormous dude waving like an idiot.

Sure enough, Mark was already standing at his full height, grinning and waving both arms above his head like an overexcited parent at a school play. Several people in the crowd turned to stare at him or shuffled away to make some space, but Mark seemed entirely unbothered.

Sam's face lit up when he spotted them, relief washing over his features. He quickly covered his mouth to hide his laugh at Mark's antics, though his shoulders shook with the truth.

"You're going to get us kicked out," Sarah muttered, with a smile of her own.

"What? I'm just being supportive of our local celebrity healer," Mark said, still waving. "Hey, Sam! Great job being heroically rescued by Alex! Really stellar work!"

Alex groaned. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"Not a chance, hero."

While Sam remained with his parents on stage, Jennifer led their group onward with the tour, and Alex, Mark, and Sarah followed along, curious to see what other parts of the headquarters would be revealed.

As they moved through the final sections of the complex, Sarah began grumbling under her breath. Alex wasn’t sure what had gotten under her skin, but he waited for her to voice her thoughts.

“Doesn’t this just feel kind of sleazy to you guys?”

“Ah,” he answered, realizing that the way that the Guild was going about the event frustrated her. “Yeah, a bit.”

“I mean seriously. Everything is so staged; even some of the powerful people are stationed near the entrances to make their ‘success stories’ more noticeable.”

“The Hunter’s Association doesn’t do PR stuff?” Mark said skeptically.

“Wait- How can you tell who’s stronger?” Alex asked. He wondered if she picked up an [Analyze] skill or something similar through her work.

“Their auras are just bigger. I’ve started to realize that means someone is usually stronger.”

“Usually?” Alex asked, interested. He was focused on their conversation, but he let his eyes wander to passersby and couldn’t help but wonder at what some of these people had gotten as their trait and skills.

“Well,” Sarah said, giving him an odd look from the corner of her eye, “There is always an outlier. Some people might be really strong and not have a huge aura, so I’m trying not to judge things from the size too often.”

Mark snickered, and Alex smirked as he heard Sarah scoff so hard that he could almost hear her eyes roll.

Alex assumed she was referring to how he kept his mana pulled into his skin. Sarah seemed to believe that mana and aura were connected in some way, though no real connection had been made through her testing.

He changed the subject back to her complaint while shrugging. “It’s not all that different from anyone trying to sell something back when things were normal. Tech startups courting investors would set up entire conference centers like this. It's the same thing with college campuses attempting to impress potential students and their parents. Everyone is doing their best to sell what they have.”

Mark nodded along, recognizing many of the same tactics they’d coached clients through during their previous job being used at the new Adventurer's Guild tour. “He’s not wrong- but, I mean, I hated those asshole tech start-ups. It felt like the modern used cars salesman, ya know?”

“Before the System, there were clients of ours that would spend millions just to look half as professional as all this.” Alex let his eyes sweep the crowds again before turning back to Sarah. “It does feel a bit shady. Hell, it is a bit shady. They’re literally trying to create something out from under the supervision of the government. I mean, even we came here today expecting a ceremony or celebration for the top three teams and maybe get a participation trophy or something for being in the top ten. Instead, they’ve turned it into this whole recruitment drive.”

“Okay, but why? More money?” Sarah followed his eyes and scanned the hundred-plus people walking around as if the new campus were a state fair.

“Power,” Alex said simply, thinking back to his many talks on the topic with Eura and wondering just how much of it would apply to the new world that was being created on Earth.

It wasn’t long before their tour had ended, and they were guided through the entry and welcoming area and into the main part of the Grant Training Facility.