Chương 286: Glimpses of a surge II

"I am sure that it will come to nobody's surprise that I have called you here to state that the surge has officially begun," Branch Director Lionel Anchali called to the marshalling yard of the Convergence Adventure Society campus. For once, the square to the side of the local trade pavilion was filled with almost exclusively silver-rankers, a rarity in even these southern, more mana-dense parts of the northlands.

Kite even found that he recognized most of them, at least by looks, and it was apparent that plenty of them knew him in turn as many glares from the varying sect warriors and elders were cast towards the people from the guild.

"As such, surge-protocols are in place since this morning and contracts are being assigned even as we speak," the director continued, uncaring of the sentiment of the crowd.

"I will remind you that these aren't up for negotiations as we are once again thrust into the maw of madness together. Every able hand will be needed to defend these lands and its people. Without them, neither the cities nor the sects would be able to exist. So for their sake, I trust that this will be at the forefront of your mind in the weeks to come before things settle down."

The hint at the recent rise in inter-sect conflicts did not pass anyone by, but none of the sour murmurs seemed to gain much momentum, though many a glance was thrown towards Kite and the others again. The guild had been quite busy in regards to the current ceasefire, after all.

"As silver-rankers, you will bear increased responsibilities to coordinate and lead your juniors, answering only to the Adventure Society as well as the honored Obsidian Crow," director Anchali continued.

"It was intended for him to join us today, but as you are well aware, the surge is fickle. As the only gold stationed in our region, he was forced to travel to our southern domain to monitor what we believe is a gold-ranked manifestation in the making." These words caused a bit of a stir among the crowds, including Kite's own little clique that consisted of himself, Dragonfly, Uncle Walker and Second Spring.

Will and Laevyeth had decided to return up north to bolster the areas around Gilded, which was much needed, and the rest of the guild's silvers were either already deployed or waiting for news back at the guildhall.

"Fortune be with us that the honored senior will be enough up here," Walker muttered softly enough so that only his companions could hear.

"I don't know how the golds are usually deployed around the kingdom, but at least the branch director here doesn't seem troubled, so let's at least assume that this isn't due to the sects of the south wanting to keep their elders close to home to engage in other squabbles."

"Go then, and gather your contracts," Director Anchali finished, his tone clearly heralding the end of the announcement.

"I am sure we shall see each other plenty during this surge. While there might be places in the world where silvers are common, in this region you are each an important pillar of civilization. Remember that, and fight well. The Adventure Society will reward your diligence, so if duty doesn't sound alluring enough, remember that you have every reason to do your utmost."

"I believe they're in there, weaving themselves a nest," Red, the scout from the other guild team reported as she let her fox transfiguration drop once she approached Sprite and her two companions.

"Believe? You didn't go in?" Birch asked, a bit surprised.

"If you want to enter a small forest supposedly infested with those grubs and their webs, feel free," Red replied with a roll of her eyes.

"My path might be nimble, but not that nimble. My team suggests a joint effort where we smoke them out and you catch those that emerge. Should be quick enough, and we all know that there are plenty more of these manifestations all over the place. Master Kite implied as much back at the fort."

"I don't know…" Birch said a bit hesitantly, the iron-ranker turning to Sprite.

"Can your familiar scout it out some more?"

"Pom? He's a lover, not a fighter," Sprite replied, going so far as to jest to relieve some of the tension.

"Honestly though, no. That's not his strength." As if to drive home her meaning, the round golden cat sat down on his haunches and made his best, harmless impression where he mostly looked like a happy, cuddly ball of glimmering floof, to which Birch only rolled his eyes.

"Much help you are then," the young man muttered at the cat, but found a large hand clapped to his shoulder by their final teammate for the surge.

"This is a good plan. Warrior approves, as would his Blessed One," Opal said with approval, the leonid woman standing taller than any of the others present. She wore armor as well as a pendant of Warrior, and from what little Sprite had been able to learn of her impromptu teammates for the surge, the warrior-priestess often hung around some kind of arena in Convergence where Soul was.

She had met the intense and rather scary celestine a few times, and understood that she was regarded to the extent of pseudo-worship by some.

"Tell your team that we shall stand ready. Our paths make for a good complement to one another. Most pleasing."

"Thanks! Let's do what we can," Red replied with a relieved smile, once more transfigurating into her fox-hybrid shape and running off on nimble feet, twin tails fluttering behind her. Birch didn't seem able to tear his eyes off the form until Opal shook him gently.

"I can respect liking the fur. It is a good choice, as things should be. But perhaps wait until after the surge to dance to Lust's tunes," the leonid rebuked lightly, causing the other man to stutter and blush a bit. Any further protests were interrupted though, as arrows of lightning suddenly started being launched from a position not too far away.

They zipped into the huge copse of trees ahead, other crackling arcs spreading to hit what Sprite assumed were the monsters inside as angry hisses and shrieks started echoing out from inside. Sprite could see shapes moving inside towards the source of the arrows, but a curving wall of flames appeared a moment later to ward off the closest approach to the harassers, causing whatever beasts were inside to have to divert their charge to emerge in another direction.

Which just happened to be towards where Sprite and her two companions were cautiously approaching.

"Glory to Warrior! Witness me!" Opal roared, brandishing her heavy glaive as she started a steady march towards the emerging monsters that looked like the cursed offspring of a huge, bulbous grub and one of the octopi that Sprite had once seen when following her teacher to a contract close to the ocean.

Sprite had fortunately hunted barb spinners before, but what emerged from the copse was well over triple the number she had ever seen in one place before the surge hit, and that was after some had no doubt already fallen to the initial barrage that still kept coming from the position of the other team.

Given that Opal wasn't charging in and how Birch likewise took a more measured approach as his legs and arms elongated into bark-like, vicious appendages while the man himself slowly started to circle, Sprite could tell that the two of them were similarly experienced. Going into those webs would be a bad time for almost anyone.

With another warcry, Opal took the opening shot, swinging her Glaive in a mighty arc that sent a projected slash of force towards the monsters which she followed with a roar whose intensity caused the air to shudder from a shockwave which left the taller grass around them flattened. The leading barb spinners shrieked as they were cut into, only to be blown back into their fellows by the follow-up, and that was when Sprite too saw her chance." Eye of the sun, open!"

A descending beam of sunfire impacted the tangled bunch, giving rise to a satisfying new wave of shrieks while Birch strode on elongated legs to launch a barrage of thorns into the flanks of the group of monsters. As agreed beforehand, Sprite made sure to mount Pom and guide the cat to follow in Opal's wake as the more experienced iron-ranker began a steady, slow dance with the admittedly also rather slow monsters that crawled towards them.

The barb spinner could make impressive, single leaps though, and Sprite made a note of how Opal - rather than simply backing off - moved in a curving path to make it harder for the monsters to aim their springing assaults. This became a surprisingly controlled dynamic where Birch and Opal constantly moved to guide and bait some of the pack of monsters to leap and miss, only to fall upon the isolated grubs and dispatch them once they did.

Sprite also found that she complemented the pair well, as they were both mid-to-close range fighters who could easily move around while remaining close to herself, also mobile thanks to Pom. Knowing the source of such foresight, Sprite had just resolved to thank her teacher again when she felt something else.

"Wait, do you feel that?" she called to her companions, straining her aura senses to get a better grasp of what had tickled her attention. It was something elusive, and she could just about-"Opal, below!" Sprite's cry of warning came just too late to allow the leonid to completely dodge the grasping claws and mandibles that suddenly burst from the ground from beneath her, but enough to at least be able to somewhat sidestep and mitigate the damage.

At the same time, Pom sped up to avoid a similar fate, with Sprite holding on for dear life as the golden cat leapt. She could glimpse more things burrowing up from the ground that looked like pale insects with gnashing mandibles, but most were suddenly caught in an area of expanding roots that stretched to cover a rough circle close to Opal, whose roar sent an opportunistic barb spinner flying back towards its comrades before a forceful swing cut the head from the insect monsters which had bit onto her leg.

"Mole Termites! Ugh, I hate them," Birch called angrily while sending another hail of thorns into a few of the emerging insects while raking them with his wooden claws.

"Sprite, perhaps it is time to light a fire or five? Get the other team's attention, as we will need their help!" His words snapped Sprite out of her thoughts, embarrassment washing over her at having frozen rather than acted.

"Expand the mana!" Casting her growth spell, the personal sun that appeared above her was larger and spread its radiance further as it started burning the emerging mole termites around her, but since the awakening stone her teacher had gifted her to celebrate her induction into the Adventure Society just before the surge, it also filled another function.

WWJS: [Ability] Life among the ashes Special ability Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Iron 0 Effect: Allies within the area of your offensive powers will benefit from a low healing effect, instant in the case of instantaneous spells and ongoing in the case of ongoing spells. This does not protect them from the original effect of the spell, if applicable. Sprite had found great satisfaction that the light of her personal sun now also healed her allies in its radiance.

Sure, it wasn't by too much yet, but as the power grew the efficiency should grow with it. Technically, it would also provide a bit of healing to anyone caught in her Eye of the Sun as well, but given the spell's potency that wasn't something she wanted to try. Both Dragonfly and Kite had made their predictions that the power reaching silver rank might even let allies walk unscathed through some of her spells, but those vaunted heights still felt so far off that it was hard to even consider.

While the healing and steady stream of searing light was a boon in driving off the closest mole termites, with Birch helping Opal clear away the grasping mandibles, Sprite still wanted to do more to help her more martial companions as the leonid had obvious trouble supporting herself on the most injured leg.

"Burst forth, waters of life and bounty!" A glowing, shimmering surface spread from beneath Sprite and Pom, keeping them steady in its center as it moved with them while the pair adjusted their position among their two battling companions. Making sure that Opal was in reach, Sprite then sent a large surge of mana into the spring which in turn sent tendrils of healing energies streaming into the leonid, helping reknit her injuries.

This immediate outpour had the spring fade considerably, but seeing Opal's grin made it well worth it. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Warrior bless you, Little Sun Sprite! Your path might not be a singular one, but I will enjoy having it supporting mine in the days to come!" Seeing that the other team was on their way over, laying down a hail of spells and arrows towards the barb spinners which only further stabilized the situation, an odd sense of control fell over Sprite as some of the most intense panic retreated.

She still felt stressed and quite afraid, gnashing mandibles and slathering tentacled mouths grasping after her and her companions. But she also felt sensation rarely experienced in her life, especially not before when she had met her teacher; control, and the ability to affect her fate.

"Oh Fortune, may I just survive this surge to enjoy it."

"You know, brother, this wasn't how I imagined my first surge as an essence-user," Grain of Summer called above the din of monster howls, the crackling of failing formations on the simple village walls and panicked cries of people. Scythe didn't answer, busy making a heaving swing with a heavy chopping sword he had bought for some of his guild merit just before the surge as its enchantments complimented his heavy special attacks very well.

He was also further able to appreciate this as yet another pair of margolls tried pressing into the breach between the two stone walls that left just enough space for Scythe to swing properly, as well as for his companions to assist him with spell and magical bolt.

"What? Didn't expect hordes of monsters?" Scythe replied once he found a moment, his bronze rank letting him hold off the - admittedly very numerous - iron-ranked monsters with more ease than he would have ever thought possible.

"Well, of course I expected that," Grain replied, the roll of his eyes clearly heard in his voice even as he blasted an enterprising monster that had managed to scale Scythe's conjured wall at one side to try to get at the line of normal-rankers from the village who were still queuing up under Fawn's watchful eyes to enter Grain's portal which would take them close enough to one of the nearby surge shelters where an escort to the relative safety awaited them.

"What I didn't expect was that it was you who would be getting all of the adoring looks from the people rather than - you know - the one actually conjuring their magical path to safety."

"Brother…"

"What? You didn't see that last maiden who passed through just a minute ago. Basically had to be carried through by her relatives, so weak at the knees was she at your display," Grain continued while using his staff to send a few supporting blasts into the mass of monsters ahead of Scythe.

"Grain…"

"Don't get me wrong, I can understand the appeal of the impressive, indomitable warrior you've become. It's just that a little appreciation would be- oh, now I get your point- Fawn, my dear! No need to glare! You know that I only have eyes for you."

Unable to turn his eyes from the press up front, Scythe could only faintly smile at the mental image of Grain realizing his mistake, but that was quickly dismissed from his mind when his aura senses picked up something else coming towards them from outside the failing village defenses.

"Grain, we've got incoming bronze-ranked monsters," he called over his shoulder while delivering another devastating chop that not only contained the power of the earth but now also sent a cone of stone shrapnel shooting out from the shattering earthen extension to his weapon. Holding off the margolls was one thing, but if the trio of bronze-ranked monsters arrived the conjured walls that had previously felt so solid would suddenly become a lot less reliable.

"We need your summons."

"On it! Fawn, can you watch the walls?"

"I can do more than that," the elf herbalist-turned-adventurer replied as she started conjuring grasping vines atop Scythe's earth wall to further complicate attempts at scaling them. Blowing her a kiss, Grain hurried to a clear space before he started producing the ritual implements.

Clapping his hands together, one of the powers of his magic essence instantly created a circle of calm around him in the churning ambient mana while he started throwing out plenty of more components into the space that the very same power helped guide to the right place through mental commands alone. This led to the preparations taking a mere half minute - a clear improvement from iron rank - and Grain focused as he started the incantation." I open the gates, my invitation clear.

Reach into this place and eat your fill at my behest, sampling the delights of this reality that would otherwise be outside your reach." The ritual flashed and surged, causing parts of the line waiting to enter the portal to stop and gaze in awe at the flashy display of magic. As the reagents burned out, it left the space empty except for three tiny dark dots the size of a coin that looked more like shadows on the ground.

"Go!" Grain commanded, gesturing outwards with his staff, which caused the small circles to slide off across the ground, crossing beneath Scythe's feet and out into the pack of slathering and berserking margolls. There was a moment of confused muttering from the villagers that quickly turned into shrieks of alarm as three plumes of shimmering, barbed tentacles suddenly burst from the ground out among the monster packs, appendages flailing wildly as they started grabbing and shredding the margols.

Unseen to the people, each of the small circles had widened abruptly to let the tentacles of whatever being or beings were on the other side reach through, the three dimensional apertures continually sliding around to let the reaching tendrils grasp more of the hapless monsters. This soon thinned out the horde enough to reveal three more nimble, reptilian shapes with vicious beaks making up their whole heads that had begun silently making their way through the press of monsters.

The three hissed angrily at being revealed, beginning to charge forward towards the adventurers and the tasty treats beyond the walls that their berserk minds demanded.

"How long until they're through, Fawn?" Scythe called as he readied himself.

"Another minute. They're all speeding up, thank the gods," came the reply, to which Scythe could only nod although Grain, true to form, had more to say.

"For freedom, people and the guild then!" the portal-user smiled, conjuring blades of magic at the end of this staff and spinning it in readiness for the melee that was to come as the monsters sped up.

"This will just be our stepping stone to seeing the wider world, surge be damned!"

"Wall!" The barriers of Leyline Warding were already in motion the very moment they sprung into being, creating a wall with openings not unlike funnels before the incoming monster horde.

"Heavens, I've never seen so many silver-ranked ones in one place," Kite breathed, to which Dragonfly only grinned.

"Me neither. This will be fun!"

"As long as we can keep them from doing too much damage to the arrays. I'm not sure that the fortress could withstand the concentrated attention for too long…"

"Good thing that is your job then. Leave most of them to us," Dragonfly replied, giving her husband a quick peck on the cheek before brandishing her axe and leaping towards one of the openings in the barrier. To their right, one of their fellow silver-rankers in charge of protecting this fortress also leapt out over the wall as they had agreed beforehand while the last started conjuring a devastating lightning whirlwind to cover another of the openings.

Glint was also floating close to Kite's side, ready to help him in with his part of the defense. The oncoming horde of well over a hundred silver-ranked vine creatures did not seem to appreciate the welcome, pushing forward in a creaking, hissing surge while whipping out with thorned, lashing limbs. Most chose the path of least resistance, leading them right into the attentions of Kite's three companions who each kept one of the openings in the barriers, but some more enterprising ones tried scaling the barriers.

Even though Kite did his best to shift and warp the walls of force to dissuade them while Glint caught others in her restraining globes of water, some still started leaking through, and as the final line of defense along with the groups of bronze- and iron-rankers manning the walls of the fort, those were mostly Kite's to handle.

Kite did not hold back his mantle in reserve at this time, letting all of the four arms manifest to start sending projected attacks towards the scattered stream of monsters that made it through. Once more he could feel the frustration at his path's lack of good ways to handle a horde like this, but at least he had come a little bit more prepared this time.

Seeing a relatively clumped up group of five of the vine monsters making their approach, Kite let a long-hafted hammer with a huge head crackling with unstable energies fall into his hands. The weapon was so heavy that even he had trouble wielding it properly, leading to a straightforward downwards swing being the only feasible option.

The ripple it sent out as the attack was projected was thick and shuddering, much more noticeable than the usual ones, but it did not help the vine monsters as it struck the leg of one close to the center of the small pack. Boom! A thunderous detonation echoed across the cleared area around the surge fortress as rippling lightning and pure destructive force exploded outward from the point of impact, proving the potency of one of Peony's creations and its worth as a temporary addition to Kite's arsenal.

WWJS: [Item] Starfall Hammer Silver rank - Rare [Effect] When striking, the wielder may release the destructive energies stored inside this weapon into a potent explosion dealing high physical and high lightning damage in an area. The weapon will then need to be recharged over time at a cost of extreme mana, with a minimum of two minutes required. The wielder is not protected from the effects of the explosion. [Effect] Greatly increased durability and self-repair.

Over the years, Kite had seen Peony work wonders with her odd set of crafting powers, leading to amazing results. And then there were also the results like Starfall; a weapon as unwieldy as it was destructive, being a hazard to both the wielder and their foes.

The hammer had been the result of Peony experimenting with destruction quintessence, and as the end result would need someone with a ridiculously resilient path to even consider wielding she had at first slated it for recycling before her husband had reminded her that they had a friend who didn't even need to be close to the people he struck.

As such, it had ended up in Kite's hands, and as long as he made sure to store it in his Void Sheath between every swing while channeling mana into it to recharge it, he found it a neat - if if still a bit risky - addition to his path during the surge. The monster at the center of the detonation was simply torn apart, the vine creature not being the more resilient kind of silver-ranked being, while the others were scattered and heavily injured.

Kite left the crawling remnants for the bronze-rankers on the walls to pick off with their ranged attacks and spells, turning his attentions to other stragglers that he sent stumbling crippled to the ground as the unfurling spatial tears of Void-Sunders-Firmament severed their limbs.

Of the defenders of the force wall, Dragonfly proved the most effective of them all as her crackling flames and ramping potential let her shrug off most of the lashing blows and tear the monsters apart in turn, further helped as her axe was unhindered by Kite's barriers.

Still, the other two silvers also held their own quite well, and around fifteen minutes of intense - but controlled - fighting later, Dragonfly and her other melee counterpart could charge beyond the barrier wall to start cleaning out the stragglers. While they did so, Kite could feel the other silver-rankers who had remained on the wall approach, mentally bracing himself as the woman clad in the robes of the Perfected Step Sect flew towards him, carried upon swirling winds.

"The field is ours, outcast, and thus your part in this is done. I suggest that you take your leave soon," the woman spoke, her tone indicating that there was no love lost between them.

"Indeed it is, Elder. You and your student fought well," Kite agreed.

"I am also pleased to see that your sect has chosen to keep to its promises."

"Bah," the elder snorted.

"Had it not been for that, I might have considered striking you down myself for the slights you and your guild have inflicted upon our sect."

"Given your path, Elder, I would like to see you try." Kite's retort, delivered with a pleasant yet even tone, had the woman stop short, her aura pushing against his a moment later.

"Such insolence-""No, Elder. Just a lack of patience, something which has long since run out," Kite retorted as he managed to silence the other silver through pushing back with his own aura. And while Kite wasn't the greatest at the offensive applications of the spirit, the result gave clear indication that while the elder was older than Kite, he had both progressed further as well as had stronger aura.

"Still, if you want your chance at retribution, you might want to attend the tournament in Convergence that the guild will arrange to celebrate the end of the surge," Kite continued.

"Soul herself will be there, so better to save your ire and spite for her, no?"

"W-what? I have heard of no such thing."

"The invitations are yet to be sent out, but all of the organizations in the north will receive them once the roads are more traversable once more," Kite said, giving the woman the most shallow of bows.

"Spread the word. Now, my wife and I shall take our leave, as you suggested." The elder did not make any other unwise moves towards Kite as he walked away, falling in with Dragonfly while Glint - having shifted to her smallest carp form - floated at his other side.

"As usual, that elder was most uncouth. She will have to work on her manners if she wants to have any suitors of means and pedigree," the familiar remarked, to which Kite could only chuckle.

"The usual threats, then?" Dragonfly asked.

"Indeed. But the elder kept to the agreement, having only hot air to spew at me," Kite replied.

"It did give me the opportunity to drop a hint of the tournament though."

"I'm glad that one of us in this marriage can show that kind of restraint."

"Honestly, having her eat her words with a proper clash would have been most satisfactory, but we are trying to channel conflict back into more productive mediums, are we not?"

"Yeah… It's just…" Dragonfly said, clenching her fingers hard as if imagining having some tender part of the elder caught between them. This only made Kite chuckle further, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of his wife.

"I, in turn, am glad that we have some passionate initiative in this marriage too, dear wife. But come now, let's return to our own post and get the lay of the land. Things will probably only pick up from here."