Chương 4: Omnimancer 4: Flyboy

Welcome to the School of Space. For entering into this school, you have gained a permanent 100% boost to spell range. Congratulations! You have reached Level 297. Previous Level: 47. 250 Levels gained. Congratulations! You have reached Level 100. Few Mancers ever attain this vaunted achievement. For your persistence, the Goddess Luxor grants you [Luxor's Boon]. Luxor's Boon: All magic is now 25% more potent. Lux cost is unaffected. Congratulations! You have reached Level 250.

For attaining this rare and impressive achievement, the Goddess Luxor grants you [Luxor's Wrath]. Luxor's Wrath: Each consecutive spell cast reduces the cost of the next spell by 5% (up to a maximum of 50%) Jax whistled at that. Blasting past level 250 was better than he could ever have hoped, and those boons? Yeah those would come in handy.

Between the levels and the sheer magnitude of points, Jax figured this system had to be as inflated as the Venezuelan Bolivar, and mentally prepared himself to encounter people in the world with levels in the thousands. The high costs didn't end there, either. The [Flight] spell cost another 300, 000 on top, and that was for the [Lesser] variant, whose description mentioned limitations to duration, maximum altitude, speed, and inefficient Lux consumption.

None of that gave Jax much confidence for avoiding the many terrifying flying predators that covered the mountain, so the [Apex] variant was the way to go, costing 1, 500, 000. To get that, though, the System would force him to purchase the Greater version at 600, 000 first, just like all the other spells. But Jax had 27, 130, 960 Aurum left. He could afford a splurge or two, even if it meant eating up 4. 9 million of his 5 million allowance. Speaking of… Teddy Tooturial! Quest: Get off the mountain (Part IV of???) Descend 20, 000 ft. Reward: Aurum Tranche II Unlocked. Right on time. Without hesitation, he bought [Lesser Flight]. You have purchased [Lesser Flight] for 300, 000 Aurum. [Greater Flight] is now available to purchase. Understanding surged into Jax with all the force of a tsunami. Laws of magic were dumped into his brain. Information about the deep and subtle connections that forged the fabric of this universe, of infinite power that lurked just beneath.

When it was done, Jax felt like he'd lived through a hundred years in the span of what couldn't have been more than ten seconds. Congratulations! You have reached Level 327. Previous Level: 297. 30 Levels gained. Not only was [Lesser Flight] range and speed limited, it consumed Lux less efficiently than its higher variants, so Jax didn't think twice before buying those, too. You have purchased [Greater Flight] for 600, 000 Aurum. [Apex Flight] is now available to purchase. Congratulations!

You have reached Level 387. Previous Level: 327. 60 Levels gained. You have purchased [Apex Flight] for 1, 500, 000 Aurum. Congratulations! You have reached Level 537. Previous Level: 387. 150 Levels gained. Further understanding entered into his brain, reinforcing the concepts [Lesser Flight] had brought. Now, on a subconscious level, he understood why the more complex spells routed Lux more efficiently to do a better job with far less consumption.

A quick check of his Status Screen confirmed what he had already felt, but seeing the ludicrous number still made Jax chuckle. Five Hundred? Seriously?

Name: Jackson Collins [Human] Gift: Omnimancer [Transcendent] Level: 527 Vitality: 163/163 Lux: 23, 348/36, 000 Aurum: 24, 595, 400 Peaks Ascended: — Luxspire Peak (Altitude: 101, 301 ft) Spells: — School of Fire: — Fireball: Lesser, Greater, Apex — School of Life: — Heal: Lesser, Greater, Apex — School of Space: — Flight: Lesser, Greater, Apex Passives/Boons: — School of Fire: +25% Offensive Magic Damage — School of Life: +25% Vitality Gain — School of Space: +100% Spell Range The screen was followed by another.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 500. Only a handful of humans have ever reached this high station, or even come anywhere close. For this monumental lifetime achievement, the Goddess Luxor grants you [Lux Compressor]. Lux Compressor: Consume more Lux to boost the magic power of any spell. Boost percentage is directly proportional to the percentage of Lux consumed. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"Naming magic after yourself… I'm all for self-love, but goddamn." Thunder cracked just then, despite there being not a cloud in the sky, and Jax's hair stood on end. That had to be a coincidence… right? Coincidence or not, a final message killed any levity he had over the situation. Warning: S oulfire output exceeds local threshold. Concealment not currently possible. Jax read the line twice. He wasn't sure what a 'local threshold' was or what happened when you exceeded it, but he got the message loud and clear.

The teddy's message played in his head, but this time, the warning was far more real.

"Guess I'm one of the fat ones now, huh?" All the more reason to keep his head down. All the more reason to get the hell off this mountain. Letting out a long breath, Jax buried himself in sorting through the wall of text he'd just received. [Luxor's Boon] was no small perk, but it was [Lux Compressor] that made Jax do a double take. If there was no upper limit to how much he could overcharge a spell… And with the current exchange rate… Boosting the output of a spell by 10x seemed quite doable.

Possibly far more, if he really dumped points into it. Thinking it over, he idly thumbed over to his inventory, looking for a water bottle, but stopped when he noticed icons for food he definitely hadn't carried up the mountain. He summoned it from his inventory, and the medley of intoxicating scents that reached his nose had him wolfing the whole thing down like a feral beast.

After weeks of terrible mountain food, every mouthful of stew filled him with an explosion of flavor, melting in his mouth and revealing a depth of spices and umami nuance he never thought possible. When he was done, he was both full and completely energized, like he could tackle anything. Well, maybe anything but Sun Bears… Divine Stew has temporarily enhanced your existence with the divine. All attacks are now 20% more effective. Movement speed increased by 20%. This effect lasts for six hours.

Jax cursed himself for not paying more attention to the 'Divine' in the name of the stew. The other nine were strictly for special occasions. He couldn't go around wasting such precious food. In addition to the stew, Jax had twenty liters of water in one liter bottles. The water didn't claim to be divine, and he confirmed that it was just ordinary water, albeit some of the best he'd ever tasted.

Appreciative of the teddies' foresight, Jax turned his attention to his [Flight] spell, and the housekeeping that had to be done before attempting a takeoff. Apex Flight (School of Space) The ultimate Flight magic, this spell manipulates gravity to allow the caster to soar without limits, for as long as the caster has Lux to fuel it. Though this spell is more Lux efficient than its lesser variants, be warned that its consumption is still quite high. Lux Consumption: Very High The efficiency bit was key.

Some spells would absolutely gain from [Lux Compressor], but Flight didn't seem to be one. Jax dumped a thousand Aurum to unlock an extra ten thousand Lux, which both increased his total capacity and also filled his pool by that amount to use on the spot. The small pond in his chest ballooned into a slightly larger one, but was still not enough, so he added to his pool in increments of one thousand Lux until he hit fifty thousand.

That seemed to be the absolute minimum required for the spell to activate, which he could somehow instinctively feel even without casting it. As the description said, though, the spell burned Lux continuously, nevermind that having the bare minimum would leave him completely drained. It seemed likely that every spell he ever learned would use Lux, so there was little point in pinching pennies here. Not like having more fuel made him more threatening to the monsters and more visible to Luxor.

It was the spells he bought he'd have to watch. Which did make him reconsider getting [Apex Flight], but the spell would genuinely get him away from said monsters faster than anything else. A worthwhile compromise, he felt. And so he dumped in enough Aurum to bring his pool up to 350, 000 Lux. He immediately regretted that decision. The pond in his chest ballooned into a full-on lake—a vast reservoir of unbridled energy that filled every inch of his core.

The energy struggled to be contained within his flesh, pushing and shoving against his chest, desperate to break free. While not exactly painful, it was still the most uncomfortable sensation Jax had ever felt. Like swallowing a meal without fully chewing it, only for it to get stuck going down the throat. Thankfully, the worst was over in a few seconds, and he was soon back to normal. The new normal, that was, for Jax knew he would never feel the same again.

That torrent of energy flooded his every vein, artery, and pore. Burgeoning Lux leaked out of his body, like a radiator venting excess heat. In short, he felt like a god with an infinite well of power just begging to be used. He obliged. Voth'ai spa'nav rek, vo'laan te'lem vaan, spa'vothaa ko'rek zholen! The rush of [Apex Flight] was completely unlike the lower-tier spells.

Ten times as many magic circuits flared to life within his body, completing a spell that was incomparable in both complexity and Lux consumption. Space folded and bent in a million points around his body, forming pockets of anti-gravity that reached out, connecting with each other with each word chanted. Like a maestro directing the world's largest orchestra or an organist opening all the stops on a giant pipe organ, it felt good. Better than good. He felt like a fucking god.

That was, until a certain presence fell over him. His hairs stood on end, and his gaze shot up to the sky, past the clouds, to the miles-long snake that drifted high above the peak. But nothing had changed, and he could barely even see the thing from here. Had his newfound power been detected already? But when nothing came for him and the spell completed, his attention was pulled back to himself as the magic enveloped his body in a skin-tight bubble of distorted space, his boots lifting off the snow. He was flying.

Actually flying! Once he got over the rush of being the first Earthling to fly without any assistance, he noticed just how steep the slope truly was. Funny how his brain had nearly convinced him it was almost flat after seeing it hours on end. One wrong move and he'd go tumble to his death. Just like the sun bear. Luckily, his hover was near-perfect, and it didn't seem to require much effort beyond visualizing what he wanted his body to do. A bit like flexing a muscle he hadn't used in a long time.

The knowledge was all there. He just had to dust off the cobwebs. While convenient, it did mean he had to put in some effort to make sure everything ran smoothly, at least until he got the hang of things. Jax crawled forward, heading uphill. If he fell, the crampon spikes on his boots would dig in and stop him from sliding too far. Hopefully. It was truly convenient how the spell let him hover and move at a snail's pace, though. It really did seem to manipulate gravity, rather than affecting the wind.

Jax kept a keen eye on his Lux consumption, glad he'd invested so many points into Lux. At this rate, his vast reservoir would last tens of minutes. Not a short duration, to be sure, but not long enough for extended flights. Like he'd uncorked a giant drain plug at the bottom. He didn't need the numbers to tell him. The godlike feeling swiftly disappeared, and he didn't like that one bit. As [Apex Heal] had shown, fully draining his charge would not be pleasant.

If such a tiny pool had left him with a painful headache, what would draining this massive reservoir do? As such, Jax landed as softly as he could manage, canceling the spell when it dropped to a third. Despite his caution, he tripped over his crampons, barely catching himself with his ice axe. And so, Jax began the laborious process of expanding his pool a bit at a time until he'd reached a full million Lux.

Either the sensation became less uncomfortable over time or he was just getting used to it, because he was able to add more and more Aurum without adverse effects. Maybe it's a percentage thing? he wondered. That first infusion had multiplied the size of his reservoir severalfold, while the more recent ones contributed far less. With one million Lux, Jax estimated he'd get about an hour of flight time. Not exactly a long-haul flight, but plenty to start and he certainly had more where that came from.

Jax repositioned his snow goggles, cinched his oxygen mask, and took to the sky.