Sarah led him out of the room. They walked outside the cave and headed toward the cook area. She stopped before an elderly man, who couldn’t be younger than seventy.
Kenneth Sutherland - Level 4
“Hello, Kenneth," she said, patting him on the back.
“Ah, Sarah, hello. It's always nice to see you. Can I help you with something?” he said to her.
“Kenneth, Alex here is looking for someone with water magic skills. So naturally I thought of you.”
He finally looked away from Sarah and made eye contact with Alex. His eyes went wide with realization at who was standing in front of him.
“Sir! I’m sorry I didn’t notice you; please forgive me.” He said, bowing his head low.
“Kenneth, stop. Alex isn’t like that. He’s a good guy," Sarah told him, trying to comfort him.
"She's right, you don’t need to do that. Please, just treat me like a normal person, Kenneth. I’m Alex.” He said, sticking his hand out between them.
Kenneth hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. Glancing at Sarah, she nodded to him, and he slowly extended his hand, shaking Alex’s for just a moment.
“Kenneth Sutherland,” he said slowly. As if still waiting for something bad to happen.
“Alex Everett. Nice to meet you,” he said with a smile. “I’m hoping you can help me, Kenneth. I need someone with water magic skills to show me a few of their spells and let me examine them.”
“Of course, whatever you need, sir. I will help," Kenneth replied, still looking like a deer in headlights, wanting to dash away. Alex half expected him to at any moment.
“Call me Alex. Let's go sit down somewhere, and you can show me your water magic. I only have 30 minutes before I need to go.”
“Yes, Si–,” he stopped mid-sentence and looked at Alex. “I-I mean Alex.”
They walked over to an empty bench near the edge of the cooking area where Kenneth had been.
After they sat down, the man asked, “What would you like me to do?”
“Channel a water skill and hold on to it; don’t fire it or let it go. I want to examine it for a few minutes. If you get tired and need a break to recover your mana, let me know.”
Kenneth nodded and then started to channel some mana.
Alex both saw and felt the water mana circling the area and converging into Kenneth’s hand. A ball of water started to form. Diving his senses into the water sphere growing in his hand, Alex studied it as much as he could.
He dove deep. Concentrating on every piece of the water he could, while considering it in comparison to other elements. The key differences between them.
The characteristics of water feel very different from those of the other elements.
Earth was rigid, wanting to take a form and maintain that shape. It was heavy and dense. It moved slowly and left a feeling of the unmovable. It was patient and resilient.
Fire was burning, destruction incarnate. It was intense and always gave off heat. It was explosive, quick-moving, and volatile. It was passion and aggression.
Wind was weightless. It existed everywhere. It was light and expansive. It moved quickly, all speed and freedom, no restraint.
And water. It was in a constant state of change and movement. The water always feels calm and flexible. It followed the path of least resistance.
The water's temperature varied from molecule to molecule. But as a whole, it remained a cool temperature. It didn’t have the harsh coldness or deep chill of ice. Nor the burning, rapid movement of steam and hot water. It just…existed.
It was silky smooth and constantly in motion. There were no unrefined parts to it. Nothing existed in this bubble except the water itself, aside from mana, of course. It was fluidity and adaptability all in one.
Concentrating on the ball of water in front of him, he took it, clamping down on it with his [Celestial Control].
He heard an audible gasp beside him. He knew it was Kenneth, surprised by Alex taking control of his spell, but he ignored it.
He held the ball of water in his hand. It was under his control now. He could do whatever he wanted, so he did. He started to manipulate it. Spinning it, changing the shape, moving it. Anything he could think of.
The water responded with ease; it wanted to form, to change, to become something. Alex had to direct it, and it would follow the path he laid out. Aiming his hand away and above the wall, he fired the water ball off into the forest.
“Please make another one.” He told Kenneth.
He complied without saying anything. And again, Alex took it from him.
This one, he manipulated differently. Before firing it off into the forest, he compressed it again, making the water heavier and more solid. Then again, he fired it off into the woods. This one made a much louder noise when it broke tree limbs.
“One more, please.”
Again, Kenneth made it and wasn’t surprised when Alex took control of it.
This time, instead of launching it into the forest like the last few, he tried something different. He tore it apart. Slowly, he separated the mana and pulled it apart, piece by piece, shattering the spell that created the water ball. When he finished that, he heard the notification he had been waiting for.
Congratulations, you have learned the skill Water Magic.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Water Magic
Water is the essence of life. This skills allows the wielder to harness it, molding and shaping it to their will. Water Magic is highly versatile. There are many different ways water can be used inside or outside combat; it matters not.
Congratulations, you have unlocked the hidden skill: Basic Elemental Mastery.
Basic Elemental Mastery
This skill can only be unlocked and used by someone possessing skills of all four base elements–water, fire, wind, and earth. It increases the damage of the base elements, reduces the mana cost used, increases control, and makes it slightly easier to combine elements.
Congratulations, you have earned an achievement!
First of the Hidden
There are all kinds of skills throughout the Universal System. Class skills, system given, Essential, and more. But the most sought-after are the Hidden skills. They are the most powerful and can be unlocked only by meeting specific requirements. Hidden skills can be learned by anyone, regardless of class, so long as those requirements are met. This achievement is earned by unlocking your first one.
+1% all stats
Oh shittttt, I didn’t expect that.[Basic Elemental Mastery], huh… that should make my magic easier and cheaper. Really helpful for my wind enhancement when I use it on multiple people, but it gets expensive. An achievement with a stat bonus too, can’t beat that!
"Si— Alex, are you okay?” he heard Kenneth say.
“Uhh, yeah, sorry. I finished what I needed to do; thank you.”
"O-okay…" He stood up and took a step away, then Alex spoke again.
“Kenneth. Why are you so afraid of me?”
Kenneth's eyes shot wide, and he froze like a deer in headlights again.
“Alex, don't," Sarah said. She had stayed nearby while he practiced with the water magic.
“I’m genuinely curious. Everyone in camp is too frightened of me; it's kind of ridiculous. Is it really only because of Richard Debagge and his asshole followers?”
Kenneth was still standing there. He kept looking at Alex, then Sarah, and back to Alex.
“Tell him, Kenneth. I promise he won’t get angry or anything.” She said, looking at Alex for confirmation.
He nodded too. “I won’t.”
“You killed people, s—Alex."
“That’s the reason?” Alex asked in bewilderment.
Kenneth nodded.
“Kenneth. Were you in the cave when I killed those people?”
“No. I only heard about what happened afterwards."
Alex sighed. So that's how it was. Everyone was spreading rumors. He didn’t mind or care if people were afraid of him. As long as they’re safe, he's happy with it. But he had been curious why.
“Those people killed over a dozen innocents inside the cave. They butchered them for no good reason. And then they tried to kill my team and me. I did get angry and kill them, yes. But I didn’t do it because I enjoyed it. I killed them because of what they did. I killed them because they hurt innocent people, people I promised to protect. And then I executed Richard because I needed everyone to see. I needed everyone to understand I would do whatever it took to protect them all. To protect you, Kenneth. If a goblin, or some power-hungry asshole, came in that gate and tried to kill you, what would you do?”
He was silent for a moment before saying, "Run or fight back.”
“And if you can’t? You’re level 4, Kenneth. Even the lowest goblin out there could kill you. I’m not trying to scare you. I only want you to understand that this world is different now. Everyone is in danger. Me included. But there have to be strong people, like Sarah, or my team, or me, who will protect people like you. The lower-level individuals or people who don't want to fight. Because if we don’t protect you, what's to stop a goblin or some other high-level person from killing, enslaving, or torturing you?
But you don’t have to worry about that now, because something is protecting you, Kenneth.
Me. And others like me,” he said, motioning to Sarah.
Alex put his hand on Kenneth’s shoulder, causing him to flinch. “I will never harm you unless you hurt another innocent. And I promise to do my best to protect you and everyone else here so long as you live under my rule.”
Under my rule? Alex thought as he walked away, heading back towards the cave. These damn Progenitor urges are ridiculous. While I agree wholeheartedly about protecting them all, I didn’t have to say it all like that. Thinking back, I actually said that stuff aloud, and it makes me cringe. Alex shuddered.
I’m so damn different from the Alex before the integration. It wasn’t gradual... It was as if a switch had been flipped. Even my thoughts are different. My feelings. My wants and needs. Everything has changed. And the only things I still want from that old me are my dog and to make sure some friends are safe.
When Alex walked back into the cave, the others were already waiting in the new council room.
“Have fun playing with water?” Sam asked him, smiling as usual. He had seen Alex in the courtyard practicing.
Before he answered, Alex raised his hand. In his palm, he created a ball of water and shot it at Sam’s face. It was low-powered, and all it did was get him wet.
“Yeah, I did. Thanks for caring, Sam," Alex replied with sarcasm and a smile.
Sam was coughing up water, having inhaled some. "I," cough, "hate," cough and choke, "you," he finally finished saying. Catching his breath, Sam summoned a fireball and held it near him, drying himself off.
Smirking and enjoying the moment, Alex clapped him on the back before addressing the room and the people who were waiting.
“Alright, we should leave soon. Does anyone have any ideas on the best way to do this?”
“Not much,” Derek said, speaking up first. “The issue is distance and numbers. The camp is too far; if we want to move quickly. We won’t be able to bring extra backup. Not to mention they have overwhelming numbers, so bringing anyone under bronze would be suicide for them.”
Derek continued, “The best option would be to free the prisoners so that they can help us. I know you said that most are in bad condition, but don't underestimate how fiercely people will fight to save their own lives. Plus, if Sarah is free, she can heal up their best fighters.”
Alex sighed and nodded his head. “I had a feeling that would be our only option. Are we going to be able to break open the cages? They were metal, from what I could tell. I’m not sure if I could break that easily and definitely not quietly.”
“That be w’re I come in.” Durgan stepped forward with his hammer. “I wer’ a smith bfore all this shite, and a right proper one, if I do say so m’self.”
“Durgan here offered to come along and break open the cages. He’s confident he can get them open quickly.”
“Aye, that I am. I got the knack fer whisperin’ the right sweet werds to get a lock, or any stuf, pried wide open! Even the ladies!” He said with a smile, gently tapping his hammer.
“Are you sure, Durgan? It’s going to be chaos. I’m not sure if we can keep you protected," Alex asked.
“Don't ye be worrin’ abou’ me! I be knowin’ how to swing me ol’ hammer here. I got some new armor fr’m tha’ dungeon of yurs too.” He said, patting his armored chest.
It’s true, Durgan and the others had been through the dungeon a few times; they were all sporting some new equipment and a level or two each. They had also joined a few of the nearby goblin hunts, at Alex’s order. If they were going to help lead, they needed more levels.
Durgan Forgehammer - Level 8
“Alright, if you understand the dangers and still want to help, I won’t argue with you about it,” he told him before continuing.
“Any other plans? Or just have Durgan open the cages?"
“Well, I assume you're still carrying a bunch of weapons from the goblins we’ve fought? We can give those to the freed prisoners. And your Earth and new water magic will be key to transforming the terrain in our favor. But I can explain that on the way there.”
“Sounds good. We're ready to go in 10 minutes, then?” he asked, looking around at his team and Durgan.
They all nodded in agreement.
POLL DOWN BELOW!
What's your favorite magic type of the basic elements? Which do you want?
Favorite magic type. Which do you want? (Pick 2)
