141. To New Heights

Lukas struggled to remember the last time he had personally gone on a job, let alone do so without a companion. It made little sense to do so with an army of clones at one’s disposal, but he missed the rush of combat and speeding through the wilderness. Flexing one’s own muscles and reliving memories of his clones getting up to no good were far from the same.

In his old life, whenever one of his clones died, he relived their memories. Everything they experienced felt real, like he had experienced every second of it personally. Lukas relived their memories to an extreme, occasionally traumatizing, extent. Now, it was more akin to watching a movie, but with a rough idea of what was coming next. It had its benefits. The clones were free to have their own personalities, individual pursuits, and desires, and none of them affected Lukas, Elvis, and Kat’s tryst, being a prime example.

The change also had its downsides. The most important one was keeping track of everything that happened and the clones discovered, which took a moment for Lukas to get to. Fortunately, practiced skills, abilities, and physical training didn’t suffer. He needed to rely on the Arcane Chronicler for the rest. Most of all, Lukas missed the thrill of combat and the satisfaction of using grand, powerful, or intelligent magic.

Embarking on a dangerous mission was far from smart. In fact, Lukas acknowledged it was downright stupid and a front to the self-preservation safeguards he had so carefully put together. He saw it as no different from people on Earth investing in motorcycles despite having safe cars or engaging in adventure sports. Sometimes, one just wants a brush with death to truly feel alive.

There was a reason the clones had so much more fun than he did. They knew their existences were temporary and death was a natural part of their brief lives. The clones looked for every opportunity to take risky routes with high rewards. They sought thrills and used whatever methods came with the most fun. Occasional pangs of envy plagued Lukas.

At the same time, he reminded himself that his life didn’t lack satisfaction. Lukas enjoyed spell formulation, his economic pursuits, and all the other things he was developing. Being with Mira also came with a great deal of joy.

You’re just greedy. Stop looking for what’s missing from life and learn to be happy with what you have.

Lukas occasionally wondered whether the decades of service to Lady Silverspine had changed him. Dragons were the embodiment of magic, desire, and greed, after all. Rakan craved dominance and chaos. The Great Black Dragon desired destruction and a return to the nothingness that preceded all existence. Lukas’s former employer enjoyed hoarding arcane power and wealth. Desire and greed were fundamental to their existence. Much like them, Lukas wanted it all: wealth, arcane knowledge, technological innovation, people and things to protect, and most of all, power. The only thing he didn’t care about was fame. How many people knew of him, his capabilities, or his coffers mattered little. In fact, Lukas enjoyed the anonymity.

A deafening storm spell burst from Lukas, flying with the speed of a paper airplane. It was a sphere as large as his torso, brimming with lightning. Blue and white danced within and on the surface. Ionized air rippled around the sphere as it flew, adding a pulsing hum to the lightning’s thrum and buzz.

Its target, a giant cross between a mole and a sloth, stilled for a moment, sensing the powerful spell coming for it. A Shadowmetal gauntlet to the side of the snout forced its attention back to its melee opponent. Quicksilver splattered its body, hardening almost instantly.

The three accompanying clones made for a balanced team. Thanks to Alter Metal Mass, the Stalker could easily swap between stealth attacker and vanguard and currently served as the group’s frontline. Lukas hadn’t yet used the new Quicksilver minor ability but was excited to see it in action. Even without it, his Body Pillar remained a boring but consistent source of strength. The ability on its own was simple, but the conjunction and ascension abilities had made it a valuable tool and investment.

The Stalker’s incredible strength spoke for itself, as it sent a creature several times its size stumbling. The clone’s job was simple: keep the creature distracted and locked in place long enough for Lukas to try out his newest spell. Alter Metal Mass was sufficient for the job. It gave him the necessary strength to challenge the behemoth. The additional weight allowed him not to be thrown around by the blows. Steel Weave and Dracometal scales allowed him to shrug off attacks that would’ve shredded the other clones.

Initially, Lukas wanted to go around the mole’s territory. He didn’t know the cave systems well, but was sure the branching tunnels would converge sooner or later. They all appeared carved using the moles’ giant claws, and several brought water to the lake at the cavern’s heart. It wouldn’t surprise him if all the streams had the same source. The journal vibrated when he approached all of them, albeit with varying strength. It signaled that going straight through was the quickest path.

However, Lukas had learned that leaving the local fauna to their own devices and coexistence was vital. There was no telling what threats any beast kept contained, distracted, or away. Unfortunately, for the mole, it went on the offensive as soon as it detected Lukas and the clones. Silencing Shadows had failed to do its job. That was enough to make them curious. Any shard or essence that came from the beast would prove invaluable if it provided a new sensory ability. Then, the creature levitated boulders and launched them at Lukas. Essence of Arcane Projection was something he sorely desired. Any beast with the tiniest likelihood of producing it was an unignorable target.

Dice struck the mole’s left forelimb just as it pinned the Stalker. The ground crumbled under two of its six legs a heartbeat later, throwing it off balance. A shrill chord came from Bowie a short time after. The powerful magic intertwined with the note surprised Lukas. It stilled the mole, and all the clones retreated from it just as his spell struck.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The spell didn’t boom. Instead, the sound magic collapsed on itself, muting the sound of the lightning explosion and, hopefully, further disrupting the mole’s sensitive ears. Lightning burst outwards from the point of impact before arcing toward the metallic growths on the back of its head, neck, and back. A rumbling roar burst from the mole before it fell silent and spasmed violently.

All clones, regardless of their imbued shard, benefited from all passive abilities. Stormdragon’s Eye allowed them to dash in and unleash everything they had, despite the lightning arcing off the monster, especially around the hardened Quicksilver. The Stalker descended on the creature from above, multiplying the weight of his Shadowmetal constructs. It had little trouble piercing the mole’s weakened defenses, primarily around the silvery metal.

All we need is a decent substitute for plastic. Heat-resistant. Insulating. Flexible. Then wires, coils, and electromagnets won’t be any trouble at all.

Quicksilver, though significantly more expensive than Shadowsteel, conjured a permanent substance, making it brilliant for his plans. Unfortunately, Lukas hadn’t found any alternatives to petroleum or materials that could be used to create a plastic substitute. He had encountered rare rubber substitutes, but they were far from heat-resistant. The need to walk down the path of alchemy was greater than ever before. As a result, he had clones exploring new locations.

The final attack proved sufficient for ending the mole’s life. It came as no surprise when light shimmered through the deep gouge near its spine. It didn’t take much butchering to find the source. The stalker cleaned and treated the eyeball-sized, glassy sphere.

Essence Of Tremors

Lukas wasn’t sure of how he’d use it, but the result was far from disappointing. He wasn’t sure whether it would provide Geokinesis or some sort of Tremorsense. The fact that he had never encountered any literature regarding the essence meant it was incredibly rare and therefore powerful.

“How are we going to use it, boss?” a clone asked.

“I don’t have the faintest idea. Arcane Chronicling, Fortune’s Favor, and Joybringer are all close to tier two. We can test compatibility and take a call later.”

Bowie’s eyes widened. “My tunes could fracture Fracture?”

“It won’t just be jade beauties you’ll leave trembling,” the Stalker joked, but no one laughed.

“I don’t want it,” Ace said. “As much as I love playing with chance and probability, Essence of Tremors combined with Fortune’s Favor sounds like a recipe for chaos.” He paused, thoughtfully studying the dead creature. “It could do well combined with Arcane Chroncling. Perhaps something related to shaking or cracking threads of magic?”

“Perhaps, but I’d prefer it if Arcane Chronicling remained related to memory management, arcane study, or the formulation of enchantments,” Lukas stated, depositing the essence sphere in the journal’s storage. “Tremor sense or direct offense. I’ll settle for nothing less.”

“Don’t you think it also has potential with Spell Weaver?” Bowie asked, nonchalantly plucking strings. “What if it sharpens your ability to detect arcane disturbances or shake enemy spells, wards, and enchantments at the spell formation level to disrupt or destroy them?”

“On the other hand, tremors might work great with the vibrations and sound waves to give you greater control over your music,” Ace stated. “Imagine combining it with Stormdragon’s thunder for devastating effect.”

“I didn’t think of that.” Bowie frowned. “I enjoy my support role and would rather not get involved in direct combat, but I have to admit that it does sound incredible and a whole lot of fun. The question is whether the boss wants the danger of me fracturing Fracture.”

“I think that’s precisely why something as powerful as this is best in your hands,” Lukas replied. “You’d use it with more care than the others. You prioritize Joy over seeing how much damage and chaos you can sow.”

“Damage and chaos scare away the beautiful people.” Bowie grinned as the four of them picked up the pace. “I’d rather keep them around, you see.”

The Stalker led the group, holding onto the journal. He used the vibrations to determine bearings and make swift decisions when forks appeared in the road. More creatures of the mountain appeared in their path. Lukas chose to go around them. He had little interest in wasting time on prey that wouldn’t further his goals.

The prospect of finding dracometal in the wild also excited Lukas. He wasn’t sure if Eins had the means to turn it into something useful, but he couldn’t help but speculate. A special weapon for a vanguard clone or a new arcane focus for himself would go a long way, especially when the obstacles in his path grew more frequent and challenging. Lukas worried that the Conclave would eventually get wind of Mira and would come for him. As he gained wealth and influence, and perhaps approached godhood, rivals would inevitably rise who tried to suppress or extinguish him.

I need power. Dracometal might be too flashy, but we’ve given up on lying low, haven’t we?

When Lukas came to Fracture, he didn’t foresee himself starting a business enterprise or it becoming such a big part of his life. It started as a means to an end, but now it was a significant part of his life, which he enjoyed and valued. Between it and Mira, the pursuit of godhood didn’t feel as significant. In fact, enough power to protect what he held dear was good enough for him. Mira often reminded Lukas that he wasn’t alone and it wasn’t all on him, but he wasn’t yet ready to accept it.

The tunnels narrowed as they traveled higher. It wasn’t long before they were forced to move sideways, crouch, and then crawl. Lukas’s suspicions proved correct when he found torn and shriveled scales. The wyrmkin had traversed the passages. The clones noticed it too, but said nothing. Instead, they focused on keeping their movements silent and careful. Their efforts proved wise when Wyrmkin whispers reached Lukas’s ears. The journal translated their language. It was heavy in hissing and spitting. Listening to one of their kind master the common tongue had helped him grow used to the lizard-like sounds.

The Stalker took the lead, scouting ahead and using the journal to signal when the coast was clear. Lukas grinned. Completing the quest wasn’t going to be easy. However, the chances of successfully deceiving the Jotun had significantly improved. They weren’t dealing with a small troupe like the time before. It seemed the Wyrmkin intended to launch a grand campaign. They had brought an army.