Touch of Fate

Chapter 137: Airy Disturbance

Mike quietly snuck out, not wanting to disturb any of his companions. He needed space to experiment with this idea of his. Leaving the dorm, he headed to the fairly deserted section of campus that he'd already used a couple of times for similar purposes.

While walking, he took a moment to re-examine the new category in his [Status] which gave him the idea in the first place.

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- Intermediate Air Magic (Tier 2, Rank 1)

One of the most basic forms of Elemental Magic. Air Magic allows the user to create and manipulate wind and air. It is characterized by its speed and constancy of motion, providing strong offensive power, mild defensive strength, and some utility. Higher skill levels increase the mana efficiency and power of the magic produced.

Rank 1 Effects: Oscillation

- Oscillation

Due to a greater skill in the fine manipulation of air, practitioners are able to create minute movements in wind, causing vibrations. These vibrations can in turn be used to create sound.

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At first he figured that, at the very least, he could work on creating some kind of music producing magic. Otherwise, he was mainly unimpressed with the new effect gained at first. However, while he was in the middle of copying the spells into his new Grimoire (journal), he had a sudden epiphany.

Finally finding the clearing where he discovered Aerosense, Mike concentrated his mana and started the newly improved chant.

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"Do we really need to be out here as well?" Marcus complained, not relishing the idea of wandering the deserted sections of campus while there were monsters on the loose. As a junior instructor of the Magic Department, and one of the few capable of using detection magic, he was forcibly volunteered to join the guard in sweeping the University. Marcus had barely survived the attack on central campus, as the dragon's appearance prevented him from being impaled by a woman dressed as a waitress.

He would be the first to admit, that his marginal talents in Arcane Magic didn't lend themselves well to combat. So, after being rejected by the Mage's Guild, he'd eventually managed to land himself a position as an assistant instructor at the University. He'd assumed his life would be set from that point onwards. However, he had been dragged into a major military conflict and after barely surviving, was forced to hunt monsters. Life was just so unfair.

Luckily, he'd managed to convince Brad, his friend and colleague, to come with him. Brad had some experience serving as a military mage, and would therefore be much more useful if they actually found one of the monsters. Marcus was depending on him almost exclusively, since he didn't have much hope for the guards. They'd let the attack happen in the first place, after all.

Brad sighed, "Yes, Marcus. We need to be here. According to the reports, they released at least twenty Tier 2 monsters into the campus. So far they've only caught fifteen. Do you really want a student running into one of them?"

Having the decency to look a little shamed by his friend's reprimand, Marcus nodded, "I know, but I'm not like you. Just thinking about running into one of those things is giving me the creeps."

"Don't worry about it, I'll protect you if we get into trouble." The combat mage replied with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, Brad, you're a real-"

Marcus stopped when his passive life detection spell triggered. "I think I've got something."

He whispered a quick chant to help narrow down his field of detection. Whatever was triggering his senses was big. Terrifyingly so. He could feel his heart starting to pound, and his breath coming quicker as the panic threatened to overwhelm him.

"There," he said quietly, while pointing into a copse of trees, "It's about 30m that way."

After he determined that the creature wasn't moving, the trio of University Guards took the lead, weapons at the ready while Marcus and Brad followed after.

[Oh gods, please don't let me get killed and eaten by some kind of terrible monster]

Another life sign suddenly entered his scanning radius, heading directly towards the monster at a quick pace. Judging from the size, it seemed like a person. He quickly whispered his revelation to Brad. "There is someone up ahead who is moving towards the monster. We got to do something."

"Shit." Brad replied, before issuing a quick command to the guards. "Forget about stealth, we're moving forward at double time. We have a person to save."

So confident and authoritative were his orders, the guards snapped quickly into action before they remembered that they technically didn't answer to the mage. By that point it was too late, as they were already crashing through the underbrush.

The five of them broke into a clearing just in time to witness the confrontation between the two parties. A student, judging by the clothing was in the midst of casting an Air Elemental spell at the monster, which appeared to be a spider of titanic size.

With long, slender legs and a gossamer carapace that reflected the afternoon sun, it could almost be considered pretty, if it wasn't so terrifying at the same time. Eight red eyes were fixed on the student, as is flashed forward in a sudden rush. Fanged mandibles dripped unidentifiable fluids as they worked excitedly.

The guards broke into a sprint, trying futilely to reach the student. Brad started casting his own spell, but it would take too long to complete. There was nothing left to do, but watch the tragedy occur. Or so Marcus thought.

With a mournful howl, a ball of rapidly spinning wind appeared in the young man's hand, about 0.5m in diameter. Looking up at the monster with a slightly surprised expression, as if this was the first time he even noticed it, the youth simply pointed the ball in the spider's direction.

The howl increased in pitch and volume as the wind ball impacted on the spider's head, and then kept going. Marcus didn't really understand what happened until he saw the ball hit a tree behind the spider and start carving a hole through it. The winds seemed to be eating their way through the material. In less than a second they had bored their way through the spider and into the forest behind it.

A perfectly round tunnel had been carved through the monster's head and abdomen, killing it instantly.

The youth noticed them, and with a slightly embarrassed smile started rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

None of them knew how to respond.

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[Well that was unexpected.] Mike thought while looking at the spider again. It had surprised him when he was in the middle of his chanting, emitting a burst of hostile intent and charging.

He'd wanted to put the idea of vibrating air currents to use in an offensive manner, and so he hit upon the idea of concentrating the area of the previous defensive spell, while adding a vibration component to the wind itself. Judging from other accounts he'd read about the process of augmenting spells, he'd assumed that it would have ended in failure, but some combination of his skills and titles, and his Communication Magic had made the whole process simple. He needed to look back through his status again sometime soon.

Now, however, he needed to deal with the current situation. Judging from the information he gleaned from Appraise, a group of University Guards and Magic Department instructors had witnessed the spell, and were currently staring at him in shock.

After a few moments, a reddish-blonde haired man with an open and steadfast face, who was apparently named Brad, started walking closer while talking. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I was just a little startled." Mike replied with an awkward laugh.

[Now, how should I talk my way out of this one?]

Brad looked relieved, "That's good. Anyway, what were you doing out here by yourself? Didn't you hear the announcement about traveling in groups for the next few days? There are monsters like this one scattered around campus, and we are still hunting the last of them down."

[Then why didn't you say so when you made the announcement. If I knew there were monsters roaming the University, I would have acted differently....or at least paid a little more attention....Never mind.]

With another awkward laugh, Mike replied. "Is that what this was about? I would never have been out here if I knew about it."

Another instructor walked over. This one was called Marcus. He was a skinny brown haired specimen, which brought to mind one of those yappy little dogs that was always terrified of everything around them. Leveling a slightly suspicious gaze at Mike, he asked. "What was it you were trying to do out here? This section of the campus is pretty much deserted."

"Well, I was practicing my Air Magic. I wanted to do it in an isolated location, in the event that it backfired on me. I was involved in the battle earlier, and it was mortifying to see how little I was able to contribute. I felt absolutely helpless. I want to improve myself, so I won't have to feel that way again." Mike answered, trying to speak as truthfully as he dared, without giving too much away.

Brad smiled at that. "A fine sentiment, young man, but you should head back to the dorms where it's safe. You may have gotten lucky this time, but there is no reason to press your luck. I'll have a couple of the guards see you back."

Mike looked mournfully over at the spider corpse. He had planned on trying to extract some alchemical ingredients from the thing, but decided that maintaining his deception was more important. "Thank you. That is much appreciated."

Sighing internally, Mike followed two of the guards as they started leading the way back to the dorms.

[Looks like it's going to be a bit inconvenient to go out for a while....Although, this does mean I can go monster hunting without having to leave the capital.]

Gleefully, he started planning on what he would do once he'd gotten away from the guards.

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Scanning the area, Marcus thankfully didn't detect any other monsters. With their reduced entourage, he didn't want to think about getting into a fight.

He thought back to the strange student, and wondered again what was going on with him. There was something suspicious about the man that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Brad, who was examining the spider corpse, glanced up at him. "Look at this thing! Have you ever heard of an Air Magic spell that could tear through a Tier 2 monster like this?"

"Maybe if the caster was an accomplished mage, it would be possible, but I can't think of anything a student could do that would fit." Marcus replied while walking over to examine the tree with a newly formed hole through its trunk.

"The edges of the cut are so smooth, it looks like it was made with a cannonball or something." Brad was saying, but Marcus was no longer listening. The hairs on his neck were standing on end.

"Brad. Come look at this." He said quietly.

His friend walked over with a questioning look on his face, "What?"

"Look right there."

"What am I lookingmy gods. How is that possible?"

Marcus shook his head, completely unable to take his eyes off the sight. A hole had been carved into the trunk of the tree, and the one behind it, and the one behind that. As far as he could tell, the passage of the spell continued until the walls of the University itself.