A Potential Respite
"Is Vyraani inside this..." Liam's heart thumped.
"Impossible, the dragon was clearly level 500. How can this charm contain it?"
Liam tried to deny this hypothesis, but the truth was right in front of him. The orange hue in the center of the charm was a clear indication of the binding process being complete.
Liam slowly rubbed the center of the charm, trying to summon the beast that was within. However, there was no response. All of his efforts to communicate with the beast within resulted in a deafening silence.
Liam shook his head, putting away the charm. Whatever it was, he could not see any way to communicate with whatever was inside. He would wait for a couple of days, then hand over the charm to the guild, maybe that would earn him some merit.
Or if the dragon Vyraani was truly inside, wouldn't it make more sense to find the whereabouts of the knights he saw earlier, and give the charm to them? It would save him his levels...
"Damn you, stupid author. Cooking up gibberish again.. Did you ask me, your father?"
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Liam reached the steps of the central Adventurers Guild just in time to see two familiar figures stepping out—one in sky-blue robes, the other trailing behind in a slightly oversized cloak.
"Mia! Aria!" he waved.
Mia turned with a grin, holding up a small cloth-wrapped bundle.
"We got everything! The quests you listed? All cleared!"
"We got 3x Arcsteel Filaments and 3x Stormheart Crystals. We had to pay a 1000 gold, but now we can finally fix your axe"
Aria offered a small smile. "Due to the high payment, the guild has given us a special priority token, which can allow us to prioritize our quests."
Liam nodded. "Nice. That can help with some more potions and materials later."
"But," Aria added, her voice tightening slightly, "about the other thing, when I went to collect the spell scroll from Varlon… he refused to sell it to me."
"What?" Liam blinked.
"He said it was already blocked for another customer, that he couldn't release it to anyone else." She looked confused. "He mentioned a tall, fair guy with short black hair, wait, that is you, right?"
Liam groaned and slapped his forehead. "Oh. I suppose I did ask him to hold it for me. I did not expect him to stay true to his promise."
Mia smiled. "Well, looks like not all merchants are money maniacs."
"I made a deal with him a few days ago at Duskwind village. At that time, I had asked him to hold on to the spell "
He turned to Aria. "Sorry, that one's on me."
Aria smiled lightly. "It's alright. If anything, it is good for us that the merchant was unwilling to sell it to others."
"Let's go pay him a visit now."
Scene Transition – Varlon's Shop
Varlon's shop was nestled between a potion shop and an enchanted broom repair stall, next to the Guild's headquarters.
The interior was dimly lit, but the moment Liam stepped in, a deep voice called out, "Ah. So dear customer. Welcome back"
The middle aged man with eyes sharper than steel and a dozen hanging scrolls behind him stepped forward.
"Mr. Varlon," Liam greeted. "Thank you so much for holding onto the spell for me. Aria told me how you refused to sell it to her, and I am in your debt for not selling the spell to others."
"Mm." The old vendor took the token and nodded. "All in order now. Still want the Blessing of Rupture scroll?"
"Yes. The spell is for her. She has been cursed by a powerful evil cult," Liam said, gesturing to Aria.
The vendor studied Aria carefully. "...Cursed. Poisoned. Tethered to something unnatural. This spell won't cure her entirely, but it should tear off some of the outer layers."
"That's exactly what we need."
"5000 gold."
Liam looked at Aria.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and dropped a pouch on the table. "Here."
Varlon weighed the pouch with his dextrous fingers, then handed over a glowing scroll wrapped in black silk.
Ding!
Blessing of Rupture (Rare) acquired.
Removes all buffs from enemies within 10m and prevents new buffs for 10s. Cleanses debuffs from allies.
MP Cost: 150, Cooldown: 60s Usable by: Healer, Paladin, Light Mage
"Use it well," Varlon muttered, a slight smile on his face.
"We will, thank you once again."
The party returned to the inn as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Vix greeted them at the door, tail wagging as he sniffed the scroll pouch Aria held.
Liam collapsed onto the bed with a hushed groan. "Okay. No more dragon fights. No more system warnings. Let's just have one peaceful evening…"
"Mia, take this scroll, and try to learn this spell. This might be the key to reducing the effects of Aria's curse.
Mia picked up the scroll. "System, learn spell."
Ding!
[New Spell Learned: Blessing of Rupture]
The scroll in her hand disintegrated into light and surged into her chest. Her eyes widened as her staff vibrated with a soft hum.
Before she could react, a voice echoed in her mind.
"Spell identified as Resonant-Class. Syncing with host affinity..."
[Spell Upgraded]
Resonance Purge – Removes layered debuffs, curse fragments, and dormant soul chains. Can be cast on one target per week. Target must be in your active party.
Effect lasts 7 days and must be reapplied weekly to maintain benefits. Mana Cost: 300 MP. Cooldown - 7 days
"What... was that?" Mia muttered, staring at her wand.
Liam was shocked as well.
Spell upgradation. Just learning subclasses depended a lot on the affinity of the person learning it, some spells had similar requirements as well. For example, a warlord would always have access to warcry, which was a basic spell for them. But whether they would be able to unlock Arkovian Agies was totally dependent on their affinity towards defensive abilities.
Liam stood up, eyes fixed on the light forming in her hands. "Looks like the spell just evolved. Probably reacted to your affinity towards the healing class."
"Yeah," Mia nodded. It looks like this spell is a stronger version of what we purchased, though. Shall we try it out?"
Liam turned toward Aria. "Are you ready?"
Aria nodded, pulling back her cloak to reveal the faint glow of cursed sigils still etched along her arms.
Mia raised her wand. "Resonance Purge."
A pulse of white light burst outward, wrapping Aria in a cocoon of warmth and silence. The dark sigils flared violently, then cracked—before shattering like glass.
The white cocoon dissolved, and Aria gasped, falling forward onto her knees.
System Notification:
[Cursed State Suppressed: Aria can now access partial power – Capped at Level 50. Effect lasts 7 days.]
Aria
Class: Astradan Combat Mage
Race: Human (Royal Line – Astradan Blood)
Status: Partially Unsealed
HP: 18,000 / 18,000 (75 HP/s regen)
MP: 5,000 / 5,000 (60 MP/s regen)
Attributes
Physique: 85
Dexterity: 20
Willpower: 150
Endurance: 40
Charm: 60
Luck: 18
Weapon Equipped: None
Armor Equipped: None
[Active Skills]
[Astral Lance] – Active Skill
Fires a piercing beam of astral energy
Damage: 1000 + (20× Willpower)
Pierces up to 3 enemies. Cooldown: 6s Mana Cost: 300 MP
[Dream Snare] – Active SkillAttempts to put the target into a magical slumber
Duration: 3 seconds (breaks on damage) Base Chance: 40% + (1% per 10 Charm) Cooldown: 20s Mana Cost: 400 MP
[Celestial Ward] – Active Skill
Summons a protective barrier that absorbs damage Barrier Strength: 5,000 HP (all types)
Duration: 6 seconds Cooldown: 30s Mana Cost: 450 MP
[Passive Skill]
[Royal Sigil: Astradan Insight] – Passive Skill
Increases spell casting range by 15%
Aria slowly stood up, her fingers glowing faintly with arcane energy. "I... I can feel my strength again. Not everything, but it's there."
Liam's eyes widened. "You're... a combat mage?"
She gave a small nod. "I was trained in high-output arcana. Before… everything."
Mia, looking at Aria's stats, was also shocked.
"Wow, you are so strong. Congratulations, Aria, on breaking the seal."
"Yeah, congratulations, Aria," Liam said, slowly going forward.
Aria, who had her head down, suddenly wrapped Liam's head with her two palms and pulled him in towards her lips.
"Smoooch..."