Ends of Magic

Chapter 65: Questions of Identity

Nathan didnt have a lot of options, so he ducked into the side corridor. He might be able to fight the golems currently chasing him, but there could be more on the way. Fighting here would also link the antimagic assassin with Hibor, Yelun and Roni. It wouldnt be hard for anybody to connect the dots between Natad and the assassin if they had a pile of dead golems as evidence. As it was, he hoped that his suitemates would keep their mouths shut. Even if they did talk, theyd describe him as a student, and without evidence to the contrary the patrol would probably just think he knew some hidden door that let him escape.

I want to keep my cover as long as I can. Im close to being able to navigate the Academy on my own, but another day or two of practice will help a lot.

He sprinted towards the entrance to the staircase, checking that the lock was as complicated as he remembered. It was, and that was bad. It was an eight-layer lock, and Nathan thought that it would take him a minute or two to open. With the golems pounding down the hallway it was minute or two he didnt have.

He thought about trying to hide on the ceiling, but it didnt seem likely to fool golems when they were actively searching for him. Instead he ran past the staircase, zipping down the remaining hundred feet in just a few seconds. At the end of the hallway was a display alcove for a twenty-foot tall vase. It was covered in elegant pictograms that looked vaguely insect-themed. He didnt ponder the meaning any further, instead sliding behind the massive urn. The recess wasnt large, and Nathan pressed himself against the back wall to avoid brushing against the giant amphora. Unsurprisingly, the giant vase was heavily enchanted. Nathan wasnt sure what the magic was, but it felt like some kind of stasis effect. He pulled his aura away from it, sending it into the wall behind him.

Lets try to avoid breaking that magic. I would prefer not to unleash a horde of angry hornets or whatever else might be in there.

He felt the wall deforming behind him. With an instant of consideration, Nathan leaned into the effect, using [Wizards Meditation] to aid his understanding of the wizardry that made up the stone of the Academy. The material dissolved faster, and over the next few seconds he sunk an inch into the wall.

This is a conjured material, made real by wizardry. Its actual stone, specifically marble. But it never came from a quarry. It was created by wizardry.

Wizards Meditation 3 achieved!

The grating footsteps of the golems turned the corner, and Nathan stayed still. He could feel the magic in the approaching statues. They were coming this way.

The giant golems started down the hallway, moving slowly and deliberately as they examined the passage. Nathan concentrated his aura down, making it as dense as he could and thrusting it into the stone of the Academy. The surface he was leaning against started dissolving faster. He was slowly falling into the wall, an inch every couple of seconds. Nathan was already mostly encased in the wall, but that just meant he was trapped if the golems found him.

Brute forcing it doesnt work very well. This is marble, so it should be mostly a mesh of carbonate crystals. I wonder if I can apply my understanding of the [Disintegrate] spell? Break down the ionic bonds that hold the rock together.

Congratulations, you have developed the [Aura of Antimagic] Talent into [Arcane Nullfield]. It starts at rank 1 and becomes more effective as it ranks up. Think about how you use your Talents functions to aid in Talent development at rank 10. Beware, it is harder to rank and develop non-tiered Talents.

Talent: [Arcane Nullfield]

Your very presence denies arcane energies including both wizardry and mana. You can control this effect as an aura to directly absorb magic. This Talent is especially effective against summoned materials. Absorbed mana is converted into Stamina.

The rock wall seemed to corrode to nothing behind him, and Nathan almost fell over backwards. He stumbled to catch his balance and extended his aura to continue drilling through the wall. The process was much quicker than before, but it slowed dramatically if he expanded his aura. So he kept it concentrated into a vaguely Nathan-sized protrusion as he walked backwards into the stone of the Academy.

Hot damn. Not the upgrade I necessarily had in mind, but itll do.

The stone in front of him started to reform as the Academy tried to reassert its proper shape now that it wasnt being brutalized by his antimagic. A thin layer of stone crept across the opening like frost across a window, covering the hole in the wall.

Nathan didnt stick around to find out if the golems noticed the escape route before it finished sealing over. His aura finally broke through the thick wall into another room and Nathan turned to enter the darkened space. In the faint light seeping through the wall it looked like some kind of storage room, full of shelves of vegetables. He shrugged and moved through the room carefully so he didnt jostle any of the shelves. There was some kind of magic permeating the room that discouraged decay, and he did his best to leave it alone. There was a door to the side, but he didnt head that direction. If he went that way, hed probably end up in the areas where the slaves that made the food lived and worked. Hed stand out like a sore thumb.

Instead he went straight to the opposite wall and used his aura to tunnel through it. If his mental model of the academy was right, that should take him to a corridor next to the student dining area on this level, putting him in familiar territory far from the patrol that had caught his suitemates. As he went through the wall, he considered what this new Development meant. He didnt need to figure out the door locks anymore, since he could just go through a solid wall nearby. There didnt seem to be any kind of response from the Academys wizardry, so it was actually less risky than hacking the doors. He might be doing some kind of permanent damage to the Academy, but that hardly seemed bad.

I can go anywhere I need to go. Especially if it works on ceilings.

Hed been slightly off about where his shortcut went, since there turned out to be a narrow service corridor sandwiched between the pantry and the hallway hed been aiming for. It was deserted, and he glanced upwards. The ceilings were still high, and he jumped up to prod the bare top of the passage with a focused beam of his aura. It worked just fine. With [Airwalking] he could climb up almost as easily as using the stairs, though significantly more slowly. He couldnt dissolve the stone of the Academy as fast as he could run.

Nice. This is how I can get around. I could go up now. But I want one or two more nights of scouting to map out the upper levels before I start amurderin. I want to try to hit every archmage before they realize theyre under attack, and that means knowing the lay of the land. Even if I do get found out, they can't trap me.

Nathan went through the next wall, finding himself where he'd meant to go. He hustled quickly back to the suite, avoiding a few patrols as he went. Each held at least three mages and two golems, and they were using detection magic frequently.

Why, though? Maybe they think my antimagic requires a resource and Ill run out or mess up. Or maybe they just want to catch dumb students sneaking around.

He made it safely back to the residence areas, using his stealth skills and zipping up to the suite unobserved. He glanced through the opening carefully, checking to see if the others had made it back already. They hadnt, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped inside.

The elderly caretaker slave was sitting in her small workspace, scrubbing a gray robe through a basin of reddish water. Nathan ignored her as the students always did, but then his gaze was drawn back. She was working on his robe, specifically the one hed been wearing yesterday when hed hit the ground at a rather terminal velocity to develop [Immortal Body]. Hed tried to hide the clothing, shed found it and was restoring it to normal. Just like all of the others.

Removing the evidence I left behind.

She looked up at him placidly. Yes, master?

Nathan chewed on his lip. You know. What I am.

Know what? She replied calmly. I am a slave of Giantsrest. It is my duty to tend to my charges, and ensure they are provided for. I would have you succeed at all your tasks. There was a faint emphasis on the 'all', and that told Nathan she knew exactly what was going on.

Do you want to be free? Nathan said, pointing at the slave collar around her neck.

The elderly woman reached a hand up to touch the enchanted band of metal and leather. I cannot desire such a thing, for I have been commanded to be satisfied with my place here. I cannot reach beyond my role.

Nathan thought about that for a second. This was the first time hed been around the woman without his suitemates present. Hed been dismissive of her to blend in, but now he was closing in on executing his plan.

Im not here to free all of the slaves. Im here to take down Giantsrest so they cant enslave more. But I can free her. Later, right before the fireworks start.

Whats your name?

Her lips curved up in a kind smile. Suse.

He nodded respectfully at the woman, then sat down on the couch and waited for the other students to get back. Hed learn more about the patrols from them, and then leave to scout once they went to bed. It wasnt even particularly late yet, since they'd been caught so quickly. As long as the other students got back in the next couple of hours and didnt stay up too late he still had a full night of exploration ahead of him. Then he could get through one more day and plan to start his spree tomorrow evening.

He could make specific plans now that hed figured out how to tunnel through the very material of the Academy. He knew the archmages were at the peaks of each tower, inhabiting suites that came with their position. At the same time, Badud was the most important target. But then there was also whatever the wizardry on the higher levels had pointed towards. That could be some kind of control room for the entire Academy.

Nathan mused over those thoughts, trying to figure out how to prioritize his targets both for scouting and for when he made his move. He expected Badud to have powerful defenses that would make it hard to kill the man quietly. Hed encountered Nathans antimagic twice before, seemed like the kind of man to have multiple failsafes. The archmages were more likely to be quiet kills, but if he messed up and raised the alarm prematurely, then Badud would come hunting for him.

It depends a lot on what I find while scouting. I should be able to avoid defenses by moving through the walls, but its unlikely to be perfect. I'll need to map out which archmages I can kill quietly, and which ones will be riskier. Then I can make a plan for which ones I can kill before I go for Badud.

Then there was the possible control center for the academy. He didnt know what it did, but breaking it might cause some real damage. If he destroyed the wizardry that coordinated everything around the Academy, then it might take the golems out of commission. That would improve his odds dramatically. He might even manage to disable the magic that opened doors and turned on lights for people. Then Giantsrest would probably have to abandon the Academy. It was definitely a place he'd like to scout out if possible.

As he was musing, he heard the noise of the spiral staircase. Suse moved quickly to hang the stained robe out of sight and dump out the blood-dyed washing water. Then she busied herself in preparing snacks for the returning students.

All three of them trooped into the room, looking dejected and beaten down. Yelun looked like shed been crying, while Hibor had a blackened eye.

What happened? Nathan asked from the couch, rising to greet his suitemates.

We were shown the discipline of the Giant. Yelun said quietly, moving to take her seat across from him. The golems grabbed us, then the mages questioned us. They checked our magic, then mocked us for our deeds.

Roni looked like he wanted to disappear into his own robe. His voice was quiet. They told us we were lower than the Giants toes, and should stay out of sight and attend classes until we had any worth at all. They said we were lucky that theyd found us, and not the assassin. He gestured to his friends blackened eye. Hibor protested that we were trying to help, and they struck him.

Hibor just nodded quietly, staring out of the window with seething resentment.

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Nathan grimaced. Sorry, I thought you might be able to get away like I did. Did you mention me?

No. Yelun said, frowning at him. How did you escape, Natad? More golems came from the direction you ran towards.

Nathan shrugged. I hid. They didnt find me, then I snuck away once they were gone.

She tilted her head to the side. But their detection spells didnt find you. I was sure theyd catch you. Her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to be thinking hard. You wait. She studied Nathan for a second, then turned to Hibor. How did you first meet Natad?

[Disguise] dont fail me now.

Nathan opened his mouth to cover, but a sulky Hibor beat him to it. An outer balcony, where Id been going to get away from Eban. He said he was also trying to get away from his own suitemates.

Yeluns mouth opened slightly, and she turned towards Nathan. You can only cast spells that interfere with magic. [Dispel] and [Spell Redirection]. But are they spells at all? Or just assassin skills that interfere with magic? Her voice raised in pitch, ending in a near shriek.

Nathan shook his head and held up his hands. No, its actually an Insight that restricts my mana types! I understand the magic well, like when I helped Roni and Hibor learn [Mage Armor]!

She glanced at his shoes, which still had traces of blood from where hed killed the two lecturers that morning. You went to go retrieve your homework this morning, in the same breath that Bran dho Jast was killed. Because hed demanded that we demonstrate magic, and you couldnt! And... and you didn't care about Eban's challenge terms at all.

Yup, shes got me. Seems like I dont get to do that scouting after all.

Nathan sighed, then stood up and clapped his hands together once, then twice. It was a mocking gesture, and he stepped forward to tower over the students as he extended his aura out to cover them entirely. Congratulations, youve figured it out. But now what? Did you expect that I would surrender myself once you saw through my disguise?

Yeluns indignation had turned to terror, and she tried to pull out the dagger shed tucked into an inside pocket.

Nathan stepped forward and grabbed the weapon from her hand, throwing it down and into the table hard enough that it sank to the hilt with a squeal of abused wood. Then he shoved her roughly back into the couch and concentrated for a moment, changing his face back to normal, making it leaner and older. The zits disappeared as well, taking the constant low-level irritation with them.

Ahh, thats better.

Roni and Hibor surged to their feet, trying to cast spells of their own. The magic failed in their hands and they looked at him in horror.

Nathan glared at both of them. Sit. He made it a command, and they looked at each other, swallowed and then sat. Im going to drain your mana pools, and then well talk.

Both of the boys were speechless, but Yelun swallowed and got her mouth working. Are you going to kill us? We havent done anything wrong!

Nathan sighed again, thinking over his options as he drained the mana from the three young mages. He didnt start the process of breaking their mana pools. That was an option, but not one that really helped his current predicament. He didn't want to permanently harm them, he just didn't want them to raise the alarm.

Either way, I need to move on the archmages tonight. My cover will likely last until lunch tomorrow at the latest, even if I kill these three. They dont have powerful magic, so I can just lock them in a room for a day or so, even if I don't destroy their mana pools.

No, I dont want to kill you. He looked around at each of the three students, who were watching him like a cornered mouse watches a cat. Youre kids. Youve benefited from slavery and exploitation of the worst kind, but you havent done any of it yet. His gaze hardened. But I want you to understand why Im doing this. Why Im here, in Giantsrest.

Roni snarled at him. Youre here to tear down the Giant, to annihilate whats above you. He half rose from his chair before Hibor pulled him back down.

Nathan felt tired. Hed wanted to explain what was wrong about Giantsrest to his suitemates ever since hed met them. Now he had the chance, and it felt like climbing an impossible wall. He looked down at Roni, and something in his gaze made the young man press himself into the couch, anger forgotten.

He dropped into the couch across from the three low-tier students. My first interaction with Giantsrest was almost being enslaved. I had so many things I wanted to do with my life, before. I wanted to learn about the world, help people. Learn magic.

Nathan let his head droop, looking down at the small table. He heard movement as Hibor tried to run and surged upright, crossing the room in a single step and throwing the boy back to the couch without any effort. Ive had to listen to you for days, now you will listen to me.

He grabbed a light crystal off the wall, easily yanking it free from its mounting. He kept most of his aura away, but watched as the fragile magic flickered and died when in contact with his skin. He brought his aura back, and the crystal itself started to flake away in his fingers. The only way to escape a life of toil and torture as a slave was to become the antithesis of magic.

He looked back up at the students, who were both awed and terrified. Watching him destroy a light crystal with a touch seemed to have finally impressed on them what he was, what he could do.

I lost everything I could have been to Giantsrest, and the only thing I could do after that was to become the perfect weapon against you. Against mages, and all of the abuses of magic. Nathans voice was growing heated, and the familiar ember in his chest woke to life. Because its not just me. Every single slave in your city has had their lives stolen from them. You dont think of them as people. The slaves are things to you, resources to extract value from or be used for your amusement. If that kind of society is the only way to survive an Ending, I say we should all die!

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the students hadnt moved a muscle. I will cast down Giantsrest, because it is evil to the core. Mages have power over others, and Giantsrest abuses that power too much to ever forgive. Im going to go kill the Founder and every archmage I can find. Tonight. The fire had flowed out with Nathans words, replaced by deep tiredness. He found that he wasnt looking forward to killing Badud anymore. It was just something that had to be done.

He rubbed his temples and addressed the young mages. I havent seen you three do any of the things that make Giantsrest evil. I think you would, if you became mages of Giantsrest. But Im not in a position to judge you. However, somebody here is. Suse?

Yes, master? The old woman stepped forward, her expression tightly controlled. There seemed to be some kind of internal conflict going on, and her hands jerked forwards slightly before coming back to rest at her side.

Im going to free you now. He stood and approached her, weaving his antimagic into her collar to break the enchantment before ripping the tough leather off her neck with his bare hands.

The hundred dollar question is, will the Academy notice?

It did, the wizardry in the walls concentrating attention on the woman. She stood stunned in place at the loss of the magic that had controlled her for decades.

Nathan grimaced and surrounded Suse with a shell of antimagic, preventing the wizardry from getting a lock on her. To prevent the Academy from seeing that Ive done that, I need to cut you off from magic, forever. The only other option is that you stay with me as I attack the Founder.

Suse drew in a raggedy breath and swallowed twice before speaking. Do it.

He nodded and severed her from magic, saturating her body in antimagic as he did it. The Academy cant track you anymore, and it wont open any doors for you anymore. If you have a free Talent, then you should have the option to take the [Magic Resistance] Talent. Dont take it unless you really want to, since it will also prevent you from being healed. If I dont see you again, go to Halsmet. They know Insights that will let you heal yourself regardless.

I hope.

Then he retracted the shield of antimagic, and nodded in satisfaction when the Academys attention drifted onwards, no longer registering that there was a free person where there should be a slave.

Then he turned and walked back towards the students, whose gazes tracked him carefully. He wrenched the dagger out of the table and turned to hand it to Suse. Youve known them a lot longer than I have. If you want to kill them, I will help.

The old womans expression was intent, focused in a way that Nathan had never seen on her face. She looked down at the dagger and reached out to grasp it, feeling its heft. Then she smiled sadly. Their deeds dont deserve death. Some of the tension drained from the room, and Suse explained in slow words. I have been caretaker for many students. I know true malice, and these three do not bear it.

She pointed past Nathan, to his empty bedroom. Help me herd them in there and wedge the door shut. I have long dreamed of speaking to my charges of the life of a slave. I will give them a lesson they would never learn from a mage.

Nathan nodded, and gestured for the three mages to stand. He herded them inside his bedroom without resistance. Listen to what she says. If you are mages of Giantsrest the next time we meet, Ill kill you.

All youve done here is kill. Yelun said quietly.

Nathan paused, his hand on the door. He met her eyes and nodded. There arent many other options when facing Giantsrest. Ive spared the people I could. Two dozen mages from the battle of Halsmet live stripped of their magic. Harthi dha Jaltre is now an enchanter in Gemore. If you dont abuse your magic and enslave people, then I wont be your enemy. But I will raze this Academy to the ground.

Inspiration 3 achieved!

He closed the door, breaking the enchantment that would cause it to meld with the wall. Then he turned and grabbed a chair, breaking the wood into pieces and shoving them into the cracks to act as makeshift wedges. Once the door was firm, he turned back to Suse. Im sorry, this isnt a good spot for you. Thank you for giving me another option. Ill come back for you, if I can.

She smiled back at him. Thank you. I long promised myself I would be happy if I could change the Path of even one student away from enslaving others. Now I have that chance, thrice over. May Algoas luck ride with you. Her face twisted as Nathan turned to leave. If you meet Codius dho Den, kill him.

Nathan reached back in his memory, searching for the familiar name. After a moment, he found it in the mage whod tried to bully him in Halsmet when Faline had led him to the mage barracks. Already killed him.

This time her smile was vicious. Good. Now go, and bring doom to the archmages. For all those who wished they could, and never had the chance.

Permanent Talent: [Aura of Antimagic]

You are an embodiment of antimagic, forever unable to cast spells or access magic. Magic items will degrade from being near you. You can extend this antimagic from your body to directly absorb the mana of spells cast on you into Stamina.

Permanent Talent: [Arcane Nullfield]

Your very presence denies arcane energies including both wizardry and mana. You can control this effect as an aura to directly absorb magic. This Talent is especially effective against summoned materials. Absorbed mana is converted into Stamina.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Arcane Nullfield 1

Permanent Talent 2: Immortal Body 1

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 5

Class: Void of Magic level338

Deepened Stamina: 10440/10440

Void of Feeling

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Magic Anathema

Airborne Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Voluminous Aura

Denial of Wizardry

Mana Severance

Class: Magekiller level 198

Regenerative Focus: 2080/2080

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Unsuspecting Strike

Antimagic Stealth

Spell Redirection

Lethal Index

Utility skills:

Wizards Meditation 3

Inspiration 3

Acceleration 4

Wizard Senses 9

Alertness 7

Wizards Intuition 10

Effortless Dodge 3

Mental Fortress 10

Tutoring 3

Parkour 2

High-tier Noticeability 7

High-tier Disguise 1

Mid-tier Battle Cry 7

Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 9