Chapter 118

  “Do you want to do things the proper way or the easy way?” Michael asked as he and Old Dave obliterated monster after monster on the first floor of the dungeon.

  “Do you even need to ask? Who do you take me for?” the old man retorted, his movements impossible for his age. Of course, Michael knew better. He didn’t need to heal the old man to know the toll the fighting was taking on his body.

  As they rested, a quick application of [Healing Aura] restored Old Dave to top condition. At the same time, Michael felt more and more of the man’s muscles and tendons come under his authority, susceptible to his Intent like all the other things his evolved healing spell fixed.

  The System, or what was left of it, put it pinly: “Anything you heal is marked by your Intent forever, and can be taken away at will.”

  As they reached the Misty Valley, Michael took a breath of fresh air.

  “The first breath is always the best,” he commented.

  Old Dave hummed in agreement. “Especially after going through the first floor. The air tastes like swamp water there.”

  “It’s not just that. I don’t think there’s a pce on Earth where the air doesn’t stink, not anymore. Don’t you agree?” Michael countered.

  Old Dave scoffed. “Wait, you’re serious? You can smell pollution anywhere?”

  Michael nodded. “I can. Downsides of enhanced senses. The world stinks, Dave.”

  “Don’t tell me you want to fix the environment because it smells bad now,” Old Dave chuckled.

  “Why not?” Michael challenged. “If I can, why not do it?”

  Old Dave’s eyes narrowed as he went from joking to serious. “Arrogant brat. I think you are moving away from your original objective here.”

  Michael shrugged. “It’s a net good for the world anyway. Why does it matter why I do it?”

  “Because,” Old Dave began, then paused. “You know what? You are right. Just don’t become the sort of person your past self would have hated. Acting just on a whim, a flight of fancy. You had ideals.”

  “That was two floors of the dungeon ago. Things change,” Michael stated, shaking his head. “I still have my ideals, Dave. The stink in the air reminds me day after day, breath after breath, of the mess we have made of our pnet. What changed is that I know I am the only one who can make a difference. The only one whose motivations for changing things really matter.”

  “You’re beginning to understand the difference between you and the average person.” Dave observed.

  “Yes,” Michael affirmed. “No matter how much a random office worker in New Mexico wants to change things, he can’t. Me? I can. Even if it was just because I don’t like the way air smells. I could literally fix the pnet because I don’t like the smell, David.”

  Old Dave smiled. “Calling me David. You are serious. You are beginning to understand. I am proud of you. But remember, this is where it’s most dangerous. Don’t lose sight of who you are.”

  “Yes,” Michael agreed. “I’m trying my best not to lose sight of the one thing that counts: people have value. There is value in being a human being. It’s just that… there are other things adding value to a person on top of that, and not everyone has the same amount of them. They are like multipliers. Being a good person is nice, but it’s much better to be a good person while powerful and able to make a difference rather than being a good person forced to kneel down by the system.”

  “Ah, people would hate you for saying such things. What about being good in the little things?” Old Dave questioned.

  “Noble, but futile. When you see above the canopy of the forest, you realize that while caring for a single tree is noble, it won’t stop the blight from consuming the trillions of other trees you can’t care for. We are here.” Michael decred.

  The massive gcier that engulfed one of the mountain peaks surrounding the Misty Valley loomed before them. A single crack, massive and dark, marked the only entrance point to the vast cave system below it. Michael walked in without breaking his stride, Old Dave following just a single step behind. Michael knew that if the man wanted, he could overtake him without much effort simply by virtue of having a longer stride, but for now, his mentor was allowing him to lead. For now, his mentor was allowing himself to be mentored.

  And why not? With all matters of magic, Michael was the mentor, and David was the pupil. And perhaps in matters of fighting too, although David would never admit it. Michael could see it in his eyes and respected the old man too much to even bring up the point.

  “What do you feel?” Michael inquired as soon as they reached a bifurcation. On the right was the tunnel he had already taken, eventually leading to the Ice King’s throne room. On the other side…

  “Is this Qi?” Old Dave wondered.

  Michael nodded. “It is.”

  “It’s like… begging me to absorb it. To take the st step and enter Peak Copper,” Dave admitted.

  “Don’t,” Michael said sharply.

  “Lad,” Old Dave responded with a soft smile, “I haven’t so far. You think my will is so weak I can’t resist a while longer?”

  “Why haven’t you stepped into Peak territory? You know it’s safe enough that you can wait there for a while. It’s not comfortable, but there might be merit in spending some time at Peak,” Michael pressed.

  “Like you did?” Dave said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Well, it’s stable unless there are circumstances that force your rank up. It’s not why you waited,” Michael pointed out.

  Old Dave shook his head. “You know why I waited.”

  “And,” Michael continued, “you might have inadvertently done a good thing. You see, simply letting the process happen leads to what I call False Silver. You take the step and yer Qi upon a foundation of mana. Easy enough.”

  “That’s not what you want me to do,” Dave surmised.

  “No,” Michael confirmed. The walls of the icy tunnel shimmered with magic, like tiny stars far above them. It was a deep azure, light filtering in from above even though they were supposed to be a long way below the surface. “What I want you to do is listen to your own magic. To reach True Silver, you need at least an element. Which one shall it be?”

  “Stone,” Dave answered instantly.

  “That quick?” Michael was surprised.

  “It’s my element, Michael. I can feel it. Even before you took me to this pce, I knew, deep down I knew. You gave me a couple of skill stones reted to it, back when you trained us all up, remember?” Dave expined.

  “The elements are many. You say Stone, but what of Earth, Mud, Rock, Obsidian, and a myriad others simir to it.”

  “It has to be Stone. Earth is nice to have, but it’s not me.”

  “Alright,” Michael conceded. “That makes it easier. Let’s go search for a source of Stone element.”

  “You don’t agree with me. In fact, you are humouring me, Mike. Why?”

  Michael sighed, “I do agree. I know that magic is different for everyone. You are more like the dwarves in this, the Element an expression of who you are. Am I wrong?”

  Old Dave shook his head, “you aren’t. It’s not the same for you?”

  “No. Me? All magic represents me. All of it. Call me arrogant if you will, but I will not stop until I master all of the magic and all of the energies I come across. There’s not one facet of magic that represents me, because I want to have all of them. And through hard work, I one day will.”

  It didn’t take them long to arrive at the foot of another mountain. Distances in the Misty Valley were strange, in Michael’s experience. It was as if the Valley facilitated his movements whenever he had somewhere to go, and thus he often found himself arriving right when he wished to. If he was in a hurry, then the journey would take little time. If he was wandering, then it would take a long time.

  Right now, it took exactly the right amount of time for Michael to expin what Old Dave was supposed to do with the Stone element, and not a moment more.

  “You know the Valley only responds this way to you, right?” Dave remarked.

  “I suspected. Huh?” Michael was distracted by a most curious sight.

  “Others don’t enjoy this treatment by the valley—hey, is that your sister?” Dave asked after seeing what had caught Michael’s attention.

  Michael squinted. “What the hell is she doing?”

  “Should we…?” Dave began.

  “No,” Michael interrupted. “She hasn’t seen us.”

  “But what is she doing? Are those golems?” Dave pressed.

  “They are, yeah. Here.” Michael handed Old Dave a ft disc of compressed air he made on the spot. In the Misty Valley, Michael found that he could manipute reality itself more and more as he grew in power. Imposing his aura on the world to change or create things.

  Making a disc of air that worked as a magnifying lens for a few moments wasn’t outside the realm of his abilities nowadays. It cost him almost his entire mana pool, but here in the Valley, it only meant good training.

  He didn’t need such implements himself, not with how high his stats had gotten. He simply squinted, allowing his eyes to see the scene in enough detail to make things out. Maggie was sitting together with several stone golems in a circle, and in the middle of the circle was what looked like a tea set. The golems all wore strange things – cutesy dresses or little bows that cshed with their stony looks. They each held a teacup, occasionally sipping from it.

  Michael looked away, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “She’s drinking tea and dressing up the golems, Michael,” Dave stated the obvious.

  “I saw,” Michael confirmed dryly.

  “How?” Dave asked.

  “I have no idea,” Michael admitted.

  “I guess you are not the only special sibling. What are you going to do about it?”

  “Nothing?” Michael suggested.

  “Yeah,” Dave concurred. “Good call.”

  The rest of the trip towards the Stone element source was uneventful, spent in silence as they ruminated on the strange sight they had just seen.

  “Now comes the hard part, Dave. Elemental manipution,” Michael announced.

  “I don’t have it,” Dave confessed. “I don’t even have mana sight.”

  “I know. Develop it,” Michael instructed, tossing him something.

  “A silver coin?” Dave questioned.

  “The training wheels are off, Dave,” Michael decred.

  “Pff, you think I’m not up for the challenge?” Dave scoffed.

  “Good. Because I don’t want you to absorb the coin. Make it into mist form and keep it there until you get mana manipution. Then, turn your gaze to the elements and evolve it so you can manipute them as well,” Michael expined.

  “Won’t this push me to Peak?” Dave inquired.

  Michael produced a single gold coin. “And beyond,” he replied. “Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered.”