The graveyard surrounding the tomb was covered in about ten different groups. None of them seemed aggressive toward each other.

  In fact, it reminded Mel of playing MMOs long ago when people flocked to a good camping ground. Every so often, the ground would rumble and a skeleton or zombie would pull itself up just to get nuked into oblivion by three different groups all vying for the runes of the kill.

  It was strangely comforting to watch.

  Thomas found their old campsite easily. They were surprised it was still untouched. The ritual alarm hadn’t even gone off.

  Gwen didn’t waste any time lighting the fire and getting a meal cooking.

  They sat around the fire eating and going over the loot they gained from the naga. Gwen got an [Earth Ember] and Thomas an aspect gem, much to his annoyance. The pair found some new equipment as well, but none at Epic rarity.

  Gwen lifted her ember, freshly reforged in her [Soul Kiln].

  [Earth Ember]

  (Catalyst, Ember)

  (Rare)

  A chunk of petrified loam, strangely heavy. Place within a soul kiln to apply affinity to armaments or tinge to concoctions.

  Imprint: Applies Earth affinity to armaments. Applies Earth tinge to concoctions.

  “Higher rarity than mine,” Thomas admitted.

  “I had some others, so I was able to combine it. Not sure what scaling it offers yet though,” Gwen said. “Wind is agility on the claws, which isn’t that great for me.”

  Mel stood up and stepped away from the fire as soon as she finished her meal of well-charred steak. She didn’t ask what kind of meat it was, but it was damn tasty. Just the right amount of crust and yet still buttery and juicy pink inside.

  Just like she liked it. The increase to maximum heath, stamina, and mana was more than welcome.

  Thomas followed her. “Going somewhere?”

  “Remember that kindling branch I said I got from the goddess? Well, I’m about to try out the skill.”

  Thomas stood up, taking out a pen and small field notebook from his inventory.

  Lacing her twinblade with mana, Mel stepped away from the campfire and traced out the runes, sigils, and frames needed for the ritual. She was glad that it was only required for the first use, because if she had to summon her familiar this way every time, she might not want to use it.

  Least of all because it took her over 15 minutes to create the damn thing.

  When she was done with the complicated design, Mel stepped back and noticed what she had drawn. She threw back her head and laughed at the triple-ringed design encircling the ancient symbol of the Magi at its heart.

  “Is that the Magi’s–” Thomas began.

  “Yes, yes it is,” Mel said, wiping a tear from her eye. “She really does have a sick sense of humor.”

  She dropped to one knee and put her hands on the ritual frame.

  Ritual Spell: [Avatar of Askara]

  Mel watched her second health bar courtesy of [Sanguine Coat]. Mel had long ago learned that the second health bar wasn’t literally her coat. It was a magical effect of the aspect skill. Which meant just by having the coat on her shoulders, Mel would have an easier time drawing on her health without harm.

  [Sanguine Coat]

  (Blood Aspect)

  (Copper, Violet/Special)

  (Grade 7 [38%])

  Cost: Considerable Mana, Modest Health

  Cooldown: Long

  Summon a coat of blood to rest upon your shoulders, increasing healing received, resistance to toxins of the blood, and improving combat parameters. The coat persists so long as it has enough blood to sustain itself. Additional expenditures of mana allow for further customization.

  Imprint(Copper Rank): Conjure a coat of blood from any sufficient quantity of blood. Properties of the coat will change based on what type of blood is used. Provides additional physical and magical defense. Grants a secondary health bar. All healing effects are increased. Resistances to afflictions are increased. Grants [In The Blood].

  [In the Blood]: While wearing the sanguine coat, all Blood aspect skills are enhanced. Physical attacks inflict bleed damage-over-time. Your sanguine coat can be healed through consuming additional blood or through standard healing.

  The drain on her stamina and mana was much more severe. She struggled to stay conscious, fighting through the drain without letting it consume her entirely.

  Right before Mel feared that she would need to terminate the ritual early, the frame folded up on itself creating a miniature black egg. The egg cracked with fissures of orange heat.

  Molten metal wept from the fissures, burning the ground and sending gouts of steam and smoke into the air. The black-and-red egg shook back and forth until finally it shattered.

  Shards of its shell flew everywhere, somehow narrowly missing all three of them. Shards stuck in the solid stone wall as if they were no harder than drywall.

  Coiled up in half of the eggshell was a small black serpent with a forked tail. Its scales were black as ash, but its eyes were ruby red. The creature locked its gaze on Mel, for some reason she thought it looked imploringly at her.

  Name your familiar.

  “Oh, right.”

  Name your familiar: Oh, right?

  Mel shook her head frantically.

  Thomas was sketching furiously, hardly able to take his eyes off the scene. “I expect you need to name it?”

  Gwen watched the serpent thoughtfully, quiet for once.

  Mel looked up at him, putting a finger to her lips and then slicing the flat plane of her hand across her throat.

  Thomas nodded. “Can’t talk, got it.”

  Gwen chuckled. “I bet anything she says will name the creature.”

  Mel tapped the side of her nose.

  “Hah, sounds like it,” Thomas said. “How much you want to bet she names it after Steve?”

  “Or Carl.” Gwen got an evil glint in her eyes. “Bet I could get her to say something. Mel, you remember your study buddies yet?”

  “How about–”

  “SHHHH!” Mell hissed at them. She looked at the notification, but it apparently understood that wasn’t a word and didn’t try to name the snake that.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Which would be pretty damn funny, not gonna lie.

  Mel tilted her head to the side. She stared at the snake, directing her thoughts to it. Can you slither in a circle for me?

  The snake flicked its red tongue once or twice, then slithered off its shell and did a circuit around it. It was tiny, about as long as the distance from her middle finger to her wrist, but it was fast.

  And silent, Mel noticed. Despite the scorched grass all around it that should have made a crackling noise as the dry burnt blades were moved, there was absolutely no noise.

  Mel grinned. She knew exactly what to name him. “Hush.”

  Name your familiar: Hush?

  Mel nodded.

  The snake hissed in what she could only think of as a happy tone. It rattled its forked tails.

  “Is that a happy sound or an angry sound?” Thomas asked.

  “I don’t know, but it’s cute,” Gwen said. “I wouldn’t mind having a puppy like that.”

  “You’ll probably get something like a pug that struggles to even exist.” Thomas laughed.

  “Great.”

  “C’mere, Hush,” Mel said, reaching out to the snake.

  The creature slithered forward silently, happily hissing all the while. Mel couldn’t imagine it would be very useful–not that she was going to tell Hush that.

  Maybe it’s like scorpions. The smaller they are the more venomous?

  Hush slithered up her arm and before Mel could ask what he was doing, he coiled around her forearm. Her arm burned where he squeezed, but a moment later Hush was gone. Mel pulled back her sleeve, staring in shock. In his place was a black tattoo in the shape of a coiling snake wrapped around her forearm.

  “Sweet!” Mel said excitedly.

  She could still feel Hush there, as if he was simply waiting for her to call him. Plus, it looked like a nice tattoo.

  “Look at me, I’m a knock-off Deatheater!”

  “A what?” Thomas asked.

  “You know, Harry Potter?”

  They both looked at each other. “What?”

  “Eh?” Gwen asked.

  “Wait, you don’t know what Harry–nevermind.”

  “Some friend of yours?” Thomas asked politely.

  “Maybe he’s a Magi?” Gwen asked. “Do I need to beat him up?”

  “Absolutely not,” Mel said, trying not to think about how weird that was. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Askara was right. I clearly don’t belong here. As if it hadn’t been clear before. You were able to block out the pieces before, but now Askara’s words are in your head. You know.

  Some doors can’t be closed once they’re opened.

  Forcing a smile, Mel sat back down by the campfire. “That takes so much out of me,” she groaned. “Let’s go back to our loot sorting.”

  “We still have the quest rewards too,” Gwen pointed out.

  “Oh yeah!”

  “You forgot?” Gwen asked, astounded.

  Mel shook her head. “Not entirely. I was…” She trailed off, shaking her head. Having a literal goddess of reality confirming your worst secret fears and then saying the gods have already plotted your demise had a way of derailing your thoughts. Not that she could say any of that to Gwen. Instead, she shrugged and said, “Just a lot going on.”

  Quest Complete: The Impaler’s Tomb

  Objective: Discover the source of unrest in the Impaler’s Tomb (1/1).

  Reward: [Cinder Ampoule]

  Additional Objective: Defeat the Naga guarding the secret of the Impaler (1/1).

  Reward: [Soothing Pearl]

  Additional Objective: Delve into the Heart of the Serpent and survive the Altar of Askara (1/1).

  Reward: [Star Ember]

  “Additional objectives too!” Gwen said.

  Streamers of light whisked through the air toward each of them as their inventories filled with new loot.

  Mel, already seated, decided to go in order instead of being distracted by the newest and shiniest thing.

  It seemed she wasn’t alone. Thomas was already going through the loot he gained from the naga.

  Gwen, meanwhile, was easily distracted and was taking out her most recent acquisitions. “Could it possibly be?” she whispered in wonder. She held up a small palm-sized vial of glass, studying it intently. For some reason, tears shined in her eyes.

  Mel took out the [Poison Ember] and examined it.

  [Poison Ember]

  (Catalyst, Ember)

  (Uncommon)

  A mottled green egg-shaped piece of glass that feels feverishly warm. Place within a soul kiln to apply affinity to armaments or tinge to concoctions.

  Imprint: Applies Poison affinity to armaments. Applies Poison tinge to concoctions.

  She kept the [Serpent Coins] in her inventory next to the other aspect coins. As tempted as she was to use them immediately to improve her Serpent aspect and its associated sense attribute, Mel was convinced there had to be another use for them.

  Coins were meant to be spent like currency, but using them to improve her Serpent aspect didn’t feel like the only use. It definitely felt like a valid use, but she wouldn’t be a Magi if she didn’t look for other ways to use obvious items.

  Two extra piles of [Serpent Coins] were placed by Mel, freely given by Gwen and Thomas with no request for trade.

  Mel took out the aspect gem, wondering what would have happened if she had received this aspect before she finished all five. The light struck the rough stone haphazardly, making it seem like small explosions of flame were going off inside the orange-red stone.

  Then again, judging by the way it’s vibrating subtly, maybe they are real explosions.

  [Blast Aspect Gem]

  (Aspect Item)

  (Uncommon)

  A distilled manifestation of Blast Aspect in the form of a raw gem. Tiny explosions continually detonate deep within the crystalline surface.

  Imprint: Use to bind Blast aspect to an attribute.

  Yep, should’ve figured that out sooner. This Shardrune doesn’t do anything halfway.

  Mel set it aside, looking at the pile of [Serpent Coins]. “Are you sure?”

  “Freely given,” they said together. “You’ve got some catching up to do.”

  “Our epic grind sesh starts tomorrow,” Gwen added.

  “Hold onto your coins for now,” Thomas explained. “We’ve worked out the best way to use them if you haven’t already.”

  Mel’s interest was piqued, but she still had some loot to go through. “Just a sec.”

  [Smoke Dash Bangles]

  (Copper Rank, Armor)

  (Rare)

  A pair of golden bangles that were won in open combat with the champion of the long-dead Impaler. The naga that earned them could never fully control their power, resulting in remarkably swift–yet inaccurate–strikes.

  Imprint: Greatly raises attack speed. When under the effect of altered area terrain, substantially raises attack speed.

  I guess their imprint is technically better than the scorpion bracers, Mel thought. But will it let me equip these too?

  It did not.

  Her [Frostbite Scorpion Carapace Bracers] prevented her from wearing the new golden jewelry. Mel would have to choose between her Epic rarity carapace bracers and her new toy.

  “Eat a train car full of dicks, system,” Mel grumbled.