[Pendant of The Pyre Flame] [Mystic] – Death was not the end. Thousands of years passed, and the pyre was assigned as the prime send-off for corpses. Corpses after corpses it burned, one after another. Eventually, the pyre-flame asked why, and its flame turned bluish out of curiosity. And the desire to do something else was born; it lurched and protected the dead body instead of burning it. The pyre flame could be harnessed and controlled by taking a corpse. Unlock Pyre Flame.
A dark gem was the center of the masterpiece, so dark Suna's eyes were lost in it the moment he picked it up. Inside that darkness was a pulse of life, beating like a heart, pulsing with the blue flicker of life. The chain around the pendant was very cold. The moment he put it around his neck, he shivered like it had just bitten him.
The gem was propped with a golden embroidery around it, twirling around it like it was protected by the instinct of a mother to her baby.
Suna touched the dark gem, clanking it with his forefinger. It shone blue, and it wanted something. Suna had read the description; it was a simple enough story, so he already had an idea what it wanted.
He crouched over the Pyrebone Archer’s corpse. A disintegrating bone greeted him, with ashes bordering where it had just been seared by Suna’s Flame Arrow.
He won. Now, yes, it truly struck him. He had bested the Pyrebone.
Suna tapped the gem into the Pyrebone’s broken rib. The moment his gem touched the white coarse bone of the undead, a blue glow started to appear from where the gem touched; it dimly shone and covered the Pyrebone’s body. Suna reached up, into the separated part of the Pyrebone Archer, and connected it. The skeleton glowed blue wholly and disintegrated into motes of blue. Those specks of light moved to the Pendant of the Pyre Flame.
A breath caught in Suna’s throat. He let out a soft laugh. Just when he thought he had already gotten used to the system…
[Unlock Pyreflame] – The dead hold plenty of stories, and those are the ones the Pyre is interested in. Earn Pyreflame by letting it probe dead bodies. Skills that use Pyreflame as its resource will be granted by consideration revolving around Pyreflame.
[Pyre Shield] [Rare] – The instinct to protect does not only exist within living beings. Consume Pyreflame to create a shield of blue flame. The Sense stat will control Pyreflame automatically.
Name: Suna Amor
Level: 32 → 37.
Class: [Archer]
Rune: 123
Feat: 17
Mana: 1500/7800 → 1500/12250
Pyre Flame : 0→ 100
Class Skill (13/15)
- Archer Sense [Common]
- Archer Backstep [Common]
- Mana Arrow [Uncommon]
- Moving Shot [Uncommon]
- Flint Draw [Uncommon]
- Arcane String [Uncommon]
- Bow of Wind [Uncommon]
- Spell String Mastery [Rare]
- Hissing Volley [Rare]
- Drill Arrow [Uncommon]
- Still Form [Uncommon]
- Flame Arrow [Uncommon]
- Saproot Arrow [Rare]
General Skill (11/15)
- Quick Draw [Common]
- Drowfication [Rare]
- Rune Seeker [Uncommon]
- Gale Step [Uncommon]
- Air pocket [Common]
- Heat Sense [Common]
- Enchanced Sense [Uncommon]
- Enduring Body [Uncommon]
- Battle Focus [Common]
- Eagle Eyes {Uncommon}
- Pyre Shield (Rare)
Strength: 957
Dexterity: 1155
Vitality: 689
Arcanery: 1225
Sense: 645
A new…
What should I even call it?
A new resource, just from an item.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Suna tried to take off the pendant, and sure enough, the skills and Pyre Flame were gone. He quickly put it on again, still amazed at it.
So, Pyre Shield, this must be that annoying flame defense of the Pyrebone Archer. And the source was not mana. Maybe the Pyrebone Archer just naturally did not have mana? Regardless, excitement was bubbling inside Suna. That ability was ridiculous, and now he had it.
He tapped his chin, thinking about the cost to get it, which, in actuality, was quite cheap. All he needed was to find corpses.
“Corpses…” Suna's body twisted; there were so many corpses. But he burned them all.
He bit his cheek. That was… well, not stupid; he wouldn’t have known he got this item.
Deciding to try the ability later, Suna began drinking the Mana Potion. He eagerly downed it; all those movements made him thirsty. He stepped forward, intending to continue, to find James and the humans. But his foot caught a small rock, and the world greeted him with a smashing pain on his forehead.
He winced, tasting pebbles on his tongue. He spat them out and leaned on a huge stone with his legs, submerging in the calm, cold water. He was tired, but that fight would drew some attention. He looked back at the dancing flames still on the ground.
Suna rested his head back and sighed. With Marrowbow in hand, he began to refill his quivers, watching as his mana kept going down as he finished with his Grave Vine Quiver. At the very least, he wanted to be ready even with zero mana. If anyone came—
“Suna, is that you?”
His body jerked up, and his bow drawn with a Sootroot arrow pulled to his cheek in one fluid motion. Water lapped around his feet, and he slowly lowered his arrow.
[Tieflings. Lvl 3]
[Spearbearer. Lvl 3]
“Jack? What are you doing here?”
Jack, the Tiefling he just saved not hours ago, now stood intimidatingly. The Rune Bearer’s spear was marred with the green blood of the undead, and behind him were about ten Tieflings, perhaps. Most of them were injured, with only a couple healthy enough to hold a crossbow that was pointed at Suna. Their eyes flickered into the flames, full battlefield, the reeking odor of death still permeating the air.
“Lower your crossbow,” Jack ordered, and the Tiefling did without complaint. Still, though, they regarded Suna with suspicion. “I’ve freed a wagon, and none alive. But I managed to find ten of them and wanted to escort them out… Until we heard explosions blast that’s it.”
Suna blinked. The Tiefling did not say anything more.
It's my turn to explain?
“Yeah, that… The Pyrebone Archer I told you about.”
“The level 45?”
“Exactly, I killed it. But it took a lot.”
“I see…” Jack muttered before he repeated it, hugging his spear and leaning on it. He repeated, “You killed it, a level 45… We should move Suna. I want to hear about your friends, too. Soon, more undead will come here.”
--
They were covered by the cold mist again, with no source of flame other than the weak one Jack had created. The meat of undead dogs was cooked around the fire on sticks, exactly eleven of them.
“Human!” One Tiefling clasped Suna’s back. “That was a great story!”
Another Tiefling clapped, cheering him on, and soon the others started to jibe with him.
It didn’t start this way; in fact, they were terrified when Suna told them how he killed the Pyrebone Archer. But only after he offered most of his potions did they let loose on him. Suna recognized his potions saved the two Tiefling children, who were both now eagerly watching the dogs’ meat cooking with their yellow eyes, with droll dripping to their chins.
“That was commendable,” Jack said. “But, Suna, this message from your friend, that would mean you need to delve deeper, no?”
The implication washed through the Tiefling like discouraging waves; this means Suna would not be with them when they try to return to their nest.
If there’s still a nest available.
“Yes,” Suna confirmed. “I will go deeper, Jack.” Maybe even to confront the Necromancer.
“I will come with you, Suna,” Jack added, so casually. Mouths began to open from the other Tieflings, looking at the Runebearer with a mortified expression.
Suna just blankly stared at Jack with a deadpan face. Did he just forget about everyone else?
“Runebearer!” one of them exclaimed.
Soon, cries began to join, and Suna wished them to quiet down.
He tried, but the Tieflings started to grasp Jack's shoulder, and he kept eating uncaringly.
“Please, we need to get back to the nest, to our fam—”
“Exactly!” Jack said. “I’m also trying to get back to Floundea, my wife, in case any of you have forgotten.”
“But, you’re a Runebearer! Chosen to have runes, to protect!” Another Tiefling exclaimed.
“I’m not chosen, I earned it,” Jack glared. Then the Runebearer turned toward Suna. “Tell me, Suna, if you were in my position, what would you do?”
I'm more curious why you turned this on me…
Suna eyed the now panicked Tiefling, and he coughed, a bit too awkwardly. “I do not have a wife.”
“Parents then!”
“Well, I probably would’ve escorted these refugees first?”
“You would?” Jack blinked, not believing the answer, but Suna actually meant it. Granted, it also had to do with the fact that these Tieflings wanted to be escorted out.
Jack shook his head, and he proceeded to eye them with a serious gaze.
“Eight of you have already fully recovered, and there are only two children. So surely, you can make it back to the nest… I’m sure there are others up there who would be willing to help you. I will only escort you lot to the exit, and that's it,” Jack finished, his tone carrying finality.
The Tieflings’ shoulders sagged; these ones probably were not from the warrior clans. Some of them then looked at Suna, a flicker of hope behind those eyes. Suna had to scratch the back of his neck and avoid their gaze.
“I uh… I’m planning to join the main group; James might need my help. And as you guys know… We can’t lose the Thiefmasters,” He reasoned.
His reasoning did not comfort them, of course. The mist might as well carry an air of depression, as the camp was silenced, with just the flame rustling to prevent a complete void of voices.
Jack, who was incapable of reading the atmosphere, said, “Perfect! We will go together, Suna. With both of us, I’m confident we can make it to Floundea. Now get some sleep, and can you wait until we deliver them to the depths’ exit?”
“Sure,” Suna said. He badly wanted to recover his mana without using the rest of his potion anyway.
“Great, it's decided then.” Jack stood. He picked up a spear that had been laid out, exactly ten of them around his feet. The Runebearer threw it to one of the Tieflings near him. “You watched before. Stand. Everyone! First form!”
–
Suna closed his eyes, fully intent on dreaming.
He replayed his battle with the Pyrebone Archer. That move of his, peppering it with normal arrows, had a hidden motive unrelated to the battle.
Sure, he wanted to save mana for the shootout the moment the Bluish Flame, no – Pyre Flame, disappeared. But that was not all. He hammered into his mind how useless his normal arrows were. Even Sapwood arrows, which were spell arrows, still held physical matter.
He remembered the way each of them burned so uselessly. How the Pyre flame just seared through them to ashes, not dealing any significant damage.
Good, he would keep those memories.
What would happen when he went deeper? And faced a tougher opponent? Would he keep relying on them?
Suna’s logical mind reasoned that not all monsters had natural fire defense like the Pyrebone Archer. The Drow, for example, didn’t. But Suna shut that part of his mind down; he closed it forcefully. He remembered the Drow [Beastmaster], how his normal arrow was useless, and what the heck a Saproot arrow would do to him? But Flame Arrow and Mana Arrow, though, they will be able to pierce those annoying birds.
He understood that what he was doing now was just…acting. To point his mind in one direction while ignoring others. It looked like Slea was right on this method.
He could not rely on a normal arrow, no, of course not. He needs Spell Arrows, a power that able to crushed through defense like Mana Arrow. An arrow that soared and causes a searing flame like Flame Arrow, with his Flint Draw.
Suna needed them; he wanted them.
The darkness faded; in turn, he looked up at distant stars, thousands upon thousands of them shimmering, and some with a tail of light shooting across in a streak of golden hue. Every last light beamed down on him above the familiar roof.
He was here again.
In front of him was the [Flintwind Archer].
It stared at Suna, a shadowy figure that peered curiously. Then it opened its palm.
He took the class’s hand.
Class: [Archer] → [Flintwind Archer]
