Arcane Era 2: Rise of the Combat Mage: An Isekai light novel

  ARCANE ERA 2

  RISE OF THE COMBAT MAGE

  By

  Darren Hultberg Jr

  Copyright 2022 Darren Hultberg Jr

  All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are completely fictitious.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed without proper permission from the author, Darren Hultberg Jr.

  1

  A Path to Power

  At the edge of a lush green forest, a mage sat cross-legged atop a large wall of stone. A lavish crimson tunic draped from the man’s torso as balls of flame floated in his outstretched hands, each packed with the powers of [flame] and [force], the power to burn and destroy.

  Falling deeper into his meditation, the mage focused more of his arcane energy into the floating balls of flame, causing them to brighten like a pair of brilliant rubies. Beads of sweat began to run down his furrowed brow but the mage remained steadfast, fighting for control until the very last second. Then with a mighty heave, he launched the spheres into the air.

  As his crimson eyes opened, the mage watched as his creations collided in mid-air, detonating above the forest and creating a light that resembled a second, no third sun.

  He smiled widely.

  That mage perched majestically atop Oracle’s West King’s wall was me, Lance, the last known survivor of the Draconis clan and protectorate of Arcwind village. I’d only been in this realm for a few months, but if I had to be honest, I was certain I was living my best life.

  After my throw-down with the houndmaster, many of his men were absorbed into the village ranks. Turns out a roof and three hot meals were a lot more enticing than life out on the streets. The rest were left to flee, a show of mercy from my now formidable little village.

  With a mage now in town and the attention that could bring, the villagers and their new counterparts went to work fortifying their ever-growing home. Walls were erected around the perimeter of Arcwind, a bountiful harvest was collected, and defenses were put in place to keep the village safe. It was really coming along.

  As for me, I found myself spending my time a bit more… selfishly, for lack of a better word. Despite so much going on, my ladies had invested an incredible amount of time into my growth. Ezrielle had helped me gain greater control of my arcana, guiding me through several sessions of rigorous meditation (similar to the one I’d just finished). During each of the sessions, the weaver had led me through an exercise that involved pushing my arcana to its absolute limit. After allowing myself to slip into a meditative state, I channeled as much of my draconic energy through my body as possible, fighting to increase the torrent of flame within my body without allowing my control to slip. The exercise was beyond taxing, but each session had increased my inner focus and allowed my authority over my arcana to strengthen.

  Efray still wasn’t the most seasoned of arcanists, but what she was able to share with me was the invaluable knowledge gained from her insatiable curiosity. Ef had read nearly every book in the house of light twice, and because of that, she was able to fill my mind with everything she knew about Oracle. From the world’s various provinces to its many clans to its dangerous ecology, she shared with me everything that she knew about this brave new world.

  And then there was Danica.

  More than anything, the augmenter seemed intent on satisfying her more… carnal desires. And Hell, who was I to argue? Her late-night visits to my chamber were quickly becoming some of the most blissful moments I’d experienced here on Oracle. Familiarizing myself with the contours of her flawless skin we’re just… gods, let’s just say it was more amazing each and every time. Beyond that, Danica had used the daylight hours to help me develop some more practical skills, namely my offensive spells. My mastery of [flame strike] and [dragon shot] had already seen decent increases. With greater control of my arcana, not only could I aim better but my spells also packed way more of a punch. I’d also dabbled in my [dragons breath] technique, but the practicality of shooting flames out of my mouth still left me a bit… eh, hesitant. The spell I’d found most interest in though was the newest addition to my repertoire of spells, my [Dragon Fang Blade].

  The weapon was an extension of my arcana, a tool forged by force energy and imbued with flame. Once forged, the sword took the shape of an oversized scimitar, its blade glowing brightly with the red and white energy it was comprised of. It didn’t quite behave like a normal sword though, but instead carried an added weight to its strikes based on how much of my arcana I funneled into it. Danica was wonderful at helping me develop better control of the spell and thus, allowed me to keep the blade active for longer stretches of time. But as far as sparring with the weapon. Well… that wasn’t her forte. Instead, that particular deed had belonged to my Earthen counterpart, Erin.

  Though the woman was just as new to this place as I was, her skill with the blade was masterful. That was mostly due to the swordstalker blood running through her veins, though her natural affinity for the weapon couldn’t be discounted either.

  Life went on this way for another month or so, though as an [s-rank] arcanist something soon became evident… no matter how hard we tried, I wasn’t going to reach my full potential behind the walls of this village.

  That’s why I was out here, perched on the West Kings wall, a landmark a hundred miles west of the village. A pilgrimage of power… that’s what Danica had called it. She described it as a quest of personal growth that arcanists often took, a quest intended to give the mage a broader range of power and knowledge beyond what their clan could offer. And for me, well hopefully it would help shatter that final ring restricting my power.

  Of course, I wasn’t on this pilgrimage alone.

  After rising to my feet, I leapt from my perch, gliding to the forest floor with a dragon’s grace. As I landed I sent red hot arcana coursing through my veins, reinforcing my body and protecting me from harm. Crimson eyes darted from west to east as I scanned the tree line, searching… then the first of my companions came into view.

  Despite spending a fortnight on the road, Efray was looking as beautiful as ever. She’d dressed light with her soft, voluptuous features accentuated by the bright green traveler robes that hugged at her form. Slowly my gaze drifted from her bare feet to her full thighs, pausing at the plunging neckline before finally settling on her reddened cheeks and those alluring green eyes. I grinned… not only had she begun to fully come out of her shell, but by the looks of it, she’d begun to shed just a bit of her modesty as well.

  “How was your meditation, my mage?” The weaver asked, folding her hands behind her back as she paced towards me with that shy yet irresistible demeanor.

  “Insightful,” I replied, embracing her as she came within arm’s reach. Though it was a slow and sometimes grueling process, every meditation session I partook in brought me just a little bit closer to the dragon I could become.

  “Excellent,” she replied, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck and causing my dragoon’s blood to heat. “Now come… we found a place to set up camp for the night… aaand there’s food.”

  My crimson eyes flared. “Food? Oh, lead the way!”

  Efray took me by the hand, leading me through a thicket of trees as the caws of winged zilbeasts echoed above the trees. Her bare feet were all but silent against the grass as she guided me further into the maze of wood and leaf, only stopping when we reached a small clearing. There a small encampment had been set up, complete with a tent, bedrolls, and a tiny cooking fire. And seated at that fire… were none other than Danica and Erin
.

  My gaze first found its way to Dani, drawn in by her undeniable allure. She sat cross-legged atop an overturned log, her body wrapped in a tunic that left her tattooed midsection bare and the rest of her barely covered. Her pale skin seemed to shimmer in the firelight as she leaned back in her seat, absorbing the heat from the flames. She looked content, though when she saw me a devilish smile formed on her rosy lips.

  Next to the sultry augmenter sat the only other person from Earth to join me on this wild ride… Erin Reed, former co-worker, crush, and now swordstalker of Oracle. Unlike the other two, Erin was dressed in full traveler’s attire, her clothing dyed to match the browns and greens of the forest. A blade sat across her lap as her hands worked tirelessly to clean the cold steel, her eyes deadly focused on the task at hand. I couldn’t help but smile as my gaze drifted to the freckles painted across her cheeks, one of the first things that had drawn me to her back on Earth (well, that and those irresistible thighs). When she noticed my stare, she paused what she was doing to shoot me a wink. Then she nodded to the empty space next to her, motioning me over to take a seat.

  As I scooted up next to her, I could see the dirt in the crevices of her traveling attire, I could smell the sweat on her neck. It seemed she had been training just as I had, perhaps even a bit harder. Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was trying to catch me. She wasn’t quite lucky enough to be reborn into the body of an s-ranker, but dammit I was certain she’d pass me by eventually. Her work ethic was putting me to damn shame.

  “Ya know, you're pretty lucky,” Erin muttered as she rigorously wiped at a spot of what looked like blood from her blade.

  I looked around at the three lovely women surrounding me. “Ya, I know.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “No, I mean look.” She hoisted her blade in annoyance. “This thing is so high maintenance. Ya kill something, you gotta clean it. Drop it on the ground, gotta clean it. Deflect a fireball back at its user. Guess what? Everything’s covered in ash… and you gotta clean it.”

  “Yes, but t does come in quite handy,” Danica interjected as she rose from her seat. In her hands she held the carcass of freshly plucked Tarka, a bird that resembled a small earthen turkey. Its bright blue feathers lay scattered at her feet, and in its side… a single fatal sword wound.

  So, they’d been doing a bit of hunting as well.

  Leaning forward, Danica secured the bird over the open campfire, fashioning it to a retractable bbq spit that they’d brought along. Then her eyes flickered back to me.

  “Be a dear, Lance?”

  I smiled, then raised a hand and snapped my fingers. An instant later, I spark of red arcane energy rolled off my index finger and into the campfire, enhancing the flames to a much more desirable cooking temperature. My smile widened… Though combat was key, I was quickly learning that arcana had its practical uses as well.

  It wasn’t long before the Tarka developed a savory char and not much long after that its contents were dwelling in the pit of my stomach. Sated in both body and mind, I found a comfortable spot near the fire, leaning my back against one of the overturned logs. Efray nestled in beside me, draping her legs over my own as Danica and Erin made themselves comfortable on a large quilted blanket we’d taken along.

  It was nights like these that I’d grown to cherish most on Oracle… on the open road, lying under the stars, basking in the company of these women that I was growing to love more and more each day. Honestly, it wouldn’t bother me if things stayed this way forever. I mean, I knew that eventually we’d need to put an end to this pilgrimage and return to the village (and all the responsibilities that awaited). But if I could enjoy this just a bit longer…

  “So, where to next?” Erin asked as she laid her head on Danica’s lap.

  I quickly glanced over at Danica, searching for guidance.

  “Well,” the augmenter began. “Once we cross the West King’s Wall we’ll be in the Hyugen province. From there, we just need to follow the Titan’s Tear river until we reach the savage coast. Then just a bit north and we should find…”

  “The citadel,” I said, completing her sentence for her. The citadel of rage was once the crown jewel of the Draconis clan’s reign. That is, until it was nearly destroyed by the kel’sar and their damned followers. Now the structure sat mostly underwater, its secrets trapped within its crumbling walls. At this point, the remnants of the citadel had been mostly forgotten… but what better way to master the powers of a dragon than to delve into the ruins of our ancestral kingdom.

  “I can’t wait to see the ocean,” Efray confessed as her fingers absentmindedly toyed with my hair. “I’ve heard it’s far more vast than anything in the realm.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony. Here she was, excited to see a giant body of water when in a few days we’d bear witness to a castle once known as the citadel of rage. I guess that’s just the way things were growing up in a fantasy realm.

  “Soon enough,” Danica said. “Though perhaps we should get some rest. Once we cross the wall it’ll be another half day on the road before we reach another village… and I’d like to spend At least one night not sleeping on the ground.”

  “Same,” Erin muttered, nestling in a bit closer to Danica. Surprisingly, both Erin and Danica had developed a bond with one another despite their… eh, large personalities. Part of me knew it was due to Danica’s interest in her newly born swordstalker abilities. But the other part of me could see the genuine joy in their exchanges.

  “You think the village is doing ok?” I asked, staring into the star-filled sky and pondering what Ezrielle and the others were up to.

  Danica smiled. “I’m certain they’re fine. The village’s defenses are stronger than ever and Ezrielle can be a very… convincing leader.”

  “And besides,” Efray chimed in. “No one would dare cross someone in the village and risk your wrath upon your return.”

  Fair point.

  Content, I shot them a smile then laid back myself, basking in the glow of the stars. Tomorrow then, we’d fork over some coin for a bed to sleep in. But after that… onto the sword coast.

  ****

  It was harder than I had anticipated to peel my eyes open the next morning, fighting against the lingering fatigue as the first rays of the dual suns burst through the surrounding branches. I mean sure, alarm clocks were now a thing of the past for me (thank the dead gods). But the ache I had in my back from sleeping on the ground? Brutal.

  The other three were a bit quicker to rise and not much longer after that we were off, traveling back down the beaten path towards the West King’s Wall. The massive stone structure functioned more like a dam than a wall, funneling the flow of the Titan’s Tear River into the valleys of Hyugen province.

  Fortunately, the Hyugen province and the one that we were in, the Dashar Province were at peace, so there were no guards present or anyone to monitor our passing between lands. After all, I was still a bit leery about my draconic heritage, and seeing a quartet of mages sneaking around in the backwoods would likely be seen as suspicious. But gods did the view make it ever worth it.

  As we climbed the cobblestone steps to the top of the wall, my eyes went wide. I’d seen this sight once before when I was meditating, but that didn’t seem to make it any less spectacular. Below lay the lush green Hyugen valleys, its vast greenery dotted with thickets of violet and orange and blue. Splitting the valley was a wide river, its water as clear as crystal. And in the far distance I was certain I could see a glimpse of the savage coast, marked by the larger-than-life statues that reached for the horizon.

  More than just the lush scenery though were the zilbeasts coming into view. To the East a gargantuan herbivore zilbeast walked amongst the trees, it’s bloated body nearly scraping the clouds as its beak-like snout feasted on the tops of trees. And in the sky, an aerial beast with luminous feathers that shimmered in the sunlight. I eyed that particular beast for several seconds, catching its gaze as it swooped in close
r before catching a thermal and gliding off into the distance.

  “That thing won’t… eat us, will it?”

  Danica smirked. “Well, I’ve heard you’re quite tasty.”

  Efray’s cheeks immediately turned crimson. Ok, I stepped into that one.

  After soaking in the scenery, we began our descent into the Hyugen province. Unlike the wall’s opposite side, this portion of the massive ( and very steep) barrier didn’t have any steps. So naturally I reached for our rope. However, Danica had other plans.

  “Everyone, gather around me,” she said as she stepped onto the edge. “And hold on.” Seconds later, the augmenter began channeling arcane energy through her body and into her shoulders, her arms, her palms. I watched in amazement as that energy began to pour out of her back, taking the form of long, beautiful feathers the color of fire. Soon, the feathers began to take the shape of fiery wings, their wingspan large enough to challenge that of the zilbeasts. It was impressive, it was beautiful, it was… it was awesome!

  Spell: [Body augmentation- Crimson Wings]

  “Grab on,” Danica ordered, smirking as she took a step off the wall. I wrapped my arms around her waist and the other two quickly latched onto me, and seconds later we were plummeting, falling toward the valley as a huddled mass. No, not falling… gliding!

  “Air!” I yelled, a grin suddenly forming on my face.

  “What?!” Danica shouted back, barely able to hear me as the wind raced by our faces.

  “Air, it’s your other element! [Air] and [fire], the elements of the blind Phoenix bloodline!”

  Danica’s smirk widened. “So it is. Now hold tight.”

  As the ground approached, Danica’s wings began to beat furiously, leveling us out just several feet from the ground. Efray had since gone completely silent, her face paler than the undead and her nails digging into my flesh. Erin, on the other hand, was shouting with pure and utter jubilance. Oracle’s newest thrill seeker…