Chương 204

Although Orion was never the type of child to seek constant excitement, he didn't handle idleness and silence well either. There were countless things he would rather do than lie on a cot and stare at a white marble ceiling, no matter how artistically beautiful. Even pulling up his latest system messages no longer brought him comfort, though at least it changed the scenery a bit. +2 Attunement +2 Mind +1 Body +258, 200 Exp Level up! Level up! ORION A.

VOIDWALKER Class: [Causal Epistemologist] [B-rank] Level: 60 Mind: 290 Attunement: 283 Body: 41 Traits: Mana Manipulation [B-rank]; Hypotheticism [B-rank]; Falsifiability Criterion [B-rank] Considering the events that led to him being there, he felt justified in wanting to get back into the swing of things.

Developing more spells aimed at facing the new threat, preparing for his next adventures, or even just spending some time in the library, studying the tomes on the second floor if he could get his mother to give him permission, all seemed like more efficient ways to spend his time. Yet when he tried to sit up, a wave of vertigo knocked him back into the pillows. His body felt heavy, throbbing with a persistent ache that reminded him of a bad sunburn, only on the inside.

Though it had been a few days since he escaped the sewers, it was the first time his mind felt clear enough to realize how badly he'd been.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a sharp voice said from the foot of the bed. Orion blinked, bringing the room into focus. Standing there was a woman he recognized by reputation, if not personal acquaintance. She was tall and stern, wearing the white and silver robes of the Healing Hall, with a silver medallion resting against her chest. Magistra Kintara was the Head of the Infirmary and Elder Varali's right hand, the Veil Priestess of the Healing Arts.

If there was one thing everyone quickly learned within the Sanctum, it was that to specialize in healing magic, you had to be highly skilled in all other types of light magic and should never be underestimated, so she was treated with respect even by the most reckless.

"Your spirit is as brittle as spun sugar," Kintara said, consulting a floating clipboard.

"You cast a Tier Three spell, far exceeding your natural limit, and maintained a Tier Two spell for twenty minutes without being able to draw mana from your surroundings. Honestly, kid, it's a miracle you didn't fry your nervous system."

"It was necessary," Orion rasped, though he took note of what she'd just said. As far as he knew, all the spells he'd used were tier two, so why had she said tier three? I doubt she made a mistake in her diagnosis. I've been here for a couple of days, so she had plenty of time to run any tests she needed. Which meant he had actually managed to cast something that should have been beyond him. There is only one possible explanation for that. [Gamma Ray] was never just a tier two spell.

That was only as much of it as I could fit into an equation while tier one, and now that I've stabilized as a tier two, I can unleash more of its pure power.

"It was reckless," Kintara corrected, though her tone was clinical rather than angry.

"But I guess you made it, so that's something. By the way, you've been out of it for two days. The toxicity in your blood has been cleared, but you're grounded from casting anything above a cantrip for the next week. Don't talk back unless you want to deal with someone much worse than me." She tapped the clipboard, making it disappear somewhere else, then stepped aside, revealing another person behind her.

Sitting in the chair at the foot of his bed was Asteria, looking exhausted but immaculate in her enchanted robes.

"Mom," he said, relaxing slightly.

"Don't 'Mom' me," Asteria sighed, though she reached out to brush the hair from his forehead.

"Alcmene told me everything." Orion thought about trying to justify himself, but decided that if she knew everything, there was no point.

"Is Pauline alright?" he asked instead. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I'm here," a voice came from the next bed over. Orion turned to the side, wincing slightly at how stiff his neck was, and saw Pauline propped up on pillows, looking pale but still alive. The side of her neck and her chest were bandaged, but she gave him a small, tired smile.

"Elara says I'll have a nasty scar," she said.

"But I get to keep the arm. And my lungs, since the poison nearly reached them."

"That's good," he sighed. He remembered Elara successfully draining it out, but given how chaotic that scene had been, it was comforting to know she had been checked over by a master of the healing arts. Turning to his mother, he decided that knowing more was worth risking her annoyance at his refusal to rest.

"What happened with the Nethergards?" Asteria's expression hardened.

"Norman is in the deep cells, singing like a bird and trying to trade names of others who worked with the enemy for his life, but it won't help him, considering what you found. Alcmene has already declared House Nethergard compromised."

"And Magistra Nethergard?"

"Under house arrest in her quarters," Asteria said grimly.

"She claims ignorance, and so far, the evidence backs her, as we know for a fact that Norman used her seal without her knowledge. But her reputation is ruined. The Inspectors are dismantling every family asset looking for more clues, and they are an inch away from total eradication." Orion nodded slowly. He'd expected the Sanctum to act quickly and take few prisoners, given the level of betrayal involved.

In fact, he would be very surprised if more noble houses didn't fall in the coming days and weeks as their ties were examined. Some might even be innocent or at least unaware of exactly who they were dealing with, but one thing was certain: it would all come to light.

"Rest now," Asteria said, standing up.

"You've gotten into enough trouble for this week." Closing his eyes, Orion let the sleep claim him again. A week later, he was back in class. The atmosphere in the Sanctum had changed. The halls were quieter, and the students seemed more subdued. Enforcers patrolled the corridors in pairs, and the usual gossip about romance and duels was replaced by whispers of the numerous raids on Silverpeak's corrupt nobility.

Of course, only a small fraction of Houses had dealings with the Iron State, probably closer to one in a hundred than one in ten. The fact that it occurred so near to them, however, made the whole matter seem scandalous, which made it easy for rumors to spread freely and rapidly. Orion sat with his notebook open, flanked by Dorian and Luna, while Selene sat directly behind him. At the front of the room, Eire stood before a chalkboard covered with diagrams.

"Animation is the art of giving false life to dead matter. But the methods vary widely across cultures. We have already discussed the primary methods used within the Lunar Sanctum, but I thought it might be helpful for you to understand what our allies and neighbors employ." Unsaid went that this was done so they could more easily identify whether they were dealing with a friend or a foe, especially given what had been uncovered beneath the refugee camp. She tapped a drawing of a squat, blocky figure.

"The Dwarves, to our west, build their constructs first. They forge metals and ores into a specific chassis, and only when the whole thing is complete do they breathe life into it with enchantments. The process is similar to forging enchanted armor, but with the goal of binding the entire creation into a single spirit." She moved to a drawing of a slender, hooded figure.

"The Ironwood Sentinels, conversely, grow their guardians. They sing to the trees, shaping the wood while it lives. Their constructs maintain a connection to the natural world, allowing for regeneration and adaptation, and the enchantment happens alongside the initial growth." Orion stared at the two diagrams, which showed very different approaches to a similar concept, and looked to the side of the room where one of Eire's knight golems was guarding the door.

Although the dwarven method was closest to what he had encountered in the sewers, there were some key differences. For instance, the Iron State used industrial techniques to craft their golems and infused them with Silence to protect against magic, rather than relying solely on enchantments, while a basic mind was embedded within the chassis. Unfortunately, he hadn't found the time back then to stop and study them.

He was sure he could have learned a lot, and it made him wonder if he could swing by his mother's lab and spend some time examining one of the samples they recovered for alchemical testing. As things stood, the Iron State had taken a hit, and their operations within the Sanctum's lands would, at the very least, slow down significantly, but he sincerely doubted they had fully eradicated them, given the strength of their top agents.

No, it was more likely that they'd lie low and rebuild for a while, concentrating their efforts on the other factions that had yet to respond effectively. But that didn't mean they wouldn't threaten them again, and if what he'd experienced was any clue, the Sanctum as a whole was not prepared to face their full strength.

"Hey," Dorian said, shaking his shoulder, and looking around, Orion realized the lesson was already over.

"You've been quiet all day. You okay?" He blinked, taking in his friends' worried expressions, and shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"But I've been thinking that we got really lucky at that factory." He was now level sixty, which was quite an achievement, considering that just a couple of months ago, he was struggling to reach tier two. But against the Centurion, that had been nowhere near enough, and [Gamma Ray] wouldn't always be enough to save him, especially if his theory about its true nature was correct.

"I need to get stronger," he decided.

"I need battle experience and to refine my spells more." Looking each of them in the eye, he already knew what their answer would be, but he still felt compelled to explain himself.

"I'm going to start taking commissions from the Bulletin Board for real hunts. I'll fight powerful monsters and threats beyond what any student should face, but I need it to push my limits in a controlled environment before the Iron State comes back." He paused, then inclined his head.

"I'd like you to come with me." Dorian grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"I thought you'd never ask. I was getting tired of fighting training dummies while you went out on adventures."

"I'm in," Luna said immediately. Selene just nodded, but he hadn't expected anything else. She'd already been doing that kind of thing on her own. This only meant that the level of threat she could handle had increased.

"Then let's go get our first quest," Orion said. They went down to the first floor of the Sanctum, where the large Quest Bulletin Board took up most of the hall before the gardens. It was crowded with older students looking for tasks to earn money and older witches chasing glory. Since Elder Alcmene had been so busy, there were more quests than usual because her people couldn't complete their normal duties, but in this case, it was a blessing.

Orion skipped the "Gathering" section and went directly to the "Elimination" requests, scanning the parchments for anything suitable for their first time. Giant rats in the sewers? Too cheesy, and I'm not keen on going back there. Rogue fire elemental? Too risky for a first run with the whole team. Finally, his eyes settled on a notice near the bottom, stamped with Alcmene's seal.

[Bounty: Yeti Splinter Herd] [Threat Level: C-Rank] [Location: Lower Horned Peak of the Silvermount] [Description: A group of juvenile Yeti has separated from the main herd and is harassing supply caravans. They are aggressive, tough, and resistant to tier one magic.]"This is the one," he said, ripping the parchment off the board.

"Pack your gear. We'll leave tomorrow morning." It wasn't going to save the world or defeat the enemy, but it was a start.