Ahead was the vilge, ed in a b of wooden walls, which were soon to be invaded by a horde of skeletons, rattling as they moved.

  The group bolted forward towards the mass of skeletons, which rattled like a thuorm in the early evening. The vilgers had takeions, as they always had, but due to how quickly the skeletons had arrived, they hadn’t mao plete their preparations.

  Adam skidded to a halt, throwing out his hand, and as he did, he willed his ring into the shape of an axe.

  Mana: 18 -> 15Spell: Fireball8D6 = 26 (1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 5, 6)

  The Half Elf could feel his Mana flow through his veins, rushing from his heart towards his fiips, g against the etal in hand, before he willed the words of magic through his voice.

  Adam threw up his free hand towards the sky, beginning to form the magic of the Third Gate. “I will clear a path!”

  In the darkened sky there was a star which seemed to be falling. It was no star, however, just a small bead of light, which fell towards the writhing mass of Undead. The bead disappeared in front of a skeleton, and before one could even blink, a raging explosion of fire engulfed the skeletons, the roar of magic eg against the cttering of bones. At least two dozeons had been bloart by the great magic.

  The rest of his panions sallied forth, with Kitool, Lucy, and Jurot leading the pack sihey were swift of foot. Adam followed the rest of them through, though he remained many steps behind due to the fact he o cast his spells.

  Mana: 15 -> 12Spell: Fireball8D6 = 21 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 5)

  Mana: 12 -> 9Spell: Fireball8D6 = 21 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 5)

  ‘I fot how ridiculous Adam was,’ Duhought, shield and bde in hand.

  Vonda felt the same. The two Priests had thought they uood how to use magic, as both Priests and Wizards held the same level of power, though their use of magic was very different.

  Adam revealed himself to be slightly greater than an Expert with his ability to use Fireball thrice, but the pair couldn’t help but feel Adam could keep casting the spell, which was nearly impossible, unless he had gaihe ability to cast Fate spells.

  ‘No,’ Duhought. ‘There’s no way he’s that ridiculous.’

  ‘Is there a o think about this?’ Vonda thought. ‘No. Adam is Adam.’

  The three Fireballs had dealt with the vast majority of the skeletons which had swarmed the gate, and the vilgers stared at the pile of burnt boaken aback for a moment, before they tio fend off the remains of the Undead.

  The rest of the group had mao make short work of the Undead, which were dwindling after Adam’s spells.

  Fireball erhaps the greatest of all Third Gate spells, save for Revivify, which allowed o another back from death if they had only retly fallen. The skeletons had no ce against such a mighty ability, even if they had mao resist against the spell.

  “Adam,” Jurot called.

  “Sorry,” Adam replied, feeling a little awkward that he had taken the fun away from everyone.

  “You did well.” Jurot pat his brother’s shoulder. “You have brought great honour to your name!” Jurot hadn’t fotten Adam was ridiculous, for he had known Adam the lo, and he knew Adam’s true tale.

  “Sometimes I fet how stupid you are,” Lucy said.

  “What?”

  “I meant your entire existence,” Lucy crified. She, like the others, knew just how ridiculous it was that Adam could not only mat Expert in spellcasting, but also an Expert with the axe. “You cheater!”

  Adam’s lips twitched into a smug smile towards Lucy, all the while the vilgers quickly swarmed towards them.

  Victory!SkeletonsXP Gained: +150XP: 7775 -> 7925

  Adam had spent as much XP as he could oing the ons for the Ban family, so he was teically down a few hundred, but the victainst the skeletons had shored the deficy.

  “Amazing!” the vilgers called, quickly approag the Iyrmen and Priests, shaking their forearms and thanking them eagerly.

  “I was w who had summoned so many Fireballs from the heavens,” called a familiar voice.

  Adam’s head sowards the Iyrman. He was tall and broad, with long bck hair which fell to his shoulders. He was in his te thirties or so, and carried a greatsword which was almost as big as he. The on’s grip was about as long as Adam’s wrist to his elbow, and the entire bde was as wide as the crossbar. The entire hilt was ed in bandaged, which hid how the grip met the crossbar.

  “It’s been a while,” Adam said, shaking Argon’s forearm. “I should have expected you would have been here.”

  “I made a promise,” Argon said, nodding his head.

  Behind Argon was an Iyrman with ginger hair and freckles. She was adorned in pte mail, rather than the furs of the Iyrmen, and carried with her a shield and bde.

  “Tazwyn,” Adam greeted the woman, and theed Eshva, who carried a pair of warhammers, and Kandal, who carried a rge greataxe. “Looks like the gang's all together.”

  “My brother remains at home, however,” Argon said. “It was lory this time.”

  “Oh yeah?” Adam replied. “Why so?”

  “Our cousily…” Argon stopped when he felt Tazwyn jab at his side, recalling that he couldn’t just let out such secrets.

  “Did she die?”

  Argon furrowed his brows. “No.” He wondered how Adam… ht.

  “Are we talking about that cousin who used that sword?” Adam asked, raising his brows.

  “Yes.”

  “So she did well?”

  “Yes.”

  Adam smiled. “Nice.”

  The vilgers weren’t sure what Adam and Argoalking about. Adam had ented a on for Dargon’s cousin, which she had used wherever the Iyrme during the Twilight Month. The vilgers were surprised to see him speaking so casually to the Iyrman, but they quickly realised who Adam was, as he had moved through the vilge in his puthral pte mail a few times st year.

  The Chief, Merl, pushed her way through the vilgers, panting. She, like some of the other vilgers, wore thick furs ahers of the beasts they had sin during the Twilight Month.

  “It’s ood fortuo have so many assist us,” she said, before looking up at the group. She was taken back to see Lud Jaygak, but quickly calmed when she realised they were both Iyrmen, only thten again wheed the ck of tattoos on Lucy’s forehead. “Oh! So many familiar faces!” Her eyes snapped betweeire group.

  “Hello, Chief,” Adam called.

  “Aren’t you the young man who promised to help during the Twilight Month?” Merl asked, reag for his forearm.

  “Yes,” Adam replied. “Did the Iyrmen send anyone?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “At least they remembered.”

  “Well, I spoke with them and they sent someone in my stead due to some matters,” Adam replied, awkwardly. “At least I came on time this time.”

  Merl smiled up at the Half Elf. She was no older than fifty, and barely reached Adam’s chest with the top of her head. “You do appear when we need you most.”

  Adam smiled, nodding his head. “I’ve alsht Nobby here.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to marry my Merl?”

  “I’m afraid that I am allergic to pretty women,” Adam replied, chug. “I do thank you for the offer.”

  “Are you an Expert then, boy?” Merl asked, reag up to an arm around Nobby’s elbow.

  “No,” Nobby replied.

  “I ’t wait too long! I want at least five, no, six grandchildren.”

  “Okay,” Nobby replied.

  Merl, the other Merl, who was the Chief’s daughter, narrowed her eyes and sighed, watg as her grandmother took away the big, strong, strapping d.

  “We did not expect the Uo rise so quickly,” Argon admitted as the group trekked towards the tre of the vilge. “We had dug the ditch further, but we did not have time to make the stakes.”

  “Don’t akes when you’ve got Fireballs,” Adam said, tapping his forehead as though he had something intelligent.

  “You have already cast three,” Argon said. “ you cast more?”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “About three more.”

  Argon furrowed his brows. There was something off about what Adam had said. ‘Six Fireballs?’ He looked to Tazwyn, whose face was also torted into utter fusion.

  ‘Six Fireballs?’ she thought. “You cast six in each day?”

  “I could probably cast seven if I nap,” Adam replied.

  Tazwyn knew a little of how magic worked, and she was fairly certain that it was impossible to cast only six Fireballs a day without a rest. Five? Yes. Seven? Yes. Six? She was certain that was impossible. “Are you a Master?”

  “No,” Adam replied. “I’m an Expert.”

  “How close are you to the height of a Master?”

  “Not very,” Adam admitted, far too easily, to the Iyrmen. “I’m pretty mu Expert. Same as three months ago.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  Tazwyn was even more fused at his response. ‘What?’ However, she caught the look of the other members of Adam’s party, all of which told her to not think too deeply about it.

  Adam was Adam.

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