Return of the Runebound Professor

Chapter 888: Mixing

Noah couldn’t keep from bursting into laughter.

Out of all the people that Mordred could have stumbled upon first, somehow, Bird made the most sense. There were all sorts of powerful mages throughout the world. He couldn’t even begin to imagine just how dangerous some of the people in Obsidia were. With all the time and knowledge they had outside Arbalest, it would have been tough for there not to be incredible mages everywhere.

But it seemed that Bird was still the only one that went flinging all her clothes off the moment a fight started.

“Bird?” Fist asked, looking from Noah to Brayden in wide-eyed disbelief. “So you do know her? Seriously?”

“Yes,” Noah said. “She’s an old friend. I’m glad to hear she’s made it this far. What did Mordred have to say about her? Did her fight go well?”

Fist stared silently at them for a few moments, presumably communicating with Mordred. Then she let out a huff that fell somewhere just between amusement and and shock. “Ridiculous. Yes, she did well. It seems she’s quite talented. Mordred was very interested in the technique she used. He’s never seen anything like it.”

“Is that so?” Noah asked. He was pleased to hear that Bird had made it safely — but that didn’t mean he wanted to go pouring out all their information for Mordred. There really wasn’t a reason to reveal too much about Bird or her incredibly, incredibly odd pattern. Especially if it meant explaining anything. Noah felt at least a small degree of responsibility for Bird’s currently chosen path. That was something he much preferred to leave behind in Arbalest. He did not want to start rebuilding Vermil’s reputation in Obsidia.

“Yes,” Fist said. “He’s very curious. How do you know her? And what technique is it that she uses?”

Noah shook his head. “That’s something he’s welcome to ask us directly when his end of the bargain has been upheld. I won’t confirm that we’ll answer anything, but he can ask if that’s what he wants to spend his questions on. I’m not going to go around spilling information on my friends’ abilities for no reason.”

“That’s… fair,” Fist said. She shrugged a shoulder, though Noah wasn’t quite sure if that response came from her or Mordred.

“Who else?” Lee asked. “Are there any other strong ones that really stood out? You didn’t even choose anyone that strong.”

Fist sent Lee a sharp look. “What’s that mean? Not strong? You feel that Bird is weak? Her performance was more than significant for her tier. Mordred made it clear she was a strong contender for a Rank 5. One that could stand her own against some Rank 6s under the right circumstances. Is that substandard to you?”

Damn it. Too much information, Lee. And maybe Bird got a lot stronger or something since we last met.

Lee didn’t bother gracing First’s question with a reply. She just grabbed some more food from the tray she’d ordered and shoveled it into her mouth. Fist watched her through narrowed eyes for a second. Then she inclined her head.

“There were a few others that really stood out,” Fist said. “A fire mage. A very strong one.”

“Male?” Noah asked, trying to keep his voice measured.

Is it Todd? He’s not a Fire Mage, but there’s a chance—

“Female,” Fist said. “Blonde hair. A little bit psychopathic. She joined a large group and then detonated a massive explosion right inside it, taking out dozens of competitors at once. There’s a good chance she killed a number of them instantly. She’s Rank 6, and not on the low end of it.”

Right. Unless Todd has had made very significant life changes, that isn’t him.

“I see,” Noah said. “Anything else on her?”

“She had a good fight with an Ice Mage. Neither of them defeated each other. Both just went on to the next round of the tournament when they failed to land a finishing blow and enough of the other combatants in their arena went down.”

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Noah nodded absently. The Ice user wasn’t Emily. There was no way she’d gotten all the way to Rank 6 yet, and even if she had, she wasn’t the type to enter an all out fight against someone so powerful in the first round. She was too smart for that. Her style would have been to pick people off on the sidelines while trying to stay out of the center of the fight as much as possible.

“Okay. What else?”

Anyone with red hair, perhaps?

“Many. Literally hundreds, and those are just the ones that showed off enough of their powers now that they immediately caught his eye. Doesn’t include anyone hiding their strength, which is going to be the majority of the really strong competitors.” Fist pursed her lips and fell silent for several seconds. “He thinks you might be particularly interested in a man that went in one of the later rounds. He’s got lizard scales. Either went way too far with Body Imbuements or has some seriously fucked up Runes that are warping his body. Apparently looks like something between a lizard and a man.”

Doesn’t sound like anyone I know. But how arrogant can I be, thinking I’m going to know literally every single relevant person in such a massive competition?

“What of this man?” Brayden asked.

“His magic is strange,” Fist said. She snagged a croissant off Lee’s plate. “Mordred barely even felt him fighting. He just stood still in a corner of the arena for most of the fight. But anyone that tried to go after him or even got too close just started… melting.”

“Melting?” Noah asked. “Like from heat?”

“No. Like their bodies were just giving up and rotting away. It was apparently quite sickly to watch,” Fist replied. “Mordred doesn’t get grossed out easily. Trust me. He’s shown me far more than what I want to see of his research. If he says something is strange or disgusting, then it is. It’s likely this man has some manner of sickness rune.”

That sounds fucking nasty.

“Any idea how it works or how strong he is?” Noah asked.

Fist shook her head. “None. It’s possible he was just targeting weaker mages. His power was apparently very hard to track. He’s probably very skilled at Soul Shaping.”

Lovely.

“Good to know,” Noah said. “So we should all be wary of the lizard man. His magic probably wouldn’t be effective if it can’t overwhelm our domains… but if he’s had a lot of success already, then his own domain is likely pretty powerful.”

“That’s Mordred’s guess as well,” Fist said. “But this is why he doesn’t want to go into too much detail too early. It’s easy to get caught up on someone that may or may not actually be worth the time.”

“I can see where he’s coming from,” Noah allowed. “But I’d still like to hear more about anything he’s seen. It’s not like there’s anything that important to do right now. We’re just waiting for—”

A sudden flash of shimmering red light cut through the air. Everyone spun toward the window to watch a glowing orb of energy explode far above the arena, illuminating a huge image of Baun’s mustached face. The crowds had completely drained out of the stands during their conversation.

“My good combatants!” Baun smiled down on them. Noah repressed a grimace. The quality of the magic making his face up was a bit too good. He could make out the individual hairs in the man’s massive mustache. “Thank you for your patience and congratulations! The first stage of the tournament is complete!”

Lee glanced back at her plate, now empty and devoid of the food she’d ordered just a short while ago. She slowly reached out and tugged on the rope beside the table again.

“The next round of the tournament will commence tomorrow. Information about it and the terms will be announced in the morning,” Baun continued. His massive face turned in a circle so he could cast his gaze down on everyone sitting around in wait. “But the day is only partially over. There are still good hours left… and I think we all know what you’re really here for. Nobody wants to sit alone in their room and twiddle their thumbs waiting to get to the next fun bit. After all, all the spectators are out partying and enjoying Aqua Terra! Isn’t it right that you get to do the same?”

“No,” Brayden said, even though Baun couldn’t hear him. “Not really. That sounds horrible.”

“At Aqua Terra, we believe that every mage fights at their best when they’re feeling their best,” Baun said. His grin widened. “Which is why we’ll be inviting every single one of you who have made it thus far to a masquerade! Isn’t that exciting?”

“Oh, gods,” Fist said. “That sounds rancid.”

“Now, I’m sure many of you are concerned about your identities and protecting your interests. As such, masks will not be optional and all usage of magic is strictly banned,” Baun continued. “The masks will be imbued to disguise your voice so that you are unrecognizable to all but the benefactors in the audience. There would be little point to a masquerade if you couldn’t talk it up, after all. The Faction Heads themselves will be in attendance, as will a number of other very powerful mages that I would love the chance to rub whiskers with. So get yourselves ready! This will be your first chance to interact with some of your potential future employers and trainers. Make sure you put on a good show!”

“I’ll pass,” Brayden said. “That sounds—”

“Everyone will be teleported out of their room and into the masquerade hall in one hour. Make sure to clean up and get ready before then. And one more thing.” Baun winked. Then his face vanished, leaving his final words behind to echo through the air. “Attendance is mandatory.”