(Second Book Complete!) Runeblade: A Delving & Skill Merging LitRPG

Kaius drew A Father’s Gift. The hilt fit his hands perfectly, woven leather sticking to his palms like glue. He’d taken off his gauntlets and stored them, wanting to really feel his blade in hand.

Nearly five strides of ashen crystal flowed from A Father’s Gift’s guard, a length that would have been far too long for most — even discounting its unreasonable weight. Veins threaded the speckled blade, pulsing softly in time with his heartbeat, and it thinned to an edge so fine that even he had difficulty telling where safety ended and rending death began.

A sword forged and moulded to his use, and his use alone. There was a heft to it that went beyond weight: one of stolen history and bitter fury. It was a constant reminder of what had been lost — no, taken from him. Yet its presence was a balm in his hand — an unbreaking companion that had been with him since the very beginning.

Kaius dropped into a low ready stance.

His latest evolved skill, Dissolution Edge, lay ready and waiting. It was time to see what it had for him.

Reaching out to the shard of power that orbited his soul, he felt the skill pull deep on his mana. It felt almost questioning. Working off instinct, he pulled only the barest threads from his pool. He’d give the Skill space to flare and rage soon, but it was a hungry thing, and if he wanted to get the most out of his experimentation, it made more sense to start with the bare minimum energy it required.

Arcane power flooded through his channels, then his arms, and into his sword in almost the same instant he called upon the Skill.

A Father’s Gift burned. Dissolution Edge was liquid glass, shifting and pulsing with convection currents that engulfed his blade utterly. It warped the light, stretching beyond the edge of his blade, causing the brown leaf litter beneath him to waver through the half-seen haze. It was a flowing haze that roared like a river, and lapped like the obedient tongues of a well-tended flame. As eddy currents swirled, the almost-fluid fractured in an endless kaleidoscope of jagged fragments.It was an endlessly shifting web of shards that melted together and shattered apart in a constant dance — all the while a familiar azure light screamed from the cracks.

The description of the skill had been lacking. This was no flame, even if the liquid sheath undulated with a thousand cutting tongues. There was no heat, and he could feel none of the essence of transmutation and consumption that dominated the element so fully. There was only caustic purity, rending everything his new skill touched. The very air hissed, ripped apart at the seams by his Edge as he smelt the charged bite of ozone.

Kaius grinned, mesmerised by the constant churn of fragmenting shards. The Skill drank deep from his free mana, a constant stream that fueled the ongoing blaze. He’d have to cut it off before too long — most of his resource was still tied up in his Glyphs. Once he’d surrounded their temporary camp with layered Warhavens, he’d feel comfortable burning off a few of his spells, but until then he’d just have to make do with what he had.

Standing up straight, Kaius held his blade vertically, and brought his off hand close to his roiling Skill. The acrid tang of Arcane flooded his nose and mouth, and he could feel it prickling against the skin of his palm, but he was left unharmed, even from a fingerswidth away. Another difference from flame. Without in-built protections, a flame affinity skill of this intensity would have been boiling his flesh from this close, even with his Resistance.

He brought his palm a little closer. A lapping tongue of fractured glass caressed his skin; a wounding kiss that ripped through his flesh. Blood flowed from the small cut like he’d cracked an alchemist's pressure cooker.

Kaius blinked, yanking his hand back before he realised that it was simply the Zone Effect, rather than his Skill. Still, even that small brush had been interesting. His skin hadn’t split, nor had it boiled. Instead, Dissolution Edge had lived up to its name. That flowing and shattered tongue of glass had worn away at everything it had touched — even the spraying blood that touched the Skill had vanished.

His smile widened. That was good — a worthy successor to Mystic’s Rend. It seemed stronger than the old skill, even before ramping up his mana to the full extent it allowed. Though it lacked explosive potency, and the lingering bite of Arcane Blight, he felt comfortable it would be more than useful as a tool. If anything, it felt more generally applicable that his old Skill had been, which was a vital gain for how much he relied on it.

Without Dissolution Edge, his free mana was largely useless, so he could stomach the loss of an affliction for a more well rounded skill. Especially so when that affliction was mostly good for wearing away at an enemies defenses, something that it seemed like Dissolution Edge would handle just fine.

Though, he doubted it would be quite as effective as it had been against his unguarded skin. Summoning his gauntlet into his hand, the layered plate and scale clattered as he gripped it. While it wouldn’t be as tough as Porkchop’s armour, or even some of the sturdier beasts they had faced, it was still a second-tier artefact. The Self Repair enchantments would fix up any damage, so he didn’t mind damaging it for testing.

Kaius brought it close, brushing it against just the edge of his skill. A shallow groove wore its way into the plate that would have sat on the back of his palm, metal disappearing with a soft hiss. There were no fumes like he might have expected from acid or some other caustic skill — but he could still smell a faint metallic tang, so not everything was being consumed.

He dismissed the skill, cutting off the flow of his mana, before he inspected the damage to his armour with a contemplative frown. Soft light glinted off the metal of his gauntlet, highlighting the groove that had been torn through the plate. Admittedly, it was little more than a scratch — but at the same time, he’d barely brushed the gauntlet against his skill. If he hacked at someone properly, they’d be catching a lot more than the furthest edges. Plus, he had yet to see what it was like when he properly flooded the Skill with his mana.

That would have to wait. His quick inspection of his ability had drained all but the dregs of his free mana. No matter — he just had to set up their camp properly. Once he’d burnt a few spells and downed a tonic or two, he’d be able to test it out before the hour was out.

Sheathing his blade, Kaius realised that Porkchop was watching him. Sitting across their cleared camp ground, his gold-green eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Skill looks neat — definitely prettier than the last one.”

Kaius rolled his eyes. “Already done testing your own?”

“As much as I can without a fight — snapping at the air feels ridiculous," Porkchop grumbled. A moment later, he shifted, idly scratching at the gathered leaf litter in front of him. “Speaking of…”

Kaius cocked his brow. “You want to spar?”

Porkchop grinned. “I mean, it seems like the best way to test our Skills, and we’ll get to test out Ianmus’s new spells as well.”

Kaius laughed, unsurprised in the slightest by his brother’s one track mind. He couldn’t deny the prospect sent a thrill of heat through his own veins too.

“Give me a bit to lay down Warhaven and recover my mana — she’s a hungry one, and I haven’t had the chance to properly put the Skill through its paces.”

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Porkchop gave him a grunt of acceptance. Taking a seat in the grass, a cool damp soaked through his scalemail and underarmour. Now that he was less absorbed into his Skill, he got a good look at what the rest of his team were doing.

A golden disk of solar mana encircled the tip of Ianmus’s staff, knotted lines of sacred geometry cutting graceful curves through the air. The mages eyes were bright, his previous glumness utterly absent as he moved his staff around to inspect the keyseal from every angle.

Close by, Kenva was hopping up and down experimentally, dirt flying away from her feet with each explosive burst of movement. She must have been feeling out the enhancement the Skill granted her physical capabilities. Thin branches of oak and holly sat on her brow, woven into a tight, circular braid that crowned her in leaves that shone with potent nature mana. That wasn’t the only visible element of Dryadic Wreath — her skin had taken on the texture of bark. It was more of a faint coloured patterning than the true craggled pits he’d expect from a real dryad — but Kaius knew it was toughening her up all the same.

“How does it feel?” Kaius called to her, reaching for Warhaven.

Flecks of burning mana fell from Vyrthane, a waterfall of embers that flowed from his chest. Prompted by the spell, he flexed his Will, shaping the dome that would cover their camp. It snapped into existence, a faint shimmer of force that enclosed the entire area that Ianmus had cut free for them. It was quickly followed by four more, layered close to the edge of the original cast — every copy he had found the time to inscribe since their fight with the bladeraptor by the helix tree.

“Good!” Kenva replied, a wide smile on her face as she swung her arms back and forth experimentally. “Hard to say how much of a boost it is? Maybe half again as strong as Rangers Potency?”

Kaius raised an eyebrow. That was impressive, considering the old Skill had only affected her ability to draw. Dryadic Wreath impacted all of her movements — and made her tougher and resistant to a few affinities on top.

Kenva summoned her bow to hand, drawing an arrow in a flash. It shot deep into the soft soil in front of her, a deep twang resonating in Kaius’s chest.

“Yeah, about half as good again,” the ranger confirmed with a nod.

“My keyseal is definitely interesting,” Ianmus added, jumping it. He raised his staff up, appreciating the disc from beneath. Ambient mana swirled at its centre, siphoned inwards to fuel the spells he could cast. “With three solar ones, it’s interesting to see how the sacred geometry changes with their focus — they’re definitely much more similar than your glyphs, but I suppose keyseals are a lot more reliant on Will and intent.”

“How long until you can try out one of the spells?” Kaius asked. He knew the mage hadn’t. Even with how absorbed Kaius had gotten by Dissolution Edge, he would have noticed the flash of solar mana.

“It gathered enough for Dolmor’s Triage just before,” Ianmus replied.

“You haven't used it yet?” Porkchop asked.

Ianmus grinned at Porkchop and Kaius both. “I figured I’d save it for when the two of you hacked at each other."

Kaius tilted his head, frowning in puzzlement. They’d been speaking privately, how could he have known?

Even Porkchop paused, staring at their friends like he’d been caught sneaking the last bite of dinner from the pot.

“Really?” Kenva questioned, crossing her hands. “You can’t seriously be surprised we’d expect that.”

“We’re not that predictable!” Kaius protested.

Ianmus planted his staff, raising his brow. “Yes, you absolutely are.”

“Everyone spars! It’s normal!” he spluttered.

“Perhaps, though most try to avoid grievous wounds during a friendly spar.”

“Bah, so what. We have the healing skills — it keeps us sharp!”

“Yes,” Ianmus said, drawing out the word. “But the pair of you are no less predictable — and a good opportunity to test my new spells.”

Kaius groaned at the mage's smile. Summoning one of the mana restoration tonics he had in his ring, he slammed the tonic back — enjoying the bite of its potency.

“Well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. I need more mana.”

“Oh, I can wait plenty — there’s a lot for me to look at,” Ianmus replied, smiling smugly as he went back to inspecting his keyseal.

Kaius huffed, falling flat on his back to look up at the hair-like spinners that drifted in the breeze above him. As much as he wanted to be playing around with his Skill too, there was not much he could do about it.

Jostling his leg impatiently, he did his best to drown out the sound of Kenva laughing as she leapt back and forth across the inside of their Warhaven, and Ianmus murmuring to himself as he poured over his latest seal. At least the threads above him were interesting, floating like smoke on the wind.

The distinctive snap of oversized jaws snapped him out of it. Kaius rolled onto his side. Orichalchum fangs clanked again as Porkchop snapped at the air. In that same instant, the specter of a heavily armoured wolf’s head appeared, snapping shut right next to his brother’s mouth.

“Traitor,” Kaius muttered, ignoring Porkchop’s full throated chuckle as he rolled on to his back.

Twenty nail-biting minutes later, Kaius sprung to his feet. He hadn’t fully recovered, but four thousand mana would be enough for an exchange or two.

He drew his blade.

Porkchop shot to his feet, sinking into the earth as thick metallic slabs coated his body. A rumbling growl rolled across the open field between them.

“Finally!” Kenva said, skipping over to sit down next to Ianmus. The mage himself just gave them a wry smile, and tapped his staff against the ground.

Scintillating, golden light spilled from the sigil atop his staff. Braided cables of solar mana burst into existence between Kaius and Porkchop, an endless knot that wove itself into a ring that stretched twelve strides across. It spun slowly, each cable in the braid pulsing with a soft radiance.

“How long does it last?” Kaius asked, not taking his eyes off his brother’s for a second.

“An hour,” Ianmus replied. “Or until it expends its energy on healing.”

Kaius cocked his brow. Impressive — but they’d best put it through his paces.

Expedient Shunt detonated at his back, rocketing him forward and sending a plume of dirt and pulped leaves splattering behind him.

“Cheater!”

Kaius grinned, his sword flying high. Porkchop shot forward, claws ripping at the ground as he hauled himself to full speed in a single bound. His jaw snapped open — large enough to close around Kaius’s chest.

Touching down, Kaius dipped low. A crack rang loud in his ears as Porkchop’s maw snapped shut just next to his shoulder. He lunged to the side, rolling under his brother’s neck. Reaching deep, he threw every scrap of mana he had into Dissolution Edge. An endlessly fracturing torrent of liquid crystal exploded from his blade, stretching a handspan from every edge.

Throwing his weight onto his lead foot, he cleaved down — right at Porkchop’s pauldron. The second he moved, the flat of Porkchop’s claws slammed into his ribs. Bone splintered, hot agony flooding Kaius’s chest as his brother hurled him to the side. Another snapping bit; Kaius threw himself low. Of the four seconds he could use his skill, one and a half were gone.

The apparition of an armoured bear snapped at his knee, he spun to the left — then ducked low when Porkchop’s fangs raced for his leading arm. Another ephemeral beastknightlunged for him, another half a second was wasted.

Gods’ damned was it an oppressive flurry.

He kicked back, baiting another snapping bite. Porkchop lunged low, a wave of dirt showering Kaius as his brother’s sheer wait kicked up a spray. Metallic teeth snapped closed a hair’s breadth from his knee, so he stepped up and kicked off Porkchop’s snout — only for ephemeral fangs to sink into his hip.

Gasping at the shock of pain, Kaius hacked.

The roiling power of his blow cleaved hard into Porkchop’s shoulder, burning its way through thick heavy plate. His blade connected, but still he drove deeper — testing Dissolution against the Beastknight’s Hide. Flowing arcane power churned, an endless current of fractured shards and gleaming saphire light.

Growling, Porkchop whipped towards Kaius and sunk his fangs back into Kaius’s hip, each a dagger that punched through bone and ripped into his belly. Kaius broke through, cleaving flesh like softened lard. Blood fountained, misting everything red.

Then his brother tossed him away with all the grace of a sack of potatoes.

“Ow!”

Kaius tumbled through the air, laughing his ass off — idly aware of his shattered bones and puncture wounds sealing far faster than normal. Kicking out, his foot caught the ground, dragging a furrow as he slid back.

“I like this Skill!” he said, beaming.

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