Mage And Wolf
Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Chapter 149

"Karl, would you mind enchanting a creation spell into the kitchen of the cathedral? I am getting that breakthrough feeling again, and we should likely start getting ready to find our way home. We’ve been here a while now." I ask with a wiggle, crawling out of his lap the following day.

"Yeah, that’s not a problem. The same as the ones in the outposts?" Karl asks, starting to draw up the enchantment circles.

"Add in a few more essential ingredients and spices. They’ll need to entertain guests eventually and feed the orphanage without supplies. I’ll teach the Priestesses how to use it this afternoon if you have time to get it done today."

"I don’t see why not. It only takes about ten minutes an ingredient to draw up the circles, I should be able to get a workable spell done by dinner time, and you can create everything you need tonight as a test."

"Perfect, and once we breakthrough tonight, let’s go pick on those giants. They should be a good test of abilities once we break through again." I laugh.

"You’ve got a height complex, don’t you? Beating up giants just because they’re bigger than you."

"What’s the plan for the Priestesses today?" I change the subject as everyone else starts filing into the kitchen for breakfast.

"Michele is on herb gathering duty with the other two acolytes, and I’m teaching basic reading to the orphans all morning." One of the Green Robed Priestesses smiles. "They’re all good kids, it’s a shame we couldn’t get to them earlier."

"Yeah, what’s the deal with that?" Karl asks. "I know the orphanage was in a bad area, but locked up with no visitors or teachers?"

The Matron steps up to answer his question "You see, most of our orphans parents were killed for unpaid debts to the local gangs, or executed for crimes. If they’re recognized in the city, the gangs will stop at nothing to get them as payment to work off the debt. Even the guard doesn’t care, if they can give a good name and description, we had to hand them over on whatever charge they’d made up."

Karl nods, understanding well about how gangs and corrupt officials work hand in hand. Honestly, it was a lot like how the mages worked with government before they were open about their existence, though for a slightly less nefarious purpose.

"But when they turned fourteen the guards would force us to turn them out anyhow, so we would sneak them out of the city and tell them never to return."

"You did as good of a job as anyone could expect. The High Priestess tells me she’s been in contact with your connections, and they’ll bring any new orphans they collect to the clearing outside the barrier. You can see it from the window of your room, so you’ll be able to go get them right away without worry of letting others know the exact location of the cathedral." I assure the Red scaled Dragonkin.

They pass the day improving the area. I improve the hot springs bath with a proper stone wall, hand stacked without mortar, but my strength lets me split fallen rocks into blocks quite well. Karl works on the kitchen improvements all day, even going as far as to make them all new pots and dishes.

The acolytes return with alchemy herbs just before dinner time and everyone settles in for the night.

"We’ve got enough now that I’ll be able to make pills reliably for the surrounding Sects. High Priest Karl added the basic alchemy herbs to the kitchen spell." High Priestess Mica bows her head in thanks. "The Cathedral is pretty much finished, at least for our needs."

"Perfect." Karl smiles "Because I’m ready for a breakthrough again, and we will need to move along and start looking for a portal back to our home after that. We’ve got a city waiting on us after all."

I practically drag Karl to the basement room after cautioning Mica not to let anyone interrupt us. My energy is becoming unstable with the delay, and he doesn’t want to miss out on anything either. If this one is done just right, I should be able to make Core Formation and a huge jump in my power level.

As soon as we got comfortably into position for the cultivation session, the breakthrough started, waves of power crashing into us as we both began to advance.

I fumbled in my storage bags to get the necessary pills to compound the breakthrough out, while Karl was looking for something else in his bags. The Mittens.

"I learned my lesson once, little Lycan. These are an important safety device." Karl laughs when I balk at the accessory.

"One time, just one time and you won’t let me live it down." I laugh, but let him secure my hands anyhow. There’s just something about being held tight by him that makes it hard for me to resist anything he wants. My body might be choosing him as my mate without my brain’s consent.

The first breakthrough is reaching its maximum rate of advancement, and both of us take the pair of cursed pills, hoping to make three levels out of this session.

If we can, that will bring me into Core Formation Realm, and Karl to Condensation 14. An important milestone for my cultivation, and a huge increase in energy potential.

The energy flowing between us soars as the second breakthrough begins to complete, and the cultivation session peaks at the same time, prolonging the effects and bringing us both into a third breakthrough.

Karl brings out the cursed Urn, knowing it’s not the best thing to have around for the others in the cathedral, but that the extra energy might be necessary today.

It hasn’t been used in a while, so the Death Energy in it has started to build up, giving both of us an abundance of energy and smoothing out the third advancement.

My vision begins to go hazy as something inside my body distinctly changes. I can feel the soft energy gland in my middle solidifying and condensing the energy around it. The actual Core, of the Core Formation stage has begun to take shape. Over the next 20 or so advancements it will be further condensed and enlarged until it reaches critical volume and forces a fundamental change upon the body that leads to Immortality.

But the core isn’t the only thing that is changing. I can feel an energy inside me, other than my own and Karl’s, taking shape.

Inside my mind the vision of black and white Serpent like dragons, the same as the ones in the Cathedral Totem is becoming clear, and an energy pathway is being formed. A new skill, a gift from the Dragon Gods for returning their cathedral and serving them faithfully.

Now that it’s formed, the purpose of the pathways becomes clear. The ethereal Dragons that appeared around the royal robes, thanks to the necklace I now always wear can be made whole. Solid magical Dragons that can both attack and defend, being sent out quite a distance to launch attacks.

I wake up groggy, still held tightly in Karl’s arms it seems. But feeling restrained in a way I don’t remember. "Karl, what’s doing on?" I try to mumble, finding my words blocked by a rubbery object in my mouth.

"Ah, you’re awake, sorry about that. You kept trying to bite." Karl teases and pinches my bottom.

"Did you seriously gag me?" I ask, a bit offended.

"You were biting. Plus it looks kind of sexy. I’m not going to apologize." He chuckles.

Well, if he thinks that. No wait, bad hormones. No letting Karl tie us up and do naughty things. Well, maybe a little, but no gag. Speaking of which "Karl, I still can’t move properly, want to let me go?"

"Given the option? No, I would prefer to keep you here just like this for a while." I can’t actually see what he’s done, my head is leaned over his shoulder and I don’t have the range of movement while held in his arms, but I can feel that he’s enjoying it.

A bit more cultivation time never hurt anyone, right?

The Priestesses welcome us back the next morning, having spent an entire day and two nights confined to the basement for cultivation. They’ve got things well in hand it seems. Breakfast is ready, the food is acceptable, the cathedral is all prepared for long term usage. It’s time to go hunting Giants and then find a way home.

"Well, well. The Young Miss finally decided to make an appearance." A very familiar voice says from a side alchemy room. "You know I was waiting to congratulate you on making Core Formation for an entire day while you tested the limits of the human body, right?"

"Elder Song! It’s so good to see you. Don’t worry; I can write up a very detailed report on the subject if you wish to study it."