Mage And Wolf
Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter 168

We decide to head out by noon the next day, bringing Betty with us, of course. Elder Song has a good feeling about heading up the valley, the way we were going to get to the city, so we’re going to head that way in search of the Lightning totem.

We make our way quietly out of town, not wanting to draw attention from the local authorities. We did, after all, kill an entire Sect of cultivators within the city limits. They might have been idiots, but they were locals. Best not to attract attraction and trouble to ourselves at this point, since nobody has raised a fuss about it yet. With the scene I caused at the awards they might still be investigating the culprit.

"What are we looking for? The traveling merchants told me all sorts of stories about strange and wonderful things along their travels." Betty asks Elder Song, riding in his arms as we jog along.

"We’re looking for an area with a lot of lightning, or a place people don’t go, where a treasure might be hidden." Elder Song says, ruffling her hair. "Do you know a place like that?"

"There’s the cursed ruins, half a day North of where the two rivers meet, by merchant wagon." She points off to our right. "Strange things happen there, so nobody goes, not even the cultivators."

"That sounds like just the place that might be hiding a good treasure. Thank you Betty."

Betty seems to be having the time of her life, bouncing through the woods in Elder Song’s arms at speeds only strong cultivators could accomplish. I’m not even sure she can see anything but a blur.

It takes us a mere two hours to come to the place where the rivers meet, and she verified that this is in fact the spot she was talking about. There’s a collapsed chunk of cliff face that looks vaguely like a Buddha statue, which she was told is the sign. Once you can see it, turn north.

A days travel by merchant wagon is an hour’s run for us, and we reach a clearing just outside the Cursed Ruins just in time to stop for lunch. We’re still working out way through all the food Elder Song had me make for the examination, but Betty didn’t mind eating leftovers in the least. Even before she was kidnapped she didn’t eat well, her family was broke and terrible at business, plus her mother wasn’t a good cook. Her parents married for business connections, not domestic skills.

I’ll fix that oversight later. Betty should learn to cook. Everyone should know their way around the kitchen. Even Karl knows how to make an amazing breakfast.

I can feel Death Energy from the ruins in front of us, and it’s drawing me towards it. Karl seems like he can feel the same thing, so we’re both ready to head out immediately.

"You both go. We’re going to set up camp here for the night, just be sure to return before dark." Elder Song says, pulling a deck of playing cards out of his storage. I’d almost forgotten that man is totally adverse to anything that resembles work and I just gave him the perfect excuse to slack, keeping our youngest party member safe.

Karl and I both sneak towards the Ruins with Shadow Meld activated, hiding us from casual detection and giving a sense of security. The Death Energy is getting stronger as we advance, either a Massacre happened here, or some strong magic is in effect.

"This way." Karl whispers, pointing towards what was a large building. "There’s something other than the background Energy there."

That’s a good sign that we’re headed the right way. Sneaking up on the building, I can see that it’s full of scorched skeletons. Even the stone of the rubble is blackened. Did they burn this building down with everyone inside? Or is there something else here?

Karl casts an Arcane barrier on me and motions for me to go first. If anything happens, I heal the fastest, and his barrier is reliable enough for most attacks.

I can feel the air crackling as I enter the ruins, but the source of the energy is below me.

[It’s Lightning Energy, in the basement.] I send to Karl just before a thick bolt of electricity strikes the barrier he created. It’s holding, but I need to find the basement entrance quickly.

I can feel the crackling of the air get thicker as I near a large slab of granite laid flat on the ground. Looks like the remains of a trap door to me, so I dig my claws under the corner and heave it upright.

A waft of stable air escapes and I smile, remembering the exact same smell coming from the Cathedral Ruins in the world through the portal. The smell of a spot undisturbed and unventilated for centuries.

"Karl, we could use some fresh air here." I call before getting hit with lightning again, breaking his barrier and scorching my skin. He had the Arcane barrier back up in seconds, just in time to get struck again and then again, forcing him to create a third barrier.

Karl really isn’t great at wind magic. I think I’ve owned ventilation fans with stronger force, but it’s better than nothing, and I feel safe enough to enter as he works. Maybe it will get me away from the lightning? It doesn’t seem to hit anything outside the building, so maybe it’s just guarding the main floor.

I come across a barrier halfway down the stairs, blocking my progress. Now it’s certain something good is hidden down here, the barrier feels like the lightning outside, as if they’ve got the same source. Using my claws to rip holes in the energy sheet I jump through quickly before the hole in the barrier reforms.

The basement is in pristine condition, clearly a cultivators room. Spartan, but designed to reflect and intensify the ambient energy to provide a more efficient space to meditate.

There’s a single large cushion in the middle of the floor, with a mummified corpse still sitting in the Lotus position on it. In front of that sits an orb. The sense of lightning and divinity is strong, this is no Lightning Totem, but the core of a lightning type Divine beast.

I can feel the warning from the core as I approach, there’s still some sentience left in it. Not uncommon for Divine beings, even if their body is destroyed they often linger as spirits. Maybe I can talk to it?

I choose my eyes and focus on the Death Energy, looking for spirits as if I wanted to raise zombies. Finding this spirit is no trouble at all, a furry head of giant fox spirit is staring me directly in the face with a curious look.

"Umm, Hi, I’m Kat. We came looking for a Lightning Totem to help out a Sect of Lightning type cultivators and found you instead." I say tentatively, focusing on the spirit. I’m not sure if it can hear me, or respond if it does.

[Hello wolf named Cat] the musical, but androgynous voice comes into my head with a heavy sense of amusement.

"Would you like me to bring you to a place where you might find someone worthy of your inheritance? There’s thousands of them, all practicing Lightning type cultivation, maybe one will be worthy?" I ask. If it’s got the power to keep that barrier active and create that lightning, it’s bound to have some purpose, right?

[The Sacred Thunder Sect? Their Divine Elder is the one who destroyed my body and trapped me here, in what was once their Sect Compound before I destroyed it] the Fox Spirit sneers.

"Okay, so they’re not option one for the inheritance. Have you got someone else in mind? I could just carry your core around until we happen across someone you like?" I suggest helpfully.

[The one outside would be good if he were younger. But it’s too late to change his aptitude now. Find me a younger one, with good Lightning Affinity] the spirit insists.

"There’s one with us who hasn’t reached puberty yet. I don’t know her affinities though. But I won’t take you to her if your test is going to hurt her. She’s the most adorable little thing."

The Spirit turns its head away for a few minutes then looks back. [The Girl with the Lecherous Librarian Song? She will do. Her affinity is high enough to begin cultivating my lightning. Take my core to her and I will accompany her until she can resurrect me.]

’Does anyone not know The Dark Librarian Song?’ I think to myself and I can feel the spirit laughing. Seriously, what did that guy do before he fled to this Realm? Or did he meet the Spirit Fox here later? I remember him saying that Fox Spirits choose mates like Lycans do, so he knows a good deal about them.

[You picked a male to mate with? The one outside? Oh, he’s not a bad choice, for a human. Dual cultivating Death Energy must be quite the rush, with that much Divine energy flowing through you] the sense of pure curiosity is almost overwhelming and it makes me giggle that such a mighty being could have such an intensely pure feeling. There’s no sense of perversion or mockery, just the desire to know something new.

"Like you wouldn’t believe. One breakthrough at a time isn’t enough, they just keep flowing." I giggle and the Fox Spirit lets out a yipping laugh in my mind.

[I like you Wolf named Cat. I shall bless your union, Fox Spirits have a great affinity for Divine luck charms.] The Fox tells me and I feel an energy settle deep within my Spirit Ocean.

"Thank you for your kindness." I smile, before standing to approach the basketball sized core. "Should we go introduce you to Betty now? I am sure she’ll be happy to meet you."

[Yes, it is time. I shall retract my barrier to make leaving easier]