Chapter 49: Shadow Leap

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Shadow Leap

"Be swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, conquer like the fire, and immovable like the mountain."

— Sun Tzu

The morning air carried a sharp chill as Riven made his way through the lower district.

Autumn was approaching, and the settlement was beginning to feel its effects. The mornings were colder, the nights longer, and the merchants had started bringing out thicker clothing.

Riven barely noticed.

His attention was focused on the people around him.

Since acquiring the mask, he had become something of a curiosity in the settlement. Most people avoided him, while others stared from a distance before quickly looking away. Even the guards seemed reluctant to approach him without a reason.

He didn’t mind.

Being left alone was preferable to attracting unwanted attention.

His destination was Vesper’s workshop. He had visited her the previous day to learn more about the mask, but today he had a different purpose.

He needed a new spell.

His Shadow Veil had reached 97% proficiency. He could maintain it while moving, use it to reinforce his sword, and conceal himself in darkness. Combined with his improved swordsmanship and equipment, it made him considerably more capable than he had been when he first arrived in the settlement.

However, his recent encounters had taught him something important.

Being able to withstand an attack didn’t mean he could survive every situation.

Sometimes, the best way to survive was to avoid being hit in the first place.

That was why he wanted Shadow Leap.

It was a Tier 2 movement spell that allowed the caster to travel a short distance by folding the space between two points. A standard casting could move someone up to ten meters almost instantly.

For someone who relied on stealth and close range combat, the spell could be invaluable.

It would allow him to escape dangerous situations, close the distance between himself and an opponent, or reposition himself during a fight.

There was only one problem.

He was still a Level 2 mage.

Even with his core newly stabilized, attempting a complicated spatial spell was dangerous. The slightest mistake could damage his mana channels or cause a backlash powerful enough to leave him unable to cast magic.

Normally, he would have needed considerably more experience before attempting something like this.

But the mask had changed things.

Ever since it fused with his face, his shadow magic had become noticeably stronger. His spells formed more easily, and he could control his mana with less effort.

He wanted to find out just how far that advantage could take him.

Vesper’s workshop was already busy when Riven arrived.

The heavy iron door creaked as he pushed it open. Inside, the familiar scent of scorched brass and alchemical ingredients filled the air. Several magical devices rested on the workbenches, and a faint blue glow came from a set of runes carved into the far wall.

Vesper sat at her usual workbench, carefully carving a complicated pattern into a small metal plate.

She didn’t look up when he entered.

"If you’re here to ask another question about that mask, the answer is still the same. I don’t know how to remove it."

"I’m not here about the mask."

That got her attention.

She glanced up from her work, pushing her magnifying spectacles onto her forehead.

"Then what do you want?"

Riven approached the workbench and placed a small stack of silver coins on the table.

The coins clinked against the wood.

Vesper glanced at them before looking back at him.

"Another shopping trip? Didn’t the last cursed artifact teach you anything about impulse buying?"

"I’m not buying junk this time."

"Oh? And what exactly are you buying?"

"Shadow Leap."

Vesper stopped moving.

For several seconds, she simply stared at him.

Then she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"Shadow Leap?"

"Yes."

"That’s a Tier 2 movement spell, movement spells are the hardest to learn."

"I know."

"It involves spatial manipulation. You aren’t simply gathering shadow mana and throwing it at something. You have to create a temporary connection between two locations and move through it without damaging yourself."

Riven remained silent.

Vesper leaned forward.

"Even experienced adventurers can struggle with that. You need precise mana control, an understanding of spatial folds, and enough energy to maintain the connection long enough to pass through it."

She pointed at him.

"And you’re five years old."

Riven didn’t react.

"Your core is only Level 2," she continued. "It hasn’t even had time to properly stabilize. What makes you think you can handle a spell like that?"

"My Shadow Veil is at ninety seven percent."

Vesper raised an eyebrow.

"Congratulations. That doesn’t mean you can suddenly cast every Tier 2 spell you find."

"I have the control."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

Vesper stared at him for a long moment.

Riven met her gaze without flinching.

He knew she was right about the risks. He also knew that his current abilities were no longer entirely representative of what his core could accomplish.

The mask had changed his magic.

He didn’t fully understand how, but he could feel the difference every time he cast a spell.

Eventually, Vesper sighed.

"You’re either incredibly confident or incredibly stupid."

"Probably both."

That earned a short laugh.

Vesper shook her head and leaned down to search beneath her desk. After rummaging through several old books and a collection of loose papers, she pulled out a weathered leather bound scroll.

She tossed it onto the workbench.

"Fine. Take it."

Riven picked it up.

"But listen carefully," Vesper continued. "Don’t start casting it without understanding the structure. If you force your mana through the wrong channels, you could injure yourself. And if you mess up the spatial fold, you could end up somewhere you really don’t want to be."

Riven glanced down at the scroll.

"Understood."

"Good. There’s an empty alcove at the back of the workshop. Practice there. And if you damage anything, you’re paying for it."

He nodded and headed toward the back of the room.

Vesper watched him go.

She had a bad feeling about this.

The alcove was small and mostly empty.

Its stone walls were reinforced with several layers of protective runes. A few old wooden posts stood against the far wall, their surfaces scarred by years of magical experiments.

Riven chose a position near the entrance and unrolled the scroll.

The diagrams were complicated.

Unlike Shadow Veil, which focused on coating an object with shadow mana, Shadow Leap required the caster to manipulate the space around them.

The first diagram showed the mana leaving the core and traveling up through the spine. From there, it branched outward, forming a series of interconnected patterns around the caster’s body.

The second diagram showed how those patterns interacted with the surrounding space.

The final diagram illustrated the actual spell.

A small figure stood at one end of a room. A dark line connected it to another figure several meters away. Between them was a distorted patch of space surrounded by shadow mana.

Riven studied the diagrams carefully.

The instructions were surprisingly detailed, explaining how to establish a destination, form the spatial fold, and move through it.

However, there was one part that concerned him.

The spell required the caster to maintain a stable connection between two points while moving through the fold. If that connection collapsed too early, the caster could be thrown out of the spell before reaching the destination.

The consequences weren’t described in detail.

Riven assumed that was deliberate.

He read through the instructions again before closing his eyes.

First, he needed to understand the spell’s mana structure.

He reached inward and focused on his core.

His Level 2 core responded almost immediately, releasing a steady stream of shadow mana.

He began circulating it through the channels described in the scroll.

At first, the process felt familiar. The mana moved through his body without much resistance, and he could easily maintain the initial pattern.

Then he reached the part involving spatial manipulation.

His progress stopped.

The mana began to gather around his body, but the connection he was supposed to create refused to form.

He tried adjusting the flow.

Nothing.

He tried again, increasing the amount of mana.

The pattern became unstable.

Riven immediately stopped.

A sharp headache spread across his forehead.

He opened his eyes and took a slow breath.

So it wasn’t going to be that easy.

He looked at the scroll again.

The instructions were clear enough, but understanding the theory and actually performing the spell were two different things.

He needed to find a way to make the mana cooperate.

Riven closed his eyes again.

This time, he focused on the mask.

A faint pulse of darkness spread across his jaw.

The familiar sensation of shadow mana flowing through his body returned, but something was different. The mask seemed to respond to his attempt to cast the spell.

A cool sensation spread through his face and down his neck.

His mana channels felt smoother.

The pressure he had struggled against moments earlier began to ease.

Riven opened his eyes.

He could feel the space around him more clearly than before.

The distance between himself and the wooden post seemed almost tangible. He could sense the area between them, as though it were a surface he could reach out and touch.

He followed the instructions again.

This time, the mana moved differently.

Rather than forcing it outward, he allowed the mask to guide the flow. The shadow energy gathered around his body and formed a thin, dark outline.

The air in front of him seemed to ripple.

Riven’s eyes narrowed.

He had done it.

At least, he thought he had.

He maintained the pattern for several seconds before carefully releasing it.

The distortion disappeared.

Riven exhaled.

His head hurt, but the pain was manageable.

He glanced at the scroll once more.

Then he looked toward the wooden post at the far end of the alcove.

It was roughly ten meters away.

He focused on it and began casting again.

The second attempt was much smoother.

Riven drew mana from his core and allowed the mask to channel it through the spell’s pattern.

The air around him darkened.

A faint distortion formed between his position and the wooden post.

He could feel the connection.

It was like a narrow passage opening between two points.

Riven concentrated on the destination.

Then he stepped forward.

For an instant, the world seemed to disappear.

A faint burst of dark mist marked the spot where he had been standing.

The next moment, his boots touched the stone floor beside the wooden post.

Riven froze.

He looked behind him.

The entrance to the alcove was several meters away.

He looked down at his feet, then back toward his original position.

He had moved.

Not by walking or running.

He had simply appeared at the other end of the room.

Riven slowly raised his hand and examined it.

There was no pain.

His mana channels felt normal, and his core remained stable.

He had successfully cast Shadow Leap.

On his first actual attempt.

Riven stood quietly for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened.

Then he heard something fall in the workshop.

A moment later, Vesper appeared in the doorway.

"What in the absolute depths was that?"

She stared at the empty space where Riven had been standing.

Then she looked at him beside the wooden post.

Her eyes widened.

"Did you just use Shadow Leap?"

Riven nodded.

Vesper hurried into the alcove.

"Do it again."

Riven hesitated.

"Why?"

"Because I want to make sure I actually saw what I think I saw."

He glanced at his core.

He could feel the mana he’d spent on the spell. It wasn’t insignificant, but it was manageable.

After a moment, he agreed.

He focused on his original position and began casting again.

The mask pulsed.

Shadow mana gathered around him, and the space between his current position and the entrance began to distort.

A moment later, he disappeared.

Vesper watched as he reappeared near the entrance.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she walked toward him.

"How?"

"The scroll was clear."

Vesper stared at him.

"Don’t give me that."

Riven remained silent.

She examined him carefully, checking for signs of injury or magical backlash.

"Your mana channels are stable?"

"Yes."

"Your core?"

"Fine."

"And you aren’t feeling any pain?"

"Just a little tired."

Vesper rubbed her forehead.

"Unbelievable."

She walked back toward the workbench, muttering under her breath.

"Listen, kid. I don’t care how easily you managed that spell. You aren’t going to start jumping around the settlement like some kind of lunatic."

"I wasn’t planning to."

"Good. Because you need to practice."

She pointed toward the wooden post.

"Start with short distances. One or two meters. Learn how much mana it takes, how long you can maintain the connection, and how accurately you can choose your destination."

Riven nodded.

"And don’t try going through walls. You don’t know what happens if you misjudge the destination or collide with something."

"I understand."

"Do you? Because I have a feeling you’re going to ignore half of what I just said."

Riven said nothing.

Vesper sighed.

"You’re terrifying, kid."

She looked at the mask again.

"Absolutely terrifying."

Riven spent the next hour practicing.

He started with short jumps, moving between the entrance and the nearest wooden post. Each attempt required concentration, but the mask made the process considerably easier than he had expected.

He gradually increased the distance.

Two meters.

Three.

Five.

By the end of the hour, he could reliably move across the alcove without stumbling or losing his balance.

He also discovered that the spell wasn’t entirely effortless.

Each jump consumed mana, and longer distances required more energy. Repeated use left him increasingly tired, even though the mask helped him maintain the spell’s structure.

He also had to be careful about where he appeared.

Once, he misjudged the distance to a wooden post and nearly collided with it. He managed to stop himself at the last moment, but the experience convinced him to pay closer attention to his surroundings.

Vesper watched from the workbench, occasionally offering advice.

"Don’t rush the casting."

"Focus on the destination."

"You’re wasting mana. Keep the flow steady."

Riven followed her instructions.

By the time he finished, his head was aching and his core felt noticeably drained.

He stopped before exhausting himself.

Vesper seemed satisfied.

"That’s enough for today."

Riven dismissed the remaining shadow mana.

"How much did I improve?"

"Hard to say. You only started learning the spell this morning."

She folded her arms.

"But you can cast it reliably over short distances. That’s already more than I expected."

Riven glanced at the scroll.

He had wanted a way to move quickly during combat, and Shadow Leap seemed to provide exactly that.

Still, he knew he had only learned the basics.

He needed more practice before relying on it in a real fight.

Vesper picked up the scroll and examined it.

"Keep it for now. Just don’t lose it."

Riven nodded.

"Thank you."

She waved him away.

"Don’t thank me yet. If you break your legs trying to jump through a wall, I’m not healing you."

Riven turned toward the door.

Behind him, Vesper continued staring at the scroll.

She had worked with magic for years. She had seen talented adventurers, experienced mages, and people with unusual magical abilities.

But a five year old with a Level 2 core shouldn’t have been able to learn a complicated spatial spell so quickly.

There was something unusual about Riven.

She just didn’t know what.

By the time Riven left the workshop, the sun was already high in the sky.

He pulled his hood lower and walked through the settlement.

The townspeople continued to avoid him, but he paid them little attention.

His thoughts were occupied by the new spell.

Shadow Leap gave him something he had been missing: mobility.

He could now cross short distances almost instantly, making it easier to escape dangerous situations or reposition himself during combat.

Combined with Shadow Veil, his swordsmanship, and the mask’s enhanced senses, it gave him several ways to approach a fight.

But he wasn’t satisfied.

His core was still Level 2, and he had no intention of relying entirely on the mask. He needed to keep improving his own abilities.

He also needed to understand the artifact better.

For now, however, he had made progress.

Riven returned to the inn and climbed the stairs to his room.

Once inside, he locked the door and placed the scroll on the table.

He sat down on the bed and opened his status.

Name: Riven

Age: 5

Core: Level 2

Affinity: Shadow

Skills:

Shadow Veil: 97%

Intermediate Swordplay: 12%

Umbral Needle: 57%

Shadow Leap: 28%

Riven stared at the final entry.

He had gained another spell.

It was a small step, but an important one.

He closed the status window and leaned back against the wall.

The mask had changed his life in ways he hadn’t expected. It had made him an outcast, but it had also given him access to abilities that would otherwise have been beyond his reach.

He still didn’t know whether the artifact was a blessing or a curse.

Perhaps it was both.

Either way, he intended to make use of it.

Riven closed his eyes and rested.

Tomorrow, he would return to training.