-oOo-

-oOo-

The Utrecht swam through the starry void, the shores of Tartarus long since vanished beyond sight. Here, there was only the twinkle of Unus Mundus and endless black.

Standing behind the helm, Sylvia checked a handheld compass. This was the tool created by Lady Vallenfelt as part of the quest Gamer's Heaven. The rod within pointed one direction only. Toward the world tree.

And right now it leaned unexpectedly toward starboard. The asteri knew what that meant.

"The current has turned," Sylvia said to herself. She spun the wheel, shifting the Utrecht out of the astral flow. "Broaden the tail! Catches to full!"

Her shout set the phantasms to work, adjusting the ship. The catch of an astral ship was a set of long, trailing ribbons which were used to catch ether and fuel the ship's bank. Since Sylvia was breaking from the current, the Utrecht would need more thrust and, thus, more power.

Short of emergencies, it was best to keep a ship's collection and consumption in equilibrium.

Her eyes veered to the fate compass. The marble inside the crystal sphere showed safety and stability with opportunity floating around neutral.

No change.

Which could mean nobody was following her or that whoever was following was using anti-divination. There was also the possibility that she was being followed but, for any of a variety of reasons, the chasing entity represented no threat.

Fate magic was annoying like that.

"■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■."

Sylvia cast a spell called unturned course. A flick and a false trail was left along the astral flow, taking the path on which she'd been previously set. Heading for the stern, she checked that the catch, fins, and tail were correctly set. Only then did the silver-haired witch retire to her cabin.

It was Wednesday of the fourth week of Men-Fulgur. A year ago, Sylvia had completed her first quarterly tests. Then she'd gone with Riley on an ill-advised trip through Vallen. Her first real fight and her first serious brush with danger.

Now, she was sailing through the starry void.

"I'm so bored," the asteri whined, flopping onto her bed.

It was a nice, big bed too. A little stiff, but she did inherit it from an eight-foot tall karnabo.

A lone witch, crossing the stars. It sounded like the start of a grand adventure. A magical tale for the ages. Instead, three weeks in the dark proved no more thrilling than being stranded on a deserted island.

Except, there was a lot less to look at out here in the void.

Sylvia rolled over on her bed. Her eyes fell on the bookcase. She'd read almost everything in it. The few that were left held zero interest. Her gaze switched to the crates. Sylvia had been enchanting stones for months now. Just thinking about doing another brick made her stomach lurch.

What to do? What to do?

… She should give in and buy forum access.

… actually, web access would be even better. She could read the news. Watch videos. Perhaps, she could hunt down a good web novel and read it to pass the time. That sounded delightful. Sylvia was so sick of reading textbooks and reference manuals.

The itch grew stronger. Her eyes flicked, relevant data appearing at the edge of her vision. Currently, she had 979 merit points, a mere 21 short of a brand-new skill book.

And this was after she'd burned 1,000 to learn Introduction to Magical Construction.

Sylvia groaned then buried her face in the pillow. Why couldn't her merit points read three hundred? Or maybe seven hundred. If the gap were that large there would be no reason to hold out. Instead, she was standing at the threshold. The System was taunting her.

The silver-haired witch rolled over again. Splayed out on the bed, she summoned her status screen.

Name Sylvia Swallows Class Common Witch Level 221+60 Exp 1442 / 2220 HP 380 / 380 MP 891 / 891 Str 15 Mag 65 Vit 10 Spr 90 Agl 31 Wit 70

"Eighty levels to go before I reach the second consolidation," Sylvia told herself.

She raised a tiny fist into the air to try and conjure a modicum of excitement. There was none to be found. Yesterday she'd swallowed her last lump of astral amber. Which meant she'd now endure a slow, petty trickle of experience points.

Sylvia had considered buying more while in Tartarus, but it turned out few shops sold resources for kosmovores. The little essence that did exist in bulk wasn't suitable for a starlight witch. This was both a boon and a curse. Existing in an odd ecological niche meant few competitors, but it also meant nobody was collecting, mining, or growing suitable food in bulk.

With a heavy sigh, Sylvia turned back to her books.

Manuals for spiral thrust and tail whip were set beside her bed. These were martial techniques. The distinction between arts and techniques was that arts could be conceptualized via manifestation, whereas techniques involved the mechanical manipulation of ki and nothing more.

As a manifestation realm witch, techniques like spiral thrust should be easy enough. Sylvia could learn them without a skill book.

She had other manuals, of course. But these either involved arts Sylvia had no hope of learning without years of effort or techniques she absolutely had to master perfectly. Hawk eyes was the former. Ether breath was the latter. This was the problem with ki. Spells could be picked up quickly. To learn an art demanded commitment and practice.

Which wasn't to say magic was easier.

Knowing how to cast a spell and mastering its use were two different things. The arcane was a broad subject of study. A mage spent less time on the spells themselves and more on building a sturdy foundation.

"I should train," Sylvia groaned.

Without an ounce of joy, Sylvia picked herself up and headed for the deck.

One hundred straight thrusts. One hundred downward thrusts. One hundred upward thrusts. Left hand then right.

As a technique, spiral thrust followed simple principles. Coil the ki then thrust letting the bound energy explode out like a spring. The devil, as they say, was in the details. To be useful, the technique had to be executed quickly and without thought. To be efficient, the ki had to be drawn back after the thrust.

Mastery required that body and ki moved as one unit. When done properly, one thrust could chain into another, producing a rapid rain of powerful strikes.

And this was just for inner flow.

Externalization required hardening the aura while letting the spring stretch to its limit. The result was a ki projection extending a good meter beyond the weapon's tip.

The hardened lifeforce would also improve armor penetration.

Exhausted from her practice, Sylvia used the stairs as a seat.

"Feels like I should move on to the next chapter."

Eventually, she'd have to practice the technique while using the waltz of flowers.

Times like these, she was glad she was a witch.

Sylvia leaned back. "What the flummery am I supposed to do with my time now?"

…

Fuck. And she'd just reset her cuss counter.

Groaning, the witch stood up. Since she'd already ruined her day, she may as well enchant another stone. The gate wasn't going to build itself.

-oOo-

"Well, I think I found it."

Chaos churned. The marble in the fate compass swayed heavily in the direction of danger and opportunity. Ahead was a spiraling storm of space. A great distortion in the void. At first, it had been a faint ripple in the stars. Now, it was as though Sylvia were looking at the night sky through the rolling surface of a lake.

The Utrecht shook. Sylvia could feel the tug on the wheel as the ship was pulled by massive, twisted currents.

"Cut the catch!" Sylvia shouted, both hands firm on the helm. "Trim the fins to half and tighten the tail."

The silver-haired witch checked the gauge. All ether banks were full. She should have a good half hour at maximum power.

The phantasms moved. The witch chanted a spell under her breath, revealing the erratic astral flows. Sylvia turned lightly toward port. The Utrecht shuddered, following the inward swirl.

The turbulence grew greater with each passing minute. At first, the wooden boat creaked. Then it began to sway and groan. Ten minutes in and Sylvia had put her weight into the wheel, resisting the powerful currents as though she were driving down the highway in a windstorm.

Then she hit the thick of it.

"Cut the tail to half!" she screamed.

Ether was sweeping over the deck so thick it howled. The Utrecht rumbled. She could feel the helm quaking under her hand. Twisted space created so much turbulence that it felt like she was driving over a gravel road instead of swimming through the void. The world rippled, stretching and expanding in a chaotic churn.

Under Sylvia's guiding hand, the Utrecht flowed with it.

Following the currents, the ship swirled around the gyre. As she went, the pace became faster and faster. Suddenly, the space above her started to clear, revealing glimpses of sun and blue sky.

She was riding the eyewall of a hurricane.

The Utrecht lurched. Sylvia returned her focus to the wheel. As she swept around the plane, the ship's law of gravity kept her feet planted. Her braid gripped the ascent lever, holding it as tight as her hands held the wheel.

Slowly, the storm settled.

The Utrecht left the gyre.

Sylvia found herself in a new world.

Starry void bled into sky, the sea of black wrapping a world of blue. Partially obscured by puffs of white clouds, giant islands floated in the endless azure. The largest isle occupied the plane's center, a massive chunk of territory measuring four hundred kilometers at its narrowest and five hundred at its broadest. Four smaller islands rotated with this giant like spokes on a wheel.

But that was not all.

Three huge rocks hung in the skies above, the largest islands in an archipelago consisting of hundreds if not thousands. Then, in the depths, were another pair of giants, one cast in the shadow of the central isle. Finally, in the distance, there was one last large rock. This lone island kissed the gyre as it completed an eccentric orbit around the plane's outer rim.

As for how many minor or tiny islands hung in the sky, shrouded by wisps of white clouds? It would take years to count them all.

The asteri steered the Utrecht with care, making sure to keep it well within the starry void. The Utrecht was an astral ship, not an airship. If she took it into the sky, it would plummet to the bottom of the plane before shattering into tinder.

Using the passive effect of Observe Terrain, Sylvia completed a circuit to create a crude map.

Only two of the eleven major islands could serve as an astral port, she realized. One of the four spokes was far enough out that part of its mass extended into the void while the rest hung in the great blue yonder. The far island brushing against the gyre was also in reach, but a single glance and Sylvia dismissed it.

The astral currents around that rock would be a nightmare.

"Congratulations, your name is Starport from now on," Sylvia joked while turning the wheel.

The System, ever helpful, labeled the island on her map.

Scanning the plane one last time, Sylvia set the Utrecht into a safe orbit then retired for the night. She'd been awake for ten hours when she found the gyre and ten more after piercing through it. Sylvia wanted a good rest before she made landfall.

But first she wrote a letter. Lady Vallenfelt should know that Sylvia had arrived.

-oOo-

My adorable apprentice, Sylvia Swallows

I am glad to hear that you've arrived at your destination. Belkis now resides with me in the Timeless Beryl Wilderness. She has told many tales of your adventure. At her request, I have examined my accounts. While I did note a number of items I had not approved, none appeared unreasonable.

However, I must warn. Emily is quite cross that your opportunistic purchases did not include 'a cute dress'. I shall leave punishment for this oversight to her. Please remember, you are a lady and your manner and appearance should comply.

"Grk," Sylvia choked before continuing.

Belkis remains reluctant to share details of her ordeal. I have encouraged her to seek transmigration, as this is the surest way to put distance between the self and trauma. However, she is quite insistent that I will need her strength, and I am, reluctantly, forced to agree.

I thank you for her presence. It lightens my heart to have my dear Belkis at my side once more.

Of what is to come, I have little to say. The plan is well established, and I have received the mirror pads you purchased. So, should difficulties arise, do not fear to communicate. I will always endeavor to answer questions and provide support.

As a final note 'The Lands Between' do not meet the naming standards for a newly discovered plane. Based on your description, I propose we instead call it the Cloud Island Wilderness.

Your loving master, Esmeralda Vallenfelt

Tch. Sylvia's name was perfect. What else was she supposed to call a world with a giant tree growing out of the middle of it? Alfheim? That was already taken!

Sylvia stood. Soft moonlight fell upon the Utrecht, cast in the colors silver and blue. Two moons, large and small, brightened the night sky.

It was a mysterious sight.

Many planes echoed Earth, the world of origin. From Earth came life. From life came souls. Souls brought thought and thought shaped ether. Thus, was the netherworld born. For the ancient planes, there was only one place from which to draw inspiration, Origin. But the Cloud Island Wilderness was far younger and the material worlds now numbered twenty-three.

Which world, then, did this sky resemble?

Her eyes shifted from the night to another object of beauty. The world tree. Its canopy rose fifty kilometers above the central island, glowing with ether and light. Mighty branches spread out over the plane, casting a luminous shadow. Bands of leaves were lit with fire. Others glistened with powers of earth, water, and air. It was an incredible display of life and magic.

The island itself was filled with charm. Lush forest and white topped mountains crossed its breadth. A mighty river poured off the island's edge in an awesome waterfall, the rainbow hued stream extending well past the rocky bottom of the island itself.

Already, Sylvia could imagine a thousand adventurers trekking across this magnificent land.

But, while the central island was where her quest would end, Starport was where her venture would begin.

Claiming the helm, Sylvia set the Utrecht on her way. The ship was on the wrong side of the plane, and it'd take a good three hours to bring the Utrecht alongside.

Which, if Sylvia judged right, would be around dawn.

Starport was a land thick with jungle. Nine mountains ran along its spine, tallest on the eastern half. By Sylvia's measure, the island was a hundred and forty kilometers long and sixty kilometers wide. Only a quarter of Starport's coast touched the starry void.

Sylvia sailed closer, scanning the beaches carefully. What she wanted was a good harbor. A place where the astral currents would break so the Utrecht would remain still when anchored.

After a two-hour search, she came across a crook guarded by a smattering of smaller shield islands.

"It'll be hard to get in and out," Sylvia muttered. She looked up, gazing at the white caps of the mountains. "And it's near the largest mountains."

She would've preferred a straight shot across the woods to reach the skyside of Starport, but none of those locations had a natural harbor. With the whole plane spinning, lacking a good anchor was a serious problem. The Utrecht would drift relative to the islands, meaning she'd have to let the phantasms pilot for her.

Which was a dangerous thing to do. The phantasms had absorbed the experience of true sailors, but they lacked the intelligence a sailor ought.

She sighed. "It'll have to do."

Beggars couldn't be choosers. One day, they might modify the harbor or create an artificial one. But for now, she had to take what she could get.

Sylvia sailed the ship in.

The Utrecht slipped through a narrow gap. Sylvia held the wheel firm, so the ship wasn't thrown by the erratic flux of chaos. Once past, the flow and ebb of the astral sea calmed. Here, the chaos moved in tandem with Starport. Satisfied, Sylvia shouted her order.

"Anchor in place!"

The witch shot a glance to her fate compass. One notch safe, three notches stable. That didn't necessarily apply to her, but the Utrecht should be fine.

Sylvia headed for the hold. Crates of materials were packed near the middle. Three, not two, gargoyles were waiting. Belkis had donated hers to the cause before Sylvia cast off. The soul stones were packed inside Sylvia's metal crate.

The crate was the only thing Sylvia would be bringing.

…

Actually….

Sylvia shuffled through the pile before snagging a short staff with a muddy, brown crystal. The asteri strapped it to her back. This was an earth element scepter, the perfect tool for heavy labor. Cheap too, at a mere four thousand soli. If Sylvia blended its ether with water from her palace, she could also cast wood element spells with good efficiency.

Alongside it, Sylvia carried the projected shadow of her Ghost Lightning Staff. This, she held in hand. One for crafting. One for war.

Sylvia checked her gear. The asteri was wearing her Witch-Princess Dress and her Blood Bone Heels. Her slip ring was charged. Finally, she had a small causality source hanging off her belt. The only thing missing was her broom. The Academy-made flying staff remained in the cabin. Sylvia wouldn't be flying on this venture.

Too dangerous.

What the Utrecht lacked most was a resurrection pool. An astral ship could carry one, though they were rare on vessels this small. Unfortunately, Lord Potami had never seen cause. Anything that could kill him would spell doom for his ship as well. Better his soul had no anchor than be tied to such an obvious target.

This put Sylvia in an awkward position. She could leave the gargoyles and her phylactery here, along with the basin. If she died, it'd be a slow rebirth.

Or, she could bring everything with her right now and reduce the chance she died in the first place.

"I'll take two and the chest," Sylvia relented. She popped open the metal container, removing a single soul stone. "You, head up to the deck and keep an eye out for intruders."

A statue unwound. A beast of stone with long, gangly limbs scampered up the stairs. When their brother awoke, the other statues stirred, red eyes and hideous glares aimed in her direction.

"You two, with me," Sylvia gestured. "And carry the chest."

The gargoyles did as instructed. With a pair of phantasms following, Sylvia headed for the Utrecht's deck. She paused to confirm the ship was rightly anchored before leaping over the banister.

"■■■ ■■, ■■■ ■■."

A rope of runes and wind swept around the stone gargoyles. Sylvia walked across the dark, pale petals glowing beneath her feet.

The astral side of Starport was void of all air. Few creatures that flew on wings could cross the astral sea. This was a good thing for the Utrecht, as it meant most phantasms couldn't reach it. It was a troublesome thing for Sylvia's gargoyles as they could not fly between.

A minute later, Sylvia set foot on the shore. The witch breathed in the sweet scent of primordial ether.

The asteri stood on a beach. A real beach with soft sand. The morning sun glinted off the fine rock, setting it aglow with shimmering light. Sylvia had an urge to lay back and relax, enjoying the fiery heat of the sun.

Instead, Sylvia drew causality ether from the crystal hanging from her belt. Without a supporting staff, this source was slow to recharge. Yet, it served an important purpose, which was to offset a portion of her spells' cost.

Observe Terrain. Track Threats.

A pulse of magic swept the land. In the corner of her vision, the System map filled with color. Before, the screen had shown a crude sketch, vague terrain with contours. Now, her map was cast in full 3D glory, complete with individual rocks and trees. The map flickered as the second spell took hold. The image suddenly showed a dozen red dots.

Beasties everywhere. A gamer's dream and, right now, Sylvia's annoyance.

"Now, where's a good place to set up shop," she murmured.

The witch found a nice place to sit and dropped her butt on top of it. Expanding her map so that it covered half her view, Sylvia zoomed in, scanning the terrain by remote. She smiled.

"Why thank you, kind sir, for showing me where to start."

As luck would have it, her favored target was right under a red dot. And yes, it really was luck. If the phantasm hadn't been hiding there, Sylvia never would've spotted the small cave set in the cliffs a hundred meters from the beach.

"Come on, we've got a house to steal." She said, gesturing to the phantasms. The gargoyles were silent. She spoke for them. "Aye, aye captain. We be pirates. Plunder be in our nature."

She'd been really bored for the last few weeks.

And now, she was about to get real busy.

Dense jungle crowded the sandy shores, the vegetation ten to thirty meters from the sandy beach on which Sylvia landed. The air grew thick as she stepped beneath the canopy. Birds flew overhead, figments rather than phantasms. Ethereal illusions whose reality was so faint they'd evaporate when struck.

Sylvia threw out another Track Threats as she went to make sure nothing was creeping up on her.

The cave was exactly where the map showed it. What the map hadn't made clear was that the entrance was barely a meter in height. Sylvia gazed into the dark pit warily.

"So, Mr. Phantasm, are you here all alone because you're weak and afraid or because you ate anyone who dared come close," Sylvia muttered to herself.

Summoning up her courage, she leaned in, peering into the abyss.

An instant later, she jerked her head back.

From the pit spewed a jet of noxious green liquid. Acid arched, striking the plants and trees behind. Wood melted like wax. Grass corroded, leaving behind spots of black rot before evanescing into ether. Even the stone became pitted.

A rattling sound emerged. Sylvia lurched. The noise reverberated in her skull, as though her head was a giant maraca filled with steel shot. Her vision swam. The world churned around her. The witch heaved. Her guts threatened to turn inside out.

A psychic attack.

Wobbling and dizzy, Sylvia scrambled back. Distance reduced the pressure. Head filled with fluff, she chanted, keeping her pace slow and steady.

"■■■ ■■■ ■■■."

Ethers of wind and psychic formed a sphere around Sylvia. Silent boundary. The rattle was suddenly snuffed. Though the spell was intended for privacy, it also served as an improvised shield against psychic spells of the sound aspect.

Sylvia took a few seconds to steady herself. Then the enraged witch marched right back up to the cave's mouth. If the beast inside had no desire to come out, she'd force it to.

"■■, ■■, ■■." Sylvia cast cremation hex three times, braiding the curse into a nasty chain. She tossed the hex inside, letting it sink into her target before chanting a spell far more destructive. "■■■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■■."

Stepping around the corner, the witch drained her staff and let loose with a meteor blast.

The earth rumbled. Fire exploded. An angry snake burst from its hole.

Sylvia hit it with an Observe Opponent as she jumped back.

Unnamed - C-III/Low Type Reptile Phantasm Level 348 Hp/Mp 1560 / 423 Atk/Def 461 / 99 Celerity 170% Abilities: Large, Venom Spit, Sickening Rattle

The serpent coiled, body so thick that each band was as tall as the witch's knees. The phantasm's scales were a vivid green which would blend eerily into the jungle surrounding. Its head rose, exposing a wide hood similar to that of a cobra. At the end of the snake's tail was a large rattle, the source of its sonic magic.

The gargoyles were not intimidated.

A stone construct leapt into the air, heavy wings beating. The snake struck, its bite as fast as lightning. Giant fangs clamped onto the gargoyle's body, piercing through stone, the points lubricated by the creature's caustic venom.

The gargoyle returned the favor, its tail whipped around before stabbing straight through the snake's throat.

The beast reacted with fury. The serpent twisted, throwing the gargoyle to the side. The injured creature hit the dirt. The stone phantasm rolled once before its claws sank deep into the mud.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

That's when the second gargoyle struck. Still, diligently guarding the chest, the construct vomited up a giant lump of magma. Super heated stone hit the snake's coils. Ordinarily, the serpent might've endured. Alas, the cremation hex was not yet exhausted.

With one, final, high-pitched shriek, the creature burned from the inside out. Its body flopped to the side so ravaged that it dissolved into ether on the spot.

Sylvia's System happily chowed down on three thousand experience points.

The silver-haired witch's lips quirked.

"For lack of a better name, let's call you a rattle cobra."

Oh. And just like that, the snake's status window was updated. Her eyes shifted to the event log. Eight merit points. Throw in the few she'd gained from mapping and she was on the cusp of buying a new skill book. The experience was also nice. Xenocide was a gamer's truest route to power.

Pity it'd take two days to digest, otherwise she might rush level three hundred in a few weeks.

"Still, I can't say I'm happy to see class III phantasms running about."

Either Sylvia's luck was absolute shit or the Cloud Island Wilderness was a 'higher level map' than the Timeless Beryl Wilderness. The silver-haired witch gazed out in the direction of the world tree. Not that she could see the majestic plant with the forest and the mountains in the way.

Before poking her head into the hole, Sylvia threw out another Observe Terrain and Track Threats. When both revealed the path was clear the girl crawled in.

The hollow grew bigger after passing through the mouth. There was enough space for the rattle cobra to coil up inside. Though not much beyond that. The rock was pretty solid too. Thick with essence. There was even a small crevice halfway along the path which could be enlarged into a second room.

"I can work with this."

Decided, Sylvia returned her Ghost Lightning Staff to her soul. Then she unholstered the earth scepter from her back.

Time to get to work.

The first order of business was to widen the cave's mouth. Sylvia used the shaping spells she'd learned to strip two cubic meters of stone. Compared to ki, magic was faster. However, it left the new walls thin and unstable. Thus, Sylvia added a series of spells to firm the shape and solidify the dispersing essence.

"I'll need to reinforce it repeatedly," Sylvia reminded herself, recalling the lessons learned from her skill book.

With the opening secured, Sylvia gestured the gargoyles in. She put them in the back chamber before cracking open the chest. From it, she drew a brass basin. This tool had been enchanted so as to convert water and blood into the amniotic aspect. It'd take a few months, but given sufficient ether, she'd eventually have a pool of essence large enough for her to resurrect.

And she could make the process faster by creating ether channels to feed it.

Also, she'd have to redesign the chamber, so the amniotic fluid would pool.

"For now, I'm putting you right on the top," Sylvia said, picking up her funeral urn and placing it dead center in the basin.

She left the two soul stones in the chest. If Sylvia died, she wanted first dibs on the amniotic fluid. Plus, she wasn't intending to bring her gargoyles out. Their duty was to guard her anchor. As long as a demon had a safe space to resurrect, all remaining dangers were trivialized.

Just a look at the crude setup and Sylvia already felt better.

There was a lot more to do in here, but before that, Sylvia had materials to move. Which meant, it was back to the Utrecht to port her tools and crates.

Also, she could use a few lamps so she could see her home better.

-oOo-

The humid heat clung to the starlight witch. Though demons didn't sweat, Sylvia felt as though the silk threads and puffy lace of her dress were sticking to her frame. Starport island was thick with jungle. The noon-day sun beat down with a summer's fury.

Trees and ferns crowded her vision. Sylvia moved through the woods cautiously. Track Threats. She let out a pulse, draining the causality ether from the source on her belt.

So far, she had avoided death. Sylvia hoped to keep that record.

Seven red dots. All to the fore. The silver-haired witch peered through the vegetation, finding her opponent. A flock of wet feather dodos.

The birds resembled their namesake. They had a fat body and a broad, curved beak. Their legs, however, were more akin to an ostrich, tipped with razor sharp talons. This wasn't the first time Sylvia had met them. Wet feather dodos were rather common around these parts. Individually, they weren't a threat, but they liked to form flocks of three to thirty.

The one time she'd encountered the latter, Sylvia had exercised the better part of valor.

But a mere seven with the advantage of surprise? Sylvia felt she could handle it.

The silver-haired witch eased wind ether from her staff. From her lips flowed a quiet chant. "■■■ ■■■■."

A wind scythe shot through the brush in ambush.

Wet feather dodos were Class I high-rank phantasms. Not too strong, but their innate abilities made them a pain in a straight-up fight. Specifically, the dodos could clad themselves in water. Worse, they could renew this barrier if given a single second to spare.

Thus, it was best to kill them fast. And that was exactly what Sylvia did.

"■, ■, ■, ■!"

Wind scythe was followed by a peppering of wind blades. Swords of air swished through the jungle. The scythe hit first, cleaving through three dodos in an instant. Before the phantasms could react to the onslaught, Sylvia's storm of blades struck. One sliced in clean, decapitating the bird in an instant.

A screen of water formed over the three survivors. Not that it did the poor recipient of Sylvia's remaining blades any good. The second of her blades carved deep into the dodo's armor, sending a spray of rain out in all directions. The third turned clear water red as it tore through armor and flesh with terrible ease.

The last transformed the dodo into a puff of feathers.

"Whawk!" An angry bird squawked.

The closest phantasm turned then leapt at her. Sylvia danced to the side, petals scattering beneath her feet. She was faster and more mobile than the creature. "■." With a single sound, the asteri conjured a barrier. Water hit water. Sylvia's shield scattered, absorbing the final dodo's elemental bullet.

Then the scythe swung back, taking the poor creature's life.

Leaving one lucky survivor.

The angry, blue and pink feathered bird didn't understand the meaning of morale. Instead, it leapt again, long legs swinging through air. A misty blade formed under its claws, sweeping the sky with its motion.

"~■"

Sylvia converted her broken shield into a torrent. The pillar of clear liquid struck the dodo head on, flinging it back into the forest.

Who said water can't fight water?

Pooft!

The scythe finished its circle, reaping her final foe's life.

"Advanced magic is so awesome," Sylvia crowed to herself. "■■■ ■■, ■■■ ■■, ■■■ ■■."

The asteri waved her staff, incanting the same spell three times. This was a lifestyle magic with one function. When cast on a corpse, it would strip the meat and stabilize the essence. It was less efficient and versatile than a skilled butcher, but way more convenient.

Sylvia let the other four dodos dissolve into delicious experience points.

"That should be the last group in the area," she said to herself.

Ignoring the comically scattered chicken thighs, Sylvia slapped a paper seal on a small tree. The talisman quickly sank into the wood. From now on, the tree would serve as a vector for the enchantment.

Despite the unassuming appearance, this tree was her true target. It had the densest essence of any individual object within a two hundred-meter radius. That made it the best place to anchor her warding circle. Sylvia felt the air thrum as the magic took effect, the impact quickly fading into the background. The law boundary was complete. From now on, phantasms should steer clear of Sylvia's base.

Sylvia stooped to picked up her meat. She tossed the thighs into a cloth sack. This was an actual bag, not a space bag. Her inventory was already stuffed to the brim and her Witch-Princess Dress was sorely lacking in pockets.

Seriously, who thought having no pockets was a good idea?

Humming to herself, the silver-haired witch made the half kilometer march back to her base.

The stifling heat fell away as she neared the beach. Soon, Sylvia found herself in a clearing. Over the last week, she'd chopped down all the trees near her cave's entrance, both for wood and visibility. A totem was set outside her cave door, an adventuring item that served the same purpose as the warding circle she'd just erected.

Sylvia didn't take it down. Safety comes in layers.

The witch pulled open a crude oval door. She'd make a better one later.

"I'm home!" she shouted. The witch paused, then questioned. "Did anything terrible happen while you were out?" "Just a few phantasms, nothing I couldn't handle. Look, I brought meat."

Sylvia dangled a chicken thigh before her imaginary audience.

Then, she sighed. "I can't even f – fudging cook it."

Whew. At the last second, Sylvia caught herself. That blasted item was coming off her tongue eventually!

Sylvia walked down the hall to stop beside the resurrection pool.

The entire room had been restructured. Five short steps brought her down into a smoothed, stone lagoon. Sylvia had spent several days compacting the essence to ensure the basin would hold the amniotic fluid. Over the next few weeks, she'd have to check it repeatedly. Newly formed objects had a tendency to revert.

Especially, if the material they were made from had been recently transformed.

A frustrating limit to rapid construction.

Sylvia tossed the chicken on the floor. Without knowing how to cook, she couldn't eat it. So, the best use of the blood essence was to feed her pool. After, the asteri checked the giant, brass bowl at the center. A dribble spilled over the lip, forming a puddle on the ground below.

Sylvia sighed. "I really need to set up ether channels."

Along with a second array of enchantments. Sylvia would only truly feel safe when death had been reduced to a twenty-four-hour affair.

Her nose scrunched. "The real question is, why is my quest still incomplete?"

She pulled up the System window in annoyance.

Quest: Gamer's Heaven

Four thousand years ago, the Fifth Piece obtained three world trees from the Fey Federation. One was destroyed by Heaven. Another was claimed by the Tenth Piece, its whereabouts unknown. The last remains hidden, left behind for any fragment of Lucifer to discover.

Cross the starry void. Seek the hidden world tree, and set down roots on the plane beneath.

Quest Reward * 1500 Merit Points * Grasp the World Tree Objectives [x] Build a compass [link] [x] Obtain an astral ship [x] Find the minor plane created by the world tree [ ] Build a simple base

She was on the plane. She had a base. She even had a resurrection pool! Was it not safe enough? Or did the damn System refuse to cough up its reward while her pool was mostly empty?

"Good thing I stuck with Lady Vallenfelt's orders," Sylvia grumbled in disgust.

Sylvia had spent her recently accumulated merit points to learn Advanced Combat Magic. But, before that, she'd used a skill book on Introduction to Magical Construction. Originally, she'd planned to reverse the order, thinking that Gamer's Heaven would be in the bag.

Now, she was glad she'd held off.

Not that it would've made more than a two-day difference.

Sighing, Sylvia buckled down and refreshed all the stabilization spells throughout her house. The essence was starting to settle. Though, if she wanted walls of good, solid stone she'd need to gather rock and shape it into place.

Speaking of which….

"Maybe I need to reinforce the walls of my pool."

Ugh. She really hoped not.

Sylvia headed back out. Against the rocky walls of her home, the witch had piles of stone and lumber. She had harvested both from the jungle surrounding. Next to them was a wicker rocking chair set upon flattened grass.

Lazily, Sylvia took a seat. She swayed comfortably, enjoying the cooler air found near the beach.

After a few minutes, the asteri picked up a rune stylus before fishing out a lump of void rock from the crate beside her. Using her ki, Sylvia shaped the lump into a condensed brick. Her wand swished, drawing runes before passing them through a magi-scope.

While she worked, Sylvia gazed out into the starry void. There, the Utrecht floated, safe within its harbor. The churning gyre far in the distance made the stars twinkle like a shimmering curtain. Against this sheet of black rolled a massive island. It swept across the horizon, sending the chaos into wild reverberations.

Suddenly, the still ship danced in the harbor. For a moment, Sylvia feared she'd have to rush out and help it. But, after a while, the Utrecht settled back into place.

"I dub you Nemesis," Sylvia declared, relaxing back into her seat. The chair rocked lightly, perfectly sized for her tiny body. "Hmm, what I need to do next is figure out where I'm going to build the gate."

-oOo-

Beastiary

Rattle Cobra

Species: Reptile Phantasm

Lv: 350

Hp/Mp: 1590 / 430

Atk/Def: 415 / 100

Celerity: 170%

Exp: 3374

A large serpent with vivid green scales and the hood of a cobra. Its core is placed in its throat and is guarded by thick ribs. This snake has a rattle on its tail akin to that of a rattlesnake. The organ is used to emit an area of effect sonic/psychic attack. The rattle cobra is quite fast and graceful, much like a normal snake, despite its size. This makes the phantasm exceptionally dangerous.

Rattle cobras can be found in most forest or jungle territories of the Cloud Island Wilderness. They are never found in cold, snow covered territories. They are rare in mountainous terrains.

The rattle cobra's preferred combat tactic is to use its rattle to debilitate its foe and then engage with a combination of bites and venom spit.

Abilities/Traits:

Large – This beast is big, granting ~20% Size Reduction to inappropriately scaled attacks

Venom Spit – 50 mp – Shoots out an acidic venom up to 200 meters, 400 attack, bypasses most armor

Sickening Rattle – 5 mp/sec – Dazes all targets within a 30 meter radius. Stops during physical actions.

Wet Feather Dodo

Species: Bird Phantasm

Lv: 100

Hp/Mp: 250 / 350

Atk/Def: 120 / 30

Celerity: 135%

Exp: 250

A feathered bird, typically white or blue as their main color with the feathers often tipped with pink or other bright colors. As a water affinity phantasms, the wet feather dodo naturally likes to live near rivers and lakes, but can be found all throughout the Cloud Island Wilderness. They move in flocks of 3 to 30. Advanced versions of this creature are unheard of.

The wet feather dodo will flee from powerful predators but will attack any other creature. As the world logic doesn't recognize demons as powerful predators, the dodo will attack intruding demons relentlessly.

Abilities/Traits:

Water Skin – 60 mp – Forms an armor barrier for 1 minute. +300 hp

Water Bullet – 50 mp – Shoots a semi tracking bullet of water. Range 100 meters. Attack 325. Pierce 50.

Water Claw – 35 mp – Expands a sword-like blade from the claws, +200 attack, 50 pierce.

Blink Lizard

Species: Reptile Phantasm

Lv: 190

Hp/Mp: 635 / 260

Atk/Def: 175 / 60

Celerity: 170%

Exp: 623

A striped creature resembling a large monitor lizard with a mass of around 150 kilograms. Its scales naturally blend into most terrains. The blink lizard has an internal gland that supports its teleport, reducing mana costs by 75% if conducted no more than once every 30 seconds.

Abilities/Traits:

Piercing Tongue – Shoots out a 10 meter tongue. 175% attack.

Blink – 15/60 mp – Silently teleport to any space within 15 meters.

Cloud Island Eagle

Species: Bird Phantasm

Lv: 220

Hp/Mp: 480 / 395

Atk/Def: 200 / 30

Celerity: 210%

Exp: 784

An eagle found in the mountainous regions of the plane. The cloud island eagle travels in small groups of one to seven. Rarely are they found in flocks larger. This phantasm attacks using bladed feather figments thrown from its wings, though it can still use its claws or beak if necessary.

Each cloud island eagle masses 50 kilograms with a five-meter wingspan. They zealously guard their territory and react particularly violently to anyone who dares fly through it. Because of this, given the right circumstances, it is possible to encounter hundreds or even thousands of these eagles at the same time.

The cloud island eagle has a horizontal flight speed of 140 km/h.

Abilities/Traits:

Molten Feather – Fires a shotgun of feathers. 135% attack, 70% defense, 100 pierce.

Flame Wing – 1 mp/s – Lights themselves on fire for a buff. +15% attack and speed.

Fiery Rebirth – If killed, Hp will be swapped for Mp. Rebirth staggers them for 3 seconds.

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