Chapter 287: Training Under the Shadow of War

The day dragged on under a tension so sharp it felt like a wire stretched to the breaking point. Inside Haven, routine had lost its meaning; corridors and courtyards held a listening silence, every breath measured. At any moment, everyone knew, a war between factions could ignite and turn this refuge into a battlefield.

News of the mechanism, the Safe Zone, and the hidden fortress had spread like dry tinder catching fire. Luke could hardly believe that only hours ago these people had first learned of the place. Now men and women hurried through the walls with supplies and weapons, voices clipped and urgent, movements rehearsed. Fear and hope clung to the air, a sense that something historic and dangerous was about to unfold.

Haven’s leaders took the lead in negotiations, receiving newcomers, laying down rules, guiding them through the halls. But behind their composed expressions, their eyes betrayed their nerves. Bartholomew was a ghost hovering over every thought, perhaps plotting a strike at that very moment, sending assassins or spies. Strict orders had been given: no one was to leave the fortress.

By late afternoon the sky dimmed, thick gray clouds gathering overhead. Even the boldest preferred to remain behind the walls once darkness fell. Allison, steady and sharp-eyed, had taken it upon herself to guide the groups from the Safe Zone who weren’t yet part of Haven. She walked them through the fortress, pointing out halls, workshops, and hastily arranged dormitories but saying nothing of the mechanism. Her priority was to project control. These visitors would carry their impressions back to the Safe Zone, and their words would travel faster and farther than any letter.

Meanwhile, the metallic groan of gates, the clipped rhythm of boots on stone, and the low rush of whispered orders built into a symphony of vigilance. Soldiers, workers, even children seemed aware of the lurking threat. The wind threaded through the corridors, carrying the scent of freshly cut timber, weapon oil, and a faint electric tang, magic being worked without pause.

“I think we’re too far from the fortress,” Jack muttered, glancing nervously at the trees ahead. Light speared through the canopy in streaks of gold and gray, casting shadows that looked deeper, sharper, more alive.

“We’re close enough,” Luke replied, his tone calm. “Besides, their target is the fortress. Trust me, we’re safer here than the people inside those walls.”

At the head of the group, Princess Charlie moved in silence with her sword bared and catching the last scraps of sunlight. Without hesitation she cut down a boar-beast lunging from the underbrush, steel tearing through meat and leaving a metallic tang of blood mixed with the damp scent of the forest.

“He’s right about that,” Eleanor added, shifting the quiver on her back. Her gaze raked the treeline with measured precision.

Luke moved at the head of the group. “If they send anyone, it’ll be one of those lunatic assassins. But hey, we’ve got a ninja watching the place and everyone’s already in position on the towers. If a big squad comes, that idiot bird will spot them first and warn us.”

With a sharp motion, he tossed two glowing objects toward Eleanor and Jack—Skill Runes etched with faintly pulsing silver and blue symbols. They were two runes imbued with the Force Infusion skill.

Eleanor let out a low whistle, eyes widening.

“You have this kind of skill?” he asked.

“I’ve got something similar,” she said turning the rune in her hands, watching the light crawl along its lines. “Won it as an archer. Mine only lets me pour stamina into arrows. This one… this works on anything I wield as a weapon.”

Jack held his rune like it was a fallen piece of starlight. “This is dangerous… and powerful.”

“Exactly,” Luke confirmed. “It lets anyone channel stamina into their weapon and hit harder. Of course, it all depends on your control and understanding of stamina, but it’s a start.”

Ahead of them, Princess Charlie walked through the undergrowth, scouting for threats. Luke looked back at the pair. “They’re yours. Use them and you’ll gain the skill.”

“For free?” Eleanor’s brow arched.

“You’re sure about this?” Jack added, still clutching the rune like it might vanish.

Luke’s crooked smile flickered. “Free? Of course not. I’m greedy. You’ll work this off by helping defend the fortress when someone inevitably tries to kill us. But trust me, you’re better off learning now than panicking later.” The playful tone softened the edge of his words but didn’t erase it.

He glanced at the fortress rising far beyond the trees. “Seriously though, use the runes and start training before the enemy shows up. Time’s not on our side.”

Eleanor and Jack exchanged a wary look.

“I appreciate it,” Eleanor said carefully. “But I can’t take something this rare. It’d be worth a fortune back on Earth…”

Luke sighed, opened the pocket dimension of his storage item, and tossed five identical runes onto the ground. “If you’re feeling guilty, forget it. I’ve got plenty more.”

Jack blinked hard. “How did you even get these?”

“Fortress reward. Now stop stalling. Use the runes and start testing your weapons.”

No more hesitation. They crushed the runes in their palms, energy spilling through their fingers and into their bodies like a subtle electric charge, knowledge searing itself directly into their minds.

Jack exhaled, a spark of new strength in his eyes. “I’m a healer, but…” He held up his wand first, then pulled a lumberjack’s axe from his storage item. “With my profession’s cutting skills and now this skill, I can actually fight.”

“That’s the spirit.” Luke’s grin tilted sideways, equal parts approval and challenge.

They pushed deeper into the forest, each step crunching over dry leaves. The wind carried an odd blend of scents now, moss, damp wood, and dried blood. Everything felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for something to leap from the shadows.

“By the way,” Luke asked, curiosity cutting through the quiet, “does your healer class actually need a wand? I’ve seen you heal with your hands, but most mages use staffs or wands…”

“I can heal barehanded,” Jack answered, lifting his palm. A slow green glow bloomed there, spreading into a calm circle of light. He raised the wand next, and the effect doubled, brighter, faster, a spray of glittering sparks spinning off the tip. “But look at the output with the wand. Channeling magic through it amplifies everything. It’s a weapon of the Healer class.”

Luke watched closely, noting every flicker. Jack even read off the skill’s description, showing how a magical focus boosted healing spells. “The wand also gives me a bonus,” he said, passing it to Luke.

[Wooden Wand (Common)]: A simple wand issued in the Training Grounds to aspiring Healers. Despite its modest design, it channels magical energy efficiently, granting +10% casting speed to all spells cast by the wielder.

Luke turned the wand in his hands, thinking about his own skill, Mana Infusion.

[Mana Infusion (Rare)]: By channeling mana into a weapon or projectile, the impact becomes charged with concentrated arcane energy, triggering a magical explosion on contact. The more mana consumed, the more unstable and destructive the release becomes, capable of reaching extreme levels of power when pushed to the limit.

He focused, trying to infuse the wand, but nothing happened. His skill only worked by feeding mana into objects for impact, not for casting.

Jack laughed and tugged it back. “If you don’t have a casting skill, it won’t do a thing.”

It reminded Luke of his kukris and their synergy with [Advanced Blade Handling (Uncommon)]. Jack had his own equivalent, tuned to spell-channeling through wands and staves.

The path dipped into thicker shadows. From ahead came the thunder of hooves and snarls, massive boars charging through undergrowth. Eleanor and Jack tensed, weapons ready, eager to test their new Strength Infusion. Eleanor spun her blade with clean precision; Jack felt raw power surge into his axe like a fresh muscle flexing to life.

“And you?” Eleanor teased with a crooked smile. “Gonna stand there watching while we have all the fun?”

“Me?” Luke started to grin back, but then something flickered between the trees. A spectral orc stepped out, solid and silent. Morvat.

Jack and Eleanor fell back instinctively, weapons raised.

“Relax,” Luke said, voice steady. “He’s with us.”

There was no point hiding it anymore. If Bastion attacked, every hidden skill would be forced into the open anyway.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Is that a familiar?” Jack asked, eyes narrowing.

“Almost,” Luke replied. “It’s one of Charlie’s skills. While you two get used to Force Infusion, I’ll watch her fight with the orc’s help.”

***

Charlie fought to stay in sync with Morvat as they tore through the Razorboars. The orc charged barehanded, lunging at one of the beasts, snatching its foreleg and slamming it against a tree. When the creature hit the ground, Morvat leapt onto its face and began pounding. Blow after blow until the Razorboar finally went limp.

Then something happened. Something that made Luke pause.

[Princess Charlie has slain a Razorboar Lvl 12]

For a heartbeat, he froze, staring at the notification while the orc looked back at him, waiting for the next order.

“No way,” Luke muttered, realization dawning.

Charlie gained experience when the orc killed something.

The kill wasn’t empty. It counted for her.

His mind raced. Even though the orc wasn’t strong enough to bring down anything major on its own, this opened an entirely new door. Charlie could level up through her spectral soldiers. For the system it was as if she had cast the killing spell herself.

Luke kept running tests. He uncovered a few quirks like how the orc vanished if it strayed too far from her. That meant the summon was tethered to her presence; the spectral soldier could not exist without its master nearby.