B3 Chapter 299: Worries

**Ding! Latent Glyph of Eirnith Class Skill Available, would you like to proceed? This choice is pivotal and irrevocable.**

Accepting the skill, Kaius felt the cold burn of the System’s touch as a new glyph was woven into the flesh and bone of his temples — intrinsically linked to his mana and soul.

Flashed past through his mind, memories filling his mind of the curves of sacred geometry and runes he would need to reinscribe the glyph. Not that he expected that to happen — the only other times he’d had to recreate one of his glyphs from scratch had been because he’d lost the limb it was attached to.

Even with all of his advantages, he suspected surviving decapitation was still a far way off.

Besides, true mastery over its form would only come when he got the chance to practice in his upcoming spell-vision, something he was eager to jump into when he felt the notification looming.

He grinned.

“How do I look?” He opened his eyes and turned his head to show what he knew would be a dense knot of black lines the size of a coin, with a long swooping tail curving towards his ears.

“It’s going to draw some eyes, that’s for sure. No more hiding your weird rune work, now.”

That was something Kaius had thought about, but he hated the idea of turning down a glyph simply because it would reveal a few oddities about him. Hopefully, it was a non issue — by the time they returned to society they should all be collectively strong enough that he wouldn’t have to worry about getting snatched up quite so easily as last time. While there was always a bigger fish, at some point open confrontation grew too costly, visible, and expensive as you got more powerful.

They were approaching that point rapidly.

“I like it,” Kenva replied. “Almost looks like the tattoos of the coastal Hiwiann, but with a body formation bent.”

Kaius smiled about that, before he turned to Porkchop.

“What about you?”

Porkchop shrugged. “You look fierce. But you have always looked fierce, and I do not have the greatest sense of two-legged aesthetics. I know you like them, that is enough.”

Kaius gave his brother a friendly thump on the side, leaning in.

As much as he was eager to jump right into picking his spells, he knew that Porkchop would want his opinion on his own skill, and that it would be rather rude to force his brother to wait patiently while he spent a quarter-hour in the depths of a spell vision.

After a small amount of polite refusal, Porkchop read through his options, before sharing them with the team. There were a few interesting abilities, but one major stand out that his brother thought would be a brilliant addition to his abilities — something he agreed with.

Totem of the Glade. It would summon a pillar of carved jade for a significant cost of two-hundred mana and four-hundred stamina, which would provide significant enhancements to him and any ally within a certain distance of the totem — boosting all regeneration rates, as well as moderately improving their bodily toughness and base-line physical capabilities.

A fantastic addition, all things considered, though a conversation that left him itching to return to his own choices.

“Go on then, you look like you’re about to start clawing at the walls!” Porkchop eyed him with amusement.

Kaius grinned, immediately tearing open his available spells with a flicker of intent.

**Ding! Spell-hymn available for selection – Latent Glyph of Eirnith!**

Silent Speech:

Runic Hymn – Tier I (Psionic, Mental)

Affinity: Mind

Glyph: Eirnith

50 Mana

Selection Available!

This Hymn creates a link between two targets, allowing them to speak with mental communication for 30 minutes with a maximum distance of 100 longstrides. This link can be rejected. Distance and duration scale.

…

Mindspike:

Runic Hymn – Tier I (Psionic)

Affinity: Mind

Glyph: Eirnith

100 Mana

Selection Available!

This Hymn causes significant pain and mental distress to a chosen target for a duration of fifteen seconds, potentially rendering them insensate. Less effective on resistant and stronger opponents. Effects and duration scale.

…

Zone of Discombobulation:

Runic Hymn – Tier I (Psionic)

Affinity: Mind, Discord

Glyph: Eirnith

300 Mana

Selection Available!

This Hymn creates a circular zone of disorienting mind magic with a diameter of five longstrides that lasts for two minutes. Foes within the zone suffer confusion and disorientation that limits their ability to act effectively. Less effective on resistant and stronger opponents. Effects and duration scale.

…

Xien’s Quickened Thoughts:

Runic Hymn – Tier I (Mental, Senses)

Affinity: Mind, Primal

Glyph: Eirnith

150 Mana

Selection Available!

This Hymn quickens your thoughts and improves your senses, moderately slowing your perception of time for thirty seconds. Effects and duration scale.

Roving over the list, Kaius immediately discarded Silent Speech — it was of limited use to their team, considering that Porkchop could act as a message carrier. Besides, there were plenty of readily available artefacts that could be used to similar effect, and even if they were expensive, a whole spell slot was not something that money could buy.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The remainder were more interesting. One an enhancement that would make him even more of a terror in melee, and two that provided another avenue for disabling opponents.