"Who... what... are those things?" Rae asked, looking at one of the zombified people that was slowly dragging a dead body upstairs.
"Oh, you can see them?" I questioned with mild surprise. "But, then again, your affinity with Magic is quite high. Tell me, what do they look like to you?"
"Like shadows... but solid. I can see them dragging the dead away... into the darkness," she replied.
"Not bad for someone with your limited training. Those 'shadows' are also dead, but unlike the bodies that you see around you, there was enough darkness in their heart that the ritual affected them differently."
"'Differently' how?" she asked.
I chuckled and shook my head, retorting, "Now, now... I've already setup our game and slightly broken the rules with how much I've already told you. Just wait until we reach the next level and you break through the trial up there, then I'll tell you."
Rae clicked her tongue with annoyance, but did not argue as she knew I would not give in. Instead, she looked around and tried to find the priests, though she quickly realized that her eyes were not enough, so she closed them. I nodded my head in approval as she spread out her telekinesis slowly and carefully, using a technique I had taught her.
With decades of practice, telekinesis was her strongest form of Magic, yet when I met her, she was using it in an incredibly crude way due to her powerful mana core. Since she always had ample mana, she had never learned to refine her technique and simply used a brute-force method to wield it; something I was quick to rectify once she agreed to my lessons. What she was doing now was spreading out her telekinesis as if it was her own fingers reaching out in the darkness, giving her mental feedback of what was around her, but she was smart about it. By going slowly, her focus was on her mana as much as it was on what she was 'feeling', which helped protect her from the leeching effects of the Dark Ritual, though she could not completely negate it.
"Found them," she remarked, opening her eyes once more.
"Good job. Lead on," I replied, rolling over on my 'bed' of mana, so that I was 'laying' on my stomach.
Rae shook her head with exasperation, but did not comment. Instead, she walked forward while retracting most of her mana, though four 'strands' remained strong, focused on the four priests. Surprisingly, the closest to us was Golden Sun, who had gone to the left as Rae went to the right, but it seemed that he was traveling through the 'maze' of the ritual runes in an effort to understand the spell clinging to the building.
"Golden Sun!" Rae called out, drawing his attention to both of us.
"Mesmer and... Miss Zarra. I am... glad that you are doing okay and able to resist the influence of the Dark Ritual," he said with a note of surprise and annoyance, though he did his best to hide it.
"I've located your companions, if you need assistance in finding them," Rae offered.
"I can 'see' through the dark fog to find them, but my attention is on the ritual runes so that I can unravel the spell," he replied.
"I wouldn't recommend that. There are numerous traps inlayed in the ritual spell, so even if you successfully manage to unravel this part of the ritual, the next floor and the one after that, and the one following that... will become weaker and weaker until it finally triggers the spell to summon the 'demon', or much more likely, you'll trigger the summoning by falling into one of the traps. This wasn't your typical Dark Magic practitioner that set up this ritual; they knew exactly what they were doing," I said with a rare seriousness to my voice.
"Then what do you suggest?" Golden Sun asked.
"We start on the top floor, the 'center' and most protected part of the ritual. By unraveling that first, where all of the energy is being directed to, we will significantly weaken the summoning ritual and, if we can unravel more of the ritual before the summoning is complete, it will be weakened even further," I analyzed matter-of-factly.
He frowned, but did not argue as he weighed my words. It seemed that he had already noticed a few unique runes that were 'out of place' by his usual understanding, which was why he took me so seriously.
"I understand and agree. Our priority is to minimize the danger of the summoning ritual more than anything else," he agreed.
"Good, on to the next one, Mesmer," I said with a wave of my hand and rolled over on my back, so that I would not have to look at the dead littering the ground.
Rae simply shook her head and led the way towards the next clergyman. While he could resist the compulsion to 'rest', he was still helpless to the 'maze' effect which caused him to wander around aimlessly, slowly drawn upwards into the deeper levels of the ritual where the trials became stronger. Only Rae could directly navigate the first floor through her telekinesis, as Golden Sun's technique only allowed him to 'see the truth' in a five-foot radius, so she was left to guide the group to gather all of the priests, and then up stairs.
[Keep your 'eyes' open on this floor. You'll want to be careful.] I warned Rae silently as she started up the stairs.
She glanced back at me over her shoulder, but did not say anything or ask what I meant as she was used to my 'teaching' methods. As each person crossed the midway point on the stairs, a new subtle illusion drew their minds into another fantasy while a new spell wrapped around them, draining their vitality, and especially making them feel hungry. Of course, I ignored the effects of the spell, but it was entertaining to watch how all five of them were drawn in, even Golden Sun.
In the illusion, the five of them walked through towering golden doors, and their breath caught in their throat. The buffet hall stretched endlessly before them, bathed in a warm, amber glow cast by crystal chandeliers that hung like floating stars above the marble floor. Gilded pillars rose like ancient monuments, framing long tables draped in embroidered linens and overflowing with a dizzying array of delicacies. Silver trays steamed with roasted pheasant, honey-glazed duck, and saffron-laced lamb. Mountains of seafood shimmered on beds of crushed ice, lobster tails, oysters, and plump shrimp arranged like edible sculptures.
The air was thick with the perfume of spices and fresh bread, sweet fruits, and sugared confections. Towering chocolate fountains gurgled beside walls lined with cakes in every imaginable flavor; each slice layered with jewel-toned preserves and cloud-like creams. Somewhere, a string quartet played a melody that barely rose above the soft hum of conversation and clinking glasses. They wandered, wide-eyed, past pyramids of exotic cheeses, crystal bowls of caviar, and rare wines decanted by white-gloved servers. It was a feast out of dreams, endless, impossible, and magnificent... and, also, all a lie.
The gilded pillars were just the structural posts that had once been encased within the walls that were now torn down. Unlike the first floor, the floor was surprisingly clean. Dozens of tables had been arranged in a similar layout to the buffet, but there were no delicacies that were laid out on them. Several of the undead minions of the ritual were working along the walls, chopping up the dead and dumping the pieces on platters that would be carried over to the banquet tables. There were about three dozen people entranced and sitting at the tables, eating from the bloodied plates... and the four clergymen and Rae were being drawn into the trap.
Part of the illusion spell twisted their short-term memories, so none of them questioned why they were suddenly in a lavish buffet, but Rae was still following my warning by keeping her telekinesis active. While her eyes and nose were telling her one story, her telekinesis was painting a very different picture which allowed her to resist most of the influence from the spell as it caused a conflict in her mind. Again, to break free completely, she forced herself into a meditative state and began the refinement technique I taught her. For the clergymen, just as they started to reach for the 'food', their robes released a burst of mana which repelled the illusionary spell.
Rae, upon realizing what was happening around her, immediately became ill and vomited off to the side. Even the clergymen could not help but go pale as they realized just how close to danger they had come, though they could handle the revulsion better than Rae.
I chuckled and remarked, "Fancy gear, but my student was able to break through the illusion with her own power."
"Is that your focus right now?!?" the palest of the clergymen yelled in anger.
"Why not? These challenges can't affect me anyways, so why not focus on my wonderful student?" I retorted as Rae continued to empty her stomach due to the stench and disgusting nature of this trial.
"She doesn't look so wonderful to me," another commented under his breath, but I heard him all the same.
"Strip off those robes and see how long you last, clergyman," I said with disdain. "She may not be used to the environment, but her skill with magic outstrips even Golden Sun since she did not need equipment to free herself."
"It is good that Mesmer can free herself from this taint," Golden Sun said before anyone else could comment, trying to defuse the situation. "I hope that you and she can resist the stronger effects. I allowed my arrogance to cloud my judgement and did not have my full shields active as it drains my energy, but this is clearly more than a Grade Six Infestation as we thought from the outside. Aaron, keep your enchantments at full force and retreat to the jet then call the Church and give the 'Reckoning' code to amass our forces. Just as Miss Zarra said, this is not an average Dark Magic Ritual. Even if we can shut this ritual down right now, it already has enough power to summon a Greater Demon! The rest of you, channel your Faith into your robes and pendants; if you start running low on energy, retreat outside the building. This is not up for discussion; we cannot allow this ritual to gain any more energy!"
I could not help but smirk with approval as Golden Sun finally understood the true dangers of this ritual. The youngest looking priest grimaced, but bowed slightly to Golden Sun then channeled his mana into gear and walked back towards the stairs. While the others also activated their equipment, I floated closer to Rae and placed a hand on her back as I casted a calming spell over her, followed by a minor illusion to help with her disgust.
Rae wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said, "Thanks, Asynia... but why are they... feeding them... people?"
"Simple; cannibalism among sentient beings carries a heavy negative Karma weight, which allows the ritual to draw out more of its victims energy, thereby strengthening itself," I explained.
"You have a deep understanding of Dark Magic, it seems, Miss Zarra," Golden Sun commented.
"I have a deep understanding of most forms of Magic," I retorted with a cocky smirk.
"Then I will be grateful for your assistance with this righteous duty," Golden Sun replied with a polite bow of his head, which meant a lot to the arrogant prick.
I clicked my tongue with annoyance and complained, "It's no fun taunting you when you act humble and know your place."
Despite his face remaining neutral, there was a strong flash of anger within Golden Sun, and his remaining priests all shot me a glare, but I just chuckled. Golden Sun kept them from starting an argument by directing everyone towards the stairs. Before I followed, I snapped my fingers to cast a sleep spell on the people entranced which caused all of them to slump to the ground; it would not save them from the draining effects, but it would prevent them from gaining anymore negative Karma. My actions did not go unnoticed, so the rest of our group looked at me with surprise, though in Golden Sun's eyes, there was a trace of fear as well. It seemed he had a weakness for Mental Magic, which was likely why he had multiple artifacts to protect himself, so he could not help but wonder if I could get past those artificial defenses... which, of course I could, heh.