Spell Weaver-Chapter 92: The Mana Tap

The drive to New Platz had taken longer than Alex expected. Between Mark’s insistence on a pitstop and Sarah’s commentary on the changes to the world outside of the Safe Zone, they’d arrived well after sundown. But, as Mark pulled into the parking lot, Alex had to admit that the bar seemed to be worth the wait.

The converted warehouse looked awesome in the early night, with its bright blue neon sign and long line of activity. Weathered brick stretched up at least three stories, and the building’s industrial look was softened by the strings of hanging blue lights that reminded Alex of experience motes. The biggest draw, though, was the sign over the entrance. Something about it drew his senses. Almost like he could see the glow differently in both his normal and Heavenly Eye.

“Mana Tap,” Mark read aloud as they walked across the gravel parking lot. “Love the name. Though I’m still not sure why we had to drive all the way out here when there are plenty of bars just inside the Safe Zone near us.”

“Because Olivia recommended it,” Sarah said as he adjusted her jacket. “And after the last two weeks of Rift diving, I think we’ve earned a proper night out.”

Alex led his friends past the queue, feeling awkward as he heard the grumbles and saw pointed looks from those waiting in line. As they approached the entrance, a mountain of a man stepped forward, his massive arms crossed over his chest.

Out of habit, Alex scanned the man.

Trey Wilson - Level 6

Primary Stat: Strength: 12

Secondary Stat: Constitution: 8

Tertiary Stat: Agility: 7

Most Used Abilities: Intimidation (Novice) Strong Arm (Novice) ****Shout (Novice)

He couldn’t help it as his eyebrow raise upon seeing how much information he was given. He was significantly higher leveled than the man, but Alex had already scanned other, lower-level people before and hadn’t seen this much information before.

Is this my body- the eye, adapting and catching up to my Willpower? Eura said it could take some time, but I thought I’d already achieved that.

He wondered, if that was the case, how much more information he’d be getting in another 10-20 levels. With his Willpower’s growth so accelerated from his trait, he’d soon be several times higher than anyone around him could possibly be.

Shit, I’ve pretty much got everything on this guy already, other than his social and credit card number.

He kept his face neutral, though he wanted to snicker at his own childish joke.

“Evening,” Alex said. “Uh, Olivia said to come talk to you about getting in.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, then widened in recognition. “You’re Alex, then? You’re smaller than I thought you would be.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

“Yeah, I’m Alex.”

There was a moment as the man looked at the list and nodded. “This is your team?” He made a show of counting them up.

“That’s us,” Mark grinned, clapping Alex on the shoulder and leaning forward.

The bouncer nodded, a smile crossed his face as he stepped aside. “Enjoy your evening.”

They entered, and Alex saw Mark sizing the other man up.

His friend leaned over and whispered, “See, I told you I shouldn’t have put so many of my Free Points in Constitution. He looks way bigger than me. Did you see the size of that guy’s arms?”

Ignoring him, Alex looked at the inside of the bar when they entered. The din of conversation and clinking glasses washed over them, and he swept his eyes across the busy scene. He took in the high ceilings dotted with floating orbs that provided a steady golden light, while a few of them flickered in a way that reminded Alex of a candle.

Modern music played from an overhead speaker system and he saw that the bar itself was full to the point that people were standing one to two people deep. There were screens over the bar, which some watched, though most chatted and laughed over their drinks.

There were bottles of liquor lining the shelves behind the bar, backed by a mirror and lit from below, which caused many of the bottles to glow. Interestingly, just like the sign out front, Alex noted that a few of the bottles glowed with the faintest traces of mana.

Magical booze?

Alex snorted, intrigued by what magically spiked liquor might taste like.

His gaze shifted across the room, and he noticed several groups gathered at various tables and booths. He was startled to see a purple hawk flutter its wings and settle on an adventurer's shoulder. To his Heavenly Eye, he could tell that it was a magical creature, and he felt a strong desire to go and talk to the man about his companion. He hadn't seen many others with a bond, and it was amazing to know that there was at least one other in the local area of the Guild.

“This place is awesome!” Mark said, his eyes wide while trying to take everything in.

“Told you it’d be worth the drive,” Olivia said as she appeared from the crowd next to them and laughed at Mark’s facial expression. “Come on, I got us a table over here.” She grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled him along to the far side of the room.

“No, Sam?” Olivia called as they got to the table, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd.

“No, he stayed at the house with Val,” Alex called back while leaning forward.

“What?” she asked while leaning in to hear him better.

“No, he-” Alex frowned and looked around. It took only a few seconds and a quick pulse of his mana to set up the sound-reducing ritual, though he didn’t put the full power into it, thinking that it would be weird to be sitting in a bubble of silence in such chaos. Plus, Sarah seemed to enjoy the music as she bobbed her head up and down and looked at the surrounding crowd.

“Woah,” Mark and Olivia said at the same time as the sound became muted, as if being heard from underwater.

“No,” Alex started again in a normal tone, as if nothing happened, “he stayed at the house with Val. He was bummed at first, but then Mark convinced him that the downtime was good. Going from Rift to Rift has meant that he hasn’t gotten to use his class skill much.”

“Flourish? Oh, cool. So he’s going to work on the courtyard a bit?”

“Yeah,” Alex answered while looking at the menu on the table.

“How did Val take it?”

Mark snorted and looked over at the dark-haired woman. “About how you’d expect. As soon as Alex said he couldn’t come, he threw a mini temper tantrum.” When Alex shook his head, Mark continued. “Alex just did the same thing I did with Sam, though. He gave him something to work on, and it perked the little dude right up.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow, and Alex shrugged. “I told him that if he wanted to come to places like this with us, he would need to be able to hide if needed. I didn’t really know if they would let companions in, so…”

“Ah, and since his skill still can’t hide his larger form, he’s going to stay and work on the skill?”

Alex nodded and Sarah offered to go grab drinks for everyone.

As soon as she walked away, another large man walked into the bubble around their table. “Well! If it isn’t-” He stopped abruptly and looked around. “Holy shit, what’s that?”

Olivia began to answer, but before she could, he took a step backward, then forward once again. His eyes lit up, and he repeated the action several more times before refocusing on the group.

“I’ll be damned, that’s a pretty bit of magic. Can you make those things permanent? It’s so strange to say those words… Anyway, you must be the Guild’s rising stars!” He let out a breath and adjusted his heavy frame as he held out his hand.

Alex looked at the man’s genuine and wide smile. He exuded an easy social expertise that Alex had always envied.

“Jasper,” Olivia greeted him warmly. “Thanks for the invite. These are my friends I was telling you about.” She gave him a hug and gestured at the other three.

“Anything for my favorite troublemaker, eh?” Jasper winked. “You must be Alex,” he extended his hand once again. “Jasper Bronson, owner of this fine establishment. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Alex shook his hand, noting the firm grip. “Olivia loves to talk about you guys and Liam. Glad to finally meet with you.”

They all greeted Jasper, and Alex took a quick liking to the man. Regardless of his and his wife’s close relationship with Olivia, he could see himself enjoying the atmosphere the man had. It was a different kind of Charisma compared to Andrew, the first Guild recruiter he’d met or his brother, who he felt was only friendly at a surface level. They almost had an excess of energy and used it for social purposes and could steer a conversation in almost any way they wanted unless you were willing to try to match their energy.

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While Jasper was loud and cursed frequently, he often wanted those in the group to speak or steer the conversation before he moved on to another group. It was a great fit as a host and owner of a new bar.

“Come on, let me show you guys to your booth.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that. We’re just fine right here, Jas,” Olivia said.

“Nonsense. You guys are getting the VIP treatment. Now, let’s go. First round is on the house.” Jasper waved his hand and turned to walk out of the silencing bubble before Olivia could continue to protest.

Mark smiled. “I like him!” He nudged Olivia as he walked out first, following the man.

“Ugh, I knew he’d be like this.” Olivia covered her face with her hands.

They moved across the bar once again, and Alex waved down Sarah as she started to make her way back to the other table with the drinks. They all settled into a comfortable circular booth. Jasper leaned against the flat end of the booth. “So, what do you think of the place?”

“It’s incredible,” Sarah said, her eyes still roaming the room. “How did you come up with the concept?”

“Well, I used to run a restaurant in the city. But when they started announcing all of that Safe Zone nonsense, my wife and I picked up and moved.”

“Wait, you volunteered to move out of the Safe Zone?”

“Ah.” Olivia held out her hand hesitantly, but Jasper’s confident voice rose over the volume of the room more naturally than hers.

“Of course, wouldn’t trust any more of my family to this shady-ass administration. Plus, we love what Olivia is doing with the guild and figured that there would still need to be a place to wet the tongue even if it’s not in the ‘safe zone,’” he used his fingers to make air quotes.

“Are you not concerned about the Rift Breaks?”

From his position, Alex could see Olivia stand up behind Jasper and begin moving her hands back and forth as a clear signal to end the conversation.

“Not going to let those air heads lull us into a false sense of safety again, if we get attacked by monsters out here unprepared, then it’ll just be my fault, not the failed promise of safety from some shmuck in a suit.”

“Ahh… I see…” Sarah said, clearly put off and unsure of how to answer.

“The place looks great, Jas, seriously. Thanks for the invite. Can Alex use his magic to set up another bubble?” Olivia asked, easily changing the conversation.

“Sure. We discourage the use of skills in the bar, but I’ll let Trey and his boys know that this is fine.”

He moved away and waved over his shoulder, “Welcome to the Mana Tap. Alex, get my number from Olivia. If you can make more of those magic bubbles, I’d love to hire you!”

After he was gone and Alex had reestablished the ritual, everyone looked at Olivia. “What was that about?” Mark asked.

Alex had an idea of what the man was referring to, and Olivia’s next few sentences confirmed it.

“I don’t mind telling you guys, but I don’t want this to be the focus of tonight. So I’ll spill the quick story, and then we move on and have some drinks and a good time. Got it?” Everyone nodded, and she continued. “Well, before this, I was living up in Maryland with my best friend. Emily and I were friends for years, and after she split with her husband and had Liam all by herself, I lived with them to help with rent and have a place to crash. She was Jasper’s daughter. Back in October, in the woods near our town, a Rift was seen. At first no one believed it was real, then the military showed up a few days later and quarantined everything off.

“They wouldn’t let anyone near, and after a week or two, they told everyone that it was handled and wouldn’t be a problem. Another week after that and there was a Rift break. Turns out that they hadn’t entered the Rift at all, so none of the monsters were being culled. The break caught all of the researchers that were still on site off-guard and some of them spilled into our town. When a huge insect monster burst into our apartment, Emily died almost instantly. When the thing was trying to get at Liam in the kitchen, I grabbed a knife and killed it in our kitchen.

“After that, I moved down here close to the Bronsons so that Liam could be with his grandparents. That’s really all there is to it.”

There was some somber silence, filled by the muted music and conversation from around them.

Sarah leaned forward with a soft expression on her face. “Olivia, I… I had no idea. I didn’t realize, I thought-” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. Both for what happened and for… well, for the times I was arguing with you without understanding.”

Olivia gave her a small smile and mumbled a thanks, though she clearly wanted the conversation to move on.

Mark coughed and then raised the bottle that Sarah had brought him. “To closing that water Rift!” he grinned. “And to two weeks of kicking ass in the Teams Event!”

They clinked bottles, the tension of the last few weeks melting away as they enjoyed the bar's atmosphere. As they drank and everyone felt the warm embrace of their drinks, the conversation flowed easily, and the awkward feelings from Olivia’s story melted away. Alex caught Sarah looking at her intently with a considering look on her face, and Alex nudged her under the table and shook his head. She gave him a look but let the matter drop.

He knew that the tension between the two wouldn’t be completely fixed, but Sarah was remarkably understanding. Especially when it came to people’s trauma. For her, learning that Olivia’s distrust and dislike of the government came from something so recent and personal, he was certain that she’d lay off some of the grandstanding.

“I still can’t believe you managed to redirect that whirlpool,” Mark said, shaking his head.

Alex smiled and allowed his own thoughts to be pulled to the present while raising his hands. “I really wasn’t sure I could. But it was a team effort, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to if you guys hadn’t kept that squid off of me.”

“Speaking of team efforts,” Olivia interjected, pulling out her phone, “Have you seen the latest rankings?”

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They huddled around the small screen as he lay it flat on the table. They scanned the list of teams and scores. Alex felt an odd mix of pride and disappointment as he saw their position.

“Hey, seventh is pretty damn good!” Olivia said to the table while squeezing his hand under the table as if she knew his thoughts. “Especially considering how new the team is.”

“Seriously, that’s awesome!” Mark said enthusiastically. “And we’re improving every day. Still two weeks to go. There’s a good chance we hit top five, for sure.”

Another hour or so passed with everyone talking about their favorite adventure from the last two weeks. Alex was mid-laugh at one of Mark’s jokes when he spotted familiar faces entering the bar. Rylan and his team walked in, their matching jackets and clearly physical-oriented builds making them look like they were military. Their confident demeanor drew a few curious glances from nearby patrons.

“Heads up,” Alex muttered, nodding towards the newcomers.

As Rylan’s group made their way to the bar, Alex scanned the large warrior. He was surprised when his attempt failed. It wasn’t that he saw question marks, as he did when he tried to scan Eura by accident in the cave. Rather, there was just nothing.

Frowning, Alex focused and pushed his Will against the wall he felt. It reminded him of the time he’d done so by pushing against the ritual schematic in his office. Wary of having such a poor reaction again, Alex didn’t push as hard and did so carefully. Luckily, it took minimal effort to push through whatever block was there, and the next moment, Rylan’s status appeared as if nothing had happened.

Rylan Voss - Level 29

Class: Bruiser

Primary Stat: Strength

Secondary Stat: Willpower

Most Used Ability: Intimidating Presence

As he read the status, and felt shock wash over him like cold water. Rylan hissed and stepped back from the bar. He shook his hand as if he’d burned it and looked down at the back of his hand. Alex found the movement odd. The very next moment, the man was standing to his full height and looking around the bar.

29? How the hell is he leveling so quickly? The Epic Rift?

He wanted to kick himself. He’d asked Elana during the New Year’s party if Rylan had access to a high rarity Rift, not even thinking about the fact that he was handing the man’s sister an Epic one on a silver platter.

Of course, he’d get some kind of special treatment. That’s probably why he’s been playing so nice with everyone.

It wasn’t long before Rylan spotted them, and a smile spread across his face as he turned and approached their table with a drink in hand.

“Well, look who it is,” the blonde man said. His tone was friendly enough but with an undercurrent of something Alex couldn’t quite place. “Mind if we join you for a few?”

Before anyone could respond, Rylan slid into the booth, bumping his larger frame into Mark with a gentle nudge. His team followed him over after a few seconds and hung back within earshot. Alex looked down at the two ornate rings on Rylan’s fingers, each bearing a sun emblem, and the one on his middle finger seemed to rest on freshly burned, red, and irritated skin.

“So, Alex,” Rylan continued, taking a sip of his drink, “how’s the competition going for the group that seems to have everyone’s attention? Getting the hang of things?”

“We’re doing alright,” Alex replied, putting on an easy smile and raising an eyebrow. He glanced at Olivia, who looked immediately tired, and Sarah, whose eyes were slightly squinted looking at the man as he slurred his words.

Rylan nodded, and there was a brief flicker of frustration or anger that Alex could see in his eyes, though it was quickly brought to heel. His smile returned quickly. “Seventh, if it’s still the same? Not bad for a new team, but I really thought you guys would be higher. You know, Alex, leading a team can be tricky. It takes a certain kind of person to really excel at it.”

Mark shifted in his seat, clearly annoyed.

“What are you getting at, Rylan? You’re drunk. Don’t come over here and stir up shit,” Olivia said.

Rylan held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Was just gonna offer some friendly advice. This competition is looking tough, and not everyone’s cut out for leading a team to the top. You’ve got a lot of leadership potential, Olivia. My sister sees it.”

Things may have turned into more of an argument if Jasper hadn’t chosen that moment to return to their table for Olivia. “Hey guys, mind if I steal Olivia for a second?”

Rylan stood, deciding that he’d said his piece. “Nice catching up. Keep working hard, I’m sure you can catch up.” He held up his hand and showed it to Alex with a raised eyebrow. “I’m assuming that was you. Hope you know it’s rude to scan someone like that, but… I’m sure you liked what you saw.” He mouthed the word ‘plateau’ and with a final nod to the group, he rejoined his team and even over the sounds of the bar, Alex could hear two of them laughing as they walked back to the bar.

As Rylan walked away, Alex let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He looked around at his friends, seeing a mix of annoyance and concern on their faces.

"Well," Mark said, breaking the tension, "I think someone needs to explain the concept of 'friendly advice' to that guy."

The group chuckled, the mood lightening once again as Olivia was pulled away with Jasper to meet some of his friends and new customers. Alex found it hard to pull his thoughts from a darker space and despite all the talking he’d done with Olivia the week before, the feelings of falling behind were continuing to intensify.

During a lull in the conversation, he shared his plan with the group. “Alright, next week I’m going to be working pretty much nonstop on learning some of those advanced rituals. If I can, I’ll probably try to revisit the runes, too. I remember them mentioning some concepts about Activation Methods. It would be amazing if I could apply some of that same theory to my rituals.”

He knew he should focus on one thing at a time, but since he wasn’t willing to sacrifice the time with his friends and their progression for his own, he’d just need to make more time for his own.

Sleep really is optional, isn’t it? It just feels like such a waste of time.

“Nice, yeah! Also, at the end of next week, since we’ll be going into the last week, I say we take an inventory.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

“Like, we have all been getting a bunch of loot and showing each other. But the System can give some really random rewards. We should pile it all together and take a look at what we all got. I don’t know about you guys, but we’ve all gotten close to ten System rewards from Personal Quests and Rift Quests for the five Rifts we’ve helped close in the last two weeks. That’s a Rift closing every two or three days, with a few days to rest in between. If we think about doing the same number or a bit more in the last two weeks, then we’re going to have a huge haul to go through! Let’s figure out what we want to keep and what we should sell on the Auction House.”

“That’s… a great idea,” Sarah said with a nod. The next moment, everyone was looking at Alex.

“Yeah,” he gave a shrug. “Sounds like a great idea to me. Everyone can split the profits from whatever we sell and grab the items they think will work best for them. We’ve been getting a lot of Mana Stones, too, so we can make sure Val gets his fair share.”

“Nice!” Mark said, slapping his hand on the table and smiling. “Loot party!”