Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

Lucan and his followers rode in a large flying carriage heading back to Shadowsweep. A second carriage flew behind them with the craftsmen.

"We all got over 1 million experience in the bank." Madlad said excitedly. "Lucan got a new eye, Silent got a pretty cool pet and Van ended up with some new boots. That, plus the level and a half we earned were well worth the trip."

"Once the transfer point is built it will be much easier to go back. You and Van haven't seen it, but I have a tunnel that goes from Shadowsweep to Avalon. I have made it so all my followers that are also in the coven can use my Shadow Tunnels."

"Ha, we now have access to a realm and a battleground." Van said excitedly.

"When we get back, I think Silent and I are going to level in the Forest of the Lost. You all are welcome to come but the creatures only go up to level 100."

"That's alright, we have some things we need to do." Madlad said.

"Spells to buy, abilities to try and what not." Lucy added.

Each of them banking so much experience was a great thing for Lucan. He hoped they would spend it quickly so he could get his 20%.

While they rode back, Lucan took a close look at his new variant spell Phantom Slash.

[Phantom Slash]

[User can imbue an illusion with the telekinetic power capable of slashing. 5 Phantom Slashes can be stored inside an illusion at a time. The Phantom Slash will remain in a ready state for the duration of the illusion. When the illusion does damage with a weapon, 1 use of Phantom Slash will be used. Damage will be equal to that of Telekinetic Slash.]

'This is amazing.' Lucan thought to himself. The spell cost a bit more than Telekinetic Slash, but his illusions could last for up to an hour. He could give them 5 uses of the Phantom Slash before the fight even begins. Allowing plenty of time for his mana to regenerate.

Lucan remembered his ring. It would gain a new effect every 50 levels.

[Nilan the Great's ring]

[Epic Heirloom item]

[Once equipped the item can never be traded, dropped, or sold. The items level will always match your level.]

[Nilan the Great is the best thief you have never heard about. But you have defiantly heard of Amber Shawl, a thief every great merchant is warry of. This ring allows its user to maintain two identities.]

[Nilan's ring attributes]

>Increase agility by 5%

>Increase intelligence by 5%

>Allows a new identity. Once activated user will have a new name. They will also reveal different character information if they are investigated with objects or by magical means.

>User is given one additional class slot. The new class can be anything, even if the user's original class restricts the options.

>User can alter their facial appearance, hair, eyes, and voice with this ring. Each identity is able to store 1 face for a quick change. Nilan the Great's ring requires 5 minutes to change your appearance using 'Quick Change'.

>Every time the user gains 50 levels while wearing this ring a new effect will be added.

That would be handy. Raze probably left some scars on his face. He could cover them up with no problem. Or if he activated the Nolan identity, he could give himself a new look and voice. The ring wouldn't change his height, gender, race, or weight but it was an undoubtably amazing disguise tool. It was obvious why nobody knew that Nilan was a great thief.

When they landed in Shadowsweep Lucy, Madlad, and Van began their journey back to the material plane, leaving through the Shadow Tunnel.

Lucan showed the craftsman where to build the transfer point and where they could stay during the week it would take to build. Alasan came by and introduced himself to the new faces and offered to help them out with anything they needed during their stay.

Now that Lucan was planning on making the Shadow Tunnel a main thoroughfare, he needed to move the entrance off his front porch. It was slow and careful work. It took him 2 hours to move it to the edge of the village. If he enhanced it a few more times it would have been impossible to move.

The villagers heard about the transfer point and began to grow excited. For the time being, it would be a private transfer point. Only with Lucan's permission could someone come here. He wouldn't be able to capitalize on the transfer fee like this, but his village still didn't even have any guards. They would be opening themselves up to so many problems if they let others come here.

Once things were settled Lucan only had 3 hours left in game before his time limit was up. He decided to go to the basement and spend the rest of his time practicing spells.

***

Lucan and Silent had spent the last 10 days hunting in the Forest of the Lost.

"I am so excited to try again tonight. I only need 2% more to complete my mana core. Do you think it will be the similar to other shadow elves? What if I don't even become an elf? What if I become some sort of shadow demon? That probably won't happen. The other parts of my quest are already completed. I have already gained the elvish proficiencies. I just need this one last thing. Are you as excited as me? I can't wait." Silent said as they were looking for something to hunt.

"It will be interesting."

"If you want to talk about interesting, I am still amazed by Lisel's bow. It's so cool how it is a spellcasting focus for her, just like a wand. She fires her arrows and 'BANG' it hits, and a spell takes effect. That is a real spell sniper. But if we were the same level and had similar gear, I don't think she would do more damage than my double tap sniper shot. I will catch up one day and I will have my own race and tons of cool abilities. Then she will be the one talking about me while she is hunting."

"She may be talking about you already."

"Pff, yeah right. She might be talking about my butterflies. They are the best. The swarm has grown to 146, when they aren't eating, they are the cutest little guys. And they are leveling so fast, right? One day I will have 10,000 carnivorous butterflies and they will tear through anything that tries to stop us. I have been doing some research and I found a good number of spells and abilities that could synergize well with them. I got it all planned out. I will change my race and spend my banked experience and be ready to take on the hardest class advancement available from the rouge's organization that trained me. I will upgrade my starting class and be unstoppable. No one will think of stopping us. We can lead our own party to go explore the Eldritch Battleground."

"Got to get our levels up."

"That is the goal right now. We get our levels higher and we will also need gold. I should start researching the best ways to make money. But isn't it always the same, find a good opportunity. Maybe there is some dungeon that drops more money and things to be sold. We might get lucky, I will add it to my research list. It doesn't hurt to be prepared. Speaking of money, you need to do something with your village. They are just stalling, neither growing or shrinking. If you properly developed Shadowsweep it could become very profitable. But that is long term money, not something you can get your hands on now. No, we need a way to make money now. Not investments that pay off later."

"I could ask SuperSleuth?"

"Yeah you do that. He probably knows the best methods." Silent went on and on.

Lucan was convinced she was scaring away the creatures, but Silent insisted that if it was worth fighting the creature would attack them after hearing her voice.

After a day of hunting they made camp for the night. Lucan now spent almost 40 minutes on the formation surrounding the camp. Along with the minor charms that would make people forget why they were in the area and causing them to move on with their original business and the illusion that made the place look empty, he had added Telekinetic Walls. People, animals, physical objects, wouldn't be able to enter without destroying the wall. A second layer of shadow magic muffled sounds coming from inside and filtered out any smoke from open fires, while erasing its presence. Ghost, spirits and other incorporeal beings along with magic could still pass in, and a good sense of magic could detect the formation, but it was a start.

"Alright, I am ready." Silent Night said while laying on the animal skins Lucan had laid out.

He focused his wand on her bare stomach as she grabbed his arm. The shadow energy started to pour into her. Silent began twitching and convulsing while her body was invaded by magic but her grip neither tightened nor loosened. Her face and chest started to turn red when she screamed out.

A sudden pulse of magical energy sent Lucan tumbling backwards.

[You have helped to create a new race.]

Lucan laughed as he dusted himself off. He was relived and not upset about being sent flying at all.