The Pillar of Enera

[Chapter 34 part 2] Dawn - Kain's Curse

[Chapter 34 part 2] Dawn – Kain's Curse

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"On that note... I can't believe I must do this, but it's been twice now..." Astra looked them over. "No more stalking assassins. Am I clear?"

They nodded.

"While you're safe from the Laughing Man and the assassins soon won't be a threat with your rising fame, this conflict has other actors. Whoever committed the massacre at the pillar's base is more than capable of finishing you off."

"With that you're free to go..."

Departing, Dawn heard Rose ask what they were doing about the arm. Nope, not staying for that. Politics didn't capture her interest. Besides, I've got plans.

She descended to the Obsidian Cavern in a stellar mood. On a personal level, all aspects of her life were aligning properly.

The world was recognizing her brilliance. She'd hear strangers discussing her domineering wins at the coliseum. Wandering the Guild asking about Emerit also drew curiosity. This attention was paying dividends. Dawn tracked her strength closely, so she'd noticed the improvement. It was minor, but the fact it'd keep increasing filled her with glee. We've only became well-known in the last two days.

Dawn kept this from the others. She'd already paraded her superiority sufficiently recently, and there was no point in further damaging their self-esteem. They really are unfortunate, destined to linger in my shadow.

Dawn arrived on the InnerPalace's highest balcony and spread her wings. I'm an exceptional existence. Soon she was soaring through empty streets, contemplating the gloriousness of life. Mastering flying only took a week.

Her jubilant disposition had much to do with yesterday. Under the pressure of a worthy foe, she'd experience a breakthrough in her martial arts. I finally mastered 'Blood of Frost'. The skill was a core body hardening technique in Astra's 'winter embrace'. The spike in power permitted her to cruise to five crushing victories. That was bliss.

She did feel sympathy for her hapless opponent. Emelia was quite skilled, and Dawn could tell the losses had battered her psyche. It was unavoidable. The girl had been under the delusion she was better. That fantasy had to be squashed.

This was perfect timing as I'll be moving up a bracket. Evening matches began at six and were the Stone Coliseum's biggest draw, reliably selling out. I love Lily's skybox. From what she'd seen yesterday, Dawn's blood was boiling.

Dropping at the foot of the tallest building. Dawn noted she'd gained a few pounds. Magic generated density. At higher levels, hardening had this side affect. My figure remains flawless.

Dawn crouched, channeling torrents into her legs. Under her feet, ice spread out. This was her version of platforming, a class of martial arts techniques designed to boost mobility. She'd reached the point where even rock would buckle under her full force. Same as an ordinary person jumping on sand.

Dawn leapt, and the stone structure rushed by. Thirteen stories. Despite her extra weigh, she'd traveled higher. Martial arts were a balance between increasing raw power and hardening the body to withstand it. 'Blood of Frost' allowed her to steel herself far more efficiently, freeing energy to supercharge her muscles.

Standing horizontally on a patch of ice, she smiled. It' wonderful to be this far up with no fear. Jumping higher altered her concept of space, recalibrating her phobia. However, that's not the only reason. The completed version of 'Blood of Frost' imparted an insane resistance to damage. Testing this durability, she'd hopped off this building, enclosing herself in an egg of ice. After smashing to the ground, she'd walked out unscathed.