Overpowered Wizard

Chapter 174: B2: C74: Cursed Items 2

He didn’t bother using Aura Mastery + Identify on his cursed item.

He wanted to hear Ruvaria talk about her gift for him, which he prompted with a nod.

For Zarian, Ruvaria said, “The Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King, Mythical Quality.”

Zarian stiffened. This thorny and hungry thing in his hands had once belonged to Ruvaria’s father.

The smile on Ruvaria’s face brightened beautifully. They both knew fully well the importance of this gift and why she was passing it down to Zarian.

She continued: “It is an aura-hungering monstrosity and possibly the worst of the grand cursed items from my family’s treasury. My father left it behind before ascending into the First Star Ascension Trial and dying. It was how he became a powerful wizard of such immense might, the dwarves couldn’t survive him.

“It was how I grew my Aura Mastery when nobody else was capable of Aura Mastery like me and my father. I have outgrown the crown thousands of years ago, so it pleases me to find someone else who can use it and grow from it.”

“Ruvaria, this is a lot,” Zarian said. “I haven’t nearly given you enough for all that you’ve given me and my friends.”

“Your allegiance to me and the purity of your joy for learning magic is payment enough,” Ruvaria said. “You are a source of great trouble, Zarian Darkrun. But deep down, you have a rare innocence at heart, and the truth of you is that you love to adventure and you love to learn and explore magic.”

“Yeah, but still...” Zarian trailed off, not sure what to say.

Ruvaria giggled, making a pleasant and heavenly sound. The others relaxed from hearing the musical nature of Ruvaria’s true elvish voice. Her next words were less musical, but it was still stirring and lovely.

“You even love challenges when they are quite risky. You’ve shown time and time again how you would go beyond and not rest on your laurels. I see a reflection of you in your friends as well. So do not fret over how much I give to you. I give with joy. I give with trust. I give with love. And to give like this is plenty of payment already.”

She lowered down and gave him a few head pats. “This is what it means to be your dear teacher.”

Zarian froze under her adoration. He even felt his neck and cheeks heat up. It was weird being on the receiving end of this, but he accepted with a slight bow.

Then something inside of him snapped.

Before he could stop himself, he collapsed to his knees in front of Ruvaria. She gracefully lowered down and continued to pat his head with a small and adoring smile on her face.

He’d grown a lot since leaving the old world behind.

But some things hadn’t left him just yet.

With this so-called loop his family had put him in, he had to grow up like a mortal wretch. Maybe that was necessary to humble him and make him what he was now. But it was still hurtful to have lived that way, as a wretch, a bottom feeder of society.

Thus, Ruvaria’s open love as his dear teacher was almost too much for him.

Zarian took some time off to recover.

Hannah, Bianca, and Gilbert fooled around with their cursed items. When they couldn’t bear it anymore, Ruvaria summoned mythical boxes they could store the items in before storing those away in their Spatial Satchels.

Naomi had waited until the others finished before she went thousands of feet away in the red and tall sea of grass that was widespread across the Blood Prairies. She activated the Echoing Mirror of Self Destruction.

She looked dead into the eyes of her steely doppelganger who was many times meaner than her. The two traded their first explosive and thunderous punches.

Naomi took two steps back.

The doppelganger only took one step back.

Zarian slowly reached over and hugged Ruvaria into him. He whispered into her long ear.

“Thanks for coming here. And thanks for trying to atone. I bet it’s hard. But you’re doing the best you can, and even if you screw up, you can try again.”

“My family will be very upset,” Ruvaria whispered back into his ear. “If it comes down to it, I will have to make a choice I can’t take back. Are you sure you can trust me to truly make amends and find redemption? What if I’m like your little sister? What if I’m irredeemable?”

Zarian thought long and hard. Then he slowly pulled back while keeping his hands on Ruvaria’s small and slender hands.

“I believe in you all the way. When you can’t believe in yourself, believe in me and my belief in you,” he said resolutely. “My belief is enough for the both of us.”

Ruvaria’s eyes trembled slightly. She chuckled a little. “My dear student. You are so foolish. And truly good. Gooder than me, regardless of alignments.”

Ruvaria pulled away slightly. She wiped at the corner of her eyes. “Fine then. I think I can be braver because of you and your beliefs. I should be long dead, really. But I’m not, and you are here now.”

Zarian raised an eyebrow and tapped her on the nose. “Long dead? You’re still a growing elf, Ruvaria. You still have plenty more to learn. Plenty more to see and do. Now fulfill your duty to me. And don’t forget, I appreciate every effort, every strive, and every attempt to do better.”

She looked frankly surprised by that.

Zarian took advantage and moved in close again. He gave her a head pat. Combed through her hair. Then he traced his fingers behind her long ears.

That last gesture sent Ruvaria listing off to the side drunkenly. Then she finally disappeared from view and returned to Ride-or-Die Village.

Zarian stayed hovering in the air for some time before he mumbled, “Naomi’s going to kill me, isn’t she? How did this happen? I didn’t intend for this. But it’s happening anyway.”

Zarian returned to the others.

There was a creepy smile on Naomi’s face as she looked at him with intense, wide-open eyes. Her fangs and claws glinted under the light of the three moons and starry sky.

“Hey, Zarian, want to help me with something?” she growled.

“What exactly?”

“Can’t seem to sleep. Wanna wrestle to burn off energy? Three. Two. Go.” Naomi pounced.

She took Zarian right off the rune cart.

For the next half hour, Naomi wrestled-smashed Zarian into the dirt.

The Madness Wizard didn’t mind, despite the body slams and crushing mounts. Naomi wasn’t acting as angry as he’d first dreaded. She was being softer with him than she normally would’ve.

She still battered him around a little as everyone watched like it was their favorite nighttime show. Then they chilled out while sitting on the edge of the rune cart, legs kicking idly as they traded stories about funny stuff that happened in Miami.

Further into Late Spring, the Floridians reached the stronghold of the Blood Prairie Savages. Ezda and her fellow elder gnolls were waiting for them.

In Ezda’s hands, Reiki’s core gleamed. The core was in the process of something ... extraordinary.

Whatever was going on with Reiki’s core quickly became a nonissue, however. Because the initial reception of the Floridians was a shocking one for the gnolls.

The power, deadliness, and intensified confidence wafting off the Floridians were more palpable than ever before. There was no doubt that Zarian and his friends had grown greater ... and scarier.