Darren warned me before to be careful approaching the Bastion. Apparently, some of its old defenses still work and are powerful enough to kill higher-leveled monsters and humans. There is even a rumor that it once defended against a Veil Guardian. Yup, there are multiple Veil Guardians, and the one that kicked my ass is just one of many.

Well, before this floor ends, I will pay him a visit, so it's fine. I'm totally not pissed off, nope. I'm totally not bottling it under my [Focus]. I'm totally fine.

Anyway, [Focus] is totally the best skill.

I place another mana projectile and, with Vega in hand, I jump to the side. A barrier I create deflects the attack, and I disrupt another one. I sense another presence under my feet, as it gets closer, I stomp, releasing a burst of kinetic energy from my feet.

[You have defeated Corpseeater - lvl 99]

[You have defeated Corpseeater - lvl 89]

I manipulate my mana slowly so Vega can watch, and surround us in it. It radiates gently around us, as I make sure to keep it from hurting my disciple. I form the mana I’ve released into a set of armor twice my height, lifting us into the air, and suspending us in the chest of the armor. I haven't had an opportunity to show off my mana mech until now. I encompass it in my [Mana Domain] and control it with [Mana Manipulation].

I don't even use [Infusion], even at this level it should be enough. I move us, using an arm to grab the monster, which spews an acid-like substance at it, slightly corroding the mana.

Then I send a signal to the hand, and it closes, crushing the monster.

[You have defeated Poisoneater - lvl 123]

Another poisonous attack lands on the chest of the armor but doesn't manage to reach Vega or me. I take a few steps, moving to intercept a monster that reminds me of a horribly mutated frog with six thin limbs.

The brave monster doesn't run. Either too proud or dumb to bother, it keeps spewing its acid onto my armor, corroding some of the mana and creating some sort of vapor. It continues to do so even as I lift a leg, and its final attack collides with the sole of my oversized boot.

Then I stomp on the monster, its blood splattering the surroundings.

[You have defeated Poisoneater - lvl 113]

"Minion, if you ever do what this monster just did, I will be extremely disappointed."

"I'm not that dumb!" she states indignantly, as I dissolve the armor surrounding us after dispersing the poisonous vapor with kinetic energy.

"So, what would you do?"

"I would run away! And then track you to your camp, and wait for you to sleep."

Nice! Killing a powerful opponent in their sleep. A classic.

Vega continues, "If I were that monster I would use that poison to poison master's food!"

Huh? That's a bit...

"Or I would poison master while he bathed or examined a new item."

"Okay, okay, let's stop here."

"Sure!" The scary half-demon turns her attention back to her heart and the mana stone in her hands.

I place another mana projectile nearby, bringing the total to a hundred.

Once again, another annoying monster appears nearby, and once again, my curiosity compels me to meet it. The monster in question is as tall as me, with long limbs, and a thin scaled body. Yet it’s the monster’s head that stands out most, gazing at me with five eyes and saliva dripping from the rows of pointed teeth filling its oversized mouth.

[Skillreaver - lvl 152]

The creepy monster continues to observe, each of its eyes trained on me, big and red with snake-like pupils at their centers.

I feel its mana reach toward me, trying to get through my mantle and reaching for my disciple.

I disrupt both attempts with ease, but then, curiosity overwhelms me, and I weaken my mantle.

Slowly, something touches me, and I observe as it searches for something. Clearly, it's the monster's skill.

Then the touch disappears, and the monster starts radiating mana, blue armor surrounding it. Something akin to [Armament] I used to have before [Regalia].

Wordlessly, the monster charges at me, and before it takes two steps, I create a mana orb and launch it at the monster. The orb pierces through the armor and the monster's head, exiting on the other side.

[You have defeated Skillreaver - lvl 152]

Nice, another douche of a monster copying skills.

Taking a few steps, I stop in front of the body and examine the monster a moment before leaving it and heading towards the Bastion. I try to stay covert, reducing my mana signature as much as I can while covering for my silly disciple as well. I even try to stay out of sight as much as possible, using the patch of forest to get closer.

Even though I knew the Bastion was massive, it feels even up close. I can already see the small figures of humans, mostly on the walls surrounding the fallen Skyward Bastion.

Getting ready, I send a signal to one of the mana projectiles I left behind, and it shoots toward the city.

It doesn't contain any energy; and neither do the others, it's just slightly compressed mana.

As it flies through the air, I watch its trajectory, and when it reaches the Bastion, a small hexagonal barrier appears to block it. It also causes a few of the guards to start looking around. The signal is sent into the area from somewhere in the middle of the city. It searches for mana signatures, and I avoid detection.

Then I activate five projectiles at once, each of them shooting towards the city. Just like before, a small hexagonal barrier as tall as me appears in front of each of the projectiles and blocks it, disappearing right after.

I see, so it's like Virelia’s setup. A barrier with thousands of segments that only activate when blocking an attack. Inactive for the most part to save mana.

I launch twenty more projectiles all at once, and this time I observe with my trait as the projectiles touch something akin to a dense web of mana, triggering the barriers.

All of the projectiles get blocked once more, and I notice a few humans hurriedly moving on the walls. They are shouting something, probably, and a few more detections are sent into the area.

I send 50 projectiles at once and watch as they clash against hexagonal barriers.

To be honest, it's a nice view as they light up one after another, often only for a split second to block the attack. This system is extremely accurate.

Even more, humans appear on the wall, to my amusement, their movements display growing panic and stress.

Damn, that only makes me want to continue.

I shoot three attacks. Each a second apart, each of them aimed at the same spot.

Once they get detected, I release the rest of the projectiles, directing them all at the same spot as well, and once again they get blocked. But this time it seems like my attacks passed a bit closer to the city, if only slightly.

Three more detection waves wash over me, and like ants, dozens of humans rush onto the walls, skills active and searching for the attacker.

“They seem angry,” Vega seems to notice as well.

“It's fine,” I tell her as I watch them grouping up, getting ready to send small groups of scouts into the area, “Nina said they have items that allow them to enter the Bastion, so we have to lure some of them out.”

“Isn't master trying to be nicer? We could move closer and ask them to let us in…”

“Minion, leave thinking to me.”

“I'm Vega, not minion. I think master just wanted to test their barrier and bully them but screwed up.”

“It's a scientifically confirmed fact that minions don't have the ability to think for themselves. That's why they should listen to their master.”

“That's not true! I know master just wants to be an asshole!”

“You are not allowed to use the word 'asshole' starting now, minion.”

“Asshole.”

What? Is she getting into a rebellious phase?

“Asshole.” She repeats.

“Do not…”

“Asshole asshole asshole.” Her red eyes seem to challenge me.

“Minion, you screwed up.”

“I'm Vega, first disciple to Nathaniel Gwyn, my only master. I am not a minion! I will be calling master an asshole if the master continues to call me a minion!”

That's it, this surely is the rebellious phase I heard so much about. But I think the little half-demon underestimates how petty I can be. Oh boy, she has no idea.

“Sure, minion, go ahead.” I highlight the word 'minion' strongly.

“Will do so, asshole master!” And the little red-eyed half-demon returns my gaze, both of us full of determination.

 

---

 

We spend a few hours going around the Bastion and waiting, yet even then no one leaves the fallen sky island.

My plan has failed, dang it.

I straight up refuse to look at my disciple and force her to practice more. While waiting, I also push her into a fight against a few weaker monsters. Her kinetic barrier skill seems somewhat decent and works a lot like [Redistribution]. The disadvantage is that it only works against physical attacks, so we are working on that.

There are multiple quests for me to fulfill. Not the least of which being the floor quest.

Floor quest:
Rise and protect your disciple

Rewards:
???
Skill upgrade token
5000 Shards
100 stat points
Trait strengthening token

And plenty of side quests:

Side quest: Find out what happened to this world

Reward: 5000 shards

 

Side quest: Locate the mirror

Reward: ???

 

Side quest: Avoid the sleeping Calamity

Reward: Survival

 

Side quest: Find out what’s causing the high mana levels in the Valley

Reward: Mid-epic piece of equipment

Side quest: Reach the Bastion

Reward: Food and water supplies

 

Side quest: Reach level 250

Reward: Body upgrade

Maybe I can find more information about what exactly happened. I have some ideas and I got plenty of hints in the Sanctuary, but that’s not enough for the system, so that’s going to take a bit longer. The mirror is in the Valley, I can deal with it after going there.

I will also try to avoid the sleeping Calamity. The first on the list is Veil Guardian. Some suspicious sleeping Calamity can wait.

Mid-epic equipment will be nice too. They cost around 5 thousand shards or more, so that's telling of how dangerous the Valley is. Maybe the sleeping Calamity is there?

As for the Bastion, looking at it from up close, I really want to examine it. Like the bunker that made up the Sanctuary, it is a remnant of the past. If less obsolete than an abandoned bunker. The circuits made of crystal covering the entire bottom of the fallen flying island interest me. Oh, and how many facilities might there be? Maybe they’ll be even better for crafting and enchanting than the Sanctuary’s.

My hopes of sneaking in have failed. I wanted to use the items that allow the residents to pass through the detection field without triggering an attack, but they don't leave.

Sneaking inside on my own could be somewhat possible with my eyes and [Resonance], but after examining it for a while, I'm sure I would trigger a trap or two. I don't think I would be able to sneak Vega in either.

Even shooting a mana orb with an anchor placed on it won't work.

The Skyhold Bastion seems really advanced with plenty of surprises. Built by the Enchanter Guild that created the Veil long ago. Should we wait and hope they forget about the attack and then try to gain entry in the usual, if annoying fashion even though dealing with so many people would piss me off?

Did I screw up just because I didn't want to deal with people?

Nah, it's the extroverts who are wrong.

“Asshole's disciple, we will try to get inside in the usual way.”

“I'm not a minio…” she looks up at me, “what did you call me?”

“For every day you don’t lose concentration and keep watch over your surroundings, I will call you Vega for a day,” I tell her instead of answering.

Her big red eyes expand even more, and she gulps.

“In exchange, if you fail, I will call you minion, and you can't complain or call me an asshole,” I expand on it, “I mean, you can refuse if you don’t think you can. I will understand if you are scared and don't believe in your…”

“I will do it!”

Ha, so easy to deal with! You are still way too young to compare to Nathaniel Gwyn!

“But if I catch master losing his concentration because of some inscription or item, you have to call me Vega and I can ask you for something!”

Huh?

I glance towards the Bastion which is most likely full of wonder and remember the times I lost track of my surroundings.

This could be a bit dangerous.

A smug smile appears on my minion’s face, “I understand if my master is scared.”