The occult spell continued to make its way towards Ivory. Though the entirety of this scenario had taken place in the span of a few seconds, it had felt like an eternity to Ivory. Her eyes lit up as the spell continued to hurl towards her.

 

Ivory’s guard dropped and for a brief moment, she had accepted her fate. However, her time would not end here. As soon as the orb came within mere inches of her face, it halted in place.

 

Ivory could hear light cackling coming from the other side of it. Suddenly, the orb began to dissipate as it slowly faded into nothing.

 

“Aww I’m just messing with ya, sweetie!” The old lady cackled even louder. “You should have seen the look on your face! You thought I was going to fry ya!”

 

Ivory glared back at the old lady. A frown began to form on her face as she fumed.

 

“Aww c’mon now,” the old lady said. “It’s just a little fun!”

 

“Fun?” Ivory questioned. “You call that fun? Have you even the slightest idea what I’ve been through to get here?”

 

“Oh, trust me. I know full well what you’ve been through.” The old lady turned around and began filtering through one of the cabinets. She began tossing pots and pans from it, adding to the disorganized clutter that was spread throughout the hut. 

 

“What are you doing?!” Ivory questioned but no answer was given. She scoffed in return, annoyed by the old lady’s silence. “Are you even the Occultist class master? That’s who I search for.”

 

The old lady giggled in response. “You are quite a naive one, aren’t ya?”

 

Ivory shook her head. “If you’re just going to waste my time then I’ll leave. I need to find the correct master before nightfall.”

 

“Well you certainly wouldn’t want that, now would ya?” The old lady mocked her. “This place would devour a weak little girl like yourself before morning.”

 

“Excuse me?!” Ivory snapped. “Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?”

 

The old lady cackled louder as she retrieved a large jar from the cabinet and began to hover over towards the adventurer. “Oh I know quite well who I’m speaking to, Ivory Garnette!”

 

Ivory recoiled in shock. “How do you know my name?!”

 

“Oh, I know more than just your name, sweetie,” the old lady answered. “I am also fully aware of who your mother and father are!”

 

Ivory’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. 

 

“That’s right, dear,” the old lady continued. “Do not think for a single moment that your reputation or status within Darta Bessomar means anything here. You are not within the safe confines of your castle walls here, little missy.”

 

The black hazy aura from earlier began to appear again but this time it grew larger. The walls of the hut began to shake and so too did the floorboards. Suddenly, the hut burst open, separating into a hundred different pieces. Every piece of it, down to the last nail, all of it was scattered throughout the air. Each piece was covered with a black essence that allowed it to levitate in the air.

 

Ivory looked on with sheer amazement as the old lady’s eyes glowed with darkness. Her hands were surrounded with a mass of the dark mana. The old lady began to cackle once more as she stared down at Ivory.

 

“Now feel my power!” The old lady pushed her hands forward, sending a forceful shockwave towards Ivory.

 

The adventurer fumbled back as a gust of wind pushed her from the hut’s location. She went flying back, rolling along the hard rocky surface. Ivory rolled into a full stop and slowly rose back to her feet. She watched as the hut slowly formed back together, piece by piece. Every pot and pan began to slowly be put neatly back away into the cabinets. The seemingly disastrous hut was now beginning to form into an organized place. The walls and roof of the hut were the last part to be reattached. When it was complete, the old lady slowly descended from the sky and landed on the ground in front of Ivory. 

 

“I know it’s rude of me to not introduce myself but it’s also not very polite to enter someone’s home without permission. Especially when that person is in the process of meditating,” the old lady detailed before placing her hands behind her back, locking them together in the process. “My name is Gizli and I am the Occultist class master.”

 

“So you are the class master…” Ivory clenched her fist. “Why couldn’t you have just said that?!”

 

“You came barreling into my home, sweetie,” Gizli answered. “Did you expect me to just allow you to enter without repercussions?” 

 

“How else am I going to find out which class master you are?” Ivory asked. “I’ve only got two paths to follow, the Occultist and the Zealot. Both of those are very similar and easy to mix up!”

 

Gizli shook her head and chuckled. “It’s easy to tell the difference if you pay attention, girl. One just needs to have a better understanding of the Heretic class to know which one is which.”

 

“What do you mean?” Ivory wondered. “I’ve mastered the Heretic class quite well. There’s no hidden knowledge that I’ve yet to uncover from it.”

 

“Is that right?” Gizli questioned. “Your friend Zayd was able to unlock his Warrior’s Spirit, essentially proving his mastery over his class. However, you’ve yet to harness your full potential…”

 

Ivory’s brow began to rise and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. “How did you know about that?!”

 

Gizli began cackling again. “I know quite a bit about you, girl. But nevermind that, you need to focus on facing one very important fact. You simply are not ready to become an Occultist.”

 

“What?! That’s nonsense,” Ivory snapped back. “I’m more than prepared to take on the trials of this class advancement!”

 

“Oh you foolish girl.” Gizli grinned at her. “You aren’t prepared for what it takes…”

 

“I am…” Ivory unsheathed her rapier. “Let me take on the trials and prove it!”

 

Gizli’s horrid laughter filled the air. “Oh sweetie…you’re already taking the trial. It began the moment you stepped foot in my territory.”

 

“What?” Ivory looked around her, wondering at which point did Gizli’s property begin.

 

“Oh no, not there.” Gizli began to levitate higher. “The entire eastern region of Qeshor is my territory! You’ve been under my spell ever since you crossed over from Bea Lardi!”

 

“You?!” Ivory turned back towards the forest of dead trees. They no longer moved around as they once had. “You did that?”

 

“That’s right, sweetie,” Gizli answered. “I was quite surprised when you pushed through the way you did.”

 

Ivory clenched her teeth and glared her eyes at Gizli. “What the hell was that?! You could’ve killed me back there!”

 

“That was the point!” Gizli giggled as she lifted the jar she held in her hands. She removed the lid from it to reveal its contents. A bluish-white liquid stirred within. “I was hoping to add you to my collection of souls!”

 

“A jar of souls?!” Fear swept over Ivory as she peered back at Gizli’s hands. “You’re a monster…”

 

“Ahahahaha! You haven’t the slightest clue just how devious I can be, girl!” Gizli began to drink from the jar. “Mmmmm! So delicious!”

 

Ivory began to dry-heave as Gizli gulped down some of the contents. The adventurer brought her hands to mouth to cover it. “You’re sick!”

 

Gizli pulled the jar from her mouth and placed the lid back on it before sending it flying back to her hut with the use of her magic. A burst of magic pulsated from her as the black hazy aura grew larger.

 

“It’s time to face the facts, Ivory!” Gizli shouted. “You haven’t achieved your full potential because you don’t have what it takes to become a servant of the Great Basilisk!”

 

“I serve no one,” Ivory declared. “Especially the likes of a Primordial.”

 

“You foolish girl,” Gizli mocked her. “One does not simply better themselves at the occult arts by rejecting the Great Basilisk. It is from them that this power derives. Without it, you are useless.”

 

Ivory stepped closer, levitating her tome with her magic in the process. With one hand, she held her rapier out and with the other, Ivory began to form a magical orb. “I’ll show you exactly what I can do, old lady.”

 

Gizli smiled and slowly began to laugh. “Good…now you’re beginning to understand where this trial is leading to…”

 

“You want to see what my spells can do?” Ivory asked. “I’ll show you. While you bow to your deity to beg them for power, I’ll use them like a resource and take what I want from them!”

 

“Show me then, Ivory!” Gizli howled into the darkening sky above. “Show me what one can do when they reject the deity that blesses them with power!”

 

The sky above crackled with lightning as the clouds darkened. Rain began to pour from the sky and a dark and foreboding presence began to fill the area. Ivory stood face to face with her class master, Gizli, preparing to face off against her. The adventurer was unsure of what obstacles lay before her but she was ready to best her master.