Echo Of Infinity: 100× exp

The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 23 - Calculated Retreat

Kael threw himself sideways as the Crystal Shard Volley ripped through the air where he’d been seconds before. Shards embedded themselves deep into the rusted machinery he’d hidden behind, punching clean holes through the thick metal. The impacts echoed loudly in the quarry pit.

*Tier 1 spell capability? These aren't just mindless Tier 0 constructs anymore!* The surge he triggered must have temporarily boosted their power or unlocked dormant abilities.

More guardians were activating below, their optical sensors locking onto his position. Another prepared a shard volley. He couldn't stay here.

He needed to get back to the ramp, fast. It was about thirty yards away across the exposed platform. He glanced down; the guardians were starting to lumber towards the access ramps leading up to his level. He had maybe a minute before they reached him.

*Time for another 'artifact surge', but make it look like panicked scrambling.*

He broke cover, not running in a straight line but weaving between sparse bits of cover – overturned carts, piles of rubble – making it look like a desperate dash for safety. He deliberately let his movements seem slightly uncontrolled, slipping once, recovering awkwardly, all while moving at a speed his Lv. 12 fabricated status couldn't possibly achieve. He clutched the Resonance Stone overtly, hoping the faint glow it now emitted would provide the visual excuse.

A second shard volley screamed past him, chipping fragments off a rock he dodged behind. He could hear the heavy, grinding steps of the guardians ascending the ramps now.

He reached the main ramp leading upwards out of the third level. As he started scrambling up, a Crystal Guardian lumbered into view at the bottom, already raising its arm for another shot.

Kael reacted instantly. No time for finesse or hiding. *‘[Mana Weaver] - [Enhanced Mana Bolt]!’* He channeled mana, pouring more power into it than ever before. A crackling sphere of blue-white energy, noticeably larger and brighter than his previous bolts, shot from his hand. He aimed it directly at the guardian's weapon arm.

*BOOM!*

The bolt struck true, shattering the crystals in the guardian's arm and blowing the limb clean off in a shower of sparks and metal fragments. The guardian staggered back, its volley disrupted.

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[ Mana Weaver leveled up to 17! ] (+1 Attribute Point: INT)
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Kael didn't wait to see more. He turned and sprinted up the ramp, pushing his [Swift Blade] speed. He reached the second level, then the first, not stopping until he was out of the main quarry pit and back near where his pony was tethered.

He risked a glance back. No guardians pursued him out of the pit itself, but the central crystal below was still pulsing erratically. He had the feeling they wouldn't stray too far from their power source.

He quickly mounted his pony, heart pounding. He had the intel, he had the crystal shards from the first few guardians as proof, and he had a plausible escape story: "Activated dormant guardians, barely escaped using unpredictable artifact power (Resonance Stone), saw a big crystal thingy below." He would omit the campsite and the runic circle for now – too complex to explain discovering them during a panicked flight. He also needed to downplay the power of his Mana Bolt.

As he rode away from the quarry, the Resonance Stone gradually dimmed, its warmth fading. The link was broken. But Kael knew this wasn't over. Someone had been tampering with powerful, ancient crystal magic, and traces of it had somehow ended up empowering a Lizardfolk Scaleshaper miles away in the Mirewood. There were connections here he didn't understand, hinting at conflicts and powers operating in the shadows.

His solo mission was complete, but it had opened a new, potentially dangerous line of inquiry. And his own power continued its relentless, secret climb.

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Publishment Date:  8/4/2025