[Corruption’s Bane] proved more than capable of reversing the damage caused by the Footman, and once its miasma was thoroughly cleansed, Nick was able to direct it at the demon itself.

Eerily, it emitted no cry of pain, nor did it appear to suffer at all, though it was hard to tell, given its lack of facial features and already grotesque body.

The demon kept chasing him, with each step getting slower and its strikes a little weaker.

Compared to the exorcism Nick had seen Marthas cast, it wasn’t very impressive, but it was working, and more importantly, it wasn’t draining him nearly as much as expelling the demon with his own mana would have cost him.

After several minutes, Nick finally stood victorious over the defeated demon and was able to bring to bear his full strength, crushing the abomination back into the soulless void it was born from.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have defeated [Footman of Change - Lv 54]

+222.606 Exp

You have learned [Corruption’s Bane] [Beginner]

+11.000 Exp

Level up!

Nick let out a sigh as he felt the extra mana from the level-up fill his sore channels, and he released the World’s power from within him.

Unlike the previous time, when he’d used it as a blunt instrument to power his own magic, this time he took a more subtle approach, staying in control but allowing it to flow through him, and he had to admit, the results spoke for themselves.

“A bit slow, but as effective as ever,” Lasazar commented, stepping through the now-burned runic circle and eyeing the darkened patch where the Footman had been with satisfaction. “The step up from using Worldcraft as a mere battery, to actually wielding it, is usually something that takes months, if not years, so you’re ahead of the curve.”

Nick couldn’t help but smile proudly. Usually, his quick success came from cheating with rituals, but this time, it was all him. There was no extra advantage he might have had over the experts who usually took up Worldcraft.

Still, there was something he was curious about. “I’m sure I did what this exercise was supposed to do, but I’ve yet to receive the Trait. That’s the end goal, right?”

With a final glance at the demonic residue, Lasazar waved his hand over it, and Nick felt the World’s power surge much faster than he ever had before. A moment later, the ambient mana returned to its original state, and the floor was spotless, as if no demon had ever tainted it with its disgusting fluids.

Showoff, Nick thought amusedly, but stayed silent, knowing an explanation was on its way.

“I tend to forget just how young you are, given your success, but then you ask questions like that, and I’m reminded again,” Lasazar mused, patting his bulging belly in consideration.

“This is something most mages discover sooner or later, so I suppose there's no harm in explaining it now. You see, elemental magic is favored by nearly all who can perform complex casting for several reasons, but one of the most important is that it doesn’t require a contract with an outside entity to develop. It is something humanity devised on its own, mimicking the flow of nature, and that can never be taken away from us. However, it’s certainly not the only way to gain power.”

Nick mulled that over. He knew all those things, but when put together like that, a picture started forming in his mind that he hadn’t been able to see before.

“I understand, so you're saying that gaining an elemental affinity is simply about earning recognition from the System for our efforts, while obtaining a Trait like the one necessary to cast advanced Worldcraft is more like being a priest who needs to show devotion to a deity to receive their blessing.”

It was a rough understanding of a very complex matter, especially since the World wasn’t exactly a god while still being divine in nature, but he could save the specifics for a later study.

Lasazar nodded, jowls twitching in pleasure. “Yes, that’s right. There are both more and fewer obstacles to overcome to gain a Trait from a divine. Fewer, because talent and dedication are not necessarily as valuable in this case. I’ve personally known priests who could cast terribly powerful spells thanks to their god’s blessing that I would have never bothered to take as students. But more, because unless the deity, in this case, doesn’t feel its standards have been met, you might as well be an Ascended, you’re not going to get the Trait.”

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It wasn’t exactly what Nick wanted to hear, since it meant that achieving the Trait was mostly out of his control, but he didn’t feel despair.

Today, he proved he could wield Worldcraft successfully and that he just needed time. Time he probably wouldn’t get, thanks to Hone’s meddling, but from the determined look on Lasazar’s face, he could tell tonight’s session wasn’t over yet.

Normally, he’d decline. Being in the presence of a demon was quite exhausting, and managing the World’s power at the same time left a dull ache at the back of his skull that he knew could turn into a migraine at any moment, but his irritation with Archmage Hone outweighed his need for rest and comfort. So, he kept his lips sealed, waiting for the next move.

“I don’t know exactly how long I will be gone. Hopefully, it will be less than a month, but considering how little progress has been made against the dwarves so far, that might be too optimistic," Lasazar said, even as he started pacing around the room and carving new runes with a few quick flicks of his fingers. “Of the five main camps leading the offensive, only two have made any real progress, and the best of the bunch, the westernmost army, which actually defeated and routed an entire dwarven fortification, is now stuck fighting demonic creatures coming up from the Underworld. I might not be able to return for a year.”

That wasn’t ideal. Lasazar’s absence for the next weeks would already be a big loss, but not being able to see him at all before he had to head north was one of the worst-case scenarios.

A glance at the man’s face told him there was no chance to convince him to leave his friend to his fate. There was a deep well of respect, affection, and, surprisingly, even love that his teacher felt for this man, and Nick wouldn’t waste effort on a losing battle.

“Alright,” he nodded instead, “how do we make the most of these last few hours we have?”

A grin was flashed at him, and Lasazar gestured to the new runes. “This might go against everything that is taught to budding demon hunters, but you’ve proven yourself capable enough, and more importantly, you grow under pressure. So let’s try to make a diamond, shall we?”

The tone was upbeat and even hopeful, but Nick couldn’t help the shiver running down his spine. I guess my sleep schedule is going to stay messed up for the foreseeable future. At least I got that nap.

The bloody howl that echoed off the walls would have been enough to knock out any normal man, but Nick simply pivoted back, allowing the warped sound blast to rush past him and strike the edge of the runic circle, where it was dispersed into harmless noise.

It’s a good thing that demons are only resistant to regular magic and don’t actively disrupt it fast enough to stop defensive spells. If I couldn’t block this infernal noise from entering my ears with a bit of compressed air, this would be a lot harder.

The demon he was currently fighting was probably not the most intimidating, looking more like a big toad with too many spikes and scales instead of the bloody abomination that the Footman had been, but it was no less vicious.

Just as another blast of sound was headed his way, Nick had to pull himself out of his usual path because the Jumping Hellspawn suddenly appeared there, its wide mouth dripping with mucus he knew for a fact would eat through any magical barrier with extreme prejudice.

With a grunt, Nick twisted his right hand, gathering the steadily stabilizing mixture of his own mana and the World’s into one spot, then released it all at once.

The blast that followed would have been embarrassing in how clumsy it was, if it weren’t for the sheer power it had, which forced the wards Lasazar set up around the room to flash into visibility.

The Hellspawn had already been on the receiving end of one of those and knew better than to stay still and take it, or it would lose its other arm as well, so it predictably jumped away, releasing a wave of corrupted noise to protect its back.

That was what Nick had been waiting for, and with more effort than he would've liked, he brought his hands together and powered [Corruption’s Bane] for what he hoped would be the last time of the night.

If it’s still nighttime, I must have been here for at least six hours, probably more. He’s only given me a few minutes of rest between fights, and while some have been relatively easy, others, like this one, have lasted much longer than I would like.

Fortunately, the Hellspawn fell for it this time, and as the golden chains of purification appeared around it, maintaining a steady glow rather than flickering wildly as in his previous attempts, Nick could focus on the actual exorcism, cleansing the demon’s taint from reality quickly.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have defeated [Jumping Hellspawn - Lv 59]

+261.606 Exp

Your spell [Corruption’s Bane] has ranked up to [Proficient]!

+101.000 Exp

Level up!

That was the third level Nick reached in one night of demon hunting, and while the results of his intense training spoke for themselves—since he could now wield Worldcraft much more easily than at the start of the night—he could have done without the constant, unrelenting feeling of wrongness that came with being in a demon’s presence.

I can never get used to it. It’s less an instinctive reaction and more a metaphysical thing my body struggles to process as pure disgust.

A slow clap pulled him out of his fugue-induced spiral of thoughts, and Nick turned to see Lasazar beaming.

The night had left its own marks on the man, as summoning so many demons couldn’t have been easy, but the strained look in his eyes and clammy skin weren’t much compared to the hell Nick had gone through, especially since he still hadn’t gotten the Trait he was aiming for.

“Amazing, young Nicholas, simply excellent. I have to say, if you weren’t such a talented mage, I would have recommended you join the Royal Inquisitors. They would surely appreciate having someone with your grit.”

It wasn’t the first time Nick had heard of the shadowy organization meant to shield the realm from demonic incursions, but apparently, it was as intimidating and prestigious as it was understaffed, since very few people had the proper inclination to hunt more than mere demonic creatures, which could be left to the temples to handle.

He was admittedly curious, especially since he was developing a sneaky suspicion that Lasazar’s past might have seen him spend some time within such an organization, but he didn’t ask, and the man didn’t offer.

“Still nothing, though,” he definitely didn’t whine, getting a shrug in response.

“It was a long shot anyway. You will get it, I do not doubt it. These things just take time.”

Nick sighed, but accepted it for the truth it was.

If I had gotten the Trait here, I might have been able to keep my promise of not summoning demons, but I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands before I move north.