The Strongest Spellblade

“Well, there is a race tonight, if you want to come,” Anerac asked me as Healer Melon and I got back from my daily training session. I looked at Healer Melon.

“It is up to you, I just tag along,” he replied with a shrug. While he was technically my guardian he really did let me do whatever I wanted.

“Alright, I will cheer you on,” I said.

“Awesome. If I win, well I might get a tier 4 driving skill when I break through my bottleneck, then I really will be an elite. I can become a professional driver then and make lots of money,” Anerac said and got up. We followed him to his vehicle. I closed my eyes with Healer Melon as Anerac took off.

“Us dwarves are the best with machinery and gadgets. You know that it was a dwarf who invented the first Mana Compressor. Sure, they talk about the Eldarin Empire, but it was a dwarf who did it. Now everyone is trying to make things more efficient, use less Mana. Everyone is going into Balde’s Maw for cores to strike it rich,” he said.

“Balde’s Maw?” I asked in confusion.

“You humans call it the dungeon. But it is Balde with a silent ‘e’ at the end. The first dwarf to become a supreme legend and pioneer the way for all other races to enter the place and get Mana cores,” Anerac explained. The dwarven version of history, which had a heavy racial slant to it.

“Now, we focus most of our attention on crafting. That is where real power will come from. Weapons development is also a big topic. The armored carriages are impressive. Nothing that can go toe to toe with a legend just yet, but the Artificers are looking into golems and battle carriages. While it has been tough, we are catching up with you humans in terms of war potential,” Anerac explained.

“You are telling us this?” I asked in surprise.

“Everyone knows. The College of Advancement is a big contributor in improving various pieces of technology. A decade ago, this magical carriage would have used 12% more Mana to go this speed. Wearing out parts faster. Now everything is constantly getting better. The dwarves were the first race you know. We invented everything, including civilization,” Anerac said.

Now he was just saying complete nonsense. But I didn’t want to get into an argument with him about history and how the Low Vostner civilization was the first recorded civilization. More recently, over two millennia ago, the Eldarin Empire rose up and crushed everyone and everything else. The dwarves and elves fought back, but they couldn’t resist the overwhelming numbers of humans the Eternal Emperor sent forth to conquer and enslave everything.

When the Eternal Emperor died and his Empire broke apart after a thousand years, there was a lot of resentment towards humans, but everything before the Eldarin Empire was mostly myth and legend. There was the Vostner civilization, the Low Vostner and then the High Vostner civilization based on their runic languages. But they were ancient history.

To claim that the dwarves invented civilization and everything else was clearly dwarven propaganda that Anerac had bought into. But trying to convince him, wasn’t worth my time or energy. There was no need to spoil the mood by challenging his beliefs.

My father had told me that there were crazy people out there and when encountering one, the best thing to do was to not disagree with them. Since they didn’t care about logic or facts. They only cared about being right. It was a pointless exercise and a waste of time, unless both sides were actively using social skills to convince the other.

Anerac swerved to a stop as a bunch of other magical carriages gathered together in a large parking area at the edge of the city where the wall met the floor of this underground city. I noticed a couple other humans and elves around as well. Healer Melon and I got out.

“Showing up in that old trash heap?” a dwarf strutted over to Anerac.

“All your gold still slowing you down?” Anerac asked back.

“You might have a high skill level, but that can only do so much against the latest technology,” the other dwarf said.

“Losers talk big, winners win,” Anerac countered.

“If you can win. I haven’t seen it yet,” the other dwarf turned away while Anerac glared at his back.

“How does this work?” I asked.

“One lap around the outer road of the city. It’s a long lap. Don’t worry, we have remote displays, so no one gets bored. Everyone watches the races across the city if they can. Like a national holiday. There are tunnels and some uneven sections. Everyone loves watching the race. As my guests you can wait over there. They have an Illusion Mage show the lead car on the side of the building, so watch me there,” Anerac said.

Healer Melon and I found a pair of seats with a decent view. “First race kid?” an elf asked me.

“Yes. Anything I should watch out for?” I asked.

“The body parts!” he grinned evilly. “I love watching the dwarves blow themselves up racing their death contraptions. Only thing that keeps me in this city really.” He got some ugly looks from some nearby dwarfs, but they didn’t object.

“It is that bad?” I asked.

“They all want to unlock a tier 4 driving skill. No one has managed it yet. The first one to do it will become famous and rich,” he said.

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“Anerac made it sound like there were other drivers with tier 4 skills, saying he would become a professional,” I said.

“They talk big, but you can’t just get a tier 4 skill just by maximizing out a tier 3 skill. You need to go beyond what is possible. Once one makes it big, they can become a full time tutor and earn big money test driving the most expensive magical carriages out there. The competition to design better ones is fierce. The dwarves love competing with their craftsmanship. They think they will clear the depths with their contraptions, which is foolish,” the elf said. The elf probably meant dungeon when he said depths, but used a race specific term.

Everyone began to line up. “How do they decide the order?” I asked.

“Top finishers from last time are in the front. New people draw from a lottery,” the elf explained. Anerac was near the front with his magical carriage.

The elf licked his lips. “They will start soon. Can’t wait until they start dying.” I was a bit creeped out.

“Any specific reason you dislike them?” I asked.

“They are dwarves, you can never trust a dwarf, remember that human child,” he said. Ah, that hatred had a long cultural history between the two races. While humans were disliked due to the Eladrin Empire, the historical betrayals ran much deeper and there was a long history of grudges between the elves and dwarves. The last major incident when both sides accused the other of betrayal during a key battle against the Eldarin Empire, leading to a loss for both the dwarves and elves.

The truth of the matter had been lost to time and the surviving records of the Eldarin Empire indicated that they thought both races were complete idiots and losers destined to only be useful as slaves. The Eldarin Empire wasn’t a very nice Empire in its drive to conquer the entire world.

“Drivers! Stand ready! Start in three! Two! One! Go!” Large green lights went off in time with the announcers shouting. They were off and I looked to the image projected on the side of a nearby building, since they left the start of the track incredibly quickly.

“Anerac takes an early lead. Chompton is close behind in second. Telleris is in third but trailing behind in the main pack. Here we come to the first major turn. Suicide Slam! Anerac speeds up and moves into a full drift! His unique driving support skill! Sparks fly as he barely grazes the guard rails. Chompton takes the turn tightly and accelerates into the stretch. Oh! Our first crash!” In the distance I heard a boom and saw a cloud of smoke a fireball rising into the air.

“Double injury, but no fatality!” The crowd cheered, including the dwarfs. The Elf next to me pouted. I looked at Healer Melon who just shook his head. We weren’t going to get involved. This was clearly the dwarves show, they didn’t need or want our help.

“The next tricky section of the track. The Tunnel! There has been slight flooding so the road is extra slick. Anerac is forced to slow down as Chompton gains on the lead driver. His tires from Yaxley Corporation boast the highest grip strength in all weather and conditions. Buy Yaxley tires for your driving needs, so you won’t be slowed down by anything,” the announcer called out.

“Our two lead drivers are neck and neck as they come up to the third major part of the track. Old Quarter. Lots of sharp twists and turns. The lead drivers enter, Anerac uses his drift skill to take the corners tightly. Chompton uses his faster acceleration and better handling to keep up. Oh another crash! And another! The racers sure are fierce today, wanting to place highly,” the announcer shouted out.

“Now we come up to the final challenge of the loop around the city. The Bridge over the mining chasm near the entrance to Balde’s Maw. Will there be a monster exodus in time with the race? Of course! Or intrepid and fearless dwarven adventurers have pushed out monsters onto the track for our enjoyment. Watch them maneuver around the monsters or crush them beneath their vehicles. Both Anerac and Chompton reach the bridge and begin accelerating towards the finish line. Chompton begins to overtake Anerac with his superior engine by Jorrin Corporation, makers of the fastest Mana compressor engine on the market,” the announcer called out.

“And we have surge of goblins onto the road! Anerac swerves around them in an impressive display of control, while Chompton smashes right through the monsters, crushing them beneath his superior and sturdier frame, crushing them!” The crowd cheered at this, even the elf next to me gave a polite clap as well. The damage the magical carriages did to weak monsters was horrendous. The monsters were turned into smears of blood and gore on the road. I had killed enough monsters that I didn’t feel anything about witnessing such a thing anymore.

“Now the final stretch. Chompton is closing the distance, but Anerac…is speeding up! The mad dwarf Anerac is using a custom blend of Mana compressed fuel, using a higher grade of Mana core. That stuff isn’t cheap and is likely to blow out an engine. You can tell by that orange tint in his exhaust. It is going to be close! And Anerac wins by a half a car length!” The crowd cheered.

“And we have some finishing crashes! Those goblins sure made a mess of the road and the trailing cars!” Surprisingly there were no fatalities, but some of the injuries were quite severe.

“Permanent scarring there for sure. Flames are never good for healing points. And those flames are Mana infused, even worse,” Healer Melon pointed out to me but the elf overheard.

“You are a Healer?” the elf asked.

“Yes, Healer Melon from the Five Star Institute of Healing,” he replied.

“I am Flesh Crafter Triffalin. Surprised to see a human Healer at an event like this,” he said.

“I am watching my ward,” he said and gesturing to me.

“Justin Burnstock,” I greeted the elf.

“Oh, any relationship to Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock?” he asked.

“She is my mother,” I replied, and he slowly nodded at that. I could see a touch of fear behind his stoic expression.

“Brave of you to be out here without any guards,” he said while glancing around.

“Are you going to attack me?” I asked calmly.

“Ah, no. Of course not. Well time to go make some coin. A shame that no one died this race. If you are interested in work Healer Melon or a custom job Justin Burnstock, you can find my clinic in the commercial district by the large fountain with the gawdy dwarven dancers,” Flesh Crafter Triffalin said before leaving.

“Flesh Crafters, a distasteful profession,” Healer Melon said after the elf had disappeared from sight.

“Really?” I asked.

“They don’t heal, only shape. There are often complications from their work. While they can relieve the suffering of individuals afflicted by long term or complicated injuries, most are just a step above butchers,” he said.

“But the Five Star Institute of Healing has flesh crafters,” I pointed out.

“Yes, but they are certified after years of work. But unlike healing, flesh crafting has persisted in various traditions and back alley healing for a long time. While I have no doubt that Flesh Crafter Triffalin is a professional, the injured dwarves will be desperate for his help to live normal lives. They will pay considerable sums for his services,” Healer Melon pointed out.

“There aren’t dwarven flesh crafters?” I asked.

“They specialize in crafting skills as a race, but flesh crafting despite its name is not a crafting skill, but a group of spell skills. Elves tend to focus on shaping skills, of which flesh crafting is one of them. Another source of resentment between the two races,” Healer Melon explained.

“And they don’t have Healers of their own?” I asked.

“Maybe, but a professional Healer isn’t cheap. And with the Mana infused flames and the number of injuries, you are looking at needing at least five healers, even with potions. While it might seem like professional Healers are cheap since I am with you, we aren’t that common.”