9th of Glade, 4623
As he enveloped himself in a radiant aura, the Draedan, whose eyes glimmered like amber, contemplated how he could further amplify his powers. Even though he saw himself more as a learner than an expert, Jared constantly pushed his limits and took breaks when necessary to allow his divinity to rejuvenate.
Jared was grateful that his newfound abilities required less exertion and strain in contrast to utilising Raw Ether. Furthermore, recovery was significantly smoother, taking only one to three days depending on the severity of usage, unlike Ether which could leave behind a buildup of Radioactive Ether for several months. This could lead to hazardous alterations to one's mark and soul.
Jared, the Light-Touched Magus, feels his body being enveloped by a coat of light, which magically reduces his inherent sense of corruption. The familiar feeling of dread that lingers within him now seems more manageable. However, Jared needs to be cautious not to overuse Bulwark, as it drains his energy and limits his potential to improve his Mark of Control, as well as access his abilities bestowed upon him by Venadak's gift of light and creation.
“Fuck… This is tougher than I expected…. Despite, getting used to using Divinity will take some time; Hard to avoid straining one’s reserves is to be avoided since Divinity doesn’t run on straining….”
As the thief was concentrating on maintaining Bulwark, the amber-eyed magus took a moment to command the light he was generating to cease, sweating slightly as he breathed for the need to rest his soul and, to that extent, his divine spark was needed. It has been a couple of days now that Jared has been practising his control over Lucence, and while directly manifesting light and steering its course was great, it would seem that there was only so much that he could.
But the actual test was when it came to the searing red visions that the thief could experience occasionally, and the boiling needs to use violence against the unjust nature that the world has fallen into. During these bouts of intense emotions, the young Draedan would scurry into his home or attempt to avoid people, fearing that he could hurt someone who may not truly deserve it.
The thief was sitting on one of the many rooftops within Genteven, gazing up at the stars' light he usually did during his downtime. When practising magic, the amber-eyed magus had a habit of finding suitable places that were not the ground; the various colours that coat the veil of the night as alluring as they are, like a hoard of gemstones waiting to be seized. However, one particular light has brought much curiosity and, in some sense, warmth—the colour of Alabaster White.
White was always associated with purity and peace, yet at the same time, it could be considered the colour of death and sadness; While most people associated black with death, white could also be considered a relatively neutral form, creating a space for where one could breathe and rest in a blank space.
Yet despite all of it, Jared’s divinity, while gold & white, when infusing it with his abilities that were formed by the core of who he is as a person, would come off as a deep nightshade purple, something that the thief had always pondered as to why such a colour was chosen whether he liked it or not.
Nevertheless, the brief moment of ponder had come to an end as it was time for the thief to resume back into training. He briefly looked around, checking if anyone could be watching from his hiding spot on the Thieves' Highway. The Light-Touched Magus took some time to conjure up a sphere of light using Ray like he usually does. The formation and gathering of photons were becoming more manageable with daily usage, which was a nice change of pace. Of course, the intensity of the light still needed some practice, but that was something that Draedan already knew with the constant course of using Lucence for the past few weeks.
People would find it crazy for a magus to constantly practice their Raw Magic as it would induce Mageblight, something that Jared was very much aware of, but using divinity as his source meant that he could do so much more but on a rechargeable yet finite resource. But, the benefits of not needing to suffer the effects of radioactive ether coursing through his veins was a reasonable exchange for the petty thief in question; the mindset at that point needed to be more on resource management rather than trying to brute force the situation.
Yet, despite this notion change, It would be hard for the thief not to overextend himself at times. At the same time, it was confirmed that Jared tried to minimise the risk of overusing the various tools he had at his disposal, but that did not mean that there were times the Draedan had done so. Even now, the act of training his arcane might is something that was required to grow more as a person.
Breathing slightly heavier than usual, the thief had to take a moment to look at his skin, briefly taking note of the dullness that his radiance had become. It was a usual sign that the reserves of his divinity were taking a hit from all of the extensive training Jared had been doing in the first month of Glade. Despite resting well enough between various periods, improving his stamina was much needed.
Before concluding his day's work, the thief with striking amber irises had some errands to accomplish. He dedicated time to enhancing his Lucence proficiency and was eager to evaluate his Draedan skills. Specifically, he aimed to assess which locks he could manipulate, the duration of the effect, and if it would leave any noticeable evidence. Fortunately, as a seasoned thief, he could quickly locate first-class locks on established structures.
“Alright, Jared, let’s make our way to the market district and play a little game of nosing around…. Besides, I should take some time to case some joints to make a decent living; Items are always for the taking, and the opportunity to nab something would be good…. I should be careful. However, the number of robberies in the past months has increased, whether by me or some other street rat or gang…. So there will be a chance that investigators will be present, and I need to ensure that I limit my exposure as best as possible.”
With a course of action set, it was time to travel his way over to one of the many marketplaces that would have better security present compared to any residential area. By no means was the thief bold enough to attempt to break into a noble’s quarter unless he was desperate to make a significant score. While Jared managed to break into a few low-ranking Entente’s places of refuge, these were more of an exception than average. Even then, in his current state, the amber-eyed petty thief couldn’t properly fend for himself since he was an extremely skilled Nightfallen before awakening his divine spark.
No more than a 30-minute walk or half the amount of time using the Thieves’ Highway; a little bit of energy that the thief can muster, the thief would sprint across the many tiled rooftops, softly landing as his black boots touch the surface. Then, the amber-eyed thief would quickly descend to the ground, grabbing a foothold on any small ledge or crack, allowing him to scale down with relative ease.
Once on the ground, the thief consciously scours through all the available buildings, checking for what is deemed worthy of chasing as his potential mark. The thief tested various entrances from the front door, windows, cellar doors, and barred gates. The amber-eyed thief started to test his limits in the dead of night, quickly glancing about to check if anyone was near; a brief glow of nightshade purple would bleed out of Jared’s gloved hands.
Jared encountered an array of doors, each with its unique security measures. Some were secured with simple locks, while others were equipped with more complex mechanisms. Despite the varying levels of security, none proved to be a formidable challenge for Jared's exceptional expertise in lockpicking. He deftly summoned his divine energy, which flowed effortlessly into the lock's crevices, easily manipulating its internal components, allowing him to gain entry without any resistance.
Jared was proficient in the subtle art of lockpicking. His exceptional skills enabled him to unlock padlocks and combination locks without the need for their codes. However, while his lockpick sets were his trusty companions, there were times when he needed to restore his depleted energy reserves. With the night wearing on, he continued to work his magic on the locks. But once his energy levels dwindled, he would retreat stealthily into the shadows, evading detection.
