《Fighting Monsters In Another World: An Isekai LitRPG Progression Fantasy》 CHAPTER 1 "The portal" CHAPTER 1 The portal. The sky cracked. A gigantic bolt of lightning illuminated the atmosphere, revealing a huge fissure. What had begun as a glowing crack in the celestial vault quickly transformed into a circle emitting light of its own, and thick black clouds began to surround the halo of light. Despite the intense reddish hue, the dimensional portal went almost unnoticed by most of the human population below it, too busy planning their appointments for that Saturday night to notice the strange phenomenon. A whole army of trolls, goblins, orcs and kobolds landed on the trees of the largest ecological park in the city of Blasky. Some even descended on the rooftops of the few nearby buildings. The goblins who were smart enough to secure their landing by using the huge bodies of their temporary allies as a shield survived the fall. They then moved in small groups through the lush, immense trees, gathering information about the new territory and leaving a trail of lifeless human bodies in their path. It wasnt until much later, after a hundred magical creatures had already passed through the portal and began to invade the streets, that most passersby noticed the strange formation in the firmament, when a young, fearless wyvern emerged. And his deafening roar heralded the chaos. **** 1 hour earlier. Kalysto Luna let out a long sigh at the sight of the high prices of goods in a store that was supposed to sell good products at low prices. After the economic crisis and the recession that shook the country, life in the city was six times more expensive than in the poor mining town where she was born, and although she was now doing well in her job as a waitress in a luxurious restaurant, it had not always been like that. At least I dont have to worry about starving anymore. She calmed down, as she took a ten-pack of green apples and put them in the shopping cart while letting out a long sigh. I want to go to sleep. Im too tired to be doing this right now. If it werent for the call she received from her best friend Alice Sanders an hour and a half ago, while the other young woman was having a nervous breakdown, Kalysto would be sleeping comfortably in her bed. Instead of being left practicing archery with the archery club at the university while she waited for Alice to arrive after she finished the last exam of the semester earlier that morning. Dont even think about going home to sleep! And stay away from the college dorms! She had made her swear at her during the phone call. So Kalysto ended up giving up what little free time or sleep she could get within her busy schedule before leaving for work at five in the afternoon. What one does for friends. Good thing she only had three, four if you counted Sakura. But other than Alice, the others were much older than her. Do you really think well need all that? Alice, an Olympian who had won two gold medals in archery, and who, like Kalysto, was on an athletic scholarship at the university, questioned. Probably not, but I needed to buy a couple of things on Monday anyway before my first freelance job, so why not take the opportunity and get it over with? She shrugged, trying to hide how excited she was at the chance to translate an indie authors novel into Spanish. The latter would be her second step, after getting the scholarship to study languages, of her elaborate plan to travel the world and get to know other cultures while enjoying the freedom that working online could give her. Kalysto smiled, excited at how close she was to achieving her dream and the level of freedom she longed for, away from boring jobs with strict work schedules and demanding clients she was forced to serve with a friendly smile despite how annoying they were. One step at a time. She reminded herself and hid her smile. She didnt want to make her friend feel bad after all she had been through in the last few weeks. Let alone with the strange way she was behaving. In that case..." commented Alice, adding several bottles of water and energy drinks, how about we buy cookies and snacks? We dont have to worry about training anymore so we can say goodbye to dieting for at least a couple of weeks, she added with a smile that was hard not to return. Kalysto nodded and Alice hurried to put several snacks in the shopping cart. By the way, have you thought about trying out for the archery trials again...? she questioned as she looked sideways, suddenly alert to any small noise in the surroundings and ready to run for her life at any moment. Youve improved a lot, Im sure Coach Watson will give you the scholarship this time Kalysto sighed, she wasnt sure if the man would offer her to exchange her athletics scholarship for an archery scholarship, but if given the chance she wouldnt hesitate to take it. Although she wasnt sure Coach Brown, who ran the track club, would let her go so easily. Not when she was his best runner, and he was still upset that he hadnt managed to convince her to participate in the past Olympics. Worst of all, he was still trying to convince her to participate in the next ones, something she had immediately refused to do. Is he crazy? I barely have time to sleep right now between work, training and classes! And Im already a year and a half away from finishing my degree! Why the hell does he think I would go into another career just to be able to participate in the Olympics? What would I gain from that? Yes, she was good at running, but it wasnt because she liked it, it was because she had to become fast in order to survive. Old memories she thought she had forgotten about her childhood where she was chased and had to run into the woods to avoid getting hurt, getting lost in the trees that surrounded the back of the town where she grew up, began to flood her mind. Kalysto quickly pushed them away. Instead, she grabbed the supermarket shopping cart and headed for the kitchen implement section, where she grabbed one of the sharp knives on display and silently watched it. At that moment, her phone rang and as she watched Alice jump in fright at the unexpected sound, she pulled her cell phone out of her pants pocket and checked the text message that came in. Who is it? Alice questioned, her anxiety returning to the surface. The last thing Kalysto wanted right now was to face another panic attack from her best friend, so she hurried to reply. Edward, confirming that hes agreed to change the time and place of todays tutoring," she commented giving her a sidelong glance, but for how bad Alice had been a couple of hours ago, she wouldnt have had to change her plans for that day. But after the police had called her friend yesterday morning to identify the body of Liz, Alices other best friend and with whom Kalysto didnt get along so well, Alice had started to say one crazy thing after another, and today she had come to the practice field saying that everyone would die that day and something about blocking the screen of a system. I hope she wasnt talking about my laptopI barely finished paying for it last week! But for the safety of her new computer, it was best to keep it away from her friend, for now. I thought you werent teaching him anymore. Didnt he finish the semester today, like the rest of us? Alice frowned, suddenly annoyed at the injustice. No," she hastened to answer, relieved to see that Alices attention was elsewhere, which stopped her acting like a frightened bunny. Like Thomas, he has a Japanese exam on Monday. Professor Lee got sick last weekend and everyone agreed to postpone the class to next week. I imagine Mrs. Cooper asked you to keep tutoring her absent-minded nephew," Alice grimaced, annoyed that the fifty-one-year-old woman was taking advantage of what little free time the only living friend she had left had. It wasnt like that," Kalysto defended her, although she understood her point. The good thing is that after todays tutoring, I wont have to see him until next semester," she consoled, and felt a little guilty about the surge of relief that swept over her. How could I not return the favor to Amanda by putting up with her na?ve nephews nonsense and helping him not to lose the semester... If it werent for all the help she had given me I would still be being exploited in a low-paying job and going hungry! And that was the reason she hadnt gotten rid of those annoying hours of free weekly tutoring. For Kalysto, Amanda was practically the reincarnation of an angel, always ready to help her when she needed it most. To say that I am deeply grateful to the woman who has helped me survive in this inhospitable city is an understatement... I owe her so much. But Edward is so... agg... annoying," Alice complained and Kalysto had to try hard not to laugh, agreeing with her. I know. How can you stand him? If I were you, I would have already made up an excuse to get rid of him," said the beautiful blonde. Do you remember last month when I was sick for a week and couldnt go to work or training? Yes, I do. Amanda came with her husband in their car, brought me food and bought the medicines the doctor prescribed for me that I could not afford because they were expensive and I did not have cash since I had left my wallet at work. Also, she paid the rent for my room for the whole month, so I didnt have to worry about anything. ...Oh! ...Yep. You know that if I had as much money as she did, I would have helped you too, right? she asked, her voice suddenly heavy with anxiety. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I know," she replied with a tender smile. Just as you know that if I had it, I would help you, right? Alice nodded with confidence, only to look nervous again the next second. But youre all right now, arent you? Youre not in any pain, are you? She questioned with her pretty blue eyes full of concern as she looked her up and down. Im fine, just tired. Its been a heavy month," she assured her before letting out a long sigh. I hope shell soon get over this stage of having to make sure every now and then that Im okay or if Im still alive. "Why dont you come and spend the next week with me? she invited her, hoping she wouldnt have to receive the collection of messages that were sure to arrive, asking her if she was all right. I..." again Alice seemed nervous and her gaze drifted to the supermarket exit and then to Kalysto. Youre going to buy knives? But you dont cook! she questioned her, changing the subject and looking at her as if she was crazy for even thinking about buying them. Im not the one whos been acting crazy all morning. Kalysto wanted to tell her, but restrained herself and decided to let it go. Id better wait until shes ready and tell me whats really going on. Actually, I do know how to cook. I just dont need to do it now that I live with the Tanners. Besides, were going to need something to defend ourselves with if what you said really happens and a horde of monsters from another world attacks the city, she said, trying hard to hide the irony in her voice. And if not, theyll serve me in the future," she replied with a shrug, as if what she had just said was the most normal thing in the world. Does that mean you believe me? Alice perked up, suddenly full of hope. She had been trying for hours to convince her skeptical friend, Because its impossible that its just a coincidence that the police found Lizs body in exactly the same position as the protagonist of that book, where the girl with the same name transmigrates to another world after being kidnapped and murdered in the same way Liz was! The young blonde girl approached Kalysto and took one of her hands as she felt the air starting to get scarce. Even the blow on her head is in the same part! Both of them hit against a rock while they were running away and both of their hands were pointing towards the forest! Cant you see? she exclaimed, full of despair, her voice rising in pitch with each sentence. What Kalysto could see was how her friend was slowly beginning to lose her sanity. Perhaps both deaths, along with the news that her grandmother had cancer and less than three years to live, were too much for her. That, the nightmares after witnessing the horrible murder of her roommate, the insomnia and the stress. Kalysto looked around absently, inwardly grateful that there were few shoppers at that time of the afternoon and that the section they were in was empty. She was about to speak, but Alice stepped forward. ...Kal...what if...what if its true what the rumors say and the author can predict the future? Kalystos body froze. Not this again! Alice," she said, lovingly stroking the blonde hair of the sweet young woman in front of her in an attempt to reassure her, its practically impossible, nothing more than a strange and very bizarre coincidence that Im sure her marketing team is cashing in on to sell more books. Just like those false stories that say shes a witch, the young waitress stared into those blue eyes, so different, sweet, and innocent in comparison to her green, distrustful, and deep gaze. Kalysto regulated her breathing, and without Alice realizing it, she had begun to imitate Kalystos calm breathing, beginning to calm down. Kassandra is just another author whose books hardly sell and need all the publicity she can get to make some money. That these murders coincide with the way she wrote them in her books is either an unfortunate coincidence or someone wants to get her in trouble. Alices face seemed to deflate as she listened to her. ... So you dont believe me? The Olympic medalists shoulders slumped in defeat. No, but Im your friend and Im going to support you in everything you need, she assured her calmly, as she hugged her, trying to comfort her. And if you need me to go with you to check that no interdimensional portal will open and end the world in an hour, well go. Of course, if nothing happens, and its only in your head, promise me youll go see a psychologist. So much stress can be bad for your health," she whispered. Im not crazy! she growled defensively, stepping back and away from her. I didnt say you were," Kalysto added in a soft voice, trying to calm her down as she raised her palms in surrender, but its obvious that, after Lizs disappearance, you havent been feeling well at all, let alone after... she didnt want to say it, not openly, but after Alice witnessed how her roommates ex-boyfriend blew the other girls head off with a gunshot, her friend was sleeping less and less. And the huge dark circles under her blue eyes were getting worse and worse. That kind of thing tends to leave an imprint on people, a trauma," she tried to explain. Thats hard to overcome, Kalysto continued with all the tact she could muster. Though she knew she wasnt good at that sort of thing. Or for anything that was very emotional, for that matter. Or making you remember every five seconds that your grandmother could die at any moment if something went wrong with the treatment. She thought, but didnt tell her. Just like you did with your mothers death? Alice challenged her with some annoyance, knowing she wasnt the only one who had witnessed a brutal murder. As soon as Kalysto heard those words, her attitude cooled completely. She took two steps backwards, away from her friend, folded her arms and frowned at her, not at all happy with the turn the conversation was taking. We werent talking about me, we were talking about you," she spat coldly. You never like to talk about yourself! Alice complained. In the three and a half years they had been friends, she knew very little about her, Kalysto on the other hand knew the date of her grandparents birthdays. She even had their phone numbers, even though they lived in the countryside. Silence reigned. One that Kalysto didnt bother to break. Seeing that the future translator didnt budge, the Olympic medalist lowered her head, guilt creeping into her face. Im sorry... I didnt mean to make you remember something so painful... but you have to understand that Im not crazy, besides its too much of a coincidence! She raised her head and looked at the green-eyed brunette. And if what happened to Liz happened just as the book said, it means that maybe the same thing will happen to Thomas just like the protagonist of The fall of the hero, and if thats true, it means that we are in danger and we must find a way to get through the portal with him! Getting a system is the only chance we have to survive this madness! she shouted. Kalysto let out a long, weary sigh. She was too exhausted to have to deal with this right now. Evasion... shes just avoiding the real problem. She tried to convince herself. Since she herself didnt want to admit that there was a very real possibility that Alice was going crazy. It was one thing to share her friends tastes in fantasy literature a little, quite another to see her start to confuse fiction with reality. Although, if we get down to it, I would love to be a powerful archmage, have a magic wand and be able to heal people... Maybe then I could have saved my mother. Kalysto shook her head. The last thing she needed was to fall into that depressive spiral right now. It wouldnt do either of them any good, and right now, at least one of them needed to stay sane. And while Kalysto could admit that the coincidence was odd, she didnt give in. She looked her friend in the eye and a prolonged silence settled between them. She remembered reading the tragic book The Fall of the Hero years ago when Alice lent it to her. Of the other, she didnt even remember the name. And if her memory served her correctly, both Liz and Thomas had not only the same first and last names as the characters in those novels but their physical descriptions and personalities also matched. She also remembered that in The Fall of the Hero, Thomas was betrayed and killed shortly before the continent of Tanish was destroyed and from which only a small group of fairies, one of the many native races, survived. But what she really cared about was the precarious mental health of Alice. Who always made time for her despite her busy schedule and spent months helping her train so that she, too, could try out for the archery scholarship two and a half years ago. Their plan hadnt worked out as they had planned and instead, Kalysto earned the track and field scholarship and not the archery scholarship, but that didnt diminish the value of her friend''s effort. Even now, the blonde still gave her advice and corrected her if she saw her doing something wrong the few times Kalysto had some free time to practice with the bow. And if there was one thing the young waitress had learned throughout her life, it was that the world was about simple exchange. If you receive something from someone, whether good or bad, you have to make up for the value of what you received. That was one of the few things her biological father had taught her and always emphasized to her, we always pay our debts, Kalysto. Or at least he did until she saw him disappear in the middle of the night, years ago. ... Its better to be prepared, thats what knives are for," answered Kalysto after letting out a long sigh, deciding to change the focus of the conversation. Alice, on the other hand, opened her eyes wide, surprised by her friends strange logic and the ease with which she changed or connected topics. And her gaze focused on the huge kitchen knives Kalysto was studying. Youre right. How could I forget something so obvious? Her face turned pale. I think Id better go get my bow! Im afraid I left it in my locker at the archery club. Alice said. That would be the safest thing to do," Kalysto tried to reassure her. Ill wait for you in the park," she commented calmly. Is there anything you want me to buy you? She changed the subject, trying to keep her distracted. Alice was about to say no, but then thought better of it. More purple grapes! I dont think the ones were carrying are enough, not with the speed you eat them. Oh, and a bunch of peanut brittle! She added, handing her a couple of twenty-dollar bills to cover her share of the groceries. Okay, consider it done. See you in twenty-five minutes. Dont be long. After saying goodbye, Kalysto ended up buying more than she had planned. She couldnt stop herself from grabbing several packages of cookies and muffins when she passed by the section where the breads were. She had a weakness for baked goods and snacks. So she went to the cash register before she ended up buying more chocolate chip cookies than she had already carried. She handed the cash to the young man handling the cashier and stuffed almost all of her purchases into her huge black backpack, the same one she had gone camping with her friend on a couple of occasions. I cant wait to finish university and get out of the athletic club so I can eat everything I like with total freedom. And stop carrying this gigantic backpack! In which she had to keep her work uniform, a change of clothes for after her workouts and all the things she needed for her classes for the day. Its a pity that the lockers at the university are so insecure. If it werent for that, she could leave the house without so much stuff on her back every morning. Nice shirt," commented the young man who worked as a cashier as he handed it back to her with his gaze fixed on Kalystos favorite black T-shirt with the Hela print with the phrase Kneel before your queen, which she was wearing. ...Thank you," she replied awkwardly at the unwanted attention. She picked up the bag with the bread and cookies with her left hand, not wanting them to spoil inside her backpack, and hurried to leave before the young man tried to engage her in conversation. Forty-five minutes later, Alice had not arrived at the fountain with the statue of a pair of dolphins, the spot where they had arranged to meet in the citys largest park. And she wasnt answering her cell phone either. What the hell? She was annoyed. She could be lying on her bed reading a new chapter of her favorite web novel, or even better, sleeping, instead of walking around like a lonely fool near cloying couples who looked like they needed a hotel room badly. She hurried away as she took a bite of a juicy green apple and continued to wander into one of the many paths in the park, enjoying the paths surrounded by huge trees and the various flower beds of which she only recognized the colorful tulips. It was a pretty sight with the little butterflies fluttering back and forth, but she was too tired and the park was so big that it connected to a zoo and further south to a nature reserve. The few times she had come here before, she always got the impression that it was too easy to get lost, that or find couples having sex outdoors if you did some hiking away from the nice marked trails where many took advantage of for sports on the weekends. Her heart squeezed with longing for those Sunday mornings when she and Alice used to come jogging. Now, she used them to try to catch up on the many hours of sleep lost during the week. I already want it to be tomorrow and sleep until late. She was about to pull her cell phone out of the back pocket of her pants to call her for the tenth time when she saw it. And the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and her stomach cringed with fear. A huge, russet-colored portal glowed in the distance in the sky, several meters above the canopy of the leafy trees. Shit! The green apple she was about to take another bite of fell from her right hand without her being aware of it. So Alice and the author were right... there really are other worlds. CHAPTER 2 "The Goblin" CHAPTER 2 "The Goblin" Kalysto''s brain hadn''t finished processing what her eyes were seeing. She stood there, frozen like a statue with her mouth open for a few minutes unable to believe that it was true everything she had been insisting to Alice, for hours, was nothing more than the lies of a forgotten old author looking for attention to boost her sales. A wave of fear swept over her, dulling her initial surprise. Her breathing quickened as her heart pumped like crazy against her rib cage and a thousand ideas raced through her mind as she thought of a solution, a way to make herself safe from all the chaos to come if that portal meant the same as in the stories Kassandra R. Black used to write. Why the hell didnt I read all her books, but only three? She reproached herself. If she could get her hands on the author right now, she would shower her with hundreds of questions. But it was too late for that now. Where could I go to be safe? She tried to think. But no ideas came to her mind. If this thing opened over the city, no one could guarantee her that other portals wouldnt open in other parts of the world, if they hadnt already. How much money do I have? She tried to remember with a frown. With the money she had earned in tips the night before, and what she had left over after paying the rent that morning, she barely had two hundred dollars in cash. That wasn''t much. And she couldn''t get far enough with such a small amount either, but she had almost seven hundred dollars saved in the bank that she planned to use when she finished her degree and could finally start traveling the world. Although, she''d prefer not to touch that money. More ideas came to her mind as she discarded one after another, trying to find the one that could guarantee her safety. The problem was that she had very little information. It was then that an emotion foreign to her came over her. Excitement. And as she questioned herself about the strange and highly inappropriate feeling, she remembered that interdimensional portals always brought monsters with them, and with their death came experience and access to powers far beyond her imagination. She swallowed saliva. A part deep inside her wished to have all that power at her disposal. And that scared her. Kalysto shook her head, with some confusion. Ive been listening too much to Alices strange ideas all morning, and that is why I am thinking about that madness. But she also remembered that, during her emotional relapse, Alice had mentioned a system, a kind of program made with magic that gave every human who went through a portal the ability to use it. If what the author says in her books is true, of course. The young waitress sighed and looked up at the sky again, at that vast patch of red light from which small black dots seemed to be dripping as if it could produce rain. Please tell me Alice isnt trying to get into that thing, she pleaded to no one in particular. If so, Kalysto wasnt planning to follow her into something that could very well end in her own death. Besides, it was too high for them to reach it safely. A girls scream echoed through the park, indicating that she was not as alone as she had thought she was when she wandered away from the crowd of affectionate couples. Without a second thought, she ran toward the scream, returning along the path she had taken, passing another pretty fountain, and taking another path to a wide path surrounded by pretty gardens filled with colorful flowers on both sides. Stolen novel; please report. The young university student stopped as soon as she saw the scene in front of her. A thin girl of about thirteen with a blonde braid on each side of her head and with her arms outstretched at her sides, was trying to use her body as a shield, protecting a woman in her late forties who was lying on the ground with one leg in a cast and two crutches strewn about, not far from them. Kalysto guessed it was her mother. In front of them, less than five meters away, approached what she at first thought was a boy of about twelve, maybe thirteen, in a hideous green costume. Goblin. Said a voice in her head. Immediately, Kalysto remembered seeing Natasha, her landlady''s daughter, playing video games in which she fought the nasty green creatures while hurling expletives because the only healer on her team had died, again. A sharp, long knife was in that monsters right hand, and as soon as it was almost three meters away from the terrified girl, it raised its arm as an obvious threat, while it growled something unintelligible and approached them. Despite her initial surprise, Kalysto couldnt help but make a comparison. She saw herself as a small, malnourished child as she tried to protect her own mother from the brutal beatings of her violent, drunken stepfather when he came home from a long, unsatisfying day of work in the mines. And before she was aware of what she was doing, she dropped the bag with the packages of sliced bread and other things she had bought and ran as fast as her legs would let her towards the green figure, took off her backpack and threw it with all her might right in the goblins face, knocking it off balance, as she bent down and picked up one of the mothers fallen crutches. She hit the green wrist that held the knife hard, three times in a row, while the goblin screamed and pulled her backpack from his face with a free hand. A bloodcurdling shriek escaped from the monster''s gaping mouth as he dropped the knife from the pain of her blows, even though she could neither pierce his skin nor break his bones. The goblin jumped back, moving away from her and cupping its injured hand against its chest, but Kalysto followed it and continued to hit it with much more force on any part of its face she could reach, even though it almost felt like she was hitting a huge stone. But that didn''t make her give up. Its eyes! Attack its eyes! That voice deep in her mind shouted again. And for the first time in many years, Kalysto obeyed it. She took the crutch hard with both hands and struck it in the nose fracturing it with one blow, and sending the goblin crash to the ground after giving it another thrust in the crotch covered by a loincloth made of something similar to leather. Taking advantage of his distraction, she attacked his eyes viciously, several times. But to her annoyance, the little goblin covered his eyes with his hands and hunched his body to one side. Again, it looked as if she was slamming the crutches against a huge rock. Feeling frustrated, she went for the long knife the monster had dropped, and in one swipe, buried it in one of his eyes. The metal pierced the greenish skin of its fingers effortlessly as if its strange skin was made of butter. Kalysto, on the other hand, almost seemed possessed. Leave her alone, you fucking monster! she growled, as she continued to stab it. She wasn''t entirely sure if she was yelling it at the little green creature in front of her or at the monster that still lived in her memories. But none of that mattered now. The world was a better place without them, anyway. Violet blood splattered against the black sports outfit she was wearing when she stabbed it in the chest, but she didnt care. The high-pitched shrieks that the creature made as she mercilessly stabbed its face over and over again began to fade little by little until it was completely silent and motionless. Still, she was slow to notice, too caught up in her painful memories, too angry at the man who had taken away her mothers chance at a better future. Too angry at herself for having been so weak, for not having been able to do anything to stop him and save her mother back then. If only I had been stronger! She lamented. But she had only been thirteen when that happened, and hunger can take its toll all too easily on a terrified little girl. Finally, the violet, blood-soaked knife slipped from Kalystos hands as she struggled to normalize her crazed breathing. And sat down near the corpse as she caught her breath and felt the surge of rage that had seized her completely vanish. And Kalysto blinked, surprised to see all the chaos she had inadvertently caused. Now I understand why people practice such a violent sport as boxing, she whispered to no one in particular. And for the first time in a long time, she felt a little vindicated. She couldnt save her mother from that violent animal who was posing as her stepfather when she was thirteen. But at least that little girl wouldnt know what it was like to grow up without a mother, as she had. A sad, thin smile tugged at her lips as her eyes misted over with tears and she closed her eyes with her head held high, not wanting to cry. At least that little girl will have a chance... she wont be like me. And that comforted her in a way she would never have imagined before. CHAPTER 3 “Two goblins” CHAPTER 3 Two goblins A few minutes later, when Kalysto could calm down a bit, she opened her green eyes again and, for an instant, stared at the portal. A strange sensation stirred deep within her soul the more she watched it. And that made her uneasy. Somewhat frightened because she could not understand her own emotions, she forced herself to lower her gaze and think of something else. Like what she might do next. I just want to lie in my bed, sleep for hours, and not be disturbed until tomorrow afternoon. But she doubted it would be that easy. Even without that huge portal in the sky. And no matter what that thing was, the girl and her mother sure had plenty of time to escape. Everything would be fine for now. She reassured herself. She could get up from there when her aching legs gave her permission to do so, and she would go home and get to safety while she waited to hear from Alice. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. She cheered herself up. Or so she thought until she heard them screaming again, and turned to see two more goblins, this time much larger and stronger than the small creature she had just defeated, each one advancing with a huge club in hand walking towards them. Why didn''t they escape? What? Do they have a bad luck charm or something? Is this never going to end? She frowned. Without waiting for an answer she knew would never come, she stood up, her whole body protesting the effort. Tired and sore from everything she had just accomplished after having been training for hours during the morning and working the night shift for a month now while preparing for final exams and training like crazy for two athletics competitions in which she came in first and second place, respectively. She regretted moving, as well as running to help them without thinking the situation through. I should have gone to sleep instead of playing with my bow after the exam. She complained. When this is over, Ill go to sleep. I wont even go to work. Ill call the boss and tell him Im sick. She bent down, picked up the knife again after wiping the handle with the outside of her sports jacket, and lunged towards the nearest goblin with the firm intention of stopping it from attacking them. But the goblin saw her coming and slammed her with its huge medieval club against her ribs, knocking all the air out of her lungs and sending her a couple of meters away against the hard ground, making her see stars as the pain spread throughout her body. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kalysto coughed. Her long light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, was pulled into her mouth and the taste of blood flooded her tongue. Come on Kalysto, get up! She scolded herself as her body refused to move and the initial dizziness after the blow began to dissipate. Youve been left in worse condition before. This. This is nothing! And you know it! Still, just turning her trunk and trying to sit up seemed quite an odyssey, and it took her much longer than was wise to stay on the ground, for someone who hated to become weak prey again in the presence of a powerful predator. Im not a helpless child anymore! she growled. And the very thought of having become a victim again made her blood boil and her stomach churn. As an afterthought, she checked that she wasnt missing any teeth before getting back to her feet, though she wobbled a bit before she could steady herself on her two legs. She almost looked like a newborn calf with her shaking knees and lack of balance. Worst of all, she could barely breathe properly. Worried about the pain that flooded her every time she tried to breathe, she touched her side, checking that the brute that was trying to trample an innocent butterfly with his club, had not broken any of her ribs. But apart from the pain and the gigantic bruise that was sure to appear soon, everything seemed fine. Still, it was pretty painful. And she forced herself to keep her breathing very shallow. Just enough to keep the oxygen flowing to her brain and keep her conscious, but not enough to fill her lungs so that the pain would incapacitate her. The very idea of being incapacitated and completely at the mercy of these two monsters was truly terrifying. As bad as her situation was, she was relieved to see, out of the corner of her eye, that the knife she had stolen did not fall as far from her as she had feared when she lost the only weapon she had to defend herself. These monsters wont be as easy to defeat as the last one. She thought, noticing both figures suddenly busy trying to get rid of a pair of yellow butterflies that insisted on landing on their noses and studying them silently. At least it wasnt the goblin whose club is covered in thorns, she tried to console herself. Soon the mothers heart-rending scream, along with the girls, squeezed her heart as she saw the second goblin, the larger of the two, strike with superhuman force on the leg that was not in a cast of the helpless woman still lying on the cold ground when he got tired of chasing the other butterfly. A shiver ran down Kalystos back as she realized that escape now was practically impossible for those two. Even if the young waitress managed to distract them long enough, the girl could not help her mother walk with those two broken legs. And she doubted that anyone else would come to help them. Nearly five meters from where she was, she could hear her cell phone ringing near where the other goblins fallen body lay. I must have dropped it while I was resting after my brief victory. She thought, but ignored it. Still, for an instant, her eyes wandered, searching for it with her gaze. Its too far away for me to reach it and call for help. Meanwhile, the second goblin, who until then had been watching the small yellow butterfly without being able to capture it, with a bizarre fascination until she disappeared from his sight shortly after his last attempt to catch her. Leaving Klaysto as a much easier choice as his next prey. He took a step towards Kalysto, with a sinister smile on his thin lips, seconds before pouncing on her at full speed when he saw that his new prey had been distracted. CHAPTER 4 “One down, two more to defeat” CHAPTER 4 One down, two more to defeat Are these supposed to be the weaker monsters inhabiting other worlds? Kalysto questioned fearfully. Beginning to doubt that she had any chance of survival if she encountered monsters stronger than this one, in her current state. At least the first one was easy. She tried to cheer herself up. But the way things were going with this one, she had serious doubts that she could save the other two from the third goblin. Again, her mothers face, with its empty look, her body full of bruises, marks, and scars, along with her face bathed in blood, tormented her. No, I cant give up. She scolded herself. The goblin raised its huge medieval club and aimed at her, but Kalysto dodged the blow by mere inches. After dodging two more, she darted to where she had dropped the little goblins knife and picked it up, with the green creature almost at her heels. She swerved, dodged another blow and changed direction when she saw, a couple of meters away, her backpack along with the shopping bag with the loaves of bread and cookies she didnt want to keep inside. Now she hoped none of those monsters would step on them, or worse, eat them. If I had a bow and a couple of arrows I could easily shoot them in the eyes. She thought, but she had no such thing at hand, unless Alice magically appeared in the next few seconds. She wasnt counting on that, but any small hope she might have harbored died quickly as the second goblin kept sending one blow after another toward her. The first one, the one that had hit her, had caught her off guard, but the rest she could avoid them with ease. Who would have thought that all those years of experience dodging the things my stepfather threw at me when he was in a bad temper would do me any good? She recalled once when he had even thrown the dining room chair at her and then got mad at her because, in avoiding the impact, the chair broke. The beating and punishment she received afterwards for that, when she had been na?ve enough to think she was safe while sleeping in her bed at night, had been epic. Despite her efforts, the goblins next blow passed just a few millimeters from her face. If she had had a nose as big as that of these creatures, she would have broken it by now. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Enough! She scolded herself and forced her mind to go blank, focusing only on the monster in front of her, his movements, and his wood club. In the distance, she could hear more screams, but she didnt allow herself to be distracted. She had enough on her plate with this creature. The others could defend themselves, however they could. She had done more than enough saving them once. Still, her heart clenched with helplessness. When the next blow passed so close to her that if it had hit her it would have fractured her right leg, Kalysto began to reproach herself for running headlong into danger. A sensible person would have run away or called the police instead of interfering. Unfortunately for her, she was well aware that, if she did not take care of these two creatures, that girl and her mother would soon die. Just as she would if she did not find a solution in the next few seconds. And if by some miracle she managed to defeat them, she would not have enough strength to carry the mother and help them escape. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at her forgotten backpack and her cell phone lying on the ground. And a harebrained scheme popped into her head. If she could distract him long enough, maybe she would have a chance to defeat him, and then she could go for the other one, while the girl called the police and asked for an ambulance. It seemed the only reasonable option. So she spent the next few seconds studying the second goblins movements, looking for a pattern or an opening in his defenses, so as soon as he swung his club at her as if it were a baseball bat poised to take her down, Kalysto dodged it, only to leap toward him and bury the dagger along his forearm, from his elbow to the green wrist. And immediately, she jumped back, creating some distance between them, preparing for his retaliation. But instead of attacking her in the next second, the monster screamed in pain drawing the attention of the third goblin, who stopped for a moment from spoiling the legs of the older woman, despite the continuous pleas of the little girl whom he threw aside, to watch his comrade who launched a counterattack after changing the hand with which he wielded his huge wooden stick. Kalysto dodged his blows again with her characteristic agility and could almost feel that voice in her head about to speak to her again when, after dodging the last blow, she lunged forward ready to stab his other arm, only to discover that the knife she had stolen was gone. What the hell? She barely managed to blink in confusion when her body moved of its own accord, filling her with dread. Her left arm rose with the knife firmly in her grip and with an agility that took her by surprise, she slit the unsuspecting goblins throat. They both looked at each other for a moment, confusion etched on their faces before he fell back lifelessly and she had to cover her eyes with her right hand to avoid the blood. She blinked once, then she did it again, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as her stomach contracted and bile rose in her throat as she looked fearfully at her left hand, still armed. What the hell was that? She thought, looking at her hand with distrust and instinctively took a step back. CHAPTER 5 “I didn’t see that coming” CHAPTER 5 I didnt see that coming. Kalysto couldnt even feel her left arm. But she didnt have time to ponder that. Shortly after her strange victory, the little girl screamed again as the third goblin raised its spiked club, gathering momentum to hurl it at the innocent creature. Kalysto ran up, grabbed the second goblins huge club in her right hand, and hurled it at the third attackers head. Run! she shouted at the girl, just as the goblin took the blow and turned at the sound of her voice. Run, now! she insisted as she saw that the girl just stood there, doing nothing. Run! Run around the fountain a couple of times and come back, now! The mini blonde nodded her head and started to run while her mother, frightened at being left alone, began to scream. No! Dont go! she cried disconsolately, surprising Kalysto with her lack of maternal instinct. Dont you dare leave me here alone, Katia Smith! Come back right now, young lady! Arent you listening to me? Come back this instant! Fortunately, the child did not listen to her. And the third goblin, instead of turning and facing Kalysto, as she thought he would, ran after the slender girl. Fortunately, unlike the other one, this ones size and strength came with slower movements. Even for thinking. Giving Kalysto a moment to catch her breath and reorganize her thoughts. She wished she could have rested a bit, but the circular fountain that was only ten meters away from them, was not big enough to give her more than a few seconds rest. It would have been even better without the constant cries of the mother trying to get Katia to come back and stay by her side. But instead of sitting back and criticizing the poor attempt at mother, who seemed more intent on forcing her daughter to die along with her than on securing the life of her progeny, Kalysto grabbed her camping backpack again and stowed the bag with the loaves of bread inside, feeling bad about crushing them. As soon as she was done, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911 as she gathered a large group of stones in several piles, using the decorative rocks that lined the beautiful flower garden on one side of the road they were on. After reporting to the operator that a trio of violent vandals attacked a mother, along with her daughter. She added that a group of animals apparently escaped from the nearby zoo and one of them ran over the mother, breaking her legs. After the emergency call-taker who attended to her assured her that an ambulance was on her way, she was tempted to say that they were being invaded by creatures from another world, but fearing she would be labeled crazy she said she also noticed a strange red spot in the sky before hanging up and putting her cell phone back in her backpack. Just in time to pick up the second goblins medieval club and hug a second set of rocks with the arm that still held the knife as Katia ran to meet her. Good job! I called 911, and an ambulance is on its way! The girls face lit up knowing that they were coming soon to help them, then without missing a beat, Kalysto pointed to the stones. I hope you have good aim because as soon as I get away from that thing; I want you to start throwing rocks at him. If its at its head, all the better, but hit him where you can. Anything that can help me distract him while I look for a good angle to attack him will do. Understood? Katia nodded her head as she finished reaching Kalystos side and placed her hands on her thin knees as she tried to recover the air she had lost while running. Yes...yes, maam, she replied with her pale cheeks tinged red from physical exertion, making her look adorable. Kalystos heart flooded with tenderness at the sight of her, and she almost felt bad for asking her to help her kill someone. But their survival was at stake. Thank heaven the girls mother had stopped screaming, her face as white as a hospital wall as she saw the green creature come running back to them again, the spiked club held high. Then she fainted. Mommy! Katia panicked. Dont worry about her right now. The paramedics will take care of your mother. For now, the best we can do to save her is to take care of that thing before the ambulance comes. Got it? She said, holding the club between her legs as she began to throw rocks in the face of the huge goblin as he approached, hitting his nose and left eye. The monster roared louder, annoyed by the small blows, and quickened its steps, running straight towards them. Kalysto hurriedly threw the rest of her stones to the ground and began to evade the creatures blows, even clumsily trying to block one of his attacks with the club she had just stolen from the deceased goblin, only for it to be thrown, along with her, to the side. Shit!... She groaned as the pain from the blow she had received earlier, from the other goblin, exploded as she moved her arm after taking another blow. "Now, Katia! She shouted, and the little blonde started throwing rocks at the only goblin left alive near them, first at its uncovered stomach, then she missed two more shots and the next one bounced off the tiny breastplate the goblin wore as armor. But Kalysto had piled up enough rocks for the girl to have available, even if she missed. As Katia continued to get better at her shot, succeeding this time in hitting him in the face, the young waitress tried to recover from the painful blow. Come on Kalysto, this is nothing! It wasnt, if she took into account everything that happened to her while she was growing up. By now she should be so used to pain that she wouldnt be surprised if she found out someday that her tolerance level for it was much higher than the average persons. Still, it hurt like hell. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to concentrate on what was really important. They had to get rid of that thing. After a couple more breaths, she rounded on him as he was covering his eyes and trying to get closer to the girl, then Kalysto charged him from behind, burying the knife twice before quickly backing away to avoid a blow as he turned to her, full of rage and attacked her. Kalysto dodged his blows and gave Katia a look. The girl perked up, wordlessly understanding the strategy, and they did this same thing for three more times before the creature noticed the pattern and scowled at them. It was to their great advantage that he was not very smart. But it was obvious that the strategy was too simple and wouldnt last forever. Kalysto watched Katia out of the corner of her eye. The little girl still looked scared, but she was doing her part as best she could, even though it was obvious she was getting tired. And she wasnt the only one. Kalysto doubted she could last much longer if the confrontation continued to drag on. Worst of all, the goblin seemed to be learning from his mistakes, and though he was far more wounded than before, he no longer let on any openings that she could use to her advantage. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They were at a dead end. And if the fight was one of endurance, in the terrible shape she was in, along with all the fatigue built up after a week of final exams while she worked nights, he had every chance of winning. And that was the moment the woman with the squeaky voice with the broken cast on her leg chose to start screaming. Katia! Katia! Where are you, you fucking brat? Come here immediately if you know whats good for you! Dont do it! Kalysto shouted at her as soon as she realized that the girl took a step in her mothers direction. If you stop helping me distract him, we wont stand a chance of getting out of here alive. The girl kept silent and continued to do as Kalysto had asked. The ambulance must be nearby, Kalysto reminded her. Katia, come here this instant! Dont think youre going to save yourself just because your father has your custody! That seemed to do the trick. And Katia hesitated again. Stopping throwing stones. Kalysto let out a curse. Its because of things like this that its best not to trust anyone else. She thought with annoyance. If you dont expect anything from anyone, it wont hurt when they disappoint you. She reminded herself as she realized that she had actually been expecting help from the little girl. And unwillingly, an image of her father during the night when he disappeared, when the light of the full moon touched his figure half hidden in the shadows of the tall trees that surrounded the small clearing behind the house she grew up in, flooded her mind. Stop remembering that and focus for once! No one will give a shit about you if you let yourself die right now! She scolded herself. And the singular chill that washed over her body every time she forced herself to focus, ran through her from head to toe. Making even the pain she felt every time she breathed much more tolerable. The goblin seemed to notice the strangeness of the atmosphere and also stopped his attacks, turning his gaze from the girl to the woman on the ground. As soon as the university student took a step with the intention of approaching him and taking advantage of his distraction, he turned towards her, ready to give her a fight. Kalysto instead jumped backwards. Staying within the mothers angle of vision. Its been at least ten minutes since she called the ambulance, mother. Im sure theyll be here soon, said Katia. The world has gone to shit! And you really think theyll come to our rescue? she shouted at the kid. To tell the truth, Kalysto doubted it too, but she still didnt want to give up hope, not completely. Although she had always been more the realistic, practical type. You! Do something, you have to help us! commanded the woman. Her words annoyed her, not only because of the order that a complete stranger was giving her without any thanks for having risked her life so far to save them when she had no obligation to do so, but because of the way she was treating the girl. It was at that moment, when she was about to refute her and looked down to see the blonde woman, that she noticed something strange about that monstrous creature. His wounds were smaller than before. Is he healing? She didnt remember ever hearing Natasha complain about it in the video games the teenager played all the time, but she didnt remember any reference in the authors books about it, either. Since when did goblins have the ability to regenerate... What wasnt it trolls and slimes that could do that? She watched him carefully, just to be sure. It was slow, slow enough that she hadnt noticed it before, but now that everyone was distracted by the senseless screams of that woman, who should be thankful she was still alive, and who had been lucky enough not to be bleeding out thanks to the beating she took earlier, was that Kalysto was able to notice it. Had it not been for that, she probably would have missed it. Thats why hes so calm watching them argue. And realizing that made her rethink the whole situation. This thing was not only physically taller and stronger than her, but also its stamina was formidable. But if it had the ability to regenerate, there was no way they could win this. Then she took another step back. Where do you think youre going? I told you to come! In her fit of rage, she seemed to have forgotten how hurt she was and the little movement the blonde woman made was enough to silence her as a wave of pain hit her. Do I have to? Annoyed with that ungrateful woman, Kalysto took another step back. Surprise flashed across the ladys face, then rage. Damn bitch! She gasped with an effort. You have to... save us!... Otherwise, why did you come here... in the first place? Kalysto stepped back, leaving more space between her and the goblin. Apparently, she wasnt the only one who found her voice annoying, as the goblin decided to turn away upon seeing Kalystos unwillingness to continue the fight and approached the woman lying on the ground, taking her screams as an aggression he should defend himself against. And turning his back on the twenty-one-year-old university student. As soon as Kalysto saw him raise his spike club, ready to strike the noisy mother, the childs scream echoed in the air as the little girl tried to intercept him and use her body as a shield in an attempt to save her progenitor. The waitress seized the opportunity, passed the knife to her right hand, ran towards the green creature, jumped on its back, and then jumped again using his huge green butt as a foothold for her feet until she reached the back of his neck, giving him three quick thrusts in the neck. The goblin screamed, dropping his weapon and Kalysto tightened her grip on the small armor covering his chest and part of his back to get a better angle and finally slit his throat. They both fell to the ground as she listened to the little girl tearfully check her mother. And something unpleasant stirred inside Kalysto as she avoided looking at them and checked that the monster was really dead and unable to regenerate. No one noticed her. None of them asked her if she was okay or thanked her for saving their lives. And that bothered her, at the same time a small part of her couldnt help but feel a little envious having seen them hugging. Stop this nonsense! She scolded herself as that blanket of coldness came over her again, protecting her this time from her own emotions. And Kalysto took a deep breath, reminding herself that it wasnt for that nasty lady that she had thrown herself into helping them. It was for the girls welfare. Because despite the age difference, she could see herself reflected in her. Then she was aware of the awkwardness of her position, sitting, hanging on the back of a creature she had just murdered. And she looked at her hands, still stained with blood. I killed someone... three, in fact. She thought, rationalizing her actions and convincing herself that it was only for survival. With that strange coldness numbing her emotions, it was much easier to think about that. And as she stared at her dirty hands, her vision became blurry. A distant memory, one she was sure wasn''t hers, came to her mind. But it was so fleeting that she could barely make out a pair of hands, smaller than hers, stained with blood that was not violet. The vision distorted and a sharp pain erupted behind her eyes, making her groan. Great, now the migraine is killing me. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, on the fact that she was still alive, forgetting everything else. Forcing herself to cover herself with that coolness that protected her sometimes and to enjoy that all this drama was finally over. And probably, after that day, she would never see them again and her life would return to normal. She survived, and that was all she had to focus on. Finally, a little calm after the storm. She thought. Slowly, her headache began to subside. Every part of her body hurt like hell and her right side was killing her, but at the same time, she felt more alive than ever. And she gave herself a moment to enjoy the victory, before she thought about getting up and getting the hell out of there, leaving those two to their fate. She had done more than enough for that ungrateful old woman. She sighed. Soon she would leave all this in the past and never think about it again. Or so she thought, until the sound of an elevator echoed in her mind, putting all her senses on high alert. Out of nowhere, a blue-colored box appeared less than forty centimeters from her nose. [You have completed all the requirements necessary to use the system.] [System loading...] CHAPTER 6 "The System" CHAPTER 6 "The System" [You have completed all the requirements necessary to use the system.] And another window appeared shortly after. [System loading...] Kalysto was surprised to see those unfamiliar words in front of her and for a moment thought Alices madness had rubbed off on her until she recognized a word her friend had been mentioning. System. A smile spread across her face, still stained with the blood of her enemies, but she didnt even care about that. Now, all that mattered was that, in the midst of all this madness, she finally had a way to survive. And she stood there for a few minutes, watching, waiting, full of anticipation for them to announce what her new power would be. Please let me have magic. Please let me have magic. She begged no one in particular. Please... That I can become an archmage, please, she wished quietly. But nothing happened. This is how children must feel as they wait to open their Christmas presents. Though that was something she had no memory of, at least not since her father had left them to go God knows where. And before that, either, thanks to the accident her parents had told her shed had when she was six, though she had no memory before that age either. Her parents had had to teach her everything from scratch, much to the annoyance of her mother, who eventually grew tired of her and only pretended to pay attention to her when her father was watching. Several minutes passed, but nothing changed. And the illusion and excitement she felt at the appearance of the blue sign gradually dissipated after the first window disappeared and the second one stood there in front of her, obstructing her view despite being slightly transparent. [System loading...] Yes, I know youre loading, but what the heck is next? Thats what Im interested in! Despite her annoyance, the window did not change. A groan of anguish escaped her lips as she realized that this would take much longer than she had thought. She let out a long sigh and her shoulders slumped in defeat at that peculiarity. Well, I still have other things to do, she encouraged herself. And she reached out her hand, trying to close that window as if it were a program on her laptop. But her hand went through the screen, which unsettled her and made her recoil for a moment, and then, when she slid her hand from right to left, the screen disappeared. Like a cell phone then. She acknowledged, and put it aside. She picked up the knife she stole again, and tried to pick up the two goblin clubs, but the larger of them, the one filled with small spikes, was too heavy for her, so she gave up on that one and picked up the other. Then she walked over to where her backpack was, and wrapped the knife in a small towel she used to dry her sweat when she trained and tucked it inside, sure that it might come in handy later. When she did so, she noticed her shopping bag and felt bad to see the two packages of flattened loaves of bread inside. I hope the crackers weren''t crushed. But she didnt even dare to look to check. It was at that instant that she noticed the knives she had already bought and a doubt flooded her mind. She approached one of the bodies again and bent down beside it. She pulled out one of the knives she had purchased, took it out of its sheath, and made a cut on the goblins leg. Nothing happened. It was as if his skin was so thick that the sharp new knife couldnt hurt him. She frowned. That didnt make sense. How could his skin be so tough? She took a strand of her light brown hair and cut it easily with the knife. So the knife isnt the problem. She assured herself. Then she took out the knife she stole again and traced another cut over the monsters leg. Watching as the knife sliced through its flesh with extreme ease. Kalysto frowned again. What is this thing made of? She watched it silently, aside from the crude way they made the handle, the metal was slightly darker than the knife she had bought, but other than that she couldnt tell much difference. And they were both equally sharp. What made it so different? She turned her head to the side, watching curiously as the new knife bounced again when she tried to stab the goblins leg as if it were a stone, yet when she buried the knife in the eye, it went through without a problem. Whatever protected the thick skin of those creatures, it did not protect their eyes as long as they were open. So the eyes were a weak point. At least it had that in common with every other creature. Strange as it was, she kept the knowledge to herself, certain that it might come in handy in the future. But that didnt quench her curiosity about the peculiar phenomenon. Again, the blue window reappeared in front of her. [System loading...] You know, Im beginning to suspect that youre not to be trusted at all. She closed the window again and let out a long exhalation. It is strange to be near a dead body again, even if it is not human. She thought. It was an experience she had not had again, nor wished to have, since she had to stop studying medicine. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Then, she pulled a bottle of water out of her purse and uncapped it, rinsed the knives, then put the new one back in its packaging. And she took off her sweatshirt jacket, grimacing at the sight of the blood stains on it. At least my shirt is mostly intact. She sighed. She folded her jacket and put it away, with the stolen knife, now clean, tucked between its folds. She pulled out a small sweat towel and, with the rest of the water from the bottle, after taking a couple of gulps, washed her face and arms. She wet the towel and ran it over her face again to make sure she looked presentable. After putting her things away, she closed her backpack, checking to make sure everything was inside, and pulled out her cell phone. Noticing the nine missed calls from Alice. She called her friend back, only to hear the prerecorded voice of the operator. The number you are dialing is either off or in a dead zone. Please try again later, she frowned. What the hell? She lifted her face and stared with some trepidation at the reddish portal. Alice had really risked going into that giant thing? But how? She stared at it silently as she repeated the call three more times, just to be sure she was calling the right number. She began to worry. Where is she? Wherever she is, either her cell phone is damaged or she has no reception. She never turns off that thing. Kalysto didnt believe in any religion, but she prayed it was the last option. At least then there was a chance that her friend was still alive. She bit her lip, not quite sure what to do next. All she wanted was to go home and get to safety. So, following that impulse, she grabbed her backpack and put it on while she opened the app to send a message to her elusive friend. As soon as the app finished loading and connected to the internet, she found several messages from Alice. Apparently, I wasnt the only one who had this idea. She raised an eyebrow as she opened them to read them. Where the hell are you? Thomas is already here, and on the news they announced that several portals have opened around the world! Shit! She worried. The most annoying thing of all was that those messages had been sent almost fifteen minutes ago. Kalysto... its like the author said so many years ago... Its no longer safe to stay here, Kalysto. We have to go now! Where the hell are you? The last one was sent five minutes after the others. She closed the app after writing her a quick reply and noticing that new messages werent reaching Alice either. What is she doing with Thomas? Didnt that idiot reject her three months ago? It was then that she remembered the book and wanted to smack her forehead for forgetting it so quickly. The blue screen opened in front of her again, and Kalysto looked up. [System loading...] Kalysto hoped that her friends system wasnt as flawed as hers. She sighed and put her cell phone away. A strange feeling washed over her. But she avoided delving into it. She had to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. She bent down and took the club in her left hand. She just hoped her system would start working soon, so she would have a better chance of defending herself. I hope wherever you are, you have the best luck in the world and are safe, Alice, she wished. A pretty firefly flashed in front of her face as she turned, and the blue window blinked several times until it disappeared. Kalysto took a step back, looking at the missing screen with disappointment. What a useless thing you are. She wasnt sure she could pin her hopes on that one anymore. I better start looking for a Plan B. The little firefly began to glow and approach her face again, making her take another step back. Is today my unlucky day or what? You know, its not very safe to be here right now. You should leave, she said to the insistent firefly in a friendly tone, but the tiny animal seemed to want to perch on her nose. Kalysto ignored her and took another step back. She turned her head toward the interdimensional portal and looked at it for one last time, beginning to fear that a huge creature was coming out of it, and immediately put on her backpack and started walking, not wanting to be around when that thing got to where she was. She turned around only to observe the girl and mother hugging each other, trembling with fear. She was about to tell them that they should run away from there and hand them the club so they would at least have something to defend themselves with, but she realized that they were looking at her as if she was a far worse monster than the creatures that had just tried to murder them. Really? She became annoyed. Worst of all, they werent even able to give her a simple thank you. Kalysto watched the girl. Not a single word left her lips and oddly enough, she felt betrayed by her lack of reaction. That annoyed her even more. Thats what I get for expecting something from someone else! Whatever, Im out of here! Worst of all, she had to walk past them to get out of there, either that or step on one of the goblin bodies blocking the other side of the path. As soon as she took a couple of steps to walk away and leave them there, the blue-colored box came up again. [System loading...] Yes, yes, I know! Stop bothering me! She immediately dispelled it, but a soft voice coming from her right forced her to stop. Kalysto turned her head slowly. But all that lay to her right was a beautiful flower garden. Run! The problem was that the delicate little voice came from the firefly. Whose little light began to change colors. What the heck, now Im really going crazy! Her body froze, the firefly came back to her face and again its light dissipated the blue screen, making it flicker and then disappear. Now! she urged her. What? Kalysto replied with confusion. Just before she felt a powerful blow to her left. A loud crack told her that her left arm was broken, but she didnt even have time to process that thought as the world moved quickly and she crashed to the hard ground. Her head fell mere inches from the thick rocks that bordered the flowers. Kalysto thought she saw a pair of stars behind her closed eyelids for a moment. A strong dizziness seized her as she tried to open them and a wave of pain swept the left side of her body. If breathing was annoying before, now it was simply hell. What... what the hell...? It was difficult to articulate any thought beyond the embracing pain that seized her. She coughed again several times. And she tried in vain to get her bearings. But she knew she had to move. Even if she didn''t have the strength to do it. Whatever had run her over might come back if she continued to lie on the concrete like a cloth doll, but try as she might, her own body would not respond. She blinked in confusion as she tried to force her body to move. She took a couple of shallow breaths as she tried to lift her head and move the fingertips of her right hand, despite the severe dizziness. Another wave of pain coursed through her body, but she forced herself to concentrate on staying alive. She had to figure out what the hell had hit her and run. Not necessarily in that order. But when, after much effort, she braced herself against her right forearm and turned her face; she wished she hadnt done it. A huge, powerful orc, looking like a war commander with the thick armor decorating his body and with two red lines painted from his eyebrows to below his cheekbones on both sides of his face, was walking toward her. The strong orc roared and a whole army of thirty goblins, ten hobgoblins and three huge orcs backing him responded to his battle cry. And Kalysto knew in that instant that there was no way in hell she was going to stand against them and survive. She was truly screwed. This is definitely not my day, she thought, not realizing that the words had also left her lips. Fear engulfed her as that green giant took another step towards her, lifted his leg and his huge foot crushed one of hers. Pain shot through her. The bloodcurdling crack she heard next told her that this time, more than one bone had been broken. And Kalysto screamed as she had never screamed before in her life. CHAPTER 7 “Mana” CHAPTER 7 Mana The pain was unbearable. Still, Kalysto forced herself to stay conscious. The last thing she needed right now was to pass out surrounded by all those monsters. Who knows what they might do to my body while Im unconscious? Like, eat her. Or even worse, in fantasy novels, there had always been stories, short stories about what the horrible orcs did to the women they took as prisoners, before killing them. Especially if they were virgins. Why the hell did I never take the time to get rid of that? She wondered. Then right now, she wouldnt have to be worrying about it. It wasnt as if shed been short on volunteers. Jake, her landladys oldest son, was a prime example. And he only lived two rooms away from hers. If she had asked him, she was sure he would have gladly sacrificed himself for the cause, if the way he looked at her was any indication. But the memory of her mother, of that sickly gaze full of longing and laden with adoration that she always devoted to her stepfather, as if that human trash was the very sunshine of her existence, as if he was her everything, despite the extensive collection of bruises, marks, and scars with which he always decorated her body, turned Kalystos stomach. She could feel the bile rising in her throat just thinking about it. No, thank you. That seemed like a really scary thing to do. It was best to stay safe. Kalysto looked up only to notice that the sadistic smile of that orc grew as he saw the hatred in her gaze and pointed his mace at her, and then grunted strange words in a dialect that Kalysto did not recognize. And that she studied languages and spoke three quite fluently, four if you counted Japanese, but she still wasnt one hundred percent fluent in that one. And she only knew the basics of German, so those didnt count. A pity, really. Japan was one of the first countries I wanted to go to as soon as I had the funds and job stability to do so. Though none of that probably mattered now, not with those portals opening all over the world. So she would have to say goodbye to her dream of traveling and experiencing other cultures. Or to living another day if she couldnt find a way to survive this horde of cave monsters. There are still so many things I want to experience, so many places to see, so much delicious food to try. It was demotivating to see her lifes work crumbling before her eyes again. Stop it! Focus! She scolded herself. She clenched her jaw tightly and forced herself to focus on something other than the surge of pain that swept over her as she tried to roll onto her half side and lean on her right forearm to crawl across the floor. No, I cant give up, not so fast! She scolded herself. She hadnt survived all those blows life had dealt her, only to give up now. Just when she was so close, only a year and a half away from finishing her degree. She concentrated on her breathing, on stabilizing it, even though she had to keep it shallow so the pain wouldnt knock her out. Come on, focus! She scolded herself. Stay focused! And a few seconds later she felt a current of something cold running through her from head to toe, but when she looked down at herself, nothing changed. Although it was much easier for her to breathe now, and the pain became background noise. Whatever had happened didnt seem to hurt her, and she was grateful for that. The orc, after growling something unintelligible at her again, turned to his audience with his arms up after pointing his mace at her and her not moving. The idiot even turned his back on me...I wish I had something to stab him with. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. But she was too injured to attempt such a feat again, and the knife was inside her backpack. Unfortunately for her, while most of his followers looked as weak as the first goblin she killed, that wasnt the case with all the others. What was worse was that most of them were armed with medieval-style war hammers, axes, knives, or huge clubs. So, even if she was unharmed, it would be madness to take them on. The good news was that they didnt seem to have highly developed weapons, which was a relief. A pistol would have taken them out in three seconds if she had one handy. The bad news was that she only had three knives and a club, which had fallen a meter away from her after the blow she received. She shook her head, still feeling somewhat dazed. Still, she tried to move, crawling along the ground thanks to her right arm, in a feeble effort to put some more distance between her and her assailant. Anything that could give her the slightest advantage was welcome. The orc turned toward her again as soon as he heard the noise, though she had barely managed to get half a meter away. Even with her left foot and arm being practically useless, she still had one arm and another functional leg remaining. She wouldnt be able to run, but at least she could crawl, and if she could get to at least one of that womans crutches, shed have a better chance of survival. The orc grunted, and more strange noises came out of his mouth. She turned and looked at him, not understanding a word he had said. Im sorry, I dont speak orc, she excused herself. He watched her silently and turned his head, finally understanding that they spoke a different language. Then with his mace, he pointed at her, then pointed at the club a meter away from her, and then at her again. Then he pounded his chest. Kalysto frowned. Wait...is this guy insinuating that he wants me to face him in a duel? Oh, no, she denied immediately. No way Im going to beat you, especially not in the state Im in! She roared, not seeming to agree with his opinion, and he pointed at her and the club again afterwards. And after hitting himself twice in the chest, he pointed at her again, and then at the ground between them. You didnt have to be a genius to understand what he was implying. She shook her head again and tried to move away, but her body barely moved two centimeters. Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of her. [System Loading...] And she wanted to cry, scream in rage, or tear her hair out. The one thing that could have saved her and it was nothing but a useless piece of junk. Its worse than my stepfather. And in her dictionary, that was the worst insult she could give to anyone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two small goblins approach Katia and the blonde woman. Kalysto felt helpless at not being able to defend them. Crap! She groaned. It was like the whole thing with her mother all over again. And she closed her eyes. She didnt want to witness a massacre again. Worst of all, she knew that very soon it would be her turn. I dont want to die. Her eyes watered, and she tried with all her might to hold back the tears. A bluish glow pierced her closed eyelids, and she opened her eyes, about to snarl at the useless screen, when what she saw made her heart skip a beat. The window had changed. Finally. A tab labeled status window was open, while two others remained inactive: inventory and skills. A huge grin tugged at her lips and her eyes watered with excitement. Finally, Ill have a chance to get out alive! Too happy to think clearly, she began to read. Please let me have magic. She begged silently. Please... [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna. Age: 21 years old. Race: Human. Level: 1 Fatigue: 93 Class: Wizard (Normal) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A. Affiliation: N/A. HP: 65/100 MP: 0 Strength: 14 Vitality: 18 Agility: 25 Endurance: 18 Intelligence: 27 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 Status: Wounded. Available points: 0 One word stood out among all the others. Wizard. Yes! That means I can finally do magic! If Kalysto had been in a position to do so, she would have jumped with joy. But when she read it again to make sure she hadnt misunderstood, thats when she saw it: MP: 0 Wait a minute!... MP... that means mana, right? And all her hopes died. How is it possible for a mage to have no mana what good is it to me then how can a mage do magic without mana? She was screwed. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that she had no way out. She had tried everything, and still, it had not been enough. A silent tear slid down her cheek as she saw all her hopes shattered again. She didnt even have the strength to fight anymore. She was going to die. And this time there was nothing she could do to stop it. CHAPTER 8 "An offer from another world" CHAPTER 8 "An offer from another world" Galoth, son of Holleoth, was a proud orc of the Keth tribe. The mystery hidden behind all the secrets that magic and guardian spirits revealed to his father, the shaman of the tribe, had always attracted him. And not for weapons or brute strength, which his progenitor insisted he develop so that he could help him in his absurd revenge against Galoths only uncle, Hazeoth, the current chief of his orc tribe. Whom his father wanted to steal the title that his grandfather, the previous leader, had inherited to Hazeoth before he died. A fact that his father could not overcome, not even five years after his uncle ascended to power, much to Galoths annoyance and embarrassment. This was the hour when he could not understand why his father kept insisting on it when everyone could see that it had been the best decision for the tribe, yet his progenitor kept embittering and trying to ruin their lives in the process of plotting his very failed and undeserved revenge. His uncle was a good leader, and Goroth, his older cousin and future leader of the tribe, had always been a good friend and mentor, despite knowing the darkness in Holleoths heart. Not only was his cousin patient and had taught him to fight knowing that his heart was not in it and that he was only doing it to please his own father, but he had also taken a risk and stolen a book of magic which he did not hesitate to give to Galoth with excitement. Neither of them understood a single letter or symbol of those described therein, as they could not read. But just seeing the complex symbols and drawings that were stamped there were more than enough to stimulate Galoths heart. And now, that thin book was his secret and his most precious treasure, something he hid inside his thick battle boots, so that his father could never find it when he was forced to leave home. Not even today, when he was sent through the portal with the other orcs of his tribe, had he dared to leave it behind. His father might find him and destroy him. Or worse, discover its mysteries and never reveal to him a single word of the dark secrets that were hidden there. And even use them to harm his uncle and his beloved cousin. It was with great fear in his heart that he jealously guarded his treasure. Galoth really wanted to learn magic. And he hoped, deep in his noble heart, that someday his father would put aside his old grudges and stop forcing him to become a mighty warrior with the intention that he would challenge his cousin to a duel to the death and steal his right to lead in the future. Instead, he would allow him to learn and inherit his position as the tribes shaman. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Part of him believed that, if he succeeded in this campaign, perhaps his father would finally recognize his worth and respect him enough to begin teaching him his mystic arts. Perhaps then, he would be worthy of having such knowledge. And he would stop being just another warrior, a bunch of muscles without enough brains between his ears, who, like the rest of the people of his tribe, except for his father, did not know how to read or write. And like other orcs, he was good with an axe and mace, thanks to countless hours of arduous training. But he did not want to be like the rest. He only longed to be worthy of his fathers teachings and to have his respect. But with each passing day, his hopes seemed to die with each passing hour as he tirelessly trained to become stronger, becoming the strong warrior he had never wanted to be. Goroth, his cousin, concerned to see his heart wither before his eyes, had sworn to him that when they returned from this mission, he would try to seek an alliance with another tribe of orcs, one with a powerful shaman who would instruct him in the mystic arts. He had even gone so far as to swear to him that he would be the only shaman he would accept into the tribe when he became the chief. And though his militant heart had been warmed by the sincerity of his vow, deep down, Galoth knew it would not be the same. Just thinking about it felt like a hollow victory. But right now none of that mattered. Because right now, Galoth, son of Holleoth, was tired of the little female humans lack of movement in front of him. He had even given her enough chances to defend herself and die an honorable death, something he doubted his kind would do with other species, but she just kept lying there on the ground doing nothing. So he decided to end it all at once, and walked towards her. **** For her part, Kalysto closed her eyes in defeat. Still, she had caught a glimpse of that green giant raising his huge arm, mace in hand, as he strode swiftly in her direction. And it was just at that instant, when she had given up and had lost all hope, that a mysterious screen, this time violet, appeared in front of her. The strange glow forced her to open her eyes, only to notice the strange slowness with which that orc was moving. She looked around her strangely, unable to understand what was happening. And it was then that she realized that time had stopped for an instant. And no sound reached her, nor did the pain. What the hell is going on? She thought. Feeling completely confused at what her eyes were seeing. In front of her, above the blue screen, was another, smaller screen. Inside it, a simple question highlighted in white-colored text, immediately caught her attention. [Do you want to survive?] CHAPTER 9 “The Summoning of Another World. Part 1” CHAPTER 9 The Summoning of Another World. Part 1 [Do you want to survive?] Kalysto was surprised, and not only by the screen. Looking around, not far from where she stood, she noticed a leaf that had been blown by the wind until a moment ago, and was now floating in the air, frozen. It was like being part of a large photograph. And the strangeness of it startled her a little, though she made sure not to let it show on her face. What on earth? Ive slept so little in the last month and Im so tired that Ive already started having hallucinations? Then she turned her attention back to the purple box. - Who are you? -she answered instead. Silence, however, was her only answer. And another window was superimposed on the previous one. [Do you want to survive?] Understanding that she would not get an answer, Kalysto shifted her focus. Making sure to keep an eye on the orc, in case he suddenly started moving. - If you get me out of here, yes... What do you want in return? Another screen popped up again, followed by another one a couple of seconds later. [...] [Lets make a contract.] What kind of contract? A surge of pain crossed her left arm, but she forced herself to ignore it. It was never a good idea to show weakness during a negotiation. Because if its anything worse than what Im experiencing here, my answer would be something else. [Work for me.] What kind of work would I have to do? she asked suspiciously. She had never heard of a system that offered employment in this way in any of the books or comics she had ever read. They must be hiding something. She thought, squinting her eyes suspiciously. Because if its something sexual, my answer is no. [I assure you no such thing will be necessary. There are three things I need you to do and I will give you two human years to accomplish them.] ...Two human years? She frowned. Why the clarification? Kalysto questioned. Is he not human? But the screen did not answer her. Instead, the conversation continued when a new screen appeared. [There are three things I need you to do in that time. First, the miasma has invaded the forests of my kingdom and brought the plague with it. I need you to purify my lands and create a magical barrier that will prevent it from re-entering]. Kingdom... how in a kings territory... what kind of world does he live in? Kalysto was curious to ask, but it was better to focus on what was really important. Excuse my ignorance, but what is miasma? And what kind of plague are we talking about? [The miasma in a type of dark energy that infects and corrodes everything it touches, making the earth infertile, withering forests and crops.] The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I understand why that would be a serious problem, she commented, trying to see things from the perspective of the one making the offer. Lack of resources always leads countries, I mean kingdoms, she corrected herself quickly, to invade more prosperous ones. Or if your enemy sees that you are being weakened, he will think of taking the opportunity to start a war and take over your territory. [...] [...True] [Plague is the most deadly disease that exists in my world. And can only be cured by an individual with a certain ability that awakens in a specific class. Right now there is only one individual on the entire continent who has it]. And why is it inconvenient to work with him? Wouldnt it be easier to work with someone who lives in the same world as you and already possesses the ability? she questioned. Why go to all that trouble to hire someone who lives in another world if there was already someone more convenient? She couldnt help but think, as the feeling that there was much more behind what they were letting her see grew stronger and stronger. [She serves my enemy.] Oh! [Secondly, theres someone I need you to heal...] Yes well, sorry to interrupt again, but as you can see, I also need to be healed, she interrupted him/her, pointing to her left leg and arm. Besides, I am not a doctor. I only studied medicine for one year and I had to abandon it for economic reasons. So I have neither the knowledge nor the skill level to heal someone. [The damage you have suffered can be easily healed with a potion. I will give it to you when you arrive in my world. Along with the power so you can heal my people from the plague]. A wave of pain spread through her leg, preventing her from thinking clearly for a moment. As soon as she could control her expression and speak again, she continued. I have no mana if she was going to work for him or her for years to come, it was best to be honest from the start. The last thing she needed was to anger a powerful wizard who had literally stopped time to prevent her death from another world. Who can assure me that he cant send me back in time and drop me right now and let me die, if he gets mad at me in the future just because I wasnt honest or couldnt keep my side of the bargain... Or worse yet, send me back to this exact moment and let me die when our contract ends? [It is normal that you have no mana, since such a thing did not exist in your world before the portal was opened. Besides, you will have to live in the same world as me for the duration of our contract. When you reach Elinor, after responding to my summoning, you will gain one hundred mana points. So you dont have to worry about that.] Free mana, thats good... At least now I can defend myself. She breathed a sigh of relief and her vision dimmed for a moment due to the pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but the pain in her left leg increased and she bit her lips to keep from letting out a scream. She coughed several times, the taste of blood crashing against her tongue. And Kalysto waited a few seconds for the black spots in her vision to clear a little, concentrating on her breathing. I can do this. She convinced herself. I cant pass out now. I just have to hold on a little longer. Kalysto was well aware of how desperate her situation was, but she didnt want to make the mistake again of signing a contract that was very disadvantageous to her just because she was going through a time of need. And it had happened to her twice before. She didnt want a third. But it was a little hard to concentrate when the pain seemed to be increasing by the minute. She needed to get this over with fast. If you give me rest schedules, and respect them along with some benefits for work done... then Ill do whatever you want as long as its nothing of a sexual nature, but get me out of here right now, she said. She knew she was forgetting to negotiate something important, but right now, the pain was barely letting her think clearly. She opened her mouth to speak again, but another window, a darker shade of violet, appeared. [You are the one who is about to die and yet you dare to keep us waiting? Cant you see we are doing you a favor? Others would jump gratefully at such an offer!] Kalysto turned her head like a bird at the sight of the strange screen. That sounds like an annoying assistant, perhaps a personal secretary, debating with the new employee. And yet here we are, arent we? she questioned them. Look, Im not looking for a fight, but it was you who approached me, which means you need my help with something, so why is the concept of helping each other so foreign to you? Thats what a job offer is all about, you know? You do something for your boss and he pays you for it. Besides, two years to cure someone when I dont know how long it takes me to develop the skill or what state the patient is in is too little time. And if you add to that the fact that he seems not to be the only sick patient, just the one in the worst condition, in all honesty, it better be three years. You are asking me to study a disease that is totally unknown in my world and there are many factors to be taken into account, at least three years would give me enough time to prepare myself and accomplish the other two missions of the boss in that time, dont you think? A new screen of a dark shade of violet appeared. [How dare you...?] Yes, definitely his personal secretary. Kalysto decided. CHAPTER 9 “The Summoning of Another World. Part 2” CHAPTER 9 The Summoning of Another World. Part 2 The violet screen, the first one to contact her, appeared again. [Leave her alone!... I agree with your terms, child. But I will add a few more: You cannot refuse to do those three main missions, but if I propose you more, as you seem to imply, you will be able to refuse them or renegotiate them if the payment is not to your liking. I will respect your resting hours and you will be able to keep all the power and knowledge you acquire during the time our contract lasts, but you will have to wake up and develop the two professions I assign you in exchange. And I expect excellent results from your studies]. I have always been a good student so you dont have to worry about that, boss, she said, and hastened to add, as long as I am given enough time to study, eat and rest. Of course. [Of course. Now sign the contract. Even my magic to intervene in your world has limits, child]. Okay, boss. A new window appeared before her. [Boss? Thats not the proper way to address...!] But the dark violet screen was interrupted and overlaid by the other, preventing Kalysto from reading the rest. [Stop distracting her! Besides, the girl is right, this is a contract and as long as she keeps her end of the bargain, Ill keep mine too.] This time Kalysto hurried to read all the letters on the screen so as not to miss part of the text again, and it seemed to be the right decision, because just as she finished reading the last word, another, much larger, screen overlapped. [Soul Binding Contract] [For three human years, Kalysto Luna agrees to work for (????) (from now on it may be referred to as boss), fulfilling the three missions given to her (which are non-negotiable and which she has no right to refuse) in return, the contractor (aka the boss) will summon the contractor to Elinor, thus preventing her immediate death. It will also grant her the necessary class to be able to perform the first two quests, and she will be allowed to keep, even after this contract ends, any skill, power, knowledge, item or class acquired during its duration. Other missions may be added later, in which case the contractor is free to refuse to perform them or to renegotiate the benefits received for such missions. The contractor will be respected the necessary rest periods during which she is not eating, performing or preparing for a mission, or studying the two professions that the employer chooses for her. This contract shall be valid from the moment the contractor accepts the contract. Should the contractor decide to breach the terms of this contract, she shall die.] Kalysto read the contract carefully. There didnt seem to be anything disadvantageous for her there, apart from the part highlighting that she would die if she breached it, considering that she would die anyway because of the orc if she didnt sign the contract, she didnt see a problem there. Still, she felt there was something important she was forgetting. She just didnt know what. And she didnt want to piss off her new boss, either. So Im going to be a doctor, huh? She asked, trying to buy some time, as her brain, somewhat clouded by pain, blessed her and figured out whatever it was that her instinct was screaming at her to notice, but she wasnt seeing. [Not only do I need someone to heal my people but also to purify my forests of miasma and create a protective barrier. And theres only one class that can do those three things]. So those are the three non-negotiable missions. Kalysto was about to ask her who theirs were, but her future boss continued, and for some reason it seemed to her that he was getting more and more annoyed, so, without thinking she reached out her hand, despite the pain. Pulling it closer to the screen. [A mere doctor would be useless to me for such purposes. You will be a saintess.] His words stopped her. A saintess? What do you mean, a saintess?... Is that because Im still a virgin? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. What? How is it that I went from having to study medicine for three years to cure your people, to becoming a saintess? [And I ???? have chosen you as my ?????] Excuse me, boss. But I didnt understand that last thing you said. If you are using a translator, please try again because it didnt translate well. Her voice sounded a little shriller as the last words left her lips. The pain becoming unbearable again. Stay focused! A small, new window appeared in front of her nose. [Sign!] Then time stopped being frozen and began slowly, in slow motion, to return to normal. [Sign now, if you want to survive!] Insisted the screen. Kalystos eyes widened with surprise as soon as the orc began to move again. He was now fifteen steps away from her and the huge mace began to descend in the direction of her head. She immediately shouted. I accept! And she tapped the accept button several times, but seeing that nothing happened she was about to shout again, to make sure her confirmation was received, when a line of golden light shot out of the screen and encircled her index finger, snaking around her hand until it reached her wrist, encircling it. The thread of golden light became a band of light, similar to a bracelet. The line transformed into a meandering, arabesque-like branch that appeared to be braided with tiny, delicate leaves along with small flowers that were then tattooed on her skin. By the time the glow dimmed, two seconds later, Kalysto could admire the delicate, intricate beauty of the carved figure whose ends were a slightly duller shade of gold than in the glowing center. It almost looked like a henna tattoo done by a professional artist from India. How beautiful... she whispered. But I hope its not permanent. She thought. Because, although she could admire the great beauty of that delicate art, she had no plans to keep anything that would leave a mark on her skin. Or anything that reminded her of the nasty marks her stepfather loved to leave on the skin of her naive and defenseless mother. She shook her head, trying to exorcise the memories she would rather forget. Then another screen appeared in front of her. [Hero summoning ritual initiated.] Hero? she questioned, but no one answered her. Well, considering it was that or die, I shouldnt complain... At least Id get paid. It was then that it dawned on her that nowhere in the contract was it made clear that they were to give her financial remuneration for her services, or how much money they were talking about. What kind of money is there in his world? Does the concept of money even exist? A purplish light appeared under her legs and began to draw a vast circle on the surrounding ground, filled with other symbols she didnt recognize. And despite how fast everything was happening, Kalysto wished it could be even faster. Fast enough to make sure that mace, which was getting closer and closer, didnt touch her head. Although it seemed to be very eager to do so. The countdown started as soon as the circle finished drawing and a new screen appeared in front of her. [5] Kalysto perked up. She would sigh in relief if not for the fact that that orc was now six steps away from her. [4] Cmon, hurry up! I dont want to lose my head, literally, just because you didnt finish in time! Kalysto, no! The young university student turned her face as she heard two male voices shouting her name. Not far from where she stood, less than five feet away, Edward Grant and Koden Scott screamed as they ran toward her in a vain attempt to rescue her from the huge mace headed for her head. [3] What the hell are they doing here, and why the hell did Edward bring Koden to the tutoring? She was about to yell at them to stay away when she noticed that there were two huge summoning circles, one under each of them, glowing brightly in the same shade of bluish-white. [2] Shit... Thats definitely not the same color as my new boss! At the same time, out of the corner of her eye, Kalysto glimpsed a black dragon flying a couple of meters above her, looking in her direction. With a bloodstain protruding from its dark neck. No! she shouted, but the fools didnt hear her. They hadnt even noticed the presence of the silent newcomer enemy that was now heading towards where she and the big orc were, and instead, the two idiots rushed towards her. [1] The summoning circles of the other two students overlapped that of her new boss. And a powerful explosive wave of light engulfed them, as the radiance of the three summoning circles and their magics collided with each other, devouring everything else around them. Until there was nothing left but a gigantic crater behind them. CHAPTER 10 "The birth of a new villain?" CHAPTER 10 "The birth of a new villain?" Arkhas did not want to go there. If it hadnt been for his parents forcing him to go with his two cousins and publicly announcing him as a volunteer, in front of the whole village, on the exploration expedition to the new world, the crazy idea of walking away from his beloved books and his entire collection of junk would never have crossed his mind. Those were his treasures... even if he didnt know how most of them worked. But not even his thirst for discovering new things and knowing how they worked would have led him to willingly sign up for the group of experienced warrior explorers who risked their lives as they sought to expand their Lords territory. Its about time you became a man of valor! His mother had told him, with her old blue apron on. And her arms, which were far more muscular than those of Arkhas himself, on her hips, her brow furrowed, and her well-sharpened knife tucked away in the pocket of her hideous plaid apron. If there was one thing his mother was good at, aside from the excellent aim she had at throwing a shoe at his head every time she caught him doing something he wasnt supposed to be doing, it was handling knives. A skill that, to his eternal misfortune, Arkhas had not inherited. Besides, she was two centimeters taller than the youngest of her three sons, two of whom had already died in the war against the orcs. Perhaps that was why Arkhas could not understand his parents decision. Isnt it better to have a living child than none at all? Then it was the young goblins turn to frown. As far as he knew, he had belonged to the male sex since birth, so he did not see much meaning in his mothers words. However, his fathers were another story. Xlena is right. Its about time you stopped embarrassing the family, his fathers parting comment hurt him. Tall, for a goblin, with his stocky body despite the years that had passed since he held the title of the best hunter in the village, and with a thick beard that covered half of his greenish face. A beard that made Arkhas long to have even if he never developed a single muscle on his body, but the young goblin had only two tiny hairs on his jaw. Two thin, lonely, miserable hairs. Even his mothers, who had one more than he did, were thicker and longer than his. His father watched him with folded arms and his haughty gaze made him feel even smaller and weaker than he already was. All the strength his flimsy body was capable of supplying him with vanished as he heard those painful words. His stomach churned as their eyes met and Arkhas watched the contempt and annoyance reflected in his fathers face. The young goblins shoulders slumped, but for one of his cousins grabbing him by the arm, his knees would have given way and he would have collapsed to the ground. Which would have further humiliated what was left of his family. Worst of all, he wasnt even sure why he expected anything different from his progenitor. Even if most of his attempts to invent something that could benefit his species had not ended well, Arkhas had always strived to excel and make his parents proud of him. And even though he had flunked dagger training, he was no good with a bow either, and his ability to track prey was close to zero. He liked to believe that, if he tried hard enough, he would eventually find something he could excel at. Something he could make his parents proud of him with. But that definitely didnt include a near-suicidal mission to go through a magical portal, explore a new world, and eliminate as many enemies as he could find along the way. Not when he was incapable of hunting a single rabbit without using more than ten traps and failing at least nine of them. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Thats not to mention that he wasnt sure, or at least no one had bothered to explain to him, if they could go back. There were a lot of things that could go wrong with a portal, and not just because the magic was unstable. But because of the exaggerated amount of mana that was needed to open one, not to mention all that was needed to keep it active for a couple of hours. A number that his small mind was not yet able to comprehend. And he could count to a thousand. And it was strange enough that he could read and write, at least for a goblin, so no one had bothered to teach him much more than he already knew. But he had found scraps of knowledge among the belongings of those his kin hunted, and had once encountered a shaman from another village who had told him of the hidden knowledge behind something called a system. Arkhas had been fascinated by the stories of the old traveler. His parents, on the other hand, had given him a good thrashing and sent him to train with his older brothers and cousins. But now, standing there, watching the warriors of other tribes, it frightened him to even think of all that the orc shamans had to sacrifice in order to keep a portal of such magnitude open. But he doubted, and feared in equal parts, that they would be able to finish their mission before the mana of the shamans and that of all those magical creatures they had used as sacrifices ran out. And the dimensional portal, his only way home, would close. Or worse, that he himself would never return alive. And as his cousin dragged him away from the hut he had grown up in, his heart squeezed at the knowledge that the last image he would have of his parents would be this one. He lowered his head as his eyes filled with tears that he hurried to wipe away, wishing no one had noticed his little slip, his weakness. Although his lack of muscles and thin legs should have been a good indicator of that. Especially when, after a long walk, they found the whole army gathered there in front of the huge portal stained with the reddish color of the blood of all the creatures they had slaughtered. The only living beings were standing there, with their muscular bodies dressed for war, carrying axes, maces, spears, knives, clubs, shields, or swords. There, too, stood Arkhas, his trembling legs barely covered by a leather loincloth, his thick boots firmly on, and a sharp knife in his hands. One with which he feared he might accidentally cut himself. And from the worried look his cousin gave him, it seemed that he, too, feared the same. I will protect you! He assured him with a confident smile that began to die the moment the motley group of warriors of different races began to advance towards the portal. When it was his turn to face the immense cluster of energy, the hairs on his green arms stood up along with the two hairs on his jaw. He gritted his teeth as his cousin urged him forward, along with the rest. And as he was bathed in the chilling sensation of stepping through the eerie portal, an image of his parents crossed his mind. And he vowed to himself that he would find a way to return and make them proud. He would find it, he was sure of that. And he would return home with his head held high. Or that had been his intention until it had all gone to shit. It wasnt even the fact that he had to think fast when his and his cousins feet, instead of touching the ground as they had until just a few seconds ago, only touched the air. And he had to rush to grab hold of the first smelly orc that was closest and shout to his cousin, Adielh, to do the same. Thank the old gods, Adielh soon copied him, as did many other goblins. If not that, soon after they touched dry land, his cheerful but naive cousin was killed by a cruel, ruthless, and callous human. By the time Arkhas arrived there, accompanied by nearly thirty goblins, three orcs, and ten hobgoblins, two other humans joined the battle. But then a strange light ascended from the ground and devoured them all. When Arkhas opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the new one-moon world trying to avenge the death of his cousin and with the firm intention of bringing his body back home so that he could perform all the funeral rituals with the rest of his family. Instead, he was now in another place, one with two moons, and not two suns, as in his original world, high in the pale sky. Huge trees surrounded the clearing littered with bodies that reeked of death, and a little further a huge building could be seen in the distance, warning him that they were near some kind of human village, strong enough so that its thick walls and its coarse warriors had protected it from the invading army whose bodies now decorated the ground around his feet. His hands began to tremble and as soon as he heard the battle cry of an orc in the distance as it fought fiercely against some knights and a pair of wizards, Arkhas ran into the leafy trees surrounding the clearing to hide. His clumsy feet collided with a body and he fell face-first to the ground, scraping his skin. Pain spread throughout his body, but he fought to ignore it. This was no time to sit and check his wounds. He needed to protect himself from the enemy army that had caused so many deaths. They were cruel warriors, for sure. Like that evil woman who took the life of his beloved cousin. And without wasting time, Arkhas ran. His figure fading among the low bushes and the old trunks of the immense trees. He ran until his feet ached and he was lost in the unknown forest, surrounded by strange creatures, but far from the danger posed by humans. He ran towards the safety of the unknown, towards the temporary freedom that could augur a better future for him than the devastation and death that lay behind his skeletal back. Then, without expecting it, out of nowhere, a strange sound rang inside his head and a blue rectangle clouded his vision. [System loading...] CHAPTER 11 “Before the chaos” CHAPTER 11 Before the chaos Three days earlier in Elinor, another world. In the middle of the vast room, the silhouette of a beautiful, elegant lady sat upon the ornate, solitary chair. A vaporous light blue dress kissed her curvaceous body, the fabric brushing the floor beneath her heels, darkening towards the tips to form what appeared to be a copy of the starry night sky. At her feet, three steps separated her from the burly man who lay on his knees in front of her, his right hand on his own chest and his face slightly tilted downward, but his gaze filled with adoration for the dazzling woman of unparalleled beauty. Delicate vines encircled the thick columns and some of the surrounding walls, small flowers of soft hues splashed color on the greenery that broke with the monotonous sky-blue of the precious stones with which the walls were carved. Despite the spacious room, only the two of them were in there. Away from prying eyes and the glowing fireflies that played in the quiet garden outside, beyond the large windows. The kingdom of Balsac and Bhallys have decided to perform the hero summoning ritual, he reported. Foolish humans... as if that could save them from what is coming, mocked the lady. And that mighty warrior in golden armor and a long cape, as red as blood, remained silent, listening attentively. When? In five days the silence reigned again for a few minutes, while that lady of inhuman beauty, who could make even the gods fall in love, caressed her lower lip with a finger, revealing her long dark nails, which contrasted with her piercing violet eyes. Then perhaps it is time to choose our champion, the knight did not respond. The woman rose from her delicately carved gemstone chair and walked over to the masculine figure and forced him, with a single finger, to raise his handsome face. Even a blind man could see the adoration shining in those glowing ruby eyes, despite the restrained annoyance on his face. I know you are not happy with the few options we have. My lady, if you allow me, I could... but the knight could not continue. You would die if you faced him, and what would I do without you, then? He wanted to protest, but he preferred to close his mouth again, lowered his gaze, and tried to think of a plan. You dont have to worry so much. We are not as dumb as those humans. Unlike them, we can set restrictions. Despite her confident words, the man hesitated. Neither time nor luck were on their side. We could choose... She started to say but the deep and powerful voice of that warrior interrupted the melodious voice of the lady. She has already chosen the side of the goddess... she could even become her avatar, although I doubt shell get that far. And what about Persephone? She is too much like him. And thats too dangerous... he looked up, wanting to make it clear how serious his words were, his concern. We cant risk her killing us all, his voice conveying what his words didnt say, that he couldnt even think about the possibility of losing her. He would rather kill them all himself if that were the case. The ladys soft hand caressed his cheek tenderly, wanting to ease his worries. - ...Then well have to settle with the other one, a sigh of weariness and resignation escaped from the sensual lips of the beautiful woman. That... seems our only option... he growled helplessly, not entirely happy with the few options they had. He clenched his fists, wishing with all his might that he could wipe the worry off the face of the woman who had ruled his heart for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Balsac. A lone, feminine figure wrapped in a simple white dress moved along the expansive marble path surrounded by water that led up to a large rectangular piece that jutted out, two steps above the water level, in front of the huge stone statue of the goddess Mhiralla. Daughter of two of the seven main gods, who had long since retired to the seventh dimension, to which no one had access, in search of a well-deserved rest after having created the seven worlds. The woman, with long hair of such a light blue that it almost seemed white, stopped in the middle of the dais and raised her face, observing the statues closed eyes, and its long hair carved in stone. She admired the elaborate work of the craftsman who carved the goddesss dress in such a way that it seemed to be swaying in the wind. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Seven small cherubs embedded in the circular wall surrounding the gigantic statue held pots of water, filling the pool that kissed the goddess feet, and whose liquid flowed through the rest of the room. According to the ancient records of the priests, they believed the water to help channel the energies of the goddess, although Darla herself disagreed. The priestesss knees bent and touched the cold floor. The woman extended her arms towards the goddess and, with a tone of voice full of veneration, exclaimed: O great goddess Mhiralla, you who are the only one of the ancient gods who has not forsaken mankind, I turn to you this day to hear my prayers! Then she joined her hands together in prayer and said the prayers that all the priests of the temple were required to offer twice a day. Silence reigned in the spacious meditation room, and nothing happened for the next fifteen minutes. Darlas knees began to ache. After living for the past five years inside the main temple, anyone would think she would be used to such a display of priestly sacrifice by now. But she wasnt. She was about to get up and retire to rest in her own room when a gentle breeze, coming from nowhere, and everywhere at once, created ripples on the surface of the water. Curiosity seized her and, unable to resist the temptation, she opened her left eye, peeping slyly, only to see that the statue of the goddess had also opened hers and the glowing blue light from the statues eyes enveloped her. Darlas heart thundered against her ribs, and a powerful euphoria swept over her. She knew what this meant. She had experienced it once before. The goddess, again, had chosen her, a simple peasant girl whose mother had died helping her escape the fearsome demons who were trying to deprive her of her home. Her, and not any other of the many priests who inhabited that temple or any of those scattered throughout the continent of Tanish. A huge smile broke out on her face, knowing that she was worthy of receiving the words of the goddess. And the pride of it flooded her being. Before the last prophecy, which she had received a month ago, it had been over a hundred years since the goddess had chosen a mortal to carry her message. And that was before the appearance of the last hero. Exhilarated at such an honor, she closed her eyes and let herself be guided. Just as the previous time, her vision blurred and a swirl of light enveloped her, blinding her completely. After several minutes of intense light, the colors began to draw themselves as if on a huge white canvas surrounded by thick clouds. A beautiful painting was drawn in front of her eyes and seconds later, she could recognize where she was. It was as if she was looking at the kingdom from the heavens. She touched the painting and was absorbed by it. She saw herself floating in the air, the treetops hundreds of feet below her feet, and allowed herself to admire the beauty of the majestic landscape. The sun was setting on the horizon, and the two moons were hidden behind the clouds. On the opposite side of the Lanish duchy, to the east of the kingdom, a huge tower sprouted from the earth, bringing with it a wave of monsters. Soon, her vision changed, as if a magnifying lens focused her sight and the next second she was no longer seeing everything from afar, but only inches above the earth, floating in the air. Thousands of monsters escaped from the tower running around it, others passed through it as if it were nothing more than mist. Inside the immense tower, ten times taller than the statue of the goddess herself, and deep inside, a huge round stone glowed, calling her attention... almost to her very soul. Very carefully, the priestess advanced, as if hypnotized by the soft glow of that enigmatic stone. But she was not the only one there. When the high priestess of the temple approached that hidden treasure and her fingertips were about to touch it, another being, with long black hair and shrouded in shadows, grabbed it. His enigmatic figure changed, blurring into the silhouette of a man for a second and then becoming feminine the next. But the darkness that enveloped it always remained. The hairs on the back of Darlas neck stood on end as a chilling, terrifying smile crept across the shadow-drenched face of that strange being. An ominous feeling swept over her and she felt the visceral need to flee to safety. Darla knew without a doubt that the goddess was showing her this so that she would change it, so that she would make sure that whoever that creature was, it would never be able to take possession of the power hidden in that stone. And a part deep inside her wanted to take the strange object for herself. Immediately, the vision was cut off, forcing her to return to her senses, so she stood up and wiped her battered knees. With a determined step, she walked out of the meditation room, leaving the lone statue of the goddess behind. As she walked down another long corridor, Darla encountered a priestess of lower rank, who sometimes ran errands for her. Send a letter to the king at once and demand an audience! The invocation of the heroes must be brought forward! The twenty-seven-year-old woman demanded as she marched with a firm and determined step. Now, she was a priestess with a mission. The unsuspecting young woman whose greeting died on her lips long before she opened her mouth to speak to her superior, stopped dead in her tracks, surprise stamped on her youthful face. She blinked in confusion for a few moments before realizing that the priestess had continued on her way without waiting for her, turned, and ran after her, waiting for the rest of the message. Tell him that the goddess has given me a second prophecy. And that the future of the kingdom depends on it. CHAPTER 12 “Isekai.” Part 1 CHAPTER 12 Isekai. Part 1 When Kalysto tried to open her eyes, she felt numb. Her body felt dull and somewhat sore. But her head felt like it was made of cotton. And the world around her was nothing but a bunch of blurry colored blobs with no meaning. A strong dizziness churned her stomach, and she felt the bile rise up into her throat, she thought about rolling over to try not to throw up on herself, but as soon as she tried to move, the whole left side of her body protested and pain shot through every nerve, leaving her breathless. A scream escaped her throat, and she hurried to close her mouth. The last thing she needed at that moment was for Mrs. Tanner, her landlady, to come into her room and see her in that state. What on earth happened last night... She tried to open her eyes again, expecting to meet the familiar white ceiling of her room, but instead, she found a clear sky of a slightly more vibrant shade of blue than usual. Is that aquamarine? Who mixed the color palette wrong... she groaned. How drunk was I last night? she wondered. Of the few times she had been drunk, she had only gotten to see things double on two occasions, but never before had her alcoholic brain changed the color of things. She let out a long moan, fearing that the drunkenness was stronger than she had suspected a few seconds ago, as she felt all the accumulated fatigue taking its toll. I wont drink again, she promised herself. And she had a vague recollection of making the same promise after the first time shed let Jessica, the Spanish teacher, convince her to join her for a couple of drinks at the beginning of the year. Less than a month later they had both repeated the odyssey, but with Sakura, the Japanese teacher. That woman is the devil in a bottle! And Kalysto was absolutely sure that she could seduce even a saint, not for nothing more than half of her male students were head over heels in love with her. Worst of all, despite having the face of a beautiful doll, she had more stamina to drink alcohol than a seasoned truck driver. Where the hell am I? She opened her eyes again and was concerned to see that high in the sky the soft figure of two full moons, one larger than the other, decorated the daytime celestial vault.... That definitely wasnt there last night! she groaned. The sound of a bell echoed in her head and two holographic screens appeared before her, one blue and one violet. The blue one said: [Welcome to Elinor!] The violet one, on the other hand, said: [Welcome to Elinor, hero!] Hero? Is that some kind of mistake? She wondered, still feeling confused. Another blue window appeared in front of her. [User has entered a world that already has another version of the system.] [System upgrading...] Oh no, not this again! She complained. [...] [The system used by the user is of a higher version than the system available in this region. The system does not need an upgrade and will retain the current configuration]. And immediately a new purple screen appeared before her. [Take the potion!] Potion? What potion? What the hell is he talking about? It was at that moment that the rest of the memories of everything that had happened a few hours ago came to her mind, along with another wave of intense pain. [The one in your inventory. Just as we had agreed.] What? Which inventory? As soon as the words left her lips, two other windows, one blue and the other violet, appeared in front of her. In both were three tabs, of which only the one for inventory was active. Showing her a square five boxes wide by four boxes high in the blue window, two of which were occupied: one with the second goblins club, the other with her black backpack. The purple window, on the other hand, was five boxes wide by six boxes high. And only one of them was occupied with a beautiful bottle decorated with a gold arabesque ribbon, filled with a transparent liquid. Kalysto stretched out her right hand, wanting to reach for the bottle. But she remembered what had happened before when she tried to touch the blue screen for the first time, so she stopped. Excuse me, boss, how can I get the bottle out of inventory? [Just stick your hand inside the screen and you can take out or put any object inside the box you touched]. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Thank you for the information, she mumbled, as she clenched her jaw and lips as she tried to endure the wave of pain that swept over her. As soon as she was able to recover a little, she raised her hand and touched the first box. To her surprise, this time instead of going through the screen as had happened to her before, she could feel the coolness and smoothness of the glass of the bottle, grasped it firmly, and pulled it out of the inventory. And although her mind was spinning at the lack of common sense of what she had just done, she could observe with surprise the bottle now in her hand. What is this? She questioned, expecting her new boss to be the one to give her an answer. Instead, two small windows opened before her. Both asked her the same question: [Do you wish to use the skill identify to see the stats of this object?] Identify?... Yes, sure, she frowned as she said it, and a new pair of windows opened in front of her. [Bottle of high purity holy water. Quantity: half liter. Holy water can heal any kind of wound and regenerate tissues depending on its level of purity...] Kalysto didnt even finish reading the whole text, and instead, uncorked the bottle with her teeth and drank almost half of it in three long gulps while lying still with her head tilted to one side. All the windows she hadnt bothered to close followed her vision, blocking her view. But that didnt matter to her. What really mattered was that the pain magically ceased as soon as the cool liquid ran down her throat. It was as if she had never been hurt in the first place. Thrilled at the immense relief she felt, she was about to continue drinking the rest of the bottle, but immediately a purple window appeared before her. [Stop!] [You dont need to drink the whole bottle to heal those kinds of wounds! Two small sips are more than enough!] Why didnt you tell me earlier? She thought, but didnt dare say something like that out loud to her new boss. [Youll have to be more careful next time, Kalysto! Holy water of that level of purity is practically impossible to come by nowadays... Or at least it will be until you yourself are able to create it for me in the future, and youre years away from arduous training to get there!] Sorry, she apologized immediately and put the bottle, uncapped, back into her violet-colored inventory. At least ,my whole body doesnt hurt anymore. She thought. She wanted to sit down, but she preferred to lie down for a few minutes while the holy water potion she had just taken took effect. Its better not to risk it and stay still. It is not going to be that, by moving, I inadvertently damage any bone or tissue that is regenerating. An insistent itch was spreading up her leg, down her arm and onto her left foot. Im not going to scratch it! Im not going to scratch it, no matter how much it itches! [... You have a lot to learn.] Kalysto could almost imagine her new boss sighing as he covered his eyes with one hand, praying for a little patience to an unknown entity. Would they have the same religions in this world? Or would they be like the Romans and Greeks who had multiple gods? she wondered. And she promised herself that she would look into the matter later... When the left half of her body was not so itchy. I have to distract myself with something! Now she had a tingling sensation running up her leg and she couldnt wait to shake it, but she restrained herself. [... Lets start with the basics.] [Pay close attention to what Im about to tell you because Im not going to repeat this information.] Of course, boss, she hastened to reply. [Wait a moment...] [Why does the map tell me that you are in a different location than the one I summoned you to?] Kalysto could almost feel the distrust coming in waves from her boss. She was about to ask about the map, but decided to clear up the misunderstanding first. I dont know if it has anything to do with it, but while that symbol of light was being drawn at my feet, two of my classmates ran to meet me, trying to save me from the orc that attacked me. The two of them had a similar design under their feet, but the color was different. [...I see...so the humans advanced the summoning of their heroes.] There was that word again. Kalysto frowned. She was about to ask about it, but her boss continued speaking. [...Considering you were so insistent that I respect your rest times and since you seem to be in human territory now, Ill let it go...just this once. Just make sure that the next time I summon you theres no one around to cause a disruption]. That last felt more like a scolding than a command. Excuse me? Its not like I did it on purpose! Ive never participated in a summoning before! How am I supposed to know all the things Im supposed to watch out for if you dont warn me first? Instead, she asked: Map? What map? Human territory? Why is he always alluding to that? When is he planning to tell me what race he is?... Besides, theres something about the way he says human that seems like hes referring to cockroaches... If he dislikes us so much why did he hire me in the first place? But the young former waitress didnt have time to delve much deeper into it, for as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a violet screen unfolded before her. A drawing of a large expanse of land half opaque and surrounded by water appeared. Within which, two dots, one violet and one yellow, glowed. Considering that both the screen and her bosss summoning had been violet, it was not difficult to guess who the violet dot surrounded by a huge forest inside the map was. She guessed that the yellow dot, located in a region with a smaller amount of forests, a couple of desert areas and surrounded by mountains, identified her. So there are more differences between the two systems other than the number of squares I saw in the inventory... Good to know. So thats Elinors continent? She questioned, remembering the name she read on the welcome sign. [Of course not!... Elinor is the name of this world, just as yours is called Earth. Tanish is the name of the continent were on. Youd better take advantage of your stay with those humans and learn some geography, kiddo!] ... Of course, boss, she answered. She was sure that name rang a bell. She just couldnt remember why it was so familiar. Tanish... Tanish... Where have I heard it before? CHAPTER 12 “Isekai.” Part 2 CHAPTER 12 Isekai. Part 2 [Now pay attention! I dont have all day to sit around explaining every single thing to you]. - Of course, boss. Go ahead. [Normally only those who have the system beforehand can figure out if you have it too. Or they can try to see your stats if they have a skill to identify above your level. You can lock the system screen, so that even if someone else can see that you possess it, it will be impossible for that individual to understand the data displayed. You can also set the system to private, so that no one else can take advantage of viewing your screen while you are looking at it]. Oh, thats quite useful. [Youd better set yours to private! I dont want any nosy humans trying to read your stats if you get careless!] Of course, boss! Set the system to private! She exclaimed, but seeing that nothing happened, she asked again. How do I know it worked? [You should get a confirmation window.] As soon as her bosss screen explained that, two screens, one blue and one violet, appeared before her, asking her the same question: [Are you sure you want to set the system window to private?] [Yes/No] She immediately selected yes on both screens. [From now on, only the user will be able to see the system window while the user is using it.] Done! [You can also rename the system, or activate it with a specific or different code than others use, and thus prevent others from accessing the information in it when you are unconscious, or by means of certain magic crystals that humans often use to steal information from others. It is not recommended that you change the commands because you might forget them later, but it is your decision. To unlock the screen, just say unlock screen or unlock system, depending on the type of information or section you want to lock, hide or unlock]. So you can also hide a section? When you talk about sections, do you mean tabs or something else...? But there was something else I was also curious about. Does the boss know that I have two systems, and thats why hes explaining all this to me? For some reason, she got the impression that he didnt know, so she refrained from asking about it. Its much safer for me to keep that information secret then. Then she remembered what he had told her a couple of windows ago, only someone who owns the system beforehand can see if you have it too. But then that led her to have another doubt, does that mean that there may be other systems besides these two and no one else knows about it because no one else, or very few, have them?.... Thats a very smart precaution on their part... you cant search for something if you dont even know it exists. She was fascinated by the idea. And that also means that there must be people who dont have any systems, just like on Earth. [I think you now have enough information to start working with. You have a lot to explore, so I will give you some time to familiarize yourself with the system. I will meet with you again in a few hours.] Thank you very much for your time and your explanation, boss. See you in a few hours then, she said, but got no response. And a long sigh escaped her lips. Well, at least I know how to make things work from now on. But she still had one question left. Inventory! she exclaimed. And again, both screens appeared before her. Hide inventory. Two new screens appeared, asking her the same question. [Are you sure you want to hide the inventory section?] Yes, she whispered, but still pressed the yes button on both windows. Less than three seconds later, two confirmation windows appeared before her. [From now on, the inventory section will only be visible to the user.] Great! And her gaze immediately shifted to the tab that said skills. Hide the skills section. [Are you sure you want to hide the skills section?] Yes! And this time, unlike the previous ones, she didnt press the yes button, but stood waiting to see what the system would do. And to her surprise, two new screens appeared before her. [From now on, only the user will be able to see the information found inside the skills section.] Kalysto, excited and curious at the idea that the system responded to voice commands, exclaimed: Close all tabs! and she waited, but nothing happened. After another minute of waiting, she exclaimed: close all windows! But again, nothing happened. What the heck, what word should I use then to close this pile of open windows? Close system! [Are you sure you want to close the system?] Kalysto was about to answer yes when two new screens appeared before her. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. [Warning: If the user closes or shuts down the system, it will never be available to the user again]. [Are you sure you want to shut down/close the system?] No! She got scared. No way Im going to miss the opportunity Ive been given! Never shut down the system! Never close the system! [Are you sure you never want to shut down/close the system?] Yes! she exclaimed with relief. [From this moment on, the system will always be running, and will never shut down unless the user dies]. Okay, this thing that only using voice commands can become dangerous. She thought and bit her lower lip, worried about the ease with which she could lose the system. And carefully she closed each of the windows that were open. As soon as she finished, she let out a long sigh of relief. For heavens sake! I almost lost this thing and I havent even begun to fulfill my part of the contract! What would have become of me if I ran out of the system... Maybe my boss would have found a way to turn it back on? But then I would have lost the blue system. And considering everything she had to go through in order to get it, it was an experience she had no desire to experience again. Or maybe I would have died first for breaching the contract? A shiver ran down her back, and her heart pounded wildly against her chest. Trying to distract herself with something, she exclaimed: Status window! Two windows opened before her. And while the blue screen had only one data difference regarding the current amount of mana she possessed, the violet one had more differences. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 1 Fatigue: 93 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Occupations: Not selected. Title: Champion of the ?????/ (?????? of ?????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100 Strength: 14 Vitality: 18 Agility: 25 Endurance: 18 Intelligence: 27 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 ????: 50 Status: Recovering. Available points: 0 Well, at least the boss kept his part of the deal and I already have 100 mana.... but what the heck is that ???? and why do I have it so high? Then she checked her status windows again, comparing them. So my boss is from the kingdom of Bahram, he sure is the king. Good to know. She exhaled. Then she looked at her classes. So now Im a saintess, huh...? Thats so strange. She didnt even know how to feel about it. At least I can heal people now. It was a pity that she hadnt gotten it when her mother was still alive. And immediately her mood dropped when she remembered that. But when she saw the blue screen, she was a bit excited to see that she hadnt lost her class as a wizard. Well, at least thats a relief. She thought, wishing that someday, now that she lived in a world where magic was possible, she could become a powerful archmage. Then she would never have to rely on others to survive again. And if I level up enough and can return home, I could heal Alices grandparents. That cheered her up. Biting her lip, she looked at the blue windows skill tab, eager to open it and discover her new powers, but at the same time, afraid of what she might find there. Please let me be able to throw fireballs! She chuckled under her breath. Please let me be able to throw fireballs! But this time, when she pressed on the skills tab on the blue screen to activate it, she didnt get what she wanted. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 1 Mana Sense: level 1 Mana control: level 1 Mana Manipulation: level 1 Passive skills: Mental defense: level 40 Pain resistance: level 30 Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 ???????? of the ???? Level 40/125 Languages: legendary level (the user can understand, read, speak and write in any language in the world. This is a bonus given by the system for being the first user in your region to awaken the wizard class). Reading her last passive skill, Kalysto was discouraged. All those years killing myself studying languages just to earn a skill that would save me all the work. She let out a long sigh. Well, the good news is I can now go visit Japan. The bad news is that she had to wait until her contract was over and she could return to her world to check it out. Wait a minute... Does this refer to Earth or this world? She was worried. Because if its just Earth, Im screwed. How am I supposed to survive here if I cant even communicate with the natives? She let out another long sigh. Stupid faulty blue system! Then she looked at her active abilities again, looking at two that she felt made no sense at all to be separate when they almost seemed to refer to the same thing. And then, stung by curiosity, she tapped the screen over their names. To her surprise, a small blue window opened. [Mana control: level 1. A skill that allows you to give and change the shape of mana. Basic skill to develop in order to cast elemental spells.] Then she did the same with the next one. [Mana manipulation: level 1. A skill that mages, wizards, archers, and warriors have. While mages/wizards awaken with it, the other two classes must learn it. Allows to imbue objects with mana, usually used to increase the damage a weapon deals against monsters. Mages and wizards, however, use it to imprint spells on objects. Skill needed for the enchantment profession.] So learning to perform magic is going to take me a lot longer than I thought it would. She noticed and immediately stopped feeling comfortable lying down. She needed to move. Taking advantage of the fact that the itch on the left side of her body had already disappeared, she thought about sitting up, hoping to find the cork of the bottle of holy water, which she had saved without it. But as she tried to do so, she rested her now fully healed left hand on the floor and was surprised at the lack of pain. And as she was sitting up as she made herself comfortable with the intention of observing her now-healed hand and verifying that everything was in order, she ended up pulling back as she saw a body lying to her left. The sudden movement caused Kalysto to almost lose her balance as she collided with something else behind her, and frightened at the thought of falling she rested her right hand on what she initially thought was the ground, but her hand slipped and the sound of a couple of glass bottles colliding caught her attention as she averted her gaze to her right. Only to find another body, next to another one. Kalysto opened her eyes in surprise, seeing that she was completely surrounded by a sea of bodies. And every one of them appeared to be human. What the hell was going on here? CHAPTER 13 “A New World” CHAPTER 13 A New World Kalysto immediately stood up, noticing the sea of bodies surrounding her. They were all wearing the same colors that matched the few red banners with the symbol of a snake piercing a sword in the center, which were strewn across what appeared to be the remains of a battlefield. All was chaos, filled with death and destruction. Even the horses lay dead beside their riders. Shocked by the massacre before her, she took a step back. What on earth had happened here? In front of her, about ten meters away, a thick and immense forest full of trees with different colored leaves and thick trunks, seemed to invite her to enter and explore it, and something deep in her soul wanted to accept that invitation and discover its secrets, but she restrained herself. And instead, she turned to her left, where a long, almost endless dirt road surrounded by woods on either side and as wide as a six-lane avenue filled with bodies welcomed her to the new world. Several miles beyond, she could see the peaks of several mountains lining the horizon. She turned again to her left, only to encounter a stone wall about three floors high and almost twenty meters away, which seemed to encircle a city. With its gates completely closed and no trace of the guards that were supposed to guard it. But two blue flags with a white silhouette of an eagle drawn in the center decorated opposite sides of that wall. Where are the guards? There was a strange smell in the air that made her nose sting a little. However, it didnt smell like blood. Strange. They obviously tried to attack the city... But how did they lose? She lowered her gaze and looked again at the vast collection of bodies decorating the ground. They were all wearing the same type of armor, and the most curious thing of all was that there was not a single bloodstain on the path made of stone, nor on the surrounding ground. And although their bodies were cold and suffered no apparent wounds, the level of rigor mortis in them indicated that no more than a couple of hours had passed since their deaths. Although their clothes and armor were in perfect condition. If they werent attacked by another army or by monsters, then what killed them?.... None of this made sense, unless it was poisoning, but if they were poisoned, how could they do it to everyone at the same time? There were at least over a thousand bodies on the ground and from the armor they were wearing, aside from the lack of automobiles, you could almost tell that the people of this world were still stuck somewhere near middle age. Who would go invading another city on horseback and with an army on foot? She looked closely at another body again. The only thing in common between them was that their sunken cheeks made them look as if they had been enduring hunger for months. Is this the result of a magical attack...what kind of magic is capable of doing something like this? Unfortunately, she didnt have an answer for that. But the tiny backpack strapped to the waist of most of the bodies and the swords tucked inside their sheaths caught her attention. Moved by curiosity, she approached a body and crouched down beside it, noticing the nice, elegant sword lying unsheathed at its owners side. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened before her. [Sword. Class: common. Requires 30 points of strength to use. Strength +10] Interesting. She thought, and immediately tucked it into her purple inventory. And inadvertently, while trying to remove the holster from the waistband of its previous owner, her hand pushed a small bag tied to the waistband of the body, the sound of glass bottles clinking against each other caught her attention. And upon opening the brown leather bag, she noticed seven glass vials. Two blue, three red and three violet. Two of the vials were plain and unadorned, but two of the others had a silver line near the cork. The red ones, however, had two copper-colored lines. What the heck is this? she whispered. And to her surprise, two windows, one violet and one blue, opened before her. Each asking the same question: [Do you wish to use the inspect skill to find out the statistics of this object?] Yes, she answered immediately. And both systems obeyed the order, showing her the statistics of the purple bottle she held in her hand. [Revitalizing potion of grade I. Quality: low. Consumable. Subtracts 20 points of fatigue] Kalysto took the next purple-colored potion, the one with a silver-colored trim on the top. [Inspect] She exclaimed aloud. And immediately the two systems gave her the same information: [Revitalizing potion grade I. Quality: medium. Consumable. Subtracts 30 points of fatigue] Kalysto, excited with her new discovery, drank the last of the potion she had prepared and immediately, she felt how all the fatigue she was feeling diminished a little, she wanted to check her stats but decided to leave it for later and then she put the other potion in her purple inventory. Then she thought better of it and exclaimed: A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. [Inventory] Both windows opened, and she took her backpack out of the blue inventory and placed it inside the purple one, along with the holster she had just obtained. Thats better. Considering all the times youve failed me before, its better if I dont place the important things in you, she said to the blue one. Then she took out the two blue vials and, taking the simplest of them in her right hand, exclaimed: [Inspect] And again, both systems gave her the same information. [Grade I mana potion. Quality: low. Consumable. Restores 40 mana points] Instead, the bottle with a silver-colored line at the top said: [Grade I mana potion. Quality: medium. Consumable. Restores 50 mana points] Then she looked at the missing ones, and remembering everything she had heard Natasha, her landladys daughter, say, she guessed that the red ones helped restore health. [Inspect] She exclaimed. Again, both windows showed her exactly the same information. [Grade I health potion. Quality: medium. Use: consume or apply directly to the wound. Restores 80 health points] Oh, these potions will definitely come in handy, she got excited, as she looked at the blue and red potions. They could make the difference between me living or dying in this new world. She immediately put them inside the purple inventory. And it was at that moment that Kalysto realized an important detail she had forgotten. She never talked to her new boss about receiving monetary compensation in exchange for working for him, just as she never made arrangements to work out where she would live or whether she would be delivered at least two meals a day... or how dangerous the third mission was and what it was all about. Darn it! I knew I was forgetting something important. She didnt think the first two missions put her life in danger, but there was a small chance that maybe, the reason it was never made clear what the third mission was about, was because she was at risk of dying while doing it. And Kalysto closed her eyes, wanting to berate herself for how foolish she had been. She had been so exhausted after spending the last few weeks with barely four hours of sleep, added to the hard training thanks to the competition the previous weekend, her work, and her classes, that the accumulated fatigue added to the pain of her wounds had not let her think clearly. How could I forget that? She scolded herself for several minutes until she finally let out a long sigh of resignation. Well... at least Im still alive. She tried to console herself. Although now that she was safe, working for her boss for three years while performing those three missions seemed too great a price to pay in exchange for getting her out of there. This is no time for me to cry over spilled milk. What was done was done. She was alive, and that was all that mattered. Later, I would find a way to safely face that third test. Other than that, she would find a way to earn her livelihood and secure a roof over her head while not starving in this world. First, I need to show him how useful I can be, and once I do that I can start asking him for things... besides there are many things I need to find out, but for now... When she opened her eyes again and observed the battlefield, if it could be called that, and all the bodies in front of her, she saw everything with different eyes. A delicate and mischievous smile was drawn on her tanned face. I feel bad for you guys and all that. And I really apologize for what Im about to do... But you wont need anything you have with you, but I will. Even though a small part of her felt bad for suddenly becoming a thief, her survival was at stake. Its time to loot! Besides, I can sell their swords and get some money. And with an excuse formed, she set about looting all the bodies around her while keeping low, so as not to attract the attention of the sudden group of hooded men who emerged from the forest across the long road and diagonal to her. And who seemed to be surrounding a couple of people, almost three blocks away from where she was. Those first few bags of potions were easy to take, but as she began to move away from the edge of the forest, moving deeper into the group of bodies, it became increasingly difficult, and she had to pull the knife she had stolen from the goblin from her backpack and cut the leather strings with which the bags were tied to their owners waists. She also removed their swords, trying to get their sheaths as well, but seeing that she was wasting too much time removing their straps, she decided to simply unsheathe them and put them away in her inventories, leaving the potions in their respective leather pouches and stuffing them into the outside pockets and the small spaces still inside her backpack, which she finished filling quickly, so she put it away again. Curiously, almost all the swords of those who were near the entrance to the forest were of exactly the same design, and when she accidentally put a sword in the same inventory box where there was another one like it, both were stored inside the same box and the number two appeared underneath them. So she immediately set about taking out the other twenty she had already looted and put them in the same box. And she was relieved to see that again she had plenty of free space, so she turned around and picked up a heavy shield which she had left behind, and which she could barely put in the inventory. Now that she discovered that she could group objects of the same type, she began to sort the potions by color and number of lines near the cork. As she got closer towards the center of the sea of bodies, the quality of the swords and potions seemed to increase. Kalysto couldnt wait to inspect each one, but the noise that the small group of hooded men began to make began to unnerve her. Who now stopped surrounding the small group of people and relocated them to the back of the group, while they peered into the forest on the other side of where Kalysto was. Ignoring her completely. They sure are prisoners of war. Id better finish quickly and get out of here before Im discovered. She thought. But as soon as she saw an old man with a huge staff next to six archers, she ran over. What appeared to be a wand rested on the older mans belt and she didnt hesitate to take it from him, as well as the beautiful staff still in his hand and his huge collection of potions. Four other leather pouches were tied to his waist which she did not hesitate to take off and when the roar of a dragon echoed loudly making the ground tremble under her feet, Kalysto ran to plunder the group of archers and placing the lightest bow around her torso and tucked the rest of them, together with the quivers full of arrows inside her violet inventory. Just at the same moment, the gigantic shadow of a black dragon was cast over her. Kalysto looked up just in time to notice a bloodstain on his neck, exactly in the same place as the dragon she had seen during her summoning. Dont tell me he was transported to this world, too? She thought fearfully. That means that orc and his whole army must also be around here somewhere. Chapter 14 “Bad news “ Chapter 14 Bad news All her senses were immediately put on alert. In the distance, she could see the small group of hooded men shooting fireballs at the dragon, which again flew over the forest on the other side of the road. And Kalysto questioned the intelligence of the small group of mages. Are they seriously attacking a dragon with fireballs? She wanted to scoff. At least use ice to disable its wings, or something... But fire? Really? Instead, she took off her bow, holding it in her left hand and slung a quiver full of arrows over her back and stuffed the rest into her inventory. Then she ran to the edge of the forest behind her. But before she could get there and get to safety, almost halfway there, an arrow buried itself in her thigh, causing her to lose her balance as she ran. The pain spread up her leg and she almost fell to the ground as she leaned on her injured leg to continue moving forward in search of the protection that the thick forest could provide. She immediately looked back and searched for her assailant. Two archers in blue uniforms were stationed at the top of the wall, their arrows ready to be fired and aimed at her. Damn it! She exclaimed and a second arrow buried itself in her thigh ten centimeters above the previous arrow, just before she could hide behind the thick trunk of an old tree. The dragons roar echoed throughout the forest and the guards who had been shooting at her changed targets, giving her a little breathing room. Kalysto watched silently as the dragon ignored the guards and after flying for a few seconds over the forest above her head, flew over the street full of bodies and after releasing a mouthful of fire against the wall and the naive guards who continued to shoot their flimsy arrows at him in an absurd attempt to reach him. Then, the dragon flew towards the forest on the other side of the road. A great sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw that she was no longer in danger, at least not right away. And she took the mace she stole from the second goblin out of her inventory and used it as a crutch as she walked deeper into the forest, trying to put as much distance as possible between her and the guards of that walled city. Barely a few minutes had passed when the huge gate between the city walls opened and an army of armored knights and men dressed in long robes with staffs in hand rode out of the city on horseback. And despite the distance, she crouched down. Hiding behind a bush and between the middle of two thick, leafy trees, Kalysto watched them depart in the same direction in which the black Dragon had disappeared. She tried to get back up, but the pain in her leg made her lose her balance again. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to endure the pain and remain silent, fearing that this army had some unknown way of discovering her location. Focus, Kalysto, stay focused! She scolded herself as the pain spread from her upper thigh to her hip, stealing her breath. Focus! Weve survived worse before and we didnt go through all that just to die out here in the middle of nowhere! Immediately, a familiar feeling of coldness covered her body from head to toe. And four windows, two blue and two purple, appeared before her. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] What?... How the hell is that possible?... So my whole life Ive been... But Im sure I didnt have any mana! She muttered, unable to understand why this was happening. But Kalysto did not have much time to think about her new discovery. In front of her, about four meters away, two goblins appeared in the trees. Ill have to investigate later. She thought. The green faces of those goblins looked as surprised as hers by the unexpected encounter. As a small trail of violet-colored blood descended on the bruised cheek of one of them. And in their hands rested a knife that was exactly like the one she had stolen earlier and was now safely stored inside her backpack. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Wait a minute, are those the same goblins that were with the orc that almost killed me? As soon as she realized that, she immediately drew her bow and shot an arrow in the neck of one of them. The creatures body fell to its knees on the ground as it gurgled, struggling uselessly for some air, which never reached his lungs. Seeing this, the other goblin let out an annoying shriek that Kalysto feared would serve to alert the other monsters of their location. Immediately, she drew another arrow and just as the second goblin ran towards her with his knife raised. She shot him in the left eye. [You have gained 30 experience points. ] [You have leveled up.] The shrill shriek of the second goblin echoed through the trees as soon as he discovered his companion was dead and again lashed out at her despite his wounded eye. Kalysto ran to his right, avoiding its attack as she pulled one of the annoying arrows the guards had shot at her thigh, positioned her bow, and fired at the creatures other eye, blinding it. The goblin screamed again and charged at her. But Kalysto stepped aside again, evading his attack and careful not to alert her new position after taking another two steps back, she used the second arrow that was buried against her thigh and buried it against the goblins ear hole as soon as it passed her, after another failed attack. The goblins body fell lifeless a couple of seconds later against the cold earth. Then, two windows, one blue and one violet, opened again before her. [You have gained 30 experience points. ] And she closed them, along with all the other windows that had appeared before. And she looked at the bodies of the two fallen Goblins with a frown. The blood on both of them was the same shade as the first goblin she had killed earlier. Were they really the same? Because if so, that posed an even bigger problem. Isnt it always said in all fantasy stories that when someone is summoned to another world, they win a system? She had done it herself, and even the blue system had alerted her that another version of it already existed in this world. If thats so, which one did they win, the violet or the blue? Not that it made any difference to her. Just the fact that a group of monsters now had the same magic that allowed humans to defend themselves against them was already dangerous. Wait, a minute!... Does that mean that huge black dragon also acquired a system? She limped over to a nearby log and leaned against it. If so, were screwed. She was worried. Did I escape certain death just to buy myself a little time before those monsters or the dangers of this new world kill me? Again, she was annoyed with herself for not thinking things through better. Now she not only had to worry about putting a roof over her head and not starving to death while fulfilling her contract obligations to her new boss. But also about the monsters that were summoned along with her. Kalysto looked again in the direction where the dragon had disappeared. I need to get stronger... And not only that, I also need to get everything I can to back me up. Kalysto leaned her head against the old tree trunk and let out a long sigh. Thanks to the mental defense skill, the pain had become background noise. But that didnt change the fact that she was losing blood thanks to the two wounds on her thigh or that the smell of her blood might attract other monsters and who knows what other kind of creatures native to this new world. Its time to try out my new class, she whispered. Skills! she exclaimed, and two windows opened. Since she had already explored her new blue system skills, she closed this window quickly and concentrated on the violet one. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 1 Mana detection: level 1 Dispel: level 1 Sleep well: level 1 Purification: level 1 Blessing: level 1 Jhil: level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ??? Level 40/125 Languages: : legendary level (the user can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in the world of Elinor. This is a bonus given by the administrator.) Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 40 Pain resistance: level 30 ?????????: level 3 Kalystos curiosity was piqued, but she decided to focus only on what was a priority at the moment and pressed a finger on the ability with a bunch of question marks, but to her annoyance, instead of getting an explanation like she wanted, she got instead: [User does not possess the necessary level or permissions to access this information.] What the hell? Its my own skills. If even I dont have permission to access that information, then who does? she got annoyed. But knowing that getting upset would get her nowhere. She took a deep breath and pressed on the other skill she was curious about. Hoping that at least this time she did find something that would help heal her wounds. [Jhil: healing magic. Transforms the users mana into Holy energy, allowing it to heal wounds and regenerate a targets tissues. The quality and quantity of the repaired damage will increase as you level up (currently, this skill is restricted by the admin and the user is only allowed to heal others, but not herself). It will consume 10 MP each time it is used]. What? Chapter 15 “Leveling up” Chapter 15 Leveling up [Jhil: healing magic. Transforms the users mana into holy energy, allowing it to heal wounds and regenerate the tissues of a target. The quality and quantity of the repaired damage will increase as you level up (currently, this skill is restricted by the administrator and the user is only allowed to heal others, but not herself). It will consume 10 MP each time it is used.] What the heck is this thing talking about? What the hell is the point of being a saintess if I cant heal myself? She growled.By other does she mean other races or literally any other living being but me? Is this because my employer doesnt like humans or is it something personal against me? She was worried. But then she remembered the words her new boss had told her when they made the contract, about giving her the class she would need to heal her people. Her employer had never mentioned, at any time, that he would also allow her to heal herself. And it bothered her to know that she had been naive and trusting enough not to negotiate that, nor to have realized it before. Shit! she growled. What species is my new boss that he feels the need to take so many precautions? She thought. And she stretched out her injured leg as she leaned back against the tree trunk and sat down on the grass while debating whether or not to use what was left of the holy water to heal herself. Better to save it for really important occasions. She thought, remembering that among her extensive new collection of potions, she had only found two small vials of holy water, and of low quality. It is not safe to risk it she decided and took out one of the red-colored potions. She questioned herself whether she should consume it directly or sprinkle it on the wound, and not knowing what to do, she decided to drink one of them. But to her annoyance, unlike the holy water, the health regeneration potion worked much slower and didnt even take away the pain. Kalysto observed the wounds for several seconds and although they had stopped emanating blood, they were not closing, which began to worry her. So she decided to take out another health regeneration potion, but as soon as she took the first sip, two screens appeared before her. [Warning: the user can only drink one health potion every 10 minutes. Please wait for the required time before drinking another potion of any kind. All benefits of the second potion will be nullified.] What? Are you serious? She was annoyed. And she poured the rest of the potion over her two wounds. What kind of bullshit system is this? So, if the wound was more serious, whats a person supposed to do? Let themselves die if they dont have stronger potions on hand? Slowly, Kalysto noticed how her wounds began to heal as she felt all the discomfort of the tissues regenerating. If she had only felt an itch before, now it hurt. [The passive ability pain resistance has been activated.] Are you serious? She was annoyed that it had been necessary for a passive skill to be activated, but she also realized how deep the wounds had really been, even though she hadnt noticed it before. She let out a long sigh and rested her right hand on the grass as she waited and decided if she should pour another potion directly on the wounds so they would close faster. But before she could come to any conclusion, something bit her hand. Her first instinct was to pull it away immediately, but the tiny fangs of what she had at first thought was a simple, defenseless wildflower were now firmly buried in her skin. Inventory! she hissed, and pulled out the wooden club she stole from the goblin and struck the base of the flower protruding above the ground, hurting other flowers around it. As soon as her attacker released her hand, a thin tongue emerged from its center, cleaning the blood-stained petals. Annoyed at that grotesque image, Kalysto hit the flower hard several times, until two windows appeared in front of her, giving her the same message. [You have gained 10 experience points.] The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Stupid carnivorous flower! She grumbled, looking distrustfully at the crushed remains of her assailant. And after giving it one last sidelong glance, making sure she wasnt caught off guard again, she turned her attention back to her wounds, which had not yet finished healing. Holy water it is, then, she sighed with annoyance at the slowness with which she drew. But before again taking out the bottle that her new employer had given her, Kalysto wanted to perform an experiment. And she exclaimed: Jhil but nothing happened. So she tried again, this time with both her hands, to be sure. Jhil! And again, nothing happened. The third time she tried only with her left hand, and let her right hand rest on the grass. And this time, something different happened. A faint golden glow came from her right hand, and three of the carnivorous flowers she had hit, but not killed, stopped being crushed to the ground and became fully erect and without a scratch as a faint golden glow enveloped them. What the hell, I can heal even a monster but not myself, seriously? she growled. And this time, she didnt hesitate to pull out the holy water and take a small sip. The pain disappeared immediately and the itching and tingling in her thigh, which she felt the previous time, invaded her leg again, but this time with less force. And after her wounds began to close, she worried about infection. Why didnt I think of that before? And remembering that she had a skill for cleansing, she placed her hands on her wounds that were just finishing closing and exclaimed several times. Purification! Purification! Purification! Again, a soft golden glow emanated from the palm of her hands and clung to her thigh. I wish I had thought of doing this before! I need to remember it for next time, she repeated the spell three more times before she began to notice how dirty and bloodstained her sweatpants were. Could this also be used to clean the blood? And guided by her curiosity, she tried three more times, hoping this time that the bloodstains would disappear from her pants. It was after the third attempt that she seemed to notice that the stains were getting smaller, so she did not hesitate to try again. But immediately, two windows appeared before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any ability again or your health will be severely affected.] Immediately, Kalisto stopped. And after checking her status window, she noticed that indeed, she only had 10 MP left. I need more mana, she muttered. While noticing that her level had changed. I had forgotten about that. Then she noticed the change in her stats, and a doubt crossed her mind. Does each system give me points for leveling up or is it like when the same message appears in both windows? Her curiosity blossomed. And out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the group of flowers that were still alive and smiled. Its time for a little test. And with the club in hand, she dedicated herself to crush each of the monstrous flowers around her. [You have gained 5 experience points.] [You have gained 10 experience points. ] [You have gained 10 experience points. ] [You have gained 5 experience points. ] [You have gained 10 experience points. ] [You have gained 5 experience points. ] How many points will I need to level up? She wondered. She had already gained more than twice as many experience points as in the first one, and although she wanted to stay and investigate calmly, she hurried to finish quickly. Not wanting someone to come back out of the castle and decide to investigate the woman the guards saw earlier. Though she doubted they had survived the mouthful of fire, the huge black dragon threw at them. Again, two windows, one blue and one violet, opened before her. [You have gained 5 experience points.] [You have gained 10 experience points. ] She immediately began to close them, but before she could close the last of them, two other windows appeared. [You have leveled up] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence]. Great! This is what I was looking for! She was thrilled. She didnt even remember seeing a similar window when she killed the goblins, but she was glad she had paid attention this time. She immediately opened both status windows and began comparing them. The only major difference between her stats in both windows was that in the blue one, she only had two points available. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 3 Fatigue: 63 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Profession: Not selected Title: Champion of ?????/ (?????? Of ?????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 180/180 MP: 10/156 Strength: 18 Vitality: 22 Agility: 29 Endurance: 22 Intelligence: 31 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 ????: 50 Status: Curious. Available points: 4 Moved by curiosity, she pressed on her class and a purple window opened. [(Heroic): The user gains 20% more experience when killing using the abilities of her class. Grants: +1 strength/ vitality/ agility/ intelligence/ stamina and 2 free points when leveling up.] Chapter 16 “Let the hunt begin” Chapter 16 Let the hunt begin And how am I supposed to kill a monster while healing it ... Unless this world is overrun with zombies and undead, it wont do me much good. She thought with annoyance. At least the extra free points and stat points will come in handy. So, Kalysto selected the blue window, and after clicking on her class, a new window popped up. [(Normal): Grants: +1 strength/ vitality/ agility/ intelligence/ stamina and 1 free point when leveling up.] So yes there are more differences between the two systems She looked at the Violet window and observed her basic stats, since even though they had gone up, it still caused her concern to see how weak she was, those goblins were part of that orcs army, and that means he and the others are around here somewhere... And if they also gained a system, my only advantage would be that I can understand the language of this world and they dont... probably Kalysto looked at her bow, her most reliable weapon. Swords are too heavy and although it would be advantageous to kill them with them, I have no experience using them. So she discarded that idea. Besides, I would have to get close to kill them. And although she didnt like the idea of not having a way to defend herself when her enemies were too close, as happened with the last goblin, she was well aware that she needed to get used to fighting up close and taking better advantage of the distance between her target and her, so it would be easier to adapt for when she could finally use magic. The problem is that both mages and healers dont have good skills in close combat... then she remembered that even though she was able to defend herself against the goblins, she didnt stand a chance against the orc. I need to prepare myself better. Who knows what kind of creatures I will encounter in this world. Then she closed the windows and stripped the goblins of their knives, keeping one in her blue inventory, which had more space available, and the other inside her right foot sock. Well, at least now Ill have a chance. But then an idea crossed her mind, and she pulled out the knife she just put away in her blue inventory again. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened before her. [Goblin knife. Class: common. Strength +10 Penetration +10] No wonder it was so easy for me to kill the first one! She was surprised. How did they create an item with those stats? The first three goblins hadnt seemed very smart. Where do I get more weapons like these? And how do I add those same stats to my arrows? Filled with curiosity, she pulled an arrow from her quiver. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened, giving her the information she needed. [Common arrow. Class: common. Requires 10 points of strength to use. Strength + 2 Penetration +5] Not bad. But it would be even better if it had at least four times the penetration. She thought, wishing she had a way to increase that stat. With nothing she could do about it, she closed the windows and continued her ransacking, but after finding nothing else of value on their bodies, she reopened her status windows and watched her in silence. Healers are always the first to die. And they have a lousy defense. She thought as she remembered the number of times she heard Natasha, her landladys daughter, complain because the healer in her group had died again. Kalysto didnt want the same thing to happen to her. So she allocated the two free points from the blue window, one in strength and the other in vitality. She was surprised to see that her HP went up 20 points thanks to that. To tell the truth, she had never had enough free time to dedicate to playing video games. The little she knew was because she had watched Natasha play on more than one occasion while she ate her dinner after coming home from work. And although Natasha had tried to teach her a couple of times, Kalysto only knew the basics and had focused more on collecting materials and leveling up the alchemy and herbalism professions and then selling her products at the auction. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Its much easier to get money in a video game than in real life. She thought, but now in her inventory, there were enough swords to get some coins and pay her expenses for at least a couple of weeks. Hopefully, it would be enough to live on for more than a month. At least then, she would have enough time to settle down and see what job options were available to her in some nearby city or town. Once the free points from the blue window were spent, she switched to Violet and went up a point in stamina. She would have liked to add even more, but she knew that the few mana points she had would be a problem in the future. So she allocated a point to intelligence, noting how 14 points were added to her MP. A surge of energy swept over her, making her feel much more powerful and full of life, capable of anything. This is exciting! She thought, noting how addictive that feeling could be, but she didnt let herself be fooled. And she forced herself to concentrate on what was really important. And now, what to do with the rest of the points? And while she was concentrating on that, a couple of windows popped up. [The passive skill mental defense has been activated.] She immediately closed them as she felt the familiar coldness envelop her entire body. And she looked at her violet-colored status window again. She didnt like the idea of being left with so few free points available as she might need them in case some emergency arose, especially at the possibility of meeting that powerful orc again. I need to level up fast and get more points. So, after checking that her wounds had healed completely, she continued walking through the forest. With a quiver strapped to her back, her bow in her left hand with an arrow already nocked, ready to attack the moment when it becomes necessary. I need to get more health points and raise my stamina. At least then it would be harder to kill her, because even though increasing her mana level or attack strength was important, making sure she could stay alive was even more so. Especially in the early levels, where a single hit could kill her. After walking for about ten minutes near the edge of the forest while taking any opportunity, she had to loot a body or two along the way increasing her collection of swords, potions, and arrows while using the thick bushes to hide, she heard a noise. Kalysto had to go deeper into the forest to track it. She carefully ducked into a small bush next to an old tree and observed the situation. Five goblins and a hobgoblin surrounded the lifeless body of a large white wolf, whose young lay near its belly and near the entrance of a small shallow cave. A large bloodstain spread under the mothers body and one of the cubs was pierced by a spear from a nearby goblin while Kalysto was still finishing settling in her heart clenched at the sad scene and the pitiful whimper of the wounded cub and her little brother who lay wounded beside her. Quickly, Kalysto pulled a quiver from her inventory, and as quietly as she could, she scattered the arrows to the side to avoid wasting time pulling them out later. Before the goblin could stab the other cub while his brothers-in-arms celebrated, Kalysto put an arrow through his neck. Before the other attackers could react and the goblins body fell to the ground as it struggled for breath, Kalysto shot at the neck of the old hobgoblin, who carried a large staff in his hand and was dressed strangely. The instant he turned to face her, a second arrow slammed into his head, followed by another into his neck two seconds later. Eight windows opened before her, four of each color. [You have gained 45 experience points.] [You have gained 105 experience points. ] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence.] Kalysto closed them immediately, watching as the hobgoblin''s body fell to the ground, satisfied that she had managed to save the life of at least one of those defenseless animals. The rest of the goblins went crazy at the sight and began to grunt and emit sounds that Kalysto assumed were words as they pointed in the direction of the tree next to her, but she didnt understand anything they said. Which helped confirm her theory about these being the same creatures that had attacked her when she was on Earth. That, and that the hobgoblins blood was also purple. Kalysto took another arrow from the ones she had scattered earlier, and before the goblins started running towards the thicket she was still hiding in, she shot another arrow, piercing the neck of another goblin, who fell to his knees on the ground. Two goblins, one with a spear and one with a knife, rushed at her while the third turned around and tried to help his fallen companion, who was desperately trying to pull the arrow out of his neck. Kalysto launched an arrow at her two attackers, both of whom had almost reached her. The nearest one, who was carrying a spear that he was about to throw in her direction, she shot in his eye, causing him to stumble, and the one with the knife she shot him twice in the neck. And the one who had stopped to help his fallen companion. She shot him in the head. Several screens appeared before her. [You have gained 35 experience points.] [You have gained 40 experience points. ] She closed them immediately and shot another arrow at the spear goblin, who was using it as a support to try to get up. Without mercy, Kalysto shot him in the neck. A few seconds later, two windows appeared, notifying her of his death. [You have gained 35 experience points.] She closed them immediately and frowned. She cautiously picked up another arrow, and stepped out of her hiding place, carefully approaching the goblin she had shot in the head and from whom she had received no notification of his death. Chapter 17 “A new ally?” Chapter 17 A new ally? The moment Kalysto began to approach the goblin, it leapt at her with a knife in hand, despite the arrow she had fired at its hard skull earlier. Kalysto managed to dodge the first attack by a few inches, moving to the right. But she had not counted on the goblins speed to make a counterattack. And when he lunged at her again, he made a deep cut on her left forearm, forcing her to drop her bow, which fell to the ground. A smile full of arrogance for the recent victory was drawn on the goblins face. That annoyed her. As the pain spread rapidly through her entire arm, Kalysto clenched her jaw, fighting to keep from letting out a scream. Focus! she growled in rage, as she buried the arrow in her right hand in the left eye of her annoying foe. Four windows opened before her. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And she immediately closed them. The creature in front of her let out a horrible shriek that sent shivers down her spine, and Kalysto took the opportunity to jump back. Trying to put some distance between her and that monster. Purification! she exclaimed twice, not wanting her recent wound to get infected and fearing that the knifes blade was infected with poison. Then Kalysto pulled out the knife she had kept in the blue inventory and tried to bury it in the goblins shoulder as it lunged at her to attack her again. But they both missed. And before he could launch a counterattack, she lunged at him and buried the knife in his ear hole. The goblins body seemed to freeze for a moment, but Kalysto wasted no time and immediately stabbed his neck twice before turning away again with the knife in her hand and observing the situation. She waited several seconds until two windows finally appeared in front of her. [You have gained 30 experience points ] It was after receiving the notification that she was finally able to let out a long sigh full of relief as her racing heart pounded hard against her ribs. That was close. Kalysto put the knife back in the blue inventory, and pulled two vials of health potion from the violet inventory. She uncorked it with her teeth and applied it to the wound. She grimaced at the stinging and drank the other potion in one gulp. She watched as her wound slowly closed. Worse yet, she decided it was more convenient to use purification twice more on it, just as a precaution. She then approached the goblin bodies and took their weapons from them, keeping them in her blue inventory, and then tried to approach the hobgoblin, wanting to get his staff. But as she tried to do so, the growl of the surviving cub forced her to stop. And she turned to him. The most beautiful puppy she had ever seen stood before her, his gorgeous white fur stained with what appeared to be emerald green blood. The tips of his ears were a soft cobalt blue as were the tips of his paws. From a distance, it almost looked like the tender pup was wearing a pair of booties. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He looked no more than a year old, and Kalystos heart warmed at the sight of him. That puppy growled at her again. With his body wounded, but with a spirit ready to fight her if she continued to approach the lifeless body of his mother and the remains of those who were surely his younger siblings. Despite the grotesque image of the large dead she-wolf and her newborn pups. Kalysto watched everything carefully. It seemed that this pup was the only survivor of the first litter, which looked much bigger and hairier compared to the newborns. And who seemed to have tried to defend their little family, but perished in the attempt. Of the second litter, only two were born and the third puppy had half of its body still inside its mothers womb. And like the rest, they were all dead. Surely she was trying to get to the cave and give birth there. But labor came early, and she had the misfortune of being discovered at a bad time. Pity and sadness took over as she saw that the she-wolf, almost as big as a horse, had only been able to kill one goblin before being subjugated by the rest. I doubt very much that it would have been so easy for them to assassinate her, if they had found her in optimal condition. Then her attention returned to the surviving cub. Who seemed to avoid putting weight on his left paw as he let out a pitiful whimper. His paw must be broken. She thought. And for the first time since coming into this world, Kalysto was excited about being a saintess. So she took out her purple inventory backpack and pulled out a bag of sliced bread from the ones she had bought a few hours ago. And she pulled out two slices. And she showed them to the curious puppy, who looked at her attentively. Seeing that he remained silent and that he no longer seemed to have any intention of attacking her, Kalysto offered him one of the slices with one hand while with the other she brought the piece of bread close to her mouth and took a bite. The cub, instead of approaching her, turned his head to the side as if he didnt understand what she was doing. So Kalysto bent down on the ground and held out her hand again with the slice of bread for him, while with the other, she brought the other already bitten slice closer to her mouth and took another bite. Kalysto ate slowly, giving the little boy enough time to understand the situation. And several minutes later, her patience was rewarded when the wary pup approached her slowly. Kalysto set the piece of bread on the ground and waited until the little one approached and took the first bite. Seeing that it was edible, he began to wag his tail as he ate the rest. But before he finished eating, Kalysto stretched out her hands towards him. Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she exclaimed quickly. Not wanting to give the little boy time to get away from her. But he still moved away from her as soon as he felt the golden energy enveloping him. Kalysto took a couple of steps towards him, trying to follow. But his hairs stood on end as he gave her a warning growl, standing on all four paws, ready to face her. Then his furry body went still. Arff? The particular half-bark came from the throat of the little guy, who looked at his paw in confusion. Then he looked at her and lifted the previously injured paw towards her. As if demanding an explanation, Arff! Yes, I healed you, Kalysto told him with a smile she rarely let others see. I can heal, she added, pointing to herself with the hope that he could understand her. Not myself, though, she thought wistfully. The little one stood still for a long time, and Kalysto, seeing that the hostility had disappeared from him again, took out another slice of bread and extended it towards him, leaving it on the ground. Slowly The little one approached and pulled the slice of bread towards him with one paw and began to eat it. As soon as he finished and stood watching her, Kalysto took out another slice. But this time she put it close to her. As if daring him to come closer. After watching her for what seemed like an eternity, the puppy finally approached her and bent his head to eat. As soon as he finished. She pulled out a bottle of water and drank half of it. Then she poured some water on the palm of her hand and extended it towards the little one, who came closer and began to drink, quenching his thirst. In the meantime, Kalysto used her magic on him again. Just to be sure that everything was in order. Purification! Purification! Purification! Jhil! Jhil! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! This time when the golden energy came out of her palms, the little boy did not panic, but stood there, calmly drinking the glowing water. Kalysto smiled, and a wave of infinite tenderness for the little orphan swept over her. Chapter 18 “A new traveling companion?” Chapter 18 A new traveling companion? ...So...Do you want to come with me? She asked him, while trying hard to hide on her face, how excited she was at the idea. Kalysto had always wanted a pet, but due to her familys precarious financial situation while she was growing up, she had never been able to have one. And after that, it had been practically impossible during the years she had lived in the orphanage. But here, now in this new world, maybe she could finally do it. Although I dont have the money to support him and I havent yet sorted out my housing. She was worried. But... then I can find a way to fix that. She thought, as she waited for that little guy to accept the hand she had just extended to him. But instead of taking the three steps that distanced him from her, the puppy sat on his hind legs and watched her with cautious attention. Arf? He barked, turning his little head to one side, looking adorable and full of confusion. Kalysto was touched by the sight. I cant guarantee that Ill put a roof over your head, not at this moment, she said, but at least I can assure you that you wont go hungry if you come with me, besides, at least this way you wont be alone... she said. The little one ducked his head and turned away from her, letting out a pitiful whimper as he approached the body of the other puppy that had been pierced by the spear. Then he looked at her. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she saw the pain and sadness in that crystalline gaze. I am sorry, she whispered. And he seemed to understand her words, but still he stretched out the paw she had healed, and then pointed to his wounded brother, a body lying near his mothers. And he let out a pitiful bark, almost as if he demanded that she heal him, too. And Kalysto closed her eyes before looking at him again and answering. I can heal, but I cant revive the dead, Im sorry, her voice cracked as she answered that, and the little boy seemed to understand. Both were silent for a few minutes while the little boy sobbed next to the bodies of those who had once been his family. And although she did not want to interrupt the sad farewell, she remembered that there was still a dragon lurking nearby, along with the small army that followed him on horseback, and the group of hooded men. Plus the goblins and the orc that almost killed her. Im sorry, I really am, but if you stay here, it will be hard for you to survive on your own and I cant stay here much longer. I have to leave. Youre welcome to join me, but you must decide quickly, but seeing that the cute puppy remained silent, watching her with those big, beautiful sky-blue eyes, she added. Besides, I have cookies. And that did the trick. The puppy approached her and placed his paw on her outstretched hand. Immediately, a violet window appeared. [The nameless Fenrir wishes to establish a soul-bonding contract with you. Does the user wish to accept this entity as her pet?] Yes! she exclaimed, full of enthusiasm. A white light surrounded their joined hands and a thread of sky blue light shot out from the puppys paw and circled around Kalystos hand until it reached the inside of her wrist, where the silhouette of a howling wolfs head was drawn on her skin. Another tattoo? dont they have any other way to record the contracts they make here? Dont they know that paper exists? But then she looked again at the tender creature in front of her, who was looking at her full of hope and her heart immediately softened. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. What the heck does it matter? At least this one is my favorite color. She settled for it. It was a good price to pay in exchange for getting something she had always wanted. Kalysto was quick to wrap him in her arms, stroking his soft fur as she wished they had enough time to get to know each other better, instead of giving him so little comfort. All right! I need to name you, she commented, setting him back down. Arf! Agreed the puppy. Then she lifted him up again, exposing his belly in front of her to try to determine his sex, but the little guy didnt seem to like her technique as he immediately used his white tail to cover his private parts. Ok, I understand... I was never very good at determining the sex of cats when they were small anyway... she assured him, I thought canines would at least be easier, she muttered. Then she exclaimed, Inspect! And two windows appeared before her. [The users skill level is not enough to access the statistics of the selected target.] What the heck... So I have to wait until I level her up to find out your gender? She complained. And as if he could understand her, the puppy barked as if in agreement. Arf! His expressive face was full of dignity. Kalysto, on the other hand, frowned at him and let out a long sigh. Since youre being so picky, Ill give you a female name. -Arf? -He didnt seem to like those words, by the look on his face. -Thats what you get for not telling me," she muttered. -Let me think... I know. Ill call you Tsuki. -Arg? -Again confusion shone on his face, and the pup tilted his head to one side, not understanding. It means moon in Japanese, she assured him. Your white fur and those soft blue spots on the tips of your ears, on your tail and on your paws, you remind me of the moon. In the world where I was born, there is only one lonely moon in the sky, not like here, she said, pointing to the two moons high in the sky. And the pup seemed to understand. So he barked in agreement. And for the next twenty minutes, they both spent the time burying the bodies of the other cubs and the big she-wolf, whose huge body was full of old scars. Kalysto dug the earth with her bare hands and placed the last mound over the makeshift grave of the mother of the cubs, while Tsuki used his paws to help her. Very well, I think were done at last, she exclaimed, and the cub let out a long, sad howl, mourning her loss. Kalysto knelt down beside him and said a silent prayer. She wanted to pet him and give him some comfort, but her hands were too dirty. She even had traces of dirt under her nails. So she restrained herself. We have to go, she declared, and Tsuki frowned at her with distrust. Dont look at me like that. If the smell of blood doesnt attract them, the loud howl you made is sure to attract the unwanted attention of some hungry monster. Besides, recently a dragon was flying over the area so ... wed better get away from here as soon as possible, Tsuki looked at her as if he didnt agree with her words, Besides, I need to wash my hands and what you need is a bath. Arf? You smell weird, she clarified. Kalysto had barely stood up and shook the dirt from her hands against the fabric of her pants, when an arrow shot out of the bushes, and buried itself in the rump of her new pet. What the heck? Its been less than half an hour since I cured him and theyre already trying to kill him again? she growled. She didnt have time to run to the place where her bow had fallen before, so she pulled another one from her inventory and immediately aimed at the bush where she thought the arrow had come from while she covered the puppys body with hers and shot two more arrows into the bushes near her target, just to make sure she was aiming in the right direction. And when she heard a whimper from the same direction she had shot last time, she shot another arrow. Get into the cave and get to safety, Tsuki! She ordered, but instead of following her orders, the young fenrir ran towards the bush where they suspected their aggressor was. Where the hell do you think you are going? She questioned him, but the wolf ignored her and his white figure was lost in the bushes. Come here! she growled, as she ran after him to catch up. She found him a few seconds later, with his fangs well buried in the thigh of a goblin whose bow was lying on the ground a few meters away from him while its owner struggled to get the little fenrir off his back with blows. Witnessing the beating enraged Kalysto, who did not hesitate to draw an arrow and shoot it into the goblins throat. The pitiful whimpering of her wounded cub as the goblin fell to the ground and he himself followed in his fall as he did not lose his prey, made her blood boil and she finished approaching them with an arrow in her hand. And as the goblin struggled to breathe, she kicked him in the head and buried the arrow in his eye. Didnt your parents teach you to respect other peoples pets? She hissed at him in anger and pulled the knife from her inventory and buried it viciously in the neck of the wounded monster twice. Chapter 19 “Ambush Failed” Chapter 19 Ambush Failed Kalysto turned and looked at her new pet. Her eyes looked like two glowing emeralds glowing with barely contained fury. What the hell were you thinking doing something like that? You could have died! she shouted and approached him. Frightened by her reaction, the cub backed away. And Kalysto froze when she saw his reaction. She opened her mouth and closed it again several times before she was able to articulate a word, and ran her hands over her face for a moment as she tried to adjust her expression so as not to frighten him again. The next time you think of doing something so careless, Im going to punish you. Do you understand me? Tsuki lowered his head and let out a pitiful moan that softened her heart. Now come here. I need to check that wound. And after taking out the arrow and using the Purification spell to disinfect the wound, she started to heal it until two notification windows, one blue and the other violet, appeared before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] She took out a Mana potion from her inventory and drank it in one gulp. And without even looking at her stats she got up and approached the fallen goblins body to retrieve her knife and after putting it away in the inventory she picked up the bow that the goblin had dropped and seeing that hers quiver was empty, she grimaced. Still, she did not hesitate to stow her new loot inside the inventory. And without looking back, she returned to the entrance of the cave, where she retrieved her bow and finished looting the other monsters. Which included the hobgoblins staff and two leather pouches strapped to his hip. After giving the bodies a short glance and deducing that there was nothing else of value she could get from them, she raised her gaze to the sky, unable to determine how close to nightfall it was. We need a place to spend the night, preferably away from that walled city The problem was that she had gone so far into the forest that the high treetops didnt let her see the great wall surrounding the city and she had no way of knowing how far they were from the road full of bodies, which could surely lead her to the next nearest town or city. Kalysto let out a long sigh and looked at her new pet. Time to go, she said, and headed towards where she thought was the same road she had taken to get there. Ten minutes later, she could see how bad her sense of direction was. Was this really the right way? she wondered after another five minutes of intense walking. Tsuki, completely unaware of his new owners dilemma, wagged his tail excitedly and barked in her direction, then ran off into the forest to his right. What part of dont ever do that again didnt he understand? She growled, full of frustration, before she started running in the same direction he had just disappeared. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Several minutes later, she found his white tail sticking out in the middle of a lush bush whose dark shade of gray leaves caught her attention. You are in so much trouble, young one, she hissed. And she approached him cautiously, fearing he would run away again. That was until she saw Gabriel, one of the boys from the archery club, holding a branch in his hands as he tried to protect his fallen twin, whose leg had been pierced by an arrow. Why do they always shoot at the thighs? She couldnt help but wonder. And how come the Wonder Twins are here too? Tall, blond, and blue-eyed. Both were the typical display of university beauty that many women dreamed of and Gabriels twin, Gideon, was the typical man ready to seduce all the hapless women who fell for his charming smile. But if the rumors surrounding the university campus were to be believed, Gabriel had also shared some of the sexual exploits with his brother over the past few months. They had even slept with the same girls at the same time. Though his dating collection was far more diminutive than his twins. Were they also victims of another summoning circle, like Edward and Koden? She worried. But then what had gone wrong with their summoning? Surrounded by ten goblins armed with knives, an archer, and one with a spear, the Wonder Twins had no chance of defending themselves. Not when Gabriel, despite belonging to a sports club, wasnt very good at it. In fact, he was more the shy and quiet type. He wasnt even very athletic. Other than his pretty face and that he always blushed and stumbled over his words the few times she had spoken to him, there was nothing eye-catching about him. Should I save them? She didnt know whether or not to do it. It was one thing to face five goblins, and quite another to face twelve. And if she took into account that she had to protect Tsuki.... There was no reason to put the cub at risk. And she still had to find Edward and Koden. And find a safe place to spend the night. And if she helped them, then she would feel bad later for not healing Gideons wounds, but she wasnt willing to let them know about her class as a saintess either. That could be problematic in the future... plus, I still dont know if I can trust them. Yet her not helping them at all would also make her feel bad. Maybe if I just shoot a few of them and then run off, a part of them will chase me and, with the group divided, it will be much easier for them to defend themselves on their own. And for me to defend myself from those chasing me. The problem was that people tended to have this crazy idea that it was a persons obligation to help them if they had done it before. A case in point was Edward himself, who had brought Kodar to a tutoring session for which he didnt pay a cent. Probably with the intention that she would also teach the other engineering students for free. That idiot... Maybe I should stop helping him. Let him learn to respect other peoples time and free will. But at the thought of it, something clenched inside her. What on earth? But Kalysto didnt have much time to think about it nor to make a decision about the best strategy to use to help the twins since Tsuki, decided to play the Hero and throw himself into the battle as soon as he saw the goblin with a spear approaching the twins. What the hell? she growled. She barely had time to react as soon as she felt the rustling of leaves in the bush as her pup struggled through it, and out into the small clearing where the enemies were. His small white figure immediately caught the attention of the goblins. The Archer was the first to react by pointing his bow at him with an arrow ready to pierce his small body. Kalysto immediately drew her bow and shot him in the neck. You are so grounded! Chapter 20 “The Twins. Part 1” Chapter 20 The Twins. Part 1 The arrow whistled through the air until it reached its target, piercing the green neck of the goblin holding the bow, his breath getting lost in pitiful whimpers as he begged for some air. Without a trace of guilt or compassion, Kalysto launched a second arrow, burying it in the eye of the spear-wielding goblin, whom she interrupted as he was preparing to hurl his weapon at her.He screamed in pain. And as Tsuki clung to the enemy archers leg, Kalysto grabbed him by the back of the neck and snarled at him, as she ran with him back to the leafy bush that had served as their hiding place earlier. I warned you that I didnt want you to do things like this again! Youre grounded! But she had no safe place to take him and it was too dangerous to return to the cave. Running out of alternatives, she struggled to find a solution, discarding one idea after another until she came up with a crazy idea. Then, taking advantage of the free space, she summoned her inventory, but when she was about to put it in the blue one, which had more empty space, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she immediately put it in the last available space in the violet window. But she wasnt fast enough, and a knife thrown by another goblin buried itself in her thigh making her lose her balance and almost fall to the ground as pain spread up her leg as she kept running, trying to get to safety. [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Immediately she closed the windows with a smooth motion of her hand and as she drew another arrow from her quiver, a spear passed by her burying itself right in the patch of ground her left foot had been a second before, and before hiding behind the safety of a thick tree trunk, she turned around and buried two arrows in the neck of the goblin owner of the spear. Unwittingly exposing her arm, an opportunity that one of the goblins with a pipe of what appeared to make wood in his hand, did not hesitate to take advantage of and launched a dart at her arm with which she held the bow. A strange itch spread up her left arm as she watched both arrows penetrate the monsters neck as he whimpered and took a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground. As soon as Kalysto checked that her arrows had hit their target, she went back into hiding. Kalysto? What are you doing here? Gabriel shouted, surprised by her presence, but frightened by the dangerous maneuver she had just made. Does this really seem like the best time to ask stupid questions? She thought, without a trace of sympathy for the handsome young man. And she broke into a run, her feminine figure losing herself among the tree trunks and zigzagging from time to time to throw her would-be captors off her trail. A few minutes later, she stopped as she dropped to her knees behind a tree. Two signs appeared in front of her announcing the death of the two goblins she had shot earlier. [You have gained 30 experience points.] [You have gained 40 experience points. ] She closed them immediately and pulled out the knife that had been buried in her leg, inwardly grateful that her mental defense and pain resistance had been activated, and now she could only feel a slight discomfort in her right thigh. She then looked at the dart in her left arm and grimaced at the sight of a pair of black veins that began to spread around the black spot with a purplish edge that formed after the impact. Without wasting any time, she pulled out the dart and placed her right hand on the strange black spot. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Dispel! she called out. She wasnt entirely sure for what purpose it worked, but something inside her insisted that she use it. Then she continued with her usual purification streak and placed the palm of her left hand on the wound on her thigh and left her right hand on the wound left by the dart. A golden light emanated from her palms and penetrated both wounds. Purification! Purification! Dispel! Dispel! Purification! Purification! Dispel! Purification! Dispel! Then she took out one of the small vials of the low quality holy water potion she had looted earlier and sipped it as she continued. Purification! Purification! Dispel! The strange black spot began to diminish. Still, she was not satisfied, so she put her bow in her blue inventory and ran to hide behind another tree to avoid being discovered. Come on, heal fast! Heal fast! she pleaded. Im going to have to go back to that road full of corpses and loot more potions. Hopefully, Ill come across more bottles of holy water. She thought, as she heard the roar of the other goblins who rushed after her, most of them forgetting about their two previous prey. Shit! she lamented as she saw that more than half of the remaining goblins were running towards their first hiding place, which she could still half observe from her new position, about fifty feet away. Purification! Purification! Dispel! Purification! Dispel! Purification! Purification! Purification! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! Purification! Purification! Dispel! Dispel! Purification! Purification! Purification! Dispel! she whispered devoutly as relief washed over her as the small black veins that had begun to appear on her arm, around the wound caused by the dart, began to fade. I hope it wasnt poison. Who knows if Im allergic to that stuff. She had never had a problem with allergies before, but the fact was that since they were from another world. She had no idea whether or not she was allergic to the components of whatever it was they had used in that dart. Its always better to be safe. A violet window opened before her. [Purification skill leveled up.] Great! Purification! Purification! Purification! Dispel! And before she could continue with the intense whispering with which she summoned the skills while staying hidden, two windows, one blue and one violet, opened before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] [Congratulations! The user has finished eliminating an outbreak, in its first phase, of the black plague. The dispel skill has leveled up.] What? Wait, a minute! Wasnt the black plague the disease that my new boss said had damaged his land, his crops, and was making his people sick? Her face paled. Wasnt that the deadliest disease in this world? And those idiots infected me with it? She panicked. Now I understand why my employer said it could only be cured by someone who was a Saint... and was surprised at how relatively easy it was to fight something that was supposed to be deadly. If so, maybe one of her missions wouldnt be as dangerous as she had thought before... Although most likely it was easy because I was able to act immediately... Maybe I should do this to myself for several days afterwards, just to make sure there arent any rebound effects, or problems down in the future. She consoled herself and drank a bottle of mana regeneration. Then she looked around the bushes surrounding the old dry tree. The reason she had chosen those specific bushes to hide in was because of the thick and very abundant orange leaves. Hoping that the particular color would help her hide the golden glow that appeared whenever she used holy magic. Thank heavens, at least her caution had served, and she hadnt been discovered. Not even when two goblins passed by her. Kalysto held her breath as she watched them pass. And after checking that the two of them were alone, and that there was no one else around. She drew her bow and shot an arrow, piercing the back of the first goblins neck. The second one turned to her immediately and with an agility that took her by surprise, rushed at her with a thunderous war cry that Kalysto didnt manage to silence in time. Her next two arrows pierced his throat just in time for his body to fall within two inches of her, allowing her to easily evade the stab he threw at her. Unfortunately for Kalysto, as she backed away from his attack, she was left uncovered and a knife blade buried itself deep in her left shoulder. Her brain numbed by the mental defense skill didnt register the pain, but the sheer amount of blood emanating from her wound took her by surprise. Almost as much as the second stab that she could barely avoid using her bow as a shield. Crack! The sound of wood cracking flooded her ears. Shit! Chapter 21 “The Twins. Part 2” Chapter 21 The Twins. Part 2 Four windows, two violet and two blue, blocked her vision. [You have gained 50 experience points.] [You have gained 40 experience points. ] Notifications of the deaths of the other two goblins came a little late this time. But Kalysto didnt have time to worry about that, not when her bow looked like it was about to be snapped in two by the third goblins sharp knife. Surely that knife had a higher level of penetration than the others. The strong goblin, seeing that she had been trying to put up resistance, used the weight of his body against her. And while Kalysto had defended herself well so far, she wasnt so good at close combat. Especially since her strength lay on her legs and not her arms. So she took a step to the right, and without wasting any time, stepped to the side, allowing the goblin to fall under his own weight. Then she used the tip of the wood of her bow as a weapon to strike him in the temple. But unlike the other goblins, this ones skin seemed to be much tougher, and the bow instead of hitting him split in two, hitting her in the shoulder in the process. Kalysto let out a curse and leapt backwards after attempting to kick the green creature in the side. But again, its skin seemed to be too tough. So she jumped back several more times, trying to put more space between them. Suddenly, the wound on her shoulder started to hurt, and she became worried when she saw all the blood she had lost. [The passive skill ''Mental Defense'' has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain resistance has been activated.] Immediately, she closed all the notification windows that were open. Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! She said, placing her right hand on her injured shoulder as she broke into a run, increasing the distance between them. You might be stronger, but youre definitely not faster than me. And her theory was confirmed as soon as she looked back and saw that even though he was chasing her, the distance between them seemed to increase, so drawing another bow from her inventory, she launched an arrow towards his left eye. But he was able to dodge it with ease. So she shot the next one into the middle of his chest. The arrow hit the target, but didnt bury itself in his skin as deeply as it had with the other goblins. Definitely his skin is much tougher than the others.Definitely, She worried, and shot two more arrows into his stomach before starting to run again. When there was again enough distance between them, she stopped and launched four more arrows at his chest. By the third time she tried to do the same, as soon as she launched the first arrow, he threw the knife at her. Kalysto quickly dodged the weapon and then ran to where the knife had fallen and dug it out of the ground, putting it away in her inventory with a smile. Thanks for the gift! She exclaimed excitedly at the thought of being able to inspect it later when she had more time available and could find out what kind of additional stats it had. Kalysto opened her inventory and stowed her new weapon in it as she ran, then hid behind a tree and pulled out the bottle with high-quality holy water her new boss had given to her and took a swig, immediately putting it away again and pulled out another arrow. Then, she came out from her hiding place and shot right in the eye of the unsuspecting goblin that was chasing her. The arrow hit the target and, unlike the previous ones she had shot, this one buried itself halfway. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Good! She was thrilled. Only to regret it a second later when a terrifying, thunderous scream came from the monsters throat. And causing another goblin nearby to run towards him to see what was wrong. Kalysto immediately pierced his neck with three arrows and the notification of the newcomers death did not take long to appear in front of her. [You have gained 30 experience points. ] And when the goblin with the hardened skin bent down to steal the knife from his fallen comrade, Kalysto immediately shot him in the arm, preventing him from taking the weapon. Followed by another arrow in the neck. She was about to shoot another arrow at him when, without warning, an arrow passed close to her nose. Burrowing into the trunk of the tree next to him. Kalysto immediately turned and shot the newcomer in the eye. She then shot two more arrows into his neck. The notification of his death was not long in coming, and she quickly closed it. [You have gained 30 experience points. ] And she immediately turned around, discovering that the other goblin had taken advantage of her carelessness to crouch down and try to loot the other fallen goblin again. She shot him in the hand, making him let out an annoyed shriek and immediately shot him in the neck, wishing he would shut up. But again, the ruckus he had caused attracted another goblin. This time armed with a spear. And as the resistant goblin lunged at his compatriot, who had just arrived with a spear, Kalysto shot three arrows into the neck of the newcomer. Whose body fell lifeless, causing another pair of notifications to open before her. [You have gained 40 experience points.] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +1 free point.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +2 free points.] Kalysto felt a little better immediately. She almost felt like she was a little stronger and lighter. And immediately, she closed all notifications and prepared to launch another arrow against her resistant enemy, wanting to check if the points that had been added to her strength would help her defeat him more easily. But when she closed all the notifications, she could observe with fear the tip of a sharp spear heading towards her head. She jumped to her right immediately avoiding the damage, only to have to dodge again, this time, the knife that annoying goblin had thrown at her after the spear he had thrown as a decoy, then lunged at her with his bare hands. She immediately launched three arrows at his neck, but even though they buried themselves deeper into his skin this time, it wasnt enough to defeat him. What the hell?... How can this monster be so tough compared to the others? The goblin throws his fist against her to then reaches out and tries to claw at her face with his claws. Kalysto took a step backwards, evading its sharp nails by just a couple of centimeters. Then she pulled an arrow from her quiver and buried it in the creatures ear just as he buried a knife in her side. And where did he get that knife from? She couldnt help but be surprised at the unexpectedness of it, and they both staggered from their new wounds. Kalysto stumbled over her own feet as she instinctively placed her hands over her new wound, watching in awe as blood poured out of her in droves. Ive got to get rid of him right away! She thought. Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! she said, fearing she would get an infection. And seeing that her enemy was still alive despite all the damage she had done to him so far, she remembered one of her new abilities she hadnt gotten to use so far. And this time, it was Kalystos turn to approach him, who still seemed somewhat dizzy after the arrow she had already buried in his ear. She put her left hand on him and after taking the knife, with which he had almost split her bow in two, out of her inventory, she whispered mischievously. Sleep well, the goblin looked at her, full of confusion. And he blinked several times as if he could not quite see her. Sleep well, Kalysto repeated, five more times. Until she could notice how the eyelid of the goblins good eye began to close as the goblins body relaxed and fell almost limply to the ground. Sleep well, she repeated five more times, before raising the knife she held in her right hand and with her left hand she kept her hand firmly connected to the greenish skin of that monster. Sleep well, she whispered again, and she could hear the soft snoring coming from him. Sleep well, she whispered again as she buried the knife in the throat of her enemy. I doubt very much that they gave me this ability, thinking that I would use it in this way. She thought coldly. But she didnt care. All she cared about was surviving and getting stronger. Sleep well, she whispered again as she buried the knife twice in his throat. And she only stopped until four notifications appeared before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before trying to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] [You have gained 110 experience points. ] Chapter 22 “The Twins. Part 3” Chapter 22 The Twins. Part 3 [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected]. [You have gained 110 experience points. ] [Sleep well: spell that puts the patient to sleep, allowing the saintess to investigate their illness with peace of mind. Helps to avoid convulsions. To be used, the user must maintain physical contact with the target. Spends 10 MP per use (This skill is learned when the saintess reaches level 20 but has been unlocked by the administrator).] Exhausted by everything that had happened so far, Kalysto leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree and opened her inventory. She pulled out the bottle of high quality holy water her boss had given her and took a swig. She felt her skin tingle as her recent wound healed and she closed her eyes for a moment. I wish I could sleep for a couple of hours. She thought. But she couldnt do that. At least not yet. So, while she waited for the 10 minutes she needed until she could take another potion to pass, she decided to check her stats. So she opened her status window. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: human Level: 5 Fatigue: 98 Class: Wizard (Normal) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: N/A HP: 180/280 MP: 10/212 Strength: 23 Vitality: 27 Agility: 33 Endurance: 27 Intelligence: 36 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 Status: healing Available points: 8 Kalysto looked at her stats and bit her lower lip. Although she wanted to allocate several points to her strength, the truth was that it had scared her how easy it had been for these goblins to hurt her. Raising my vitality is necessary. She thought and assigned two points to her vitality, so now her HP was 320. And although she wanted to add even more points, she decided it was best to leave it at that for the time being. Ill find a way to raise it later. She added another point to intelligence, another to strength, and another to agility. And then she hesitated. If she had more strength, she could hunt them more easily. But then she looked at the wound in her side, the same one that was still closing, and remembered how easily the goblin with the hardened skin had almost split her bow in two. I could have been killed. She thought fearfully. And she put her finger on the endurance statistic. Two windows appeared before her. [Endurance: ability to perform an activity or exertion for as long as possible. Raising this stat reduces the physical damage received. This is a basic stat needed for tanks.] So thats why his skin was so tough. Immediately, she spent her remaining 3 points on increasing her endurance. Then, feeling a little more confident, she picked up the knife that had brought her victory. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened before her. [Goblin knife. Class: common. Requires 20 points of strength to use it. Strength +15 Penetration +20] I definitely need to find a way to add the penetration stat to my arrows. Decided. Its unfair that they have such good equipment being mere goblins. Then, driven by her curiosity, she pulled out one of the simpler swords she had stolen in front of the city walls to check its stats. Inspect! she exclaimed, and again two windows opened before her. [Common sword. Class: common. Requires 30 points of strength to use. Strength +10] Not only was the requirement to be able to use it superior, but the additional stats werent even as good as goblin stats. If thats made by humans, shouldnt it be better than something made by a monster? It didnt have much logic, yet the evidence was right in front of her eyes. And then she remembered the way the goblin with the spear had approached to try to help the goblin with the tough skin, who instead of receiving her help, wanted to take advantage of his comrades weakness to steal her weapon and attack her with it. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They are definitely creatures with some degree of intelligence, but to be able to create weapons with better stats? Until now, she had mistakenly thought that being monsters, they couldnt be smarter than a human, but now she realized that thinking so was a big mistake. As crude as their weapons were, their usefulness far exceeded that of the invading army. I doubt that I could sell the goblin weapons in the market of a neighboring village.... However, isnt it better to keep them just in case, and just sell those of the invading army? That sounded like a better idea. And as for her wound, she went about looting all the goblins she had killed, leaving the archer last. And after picking up the bow she had been using earlier, she compared them. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened before her. [Common bow. Class: common. Requires 10 points of strength to use. Strength +5] [Goblin bow. Class: common. Requires 5 strength points to use. Strength +10 Penetration +15] She frowned. Then she did the same with the arrows, comparing one of the ones in her inventory with the goblin archers arrow. [Common arrow. class: common. 5 points of strength required to use it] [Goblin arrow. Class: common. No strength points are required to use it. Penetration +10] How is this possible... Damn, I really want to know how they do it!... I also want my arrows to have a penetration statistic! Then she looked at the knife. And let out a long sigh. Wont there be a way to transfer the stats from one object to another or duplicate them? She could almost feel her head beginning to ache at the sheer collection of unanswered questions she had at the moment. If only I had access to an internet connection. But for the moment she would have to settle for a library, and that was only if she could find one in the nearest town. And after letting out a long sigh, she took out a Grade 2 revitalizing potion from her inventory and drank it, watching as her fatigue reduced by 50 points. Yes, I definitely feel much better now. She still wished she could get some sleep, but at least now she didnt feel her body as heavy as before or that she was going to fall asleep at any moment due to over-tiredness. And she checked her stats one last time before continuing the hunt for the four goblins she was missing. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: human Level: 5 Fatigue: 48 Class: Wizard (Normal) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: N/A HP: 320/320 MP: 20/226 Strength: 24 Vitality: 29 Agility: 33 Endurance: 30 Intelligence: 37 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 Condition: a little tired. Available points: 0 Feeling calmer, she took her new bow and after deciding to use the goblin arrows only with enemies that were more resistant she filled her quiver with the arrows of the invading army. But then she thought better of it, and pulled out another quiver, taking out the arrows that were inside it and storing them inside a single box, that way she wouldnt waste so much time the next time she ran out of arrows. And she headed in the same direction in which the other three goblins had come to rescue the one who had wounded her. Fortunately, she was able to find another archer less than 5 minutes later. She immediately hid behind a tree, but the rustling of the branches of the bush nearby gave away her presence, causing the green creature to stand on guard and aim its bow at the side of the tree where she had been before, so Kalysto came out on the opposite side and quickly shot two arrows into its neck. It was almost a full minute before she received notification of his death. [You have gained 30 experience points ] Excited at the thought of getting more arrows with the penetration stat, she ran to loot the goblin. And then she put everything in her inventory. The next goblin was much easier to kill as he didnt even see her as she approached, about 10 meters away from him. Two arrows in the neck did all the work as well. Kalysto wandered for another 10 minutes before she decided to turn back the way she had come and try to find the twins. She walked for another 10 minutes before she could hear the sound of voices in the distance. She had to detour a little to the right before she could find the small clearing they were in. Gideon was still sitting on the ground and although he no longer had a knife buried in his thigh, the wound was bleeding profusely as he threw stones at one of the two goblins preventing it from approaching him while Gabriel, with a stick in his hands which he used as a strange mixture of bat and sword, kept the other goblin at bay. Four arrows in the neck finished them off easily. Whos there? Asked one of them as she came out of hiding and approached the first goblin and took his knife and boots and put them in her inventory. Is that the proper way to thank the person who just saved your ass? Because if so, remind me not to go to the trouble next time, she replied as she approached the second goblin, but this one had no weapons. So she just took off his boots. What are you doing? Ka...Kalysto, is it really you? How did you get here? Gabriel asked at the same time as his brother. It was me who killed them, so I have every right to loot them... and if I were you, Id worry more about those wounds. Youve lost a lot of blood then she turned her face to Gabriel, who as soon as she mentioned his brothers wounds ran to check him-. And yes, Gabriel, its me. I guess I got here the same way you two did. Its much worse than I thought! I thought youd only been hurt once, Gabriel exclaimed with concern as he saw the two deep wounds on his twins thigh. He immediately turned his head towards her and, with a face full of desperation, he begged her. Please do something to save him! What? Kalysto frowned, annoyed, I literally just risked my life and saved your asses and you havent even deigned to thank me. And yet you have the nerve to ask me for even more? I... his cheeks and the tips of his ears turned red. Something quite usual in the few times she had interacted with him in the past. Kalysto simply folded her arms and watched them silently. Unwilling to give in, even after seeing the grimace of pain on Gideons face as he tried to use his twin as a human crutch. Thank...thank you for saving us, then he looked at her, his face full of anticipation. She scoffed. Yeah, well, that doesnt seem very sincere, does it? Gabriel ducked his head. Not knowing what to say to refute her words, Gideon frowned at her instead. Were lost in God knows where and there are monsters everywhere that look like something out of a video game! And youre giving me that crap? he growled at her. Yes, its true were not friends! And if it werent for my brother, I wouldnt even know you existed! But are you seriously asking me why you should help us? Out of basic decency! Thats why! I think that very hypocritical and convenient motivational talk would serve you better with someone else, especially since youre the kind of guy who ignores women who arent part of your future conquests. So putting your hypocrisy aside, I ask you, what have you done for me so far? she questioned him. Because from my point of view, I dont get any advantage for helping you. So please tell me why would I give a couple of potions that I will need to save my life to a couple of guys who have never done anything for me and whom I only know in passing? Her words annoyed Gideon, who clenched his jaw tightly. That wasnt the kind of reaction he expected. Usually women fell easily under his charms and he hardly ever had to try hard to get them. Kalysto could see the hatred in his gaze. Surely he is already planning how to get revenge. If it werent for Gabriel, I would have been out of here by now. It had been months since Gideon had gone from being an annoying quasi-stalker of her best friend, and he had begun to use the excuse of going to see his brother, Gabriel, practice archery, to interrupt her conversations with Alice while he tried to convince the pretty blonde to accept a date with him. No matter how many times Alice had refused or how obvious it was, how annoyed they both were whenever he came to interrupt them. Instead, Gideon mumbled back. What do you want in return? Chapter 23 “The reunion with the two idiots” Chapter 23 The reunion with the two idiots You will need at least three health potions to heal your wounds and Gabriel''s one. Plus, I can provide a bow and a quiver with twenty arrows for your brother and a sword for you to defend yourself... I dont think you can do much with just a dagger, can you? Gideon frowned. I repeat. What do you want in return? He grunted and Kalysto gave him a half smile. First, let me ask you something. When you arrived here, did you see a road full of corpses in front of the walls of a city? When they nodded, she continued, Lead me over there and help me loot the bodies. What, are you crazy? Do you want us to be put in jail for looting graves? First of all, we are no longer on Earth but in another world called Elinor. And secondly, theyre not buried. I want each of you to collect 500 arrows and bring them to me, plus half of the loot you get, especially if its potions. She said extending her hand towards them, but the twins, instead of looking at her, they just stared at something in front of them. How did you do that? Amazement adorned their voices. Did what? She frowned blankly. A screen appeared out of nowhere, said Gideon, shooing it away like a mosquito. Do you accept, yes or no? I still have to go look for Edward so I cant stay for long, although it seemed strange to her that when she made a deal with them, the system responded. She had to concentrate on the important things for now. We accept, Gabriel said immediately. But Kalysto waited until she received confirmation from Gideon. I accept, he said reluctantly. Immediately, a purple window appeared before her. [Does the user wish to enter into a binding soul contract with Gideon Black and Gabriel Black?] Yes, she said, surprised by the unexpected event. [Enter the terms of the contract below.] And so she did. As soon as they agreed, she handed them the vials of health potions and the weapons. As they had agreed. -Is it safe to drink this? -Gideon asked suspiciously. You can drink it or apply it directly to the wound. In your case I recommend that you apply it, but drink only one potion. There is a prohibition in the system that you can only drink one potion every 10 minutes. System? What are you talking about? Gabriel questioned after obediently drinking his potion. Say status window and they did so, surprised at the blue screen that popped up before them. To Kalystos surprise, she could also see the information it displayed to them. So this was why the boss insisted that I set my system to private. It did not surprise her to see that Gideon was a rogue. Not with how flirtatious and charming he was, going from one conquest to another while trying to keep the others from noticing what he was doing. That and his ability to show up where you least expected it and in a strangely silent manner. Either that or he definitely didnt fit into any of the other classes. Gideon wasnt very athletic, but he wasnt a wimp either. And while she had seen him work out and use the college gym a couple of times, he did it mostly to keep the attention of the ladies. Gabriel, on the other hand, aside from participating in the archery club, didnt excel at any sport. So it was no surprise that he was an archer. Does the choice of classes have more to do with personality than a persons physical statistics...? If so, why am I a wizard? What did catch her attention was that, unlike her, they only had two tabs. One for skills and one for the status window. Neither of them had an inventory. How strange... she frowned, not knowing what to think about it. Then she remembered the blue system message, reporting the presence of an earlier version of her system when she first came to this world. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She let them familiarize themselves with the system while they waited for the potions to take effect. As soon as everything was in order, they set off toward the corpse-strewn road. Are you sure we should go back there? Gideon asked. The potions that saved your life are there. Besides, the dragon is already gone. As long as we take care that no other people see us and we stay close to the forest and away from the city walls, we should be safe, She turned her head to look at them, Do you really want to go around without at least a couple of potions as backup? And with those monsters roaming around? They both shook their heads and followed her silently, but doubt still shone on their faces. After a couple of minutes of walking, Kalysto asked them. And how did you get here? We were at home about to sit down to lunch when suddenly a light came from I dont know where, and the next second we were here. When we arrived, there was a group of hooded people waiting for us, but soon after, monsters attacked us before they finished explaining to us the situation. Some of them fought them off as fire came out of their hands, said Gideon, his face growing paler and paler as his story continued, How crazy can that be? Since when can fire come out of peoples hands? We are no longer in our world. Consider everything you see from now on as part of a great madness and just focus on surviving. Is that what you are doing? As she nodded, he kept silent. And what happened after that? Kalysto asked them, wanting to know how they had come to be in that part of the forest. It was Gabriel who continued. Then more green monsters arrived. One of them had a strange staff and seemed to command the others. Apparently, he could also do magic and could eliminate several of the hooded ones. Then we heard a loud roar, it almost sounded like it came from a dinosaur movie, so we ran as far as we could to get away from there. And as you could see, some of them chased us... then he kept silent and lowered his head, a young girl escaped with us but they killed her... we couldnt... We barely escaped with our lives and then we found you, interrupted Gideon, giving his twin a warning look to keep his mouth shut. So you left her to die while you escaped, Kalysto concluded. You werent there. You have no right to criticize us! Besides, its not like we didnt try to help her, it was because of her that they discovered our hideout in the first place! And we had risked our lives to help her just before! I got the first wound because of that! And I was stabbed several times just because I tried to save you two, and yet all this time I havent heard any words of thanks from you, as soon as she saw him open his mouth to refute her, she continued, So all that talk about helping each other in times of trouble was nothing but a bunch of convenient garbage, eh? She mocked them. And while Gabriel avoided her gaze with his face bathed in shame, Gideon glared at her angrily. Edward can be as annoying as you want, but he still threw himself into a dangerous situation without hesitation just to try to rescue me. Less than five minutes later, they reached the edge of the forest and the road that led into town. There was the equivalent of almost four blocks of dead bodies. She and the twins were almost at the end, so Kalysto looked around to make sure they were alone. All right, its time to hold up your end of the deal! She bent down and picked up a bag full of potions. This is what I want you to pick up for me. This and arrows. If you pick up any other weapons for yourselves, thats your problem. But stay low, she said and prepared to loot another nearby body. She had gotten another ten bags of potions and a couple more swords to sell when she noticed the shadow of a person on the other side of the forest. Gabriel, Gideon, its time to go. Someones coming! What? But I still need to get more arrows! Kalysto rolled her eyes. You can give them to me later. We have to get out of here now! And without waiting for them any longer, she ran to the edge of the forest. Soon after, they both followed her and, after handing her another forty arrows each and another five leather bags with potions, they fled. Gideon and Gabriel took the opportunity to stock up on swords themselves, which they had strapped to their waists, along with three potion bags. But it was obvious that all the extra weight was a problem for them. And while Gabriel had taken on two more quivers, Gideon seemed to have a waist full of swords. Still, Kalysto didnt offer to help them and put their excess baggage into her inventory. It was when they were almost at the end of the long line of bodies, as they took advantage of the shade of the trees and leafy bushes surrounding the road to hide, that Kalysto heard a scream. Thats Edwards voice! Then she stopped. And scanned her surroundings carefully. Until she finally found him at the edge of the forest on the other side of the path. And although several trees concealed his figure, she knew his awkward movements well, and recognized all too easily those of Koden Scott, her athletic partner, and in his words her rival. How can he consider himself my rival when he has never been able to beat my marks despite winning a bronze medal at the last Olympics? Still, she looked at the twins. Stay here and hide as best you can or follow that path and look for the next city! She ordered them, pointing down the path ahead of them to the opposite side of the city walls. What? Where are you going? Gabriel replied. To save those two idiots. Isnt that the guy whos with you at the athletic club? Kalysto wanted to turn around and look suspiciously at Gabriel. And how do you know that? She wanted to ask him, but refrained from doing so. She had more important things to do. And with all the speed that characterized her as the captain of the athletics team, she ran with all her might to the other side of the wide street, then evaded two trees, jumped over a small bush and pulled an arrow from the quiver she still had stuck against her back. Edward down! Kalysto shouted, and like the obedient son of his parents that he was, Edwards body reacted to the order given and without him even thinking about what he was doing. Just in time to evade the blow of the orcs axe in front of him. Then Kalysto shot an arrow into each eye of the huge green orc and a third into his neck. Chapter 24 “The reunion with the two idiots. Part 2” Chapter 24 The reunion with the two idiots. Part 2 The orc cried out in pain, dropping his massive axe and bringing his hands to his wounded eyes. Where the arrows Kalysto had shot had buried themselves halfway in, unlike the one she had shot against his neck, which had barely buried itself in the orcs tough skin. A tiny clearing surrounded by trees opened up before Kalysto as she moved forward and took a better look at the scene in front of her. The eight-foot orc with green skin that had been attacking Edward concentrated on his own wounds and ignored the young man completely. Next to him, a goblin with a loincloth and a knife in his hand was waiting his turn to join the fight. Kalysto immediately shot three arrows into his throat as soon as she saw his intentions to attack Edward, now that the orc had stopped toying with him. A couple of meters away from them was a second orc, a little shorter, brandishing a club back and forth as if he were shooing flies instead of trying to hit Koden, who was much faster than him and therefore could evade his blows with ease. Far away from them and well hidden inside the bushes, there were three other goblins watching the fight. Waiting in complete silence for their turn to pounce on the fleeing prey. Kalysto? Youre alive! Edward got excited, with his messy dark brown hair much more disheveled than usual. And his brown eyes. From where Kalysto stood, she could swear she saw five different colored leaves tangled in the na?ve nineteen-year-olds hair. And unintentionally, a thin half-smile tugged at her lips. Two windows opened before her. [You have gained 30 experience points. ] Kalysto immediately closed them. Second place? Are you alive? Kalystos smile died as soon as she heard Kodens annoying words. I have a name, you idiot! Anyone would think that after two years of not being able to surpass me, you would have learned it by now. But it seems your ability to memorize is close to zero, just like your manners, Kalysto criticized him. And she readied her bow again, firing two arrows at the neck of the goblin that had begun to approach Kodens back, taking advantage of his small moment of distraction. Hey! That almost killed me! The young man was startled, but as soon as he turned to see where the arrow had landed, he was surprised to see the body of a fallen goblin. Where the hell did that one come from? he shouted. As he dodged another attack from the second orc, And I have good manners! I just dont use them with everyone. And thats why you planned to sneak into my tutoring class without asking my permission? ... Eh... he averted her gaze, concentrating on evading the orc, who despite his clumsy movements did not desist in trying to corner and crush his prey. Ignoring the others. Kalysto shot an arrow into the hand with which the first orc had been holding the axe, and with which he had been covering one of his eyes. Oh, good aim! Edward congratulated her at the same time. You had told me that you liked archery and that you practiced from time to time, but I never thought you were so good, he looked at her with his face full of surprise, then he stared at her bow in silence and then turned his head to see the fallen axe buried in the ground that the orc had dropped, then he looked again at the bow in her hands. And then he nodded his head, full of determination, and approached the axe with every intention of digging it out, but despite all the effort he made, the axe did not move an inch. I have a good teacher, answered Kalysto as she watched him struggle in a vain attempt to lift the heavy axe. He sure doesnt have the stats to use it. She thought. Immediately two more windows appeared before her, announcing the death of the second goblin, and she hurried to close them. [You have gained 30 experience points.] Edward put that down and come here, she said, trying not to laugh at the strange grimaces Edward was making as he pulled hard on the axe handle. While the orc, with a single pull, tore the arrows out of his eyes and roared again in pain. Edward, back off! Kalysto shouted, and taking advantage of the fact that the orc still had his arms up she shot an arrow right into his armpit, then pulled one of the goblin arrows from her inventory and shot it into the orcs neck, then, after re-shooting two more into each of his eyes, she shot another into his stomach. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Just as she guessed, the goblin arrows buried themselves easily in the orcs skin. I really need to get my hands on that penetration stat. She thought. Wow, thats great, where do I get one of those? Edward asked. Dont even think Im going to give you one, she said, and besides, even if I gave it to you, you wouldnt know how to use it, she replied objectively. Better say status window so I can get an idea of what I can give you that will be useful to you, Edward frowned but still followed her lead. Status window, he said. And just as had happened with the twins, she could clearly see his statistics. Also, like them, he only had two tabs. Another one with no inventory... That meant Koden didnt have one either. She then fired a couple more arrows at the orc and approached Edward, pulling him by the arm and moving him a bit away from where they had been while the surprised young man stared open-mouthed at the blue window that opened before him. What the heck is this? At what point did I become a video game character? He frowned. Oh look, Kalysto! Edward got excited again. What the hell are you two talking about? And why does everything look like colored blobs with a blue filter? Blue? Kalysto frowned before answering him. Slide one hand from right to left in front of your eyes. So you can remove it and watched as Koden did as she told him, only to see him scream the next second and trip over his own feet. What the hell is that horrible thing? He screamed, his face as pale as the walls of a hospital. Thats an orc, she replied as she shot another arrow at the first orc, keeping it at bay, the smaller ones are called goblins. And we are no longer on Earth but in another world called Elinor. Didnt you read the welcome sign? How was I supposed to be able to read it if I lost one of my contact lenses? Besides, what kind of moron would waste time reading that while were surrounded by monsters? I did, Edward answered immediately. I just didnt know how to close it, he added, and closed all his windows. Status window, he repeated, surprised to see it pop up again. And how come youre so calm about all this? Seeing a scene like that didnt even surprise her. Compared to my new boss being able to stop time from another planet, this doesnt seem like a big deal. Ive seen even crazier things in the last few hours. And if I were you, Id worry more about not getting crushed by that thing, she said, and shot an arrow into each thigh of the first orc, knocking it back as she walked over to Edward and looked at his stats. [Status window] Name: Edward Grant Age: 19 years old Race: human Level: 1 Fatigue: 52 Class: Warrior (Heroic) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: Kingdom of Balsac HP: 85/100 MP: 100/100 Strength: 7 Vitality: 8 Agility: 5 Endurance: 5 Intelligence: 8 Charisma: 0 Luck: 6 State: Agitated Available points: 0 You have almost no strength, Kalysto worried when she saw Edwards low stats. If it wasnt for his luck, he would surely be dead by now. Then she remembered the two swords that seemed to be lighter that she picked up with the twins and pulled them out of her inventory. Inspect! she said, and two small windows opened before her. [Sword. Class: common. Requires 10 points of strength to use. Strength +10] She clicked her tongue, annoyed. And pulled out the other one. [Sword. Class: common. Requires 5 points of strength to use. Strength +10] This is it! Edward, take this and cut off the Achilles heels of that orc. If you can slit his wrists afterwards, all the better. But I dont think I can...! Ill cover you, Kalysto interrupted him, shooting another arrow into the neck of the first orc. Oh! All right! He then gripped his new sword and inhaled sharply to give himself courage, Ok, cut his tendons, thats all I have to do. Just cut and thats it. Im going to distract him. You just attack him from behind, okay? Yes, maam! Hey, second place! Koden growled, using the nickname he had given her after Kalysto came in second place in a competition between universities a week ago, giving the victory to the enemy team. I need a little help here too! Koden shouted as he dodged another blow. And why should I help you? Kalysto answered him without any remorse as she shot another arrow in the other eye of the orc. Edward attack, now! And the young systems engineering student did so. His first strike missed, hitting the ground instead of the back of the orcs leg and alerting his enemy to his presence. But before he could turn around and face the uncoordinated young man, Kalysto launched two more arrows at his neck. How many more arrows do I need to shoot at this thing before it dies? The young woman worried. Edward, now! Kalysto instructed. Chapter 25 “A strange alliance” Chapter 25 A strange alliance The immense light clouded his vision. Galoth, son of Holleoth, could barely lift his arm to cover his eyes from that mysterious attack that that small, defenseless human, along with those two others who came to her rescue, launched against him and the provisional army his uncle had assigned to him for this mission. His eyes hurt and his stomach churned, but the rest of his senses remained alert as he felt the world blur at his feet. His sense of direction failed him and for a few moments he could almost swear he was standing on the air itself, with nothing but a vast, endless void beneath the soles of his boots. A strange noise echoed in his head as soon as he could feel his feet touch solid ground and soon after, the sound of a fight reached his ears, alerting him to the arrival of enemy reinforcements. When the orc warrior was able to open his eyes, he confirmed his suspicions. In the middle of a small clearing in the interior of a thick forest, and in a different place from where they had been until a few seconds ago, the small squad of goblins, hobgoblins and orcs that accompanied him, were cornered by a hooded group. Galoth didnt need to be able to count to know they were outnumbered. But that didnt dampen his warrior spirit for a second. If there was one thing that had always characterized the orcs of his tribe, it was that they never turned their backs on a good fight. A small sniff told him that his enemies were humans accompanied by the characteristic scent of magic. And that was all Galoth needed to know before launching a counterattack. Attack! He shouted to his compatriots as he raised his mace and pointed it at the nearest enemy, despite the strange magic they had cast against him, blurring his vision and making everything blue and slightly blurry. But still he did not desist, and with his weapon in his hand he blew the head off the human mage who had been trying to burn alive the little goblins that had come with him in one blow. The rest of the humans dressed in dark robes covering their faces became alarmed and began to bombard them with magic. Burning alive the few humans that had also been surrounded along with the collection of green creatures of various species that accompanied him. Dumb humans! Galoth sneered. He lunged at one of the mages, dodged his magic, pulled out the axe he had strapped against his back, and split his body in two. "Hobgoblins, protect the weak and heal the wounded, if any have enough magic to attack do so! The rest, finish them off!" He ordered. And his small squad followed his orders. A flare of green fire was launched at the enemy and Galoth felt confident knowing that at least one of the hobgoblin shamans would fight by his side. And he continued his fight. Then another human wizard launched another fireball at him. But his skin was tough, and he suffered no damage, not even the armor he was wearing was affected. And the amulets his father had given him, along with the protections and blessings other shamans had cast on him before he crossed the portal, were still active. You fools! Do you really think our Lord would send us out to explore with his dragons and wyverns without protecting us from their fire? He roared before hitting with the mace he now carried in his left hand, the body of another mage and throwing it against another enemy, interrupting his spell. Then he ran to the place where both had fallen and cut their heads off with a single blow with his powerful axe. Again that strange magic echoed in his head and his vision turned even bluer, hindering his vision. Fortunately for the orc, his enemies wore dark robes that were easy to differentiate from the green skin tone of his compatriots. And it was exactly that advantage that he took advantage of, throwing himself against his enemies and cutting off their heads one by one until they, driven by fear, began to scatter. A few goblins followed them, their figures getting lost in the shadows of the thick forest that surrounded them. The rest began to shout, pointing to something behind him. And when the muscular orc turned to see what it was, after cutting another enemy in two, he met Ereshkigals glowing gaze. And a shudder of fear seized him as the air around him was flooded with the distinct scent of magic and death. The icy wind from the hobgoblins old body chilled his blood to the point of almost freezing his bones. And the young orc had to cover his eyes for a moment when, thanks to the chant Ereshkigal was performing, the wind grew stronger and dry leaves and debris almost entered his eyes. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Then something happened that Galoth had never witnessed in his life, and had only heard about a couple of times in the horror stories his uncle told them when he and his cousin were disobedient little boys who were always trying to run away from home in the middle of the night. In awe, Galoth watched as small portions of earth began to protrude from the ground as skeletal hands struggled out of the earth in the same way a small sprout of a plant struggled out of a seed into a large tree. The bodies of the humans and goblins that had fallen earlier during the fight rose from the ground, their wobbly figures trying to stand upright as they slowly moved forward. While the skeletons of ancient dead sprouted from the ground and joined the other undead, as if they were part of a small hive. From...since when can he do something like this? Galoth stammered. As he tried to remember if anyone had ever mentioned seeing Ereshkigal use an ability like that before. Galoth knew that Ereshkigal was a powerful shaman, one much stronger than his own father despite coming from a species that were supposed to be much weaker than orcs. And yet, Galoth was now witnessing a display of power he had never seen before. And he doubted that his father knew. If he did, he would have forgotten about his absurd revenge against his uncle and would have spent his last breath trying to acquire this power for himself. Galoth gulped and gripped his weapons tighter. A mixture of admiration, longing and fear danced in his young orc heart. While inwardly he wished Ereshkigal would never find out that he had the book his cousin had stolen from him some time ago, well kept inside one of his boots. Arise from the cold ground, my new children, and destroy my enemies! commanded Ereshkigal. And the small group of skeletons and undead that, until a few seconds ago, moved in an uncoordinated and a little shaky way, began to run like hungry beasts chasing a prey as soon as they heard their masters order. Seeing this, the humans began to scream, and those who had survived Galoths axe and that of their comrades and had not yet fled now did so. A pair of skeletons passed by the young orc, who gripped his axe tightly, ready to attack these deadly creatures if they dared to attack him. But nothing of what he had feared happened, and the small army passed by him, completely ignoring him, his presence forgotten as they were completely focused on the human mages who fled in terror as screams broke the silence of the forest. Then Galoth himself chased after a small group of humans that had escaped. Throwing his axe at the head of one of them, just as he began to summon his magic. Again, another blue thing appeared between his eyes, hindering his vision, and the young orc rushed to kill the other two mages before his vision worsened completely. And Galoth ran with all his might, struggling to reach the second wizard, eviscerating his head against the thick trunk of a tree with his mace. The loud crack that resounded told him that his prey was dead, and he ran to reach the last of them. But before he reached it, two skeletons came out of nowhere and reached their prey first. Galoth was about to strike him with his mace when a green fireball engulfed the hooded mage. Devouring him completely. Galoth turned around to find himself face to face with Ereshkigal. With his cold black eyes and long gray beard, watching his every move with calculated attention. Im afraid thats my prey, young orc. It was not my intention to steal your prey, but I had been chasing the wizard for a while now. I didnt know that someone else was hunting him as well. The forest seems to be thick enough that we havent noticed each other before then, Galoth nodded, not wanting to confront a shaman whose hierarchy was above that of his father. Someone he himself secretly admired and whom his uncle welcomed with open arms and asked for advice. Although it had been months since he had last seen him. Looks like this is yours, young orc, the old man said, handing over the axe that Galoth had thrown at the other wizards head and that he had not had time to retrieve in his attempt to keep the other two prey from escaping. Galoth reached over and tried to grab his axe by the handle, but narrowly missed. It seems your eyesight is not as good as it used to be Galoth, son of Holleoth, unless my memory is betraying me. Galoths cheeks flushed red. I received a curse, he said, his voice bathed in shame. Do you see that everything is blue? Galoths eyes widened in surprise. How did you know? That is no curse, young orc. According to what the great spirits tell me, it is a blessing given only to a few. Galoth frowned uncomprehendingly. How can it be a blessing that I can barely see the path before my feet? Let me guide your hand for a moment, Galoth nodded, not doubting the elder shaman. If the spirits said something must be done, then it must be done. At least that was what his father had always told him. So he obeyed in silence. Wishing with all his heart that he too could have the gift to hear them and communicate with them, but of all the times he had tried in the past, none had worked. The wise shaman took his hand and passed it in front of Galoths face several times, as if they were both shooing away flies, and suddenly Galoths vision cleared, returning to normal. I can see! the young warrior rejoiced. Then it is as the spirits said, concluded the shaman. What else did the great spirits say? The young man got excited, unable to hide his curiosity. A mysterious smile appeared on the old hobgoblins face. Many things. But now, what they want you to learn is a simple spell. Seeing that the orc nodded, the old man continued, Now, repeat after me: status window. Chapter 26 “The reunion with the two idiots. Part 3” Chapter 26 The reunion with the two idiots. Part 3 Edward, now! Kalysto instructed. The young man obeyed, and this time he used his sword as if it were an axe and slashed right at the back of the orcs knee, making him fall to his knees on the ground. And as the orc screamed, Kalysto took advantage and shot a couple of arrows into his open mouth and then positioned herself behind him. And while the orc was busy with one hand trying to hit Edward and with the other pulling out the arrows that had buried themselves inside his throat, Kalysto pulled out the knife that had twenty points of penetration and stabbed him in the neck and then in the shoulder as soon as he tried to get up to defend himself from her. But Kalysto had already moved away. So the orc got up again and ran to his axe, lifting it with ease. With a swift movement, he lunged at Kalysto, trying to slash at her arm that still held the bow, but she evaded him by jumping to her right. Unfortunately, Edward was not as fast as she was, and instead of moving away, he had tried to follow the orc as it chased Kalysto, so when she increased the distance between them, the orc focused on the nearest target. And Edward, who barely knew how to hold a sword, and walked over every dry leaf on the ground, thus betraying his location, became the sole focus of that immense creature full of muscles, which surpassed him by more than a meter in height. Kalysto put away the knife and immediately pulled out a goblin arrow with penetration stats, and launched it, along with three others, at the orcs neck. The enemys body almost looked like a Christmas tree decorated with arrows, having at least ten half-buried in the neck or the back of the neck. And yet he was still moving as if it was nothing. How the hell is that possible? she complained aloud. How high is this guys vitality? About a million? Worst of all, she had no way of knowing how many HP points each of her attacks took away. But it looked like it wasnt many. Stupid arrows with no penetration stats! She complained, frowning at the collection of arrows she had stolen from the invading army. The problem was that she had very few arrows with that stat and she didnt want to waste them on something that wasnt that important, only to find out later that she would need them even more in a life or death situation. Then she stopped and surveyed the scene. The other two goblins were still hiding, waiting for the right moment to attack. But she didnt worry about them, not when she could easily take care of them with three arrows to the neck. The problem was the orcs. Maybe it would be better to escape. She thought as she watched the clumsiness with which the orc trying to attack Edward moved. Who seemed to be guided by his sense of smell and his hearing. Edward, touch that tree, then run behind that one and hide behind this one! She said to him, pointing to the trees she was talking about, and wanting to verify how accurate the orc was trying to find him without the help of his sight. Then she shot two arrows at him to distract him and give Edward some time to escape. And she watched the situation carefully so she could devise a good escape plan. Hey, a little help here too, second place! Koden shouted, annoyed to see that she was only helping Edward. Kalysto however only arched an eyebrow and didnt even deign to look at him. For someone who is always telling me that hes going to knock me off my cloud and overtake me at any moment, dont you think youre complaining too much? She replied as she watched the orc crash into the first tree Edward had approached, but failed to find the second one. Good! That means his sense of direction isnt so good. She was thrilled, and a thin smile broke out on her face. Are you making fun of me now? Really? I could die at any moment and that will forever remain on your conscience, second place! Koden complained as he evaded another blow from the second orc. Not believing he could avoid it much longer as he tried to normalize his agitated breathing. And why should I, when you dont even treat me with respect, even though Im your captain? Were in another world, so technically, youre not my captain anymore! he pleaded. Then I have no other reason to help you. Were not even friends or anything. Are you serious? Annoyed at being left out even in a situation like this, where neither of his two successful older sisters were there to overshadow him, as usual, Koden ran towards Kalysto with the second orc following him. You gave Edward a weapon, and I know youre not friends. Youre just his tutor! But I am friends with his aunt, and I am indebted to her, she replied with a shrug, playing it down. In fact, it had been that feeling that had kept her from walking away without looking for Edward first. Even now, just the thought of going away and leaving them there abandoned to their fate. A strange tightness settled in her chest, stealing her breath. What the hell? Annoyed at the new discovery, she turned to Koden and evaded the orcs blow a little before Koden himself did. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Edwards shout interrupted their conversation Hey, I thought you and I were friends too! The young man complained, inadvertently revealing his location to the orc who was trying to find him. Kalysto wanted to smack her forehead with her hand at Edwards stupidity. Edward, be quiet! You just gave away your position to the enemy! Change trees, now! And follow the same procedure as before! She instructed, and the young engineering student did so. But he was not finished with his argument. So for a year now youve only been helping me because youre a friend of my aunt? he reproached. And from the tone of his voice, Kalysto could tell he was hurt by the idea. Yes, she thought, but didnt tell him, instead after letting out a long sigh, she commented: Think of it this way, she said, dodging the second orc again with ease and shooting two arrows in each eye, so that he would stop bothering her for a few minutes, if your only nephew got lost in the same place as one of your best friends, and after a while you found out that that same friend, who owed you money, didnt even help him and left him to die there, how would you feel? Edward frowned. I would be very angry with him and I would never be his friend again, he replied, as he continued running through the trees, trying to throw off the first orc who was now following the sound of his voice as the orcs broad shoulders bumped against a tree trunk from time to time. Thats exactly my point, Kalysto concluded. Hoping that with that he was no longer revealing his position, and she turned to Koden. Will you... stop... ignoring... me... pair of ingrates? Koden growled at her, but he barely had breath to speak, so only Kalysto got to hear him. Oh, I see... So... how much money do you owe my aunt? Edward continued, completely oblivious to his situation. Dont go in that direction. There are two goblins hiding in the undergrowth! Immediately Edward turned and ran the other way with the first orc several meters away. Seeing that he was still safe, Kalysto continued after evading a clumsy blow thrown by the now blind second orc. Not that I owe her money as such, but Amanda has done me many favors, so its pretty much the same in my book. And stop giving away your position while youre talking! She scolded him. Then she faced Koden. And as for you, if you swear to treat me with respect and obey my orders from now on, Ill give you a sword so you can defend yourself and a potion so youll stop feeling so tired. Koden, with his hands on his knees, he looked as exhausted as if he had been running for his life for three hours straight, and he watched her with a frown. Why do you put so many conditions on me alone? he complained. Its so strange to see a guy with muscles complain so much. Kalysto thought, and although Koden himself was not as muscular as Coach Brown, next to the flimsy Edward, Kodens worked out figure stood out too easily. Do you see that I have a problem with making Edward follow my orders? she asked in return. But they both knew that Edward had always been a good and obedient boy, as well as being spoiled by his parents, or at least he was until his mother died of cancer the year before. And their little family crumbled at the loss. Amanda had taken on the role of substitute mother and had helped her brother out of the deep depression he went into after the death of his much-loved wife. But while Amanda struggled to get her brother to stop hiding behind alcohol or neglecting his business, which went bankrupt a few months later, Edward had been neglected. Thats when Kalysto met him, he was about to lose the semester while living locked in his room, playing video games. Amanda had begged her to help him. And Kalysto did. Taking advantage of finding him reading a manga, she told him about her plans to travel to Japan when she finished college, and told him about the Japanese classes she was taking. He seemed to be a little encouraged by that, so she invited him to her next class. It was enough to introduce him to Professor Sakura Lee for him to fall madly in love with the beautiful woman whose delicate and feminine figure looked like that of an angel, like the ones in those manga that he devoured with passion. At first, Kalysto was worried about it. But seeing that Edward gradually began to cheer up and at least made an effort to save his semester, she continued to help him study despite her busy schedule. By the next semester, he seemed much more cheerful, and his relationship with his father seemed to be on the mend. So she let the matter drop. But sometimes, Kalysto wondered when would be the best time to tell him that the woman he had poured all his affection into and put on a pedestal was a consummate lesbian. And one who had the active role in her relationships. Edward sometimes seemed so emotionally fragile, that Kalysto kept hesitating about what would be the best time to tell him, as it seemed he hadnt realized it yet. So Kalysto had washed her hands of the matter and told Amanda. But after the brutal murder of her youngest daughter after leaving a club one night a few months ago, the whole thing was forgotten. But now, witnessing the ease with which Edward blindly followed her orders, she worried how easy it would be for others to take advantage of how young and na?ve he was. And she looked at Koden, Edwards best friend, with narrowed eyes, assessing him for a few seconds, almost as if he were a threat. As easily manipulated as Edward was, Koden was not an idiot. His only problem was the fixation he had with proving that he could be someone important too, so he could rub it in his older sisters faces that he wasnt inferior to them. Unfortunately for him, upon arriving at university, where he seemed to have believed he would finally be free from being compared to them and open his horizons to a new world full of opportunities in which he could finally shine and stop being overshadowed by the overwhelming success of his older sisters, he ran into Kalysto. And while she was not only older than him by a year, inadvertently reminding him of his older sisters all over again, she was also shorter than him and constantly striving to maintain her good grades so as not to lose her athletic scholarship while working weekdays and weekends. In addition, she managed to be number one on the track team for the university. A position that Koden, no matter how many hours he spent training or strengthening his muscles in the gym, had never been able to take away from her. Despite having won a bronze medal at the last Olympics. If you take away his need to surpass his sisters, Koden is a decent guy. Its a shame about his attitude. But she could understand why he behaved that way with her, besides the fact that he was in love with Jessica, Kalystos Spanish teacher and drinking buddy. In his eyes, Im the competition, in more ways than one. And although Kalysto wasnt interested in Jessica in that way, she was the one to whom the young teacher told all her problems, especially all those related to her ex-husband. She then invited her to lunch in exchange for her help in grading the Spanish exams that were due the following afternoon and that she had not graded because she was hung over. Kalysto watched Koden coolly as she again dodged the wooden club of the second orc, despite his blindness, he and the first one were guided by the sound and the heavy breaths of Koden, who was almost out of breath, gave away their location. Lets make a deal, she offered, Say status window. Chapter 27 “Unexpected Encounters” Chapter 27 Unexpected Encounters Lets make a deal, Kalysto offered him. Say status window. Status window, said Koden, and a blue window appeared before him. [Status window] Name: Koden Scott Age: 20 years old Race: human Level: 1 Fatigue: 92 Class: Tank (Heroic) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: Kingdom of Balsac HP: 95/100 MP: 100/100 Strength: 18 Vitality: 12 Agility: 15 Endurance: 15 Intelligence: 12 Charisma: 0 Luck: 1 State: Tired Available points: 0 So youre a tank, huh? Alright, now are you willing to make a deal with me? Koden nodded his head. Im sorry, but for the system to accept it, you have to say it out loud. Koden rolled his eyes and said. I agree to make a deal with you. A violet window opened before Kalysto. [Does the user wish to enter into a soul binding contract with the user Koden Scott?] Yes, said Kalysto. [Stipulate the terms of the contract below.] And she did so. As soon as she finished, a blue screen opened in front of Koden, who read it carefully before continuing. Do I also have to keep all your secrets? I have an ability that apparently neither you, Edward, nor the wonder twins seem to have. It never hurts to be cautious. The wonder twins are here? He was surprised. Yes, theyre on the other side of the road full of dead people, on their way to the next town. A shudder, along with a grimace of displeasure, crossed Kodens face. Let me get this straight. Besides obeying you and treating you as my captain from now on, I must also keep your secrets? In exchange for a sword and a potion? If you read carefully, you will notice that it says I will also give you a shield, since you are a tank, and in exchange for keeping my secrets I will save the shield for you as long as we are both in this world, Koden frowned as he studied her silently. They had both moved far enough away from the second orc, who was still pounding the ground with his club back and forth, trying to find them, but far away from them. How did you get those weapons? he questioned, full of curiosity. I took them as spoils of war from the army that tried to invade the city. You stole them from the dead? He was shocked at her audacity. Kalysto instead rolled her eyes, beginning to get annoyed with his attitude and all the time he was wasting. If we dont hurry, the twins will get to a safe place first, and theres always more advantage in traveling in a larger group. She thought, but she was beginning to doubt it was a good idea to travel with Koden, always questioning everything she said. Look, I dont have time for your endless collection of questions. Do you want the shield and sword, yes or no? I have to go help Edward and get out of here before someone else comes. So decide quickly or well leave without you. That seemed to make him react, and he hurried to press on the yes button that appeared on his screen. [User has successfully sealed a soul binding contract. Please comply with the stated requirements to avoid a penalty.] Immediately, Kalysto pulled out a sword and shield from her inventory, along with a revitalizing potion, and handed them to Koden. Where do you get all that stuff? I told you its a secret ability, Kalysto evaded. And with this, I have kept my part of the contract. I hope you will keep yours. Then she turned and ran towards the first orc, putting her bow in her inventory, and then pulled out two goblin knives and threw herself against the enemys back as he approached the tree where Edward was hiding. After Kalysto buried twice the knife in her left hand and another three times the one in her right as she tried to climb the orcs broad back and reach his neck, the orc, after failing to reach her dropped his axe and set about trying to pull her off him with his thick hands, but unable to reach her with his muscular and short arms, he began to smash his back against the trunks of the nearby trees. Kalysto! Edward shouted in fright when he saw the sudden movements of that huge monster. Kalysto on the other hand, had let go as soon as she saw that the tree was only a few inches away from her, and had to abandon her weapons and leave them attached to the orcs back, so she pulled two more goblin knives from her inventory. And with her heart pounding hard against her chest, at how close she came to hitting the thick trunk, she couldnt help but notice, that a small part of her, deep down, was enjoying the whole challenge and the adrenaline rush that this whole situation was giving her. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Since when do I like hunting? She questioned herself, but she didnt have time to think about it. And as the orc scratched his back thinking she was still on him, she stabbed his arm, from the middle of the forearm down, with both new knives at the same time, and thanks to the one in her left hand she managed to cut the inside of his wrist before jumping backwards and away from the orc, who threw a punch towards her with force, his fist crashing into the trunk of another nearby tree. But she was far more agile than him and the damage was already done. And the orcs blood spilled over his wounds and dripped, falling on the ground and staining the dry leaves on the ground with violet. Kalysto smiled, seeing that they finally had an advantage. Edward, attack his other arm! she shouted, full of emotion. And the other young man left his hiding place and obeyed her orders, using his sword again as if it were an axe and cutting the orcs side, arms and thigh, or any part that was within his reach. Edward swung his sword awkwardly back and forth as he tried to get used to using it, to feeling its weight between his hands. And though his cuts werent deep, they helped create leverage. But most of all, they helped distract him. This is... very tiring! Edward complained after a few minutes. Dont give up so fast. Were already close to exhausting him! Kalysto tried to cheer him up. But Im the one whos already exhausted! Responded Edward, but he still kept trying too clumsily. While Kalysto took advantage of her agility to get closer to the enemy and bury her knives wherever she could, before putting some distance between them again or distracting him every time Edward was in danger. After several minutes, the orcs movements began to slow. His cheeks seemed paler and his arms moved awkwardly. His once seemingly eternal vitality finally began to diminish significantly. Kalysto again made another deep slash from the elbow to the wrist of the orcs other arm in a coordinated attack with Edward, who slashed the back of his knee, causing the enemy to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Immediately, Kalysto lunged at his neck and stabbed him on both sides, from behind. Repeating the blow with her right hand several times until the orc stopped moving and a pair of signs appeared before her, one blue and one purple. [You have gained 250 experience points.] [You have leveled up!] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +1 free point.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +2 free points.] Great! She congratulated herself, feeling vindicated after a well-deserved victory and with adrenaline heating up her veins. Kalysto Ive leveled up! Edward was thrilled as he sat down on the floor and regained his strength after such an exhausting battle. Good job! Kalysto congratulated him with a half smile. Now spend the points you have free to increase your strength. Youre going to need it. Captain, I need a little help around here too! Koden growled. And while Edward was exploring his status window lying on the grass with his arms sore from holding the sword, Kalysto closed all her windows and pulled her knives out of the orcs body, putting them in her inventory, along with the orcs axe. She then drew her bow and shot an arrow at the second orc just inside its ear, knocking it off balance. And Koden took the opportunity to wound him in the arm. The sword penetrated the skin, but did not cut him enough to detach the arm. However, a thin trickle of blood gushed from the wound. But the scream the orc made before lunging at Koden reminded Kalysto how dangerous it was to stay there. Were leaving! She told them, and they both looked at her in surprise. No! If Edward could kill one of them, so can I! Koden objected. I want to level up too! Its not fair that only he did it, and even though I didnt see you get a notification, Im sure you leveled up too! So help me to level up too! shouted the indignant young man. Stop shouting! If the orcs havent attracted more enemies with their shouts, surely yours have! Have you forgotten that there are more monsters and a dragon out there, along with the city army that killed all those people on the road? Do you want to end up like them? But... Koden tried to refute, but Kalysto interrupted him. Edward, get up! Were leaving! Im not going to stay here and risk my life for nothing! And if we dont want to sleep in the forest, we must hurry to get to the nearest town before the sun goes down. But what about Koden? He can level up some other time, for now we must concentrate on staying alive, then she shot at the goblins that were coming out of the undergrowth and approaching the unsuspecting Kodens back. And just as she had thought, three arrows in their necks were enough for her to be notified of their deaths. [You have gained 20 experience points.] [You have gained 30 experience points.] She immediately closed them and was about to refute Koden, who opened his mouth to go against her again, when a chilling voice she had never heard before crept into her bones. But what an interesting gift the spirits have given us this time, Galoth. Look, more prey. A shiver ran down Kalystos back as soon as she saw a group of about fifteen skeletons surrounding a hobgoblin, walking towards them. But what surprised her most was the figure of the strong orc, whose armor she recognized immediately. You! Kalysto growled, and before she could think what she was doing, she pulled an arrow with penetration stats from her inventory and shot it immediately into the left eye of the orc that had almost killed her a few hours ago when they were still on Earth. Run! she shouted to Koden and Edward as soon as she checked that her arrow had hit its target. Ah, sighed the hobgoblin, Im afraid I cant let you go, young huntress. Id lose all those experience points if I did, he added with a thin, condescending smile. What? she muttered. Does he have a system too? And it was at that instant that Kalysto realized something she hadnt noticed before as she ran along with the boys, away from the skeletons that were now chasing them. How is that I can understand what they are saying? But she didnt have time to stop and think about that. The now familiar war cry of that orc echoed through the forest before darting after her. Kalysto sped up, putting more distance between them, but she noticed how Koden, and especially Edward, lagged behind. And again that strange pressure in her chest surged again. Shit, what the hell is this about? She worried, and the next second, as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Edward stumbling and falling to the ground as the corpse of one of the goblins she had killed earlier but had apparently been revived now tried to reach him. She immediately stopped and shot him with an arrow in both eyes. Alive or not, he needed his eyes to search for his prey. Dont stay on the ground and get up at once, Edward! She scolded him. And she had to start running again, as she saw that the advantage she had gained against the orc had been considerably reduced. But just as he was about to catch her, a fireball smashed into Galoths face. And Kalysto took advantage of his distraction to run to where Edward was and help him up. Immediately, the pressure in her chest ceased. What the hell, its not like I like this guy! So what the hell is going on? She pulled hard on Edwards limp body and yanked him up, forcing him to run to her side as, behind them, the hobgoblin and his small army of undead followed close behind. But then, ahead of them, a group of hooded men joined the fray, hurling fireballs at the skeletons and orcs. Wizards of Balsac, attack the invaders! shouted one of the hooded men, and Kalysto froze. Shit! But before she could react or think of any solution, the terror-filled scream of the Black twins echoed through the forest. Kalysto, look out! Behind you! But by the time she turned around, it was too late, and all she could see was a huge club just inches from her head. I knew we should have left earlier! She managed to think before the pain shot through her skull. And as Kalystos body fell to the ground and darkness devoured her consciousness, the last thing she caught a glimpse of was the silhouette of the two moons high in the sky. Chapter 28 “An unexpected change” Chapter 28 An unexpected change Everything was darkness. No matter which way she looked, everything around her was just a huge black stain that seemed to devour everything except for her own silhouette, covered by a thin veil of shadows. Kalysto tried to take a step forward, but nothing changed. The ground beneath her seemed to be made of pure cotton and she could almost swear she was walking on air. As she moved deeper into that inexhaustible darkness, Kalysto felt the pressure against her lungs and chest increase. The palms of her hands began to sweat and the air became more and more charged with something she could not decipher, but it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Hello? she whispered into nothingness and waited anxiously, her heart pounding hard against her ribs for the answer of something, anything, that could help her out of this pressing darkness. <> A voice in the back of her head scolded her. A barely audible whisper if it had been made aloud. But Kalysto recognized it immediately. That was the same voice that had helped her with the goblins. The same voice that sometimes ruled her nightmares. <<...Someone is watching us...>> **** Royal palace of the kingdom of Balsac. Your highness, I regret to inform you that of the seventy heroes summoned only seventeen survived, and not all of them achieved the heroic class, reported Marquis Milo de Riva, first court magician of the kingdom of Balsac, with his left knee on the cold marble floor, his right hand on his chest and his gaze on the ground. As tradition dictated. The throne room was almost empty. A pair of guards guarded the door from outside and two others from inside, while the king of the small kingdom of Balsac received the report. Marquis Milo of Riva was lying prostrate in front of the king, and next to him was the mage sent by the tower of mages, next to the delicate figure of the high priestess of the temple of light, who was doing her best to hide the uncertainty stamped on her face, keeping her head down. Standing beside the kings chair was his advisor, the Marquis of Allfel, his grizzled beard neatly trimmed and without a single wrinkle in his impeccable navy blue suit. With his cold gray eyes fixed on Darla, as if she were nothing more than an insect he wished to crush. At the same time, Darla bit her lip as she tried to think of a way to get immune from the predicament she found herself in. But no matter how hard she tried to think of a scenario that would be beneficial to her, her mind remained blank. What? King Medhas shouted, filled with indignation. His fist firmly clenched against the wooden arm of his throne. Are you telling me that after all the effort and planning we did, the operation was a failure? he growled. His pale face disfiguring and accentuating the wrinkles that accompanied his black eyes. ...Something like that, your majesty. Besides, two of them have no class at all. And theres one whose system we cant even decipher. Were still waiting for her to wake up to check if the blow she received to the head affected her system. How can such a thing be possible? growled the king. The young woman was badly injured when we found her. A temple priestess insisted on checking her over, even after one of the court healers cured her, Riva added, casting a distrustful glance at Darla. Though such a thing was not necessary. And why would the temple believe it has any kind of authority over my heroes? the king demanded. ...My lord...eh.... the priestess voice trembled. Darla, by what authority does the temple interfere in my affairs when they were only supposed to assist the mages of my court and the mages of the tower during the summoning ritual? But my lord, the first prophecy says that...! protested the woman, raising her head and fixing her gaze directly on the kings. Watch your tongue child, we are not alone! He interrupted her. Everyones gaze fell on the wizard sent by the tower, who tried to hide his sudden nervousness as he wished he could be invisible and go unnoticed. What is the tower doing right now to solve this problem? The Master of the tower has left in search of the dragon that came out of the summoning ritual, along with a group of our best mages, but we havent heard from them yet. As soon as you do, inform me of the situation. You are dismissed. Thank you, your majesty, replied the mage, but then he seemed to hesitate. Is something wrong? We found skeletons fighting alongside two of those creatures that came along with the heroes. Were sure that at least one of them is a necromancer. What? Then dispatch a group of your best mages right now to subjugate them! I dont want a necromancer in my kingdom! ... Again the mage hesitated. What now? growled the king. After his majesty raised taxes on all those who brewed and traded potions, and brought out the law limiting the goods that can be imported and exported from the kingdom and increased audits on merchants, most of the mages in the tower left for other kingdoms. Where they could create potions without restrictions, he wanted to add. Those of us who are left now are mostly just simple mages engaged in research. The Master already took with him those who could fight. So Im afraid we dont have the resources to do what his majesty asks of us, he would have liked to add that everyone in the tower was aware that all those changes the king had made were only to take away their monopoly on potions, since until two years ago they were the only ones who made them. Instead, now all the potions that were available on the market were produced by the wizards working directly for the crown. Also, according to the treaty between the first Tower Master and King Alexander II, only the Tower Master has authority over the tower, or the mages affiliated with it. So I must wait for the Masters approval before I can carry out your order. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. You dare to question my authority? the king demanded. No, your majesty. I am only a simple messenger following orders. The kings face distorted in anger and a ball of fire shot out of his hand, smashing into the unsuspecting wizards face and burning half of his face. The wizards screams flooded the throne room until the messenger began to use his own water magic to put out the fire and very slowly heal his wounds. - Get him out of my sight! -The king ordered the guards with a gentle wave of his hand. And the two knights who were guarding the door hurried to follow his orders. That was not wise, my lord, intervened the Marquis of Allfel, advisor and right-hand man of the king. To be at odds with the wizards of the tower would not be a wise move right now. I dont give a shit! Im the fucking king of this kingdom and if I tell them to jump, those stupid mages in the tower should be grateful to do so! Refuted the king, Its all gone to shit! He growled, slamming his fist on the wooden arm of his royal seat. And now not only do I have to worry about a dragon, something that hasnt been seen in hundreds of years, but also a fucking necromancer and the delicate ego of the tower wizards? He turned to the Marquis of Allfel. Are you joking with me, old friend? Of course not, your majesty. But as an old friend, I remind you that it is not a good time to look for more enemies than we already have, and much less after what happened with the Duke of Lanish despite his forty-five years, the king wanted to hide his face with his hands for a moment when he heard his words. He knew well what his friend and mentor was referring to. He had warned him several times about how dangerous it would be to be seduced by the beauty and sweet words of the priestess Darla, but he had not listened to him. And with her gaining power within the temple, it seemed to him that the two of them could form more than just a good alliance. But now he was beginning to see the error in that decision. Milo, please tell me at least that the heroes are useful, he commented, looking at the head mage of the court. Theyre just a bunch of mostly uncoordinated kids, your majesty. Well have to train them from scratch. The only one who looked somewhat promising is the same young lady whose system is broken. And shes just a simple archer. And on top of that, we got a bunch of useless ones, lamented the king with a weary sigh, as he began to feel a pounding headache bursting behind his eyes. Then he turned to the priestess, You promised me my own army of heroes if I would advance the summoning and provide you with enough mana to perform the ritual, and look at what youve done! Your majesty, never before has such a thing happened. And never in the history of the entire continent has there been a record of not being able to read a heros stats. Maybe shes the one the prophecy warned us about! The priestess tried to defend herself. Stop this nonsense, Darla! We are not the only ones who performed a hero summoning. You cant be sure those who the prophecy was talking about are among those we summoned and not the other kingdoms! But still we should thoroughly review this situation. It is too much of a coincidence and we should take risks, she hastened to add. It is not safe for the kingdom to act under the assumptions of a simple priestess, Allfel interrupted her. I am the... this time it was the court magician who interrupted her. Of the seventeen remaining heroes, four of them follow the archer. If we do something openly against her, they could rebel against us and, if we are not careful, the others could take that opportunity to join the rebellion as well. And this group of heroes, unlike those of the past, do not seem very willing to collaborate with our cause. - They are summoned heroes! said the king in annoyance. They should be proud to serve our kingdom and give their lives for it! However, they seem to think the opposite, your majesty. The most appropriate thing for the moment to get what we want from them would be to grant them certain apparent benefits while they let their guard down, and we can find a satisfactory way to completely subdue them and get them on our side. Then it is better to separate them all now and avoid a riot. A couple of days in prison without food and water will help remind them that they are no longer in their world and that they depend on us to survive, concluded the king, Allfel and Riva looked at each other sideways not in agreement with the kings words, but both remained silent, deciding by mutual agreement that they would talk to him separately later to smooth the situation over. And you! he pointed his finger at Darla, From now on the temple is forbidden to have any kind of contact with any of the heroes! I dont want to hear anything about prophecies again. Youve brought enough trouble on all of us! If you hadnt pressured me to bring the summoning forward, none of this would be happening! And now I have an enemy kingdom I must protect myself from, monsters knocking at my door, fewer heroes than you had promised me and a fucking dragon endangering my kingdom, not to mention a possible necromancer lurking! Youd better call all the knights of the temple and sort this out as soon as possible! But your majesty... Darla tried to defend herself. That a mere priestess should have so much power over the king should not be possible Darlas voice was silenced by the arrival of Queen Tathiana of Balsac. Her cold gray gaze, laden with contempt, rested first on the priestess and then on the king as she advanced into the audience chamber and, with the confidence of a queen, sat down on her throne. Immediately, both Riva and Allfel bowed to her. Your majesty. Marquis Milo de Riva salutes her majesty, the moon of the kingdom of Balsac. May the gods light your path. Marquis Vellan of Allfel salutes her majesty, the moon of the kingdom of Balsac. May the gods light your path. I thank you for your good wishes. And I hope that the gods illuminate your paths, she commented, giving them both a kindly glance. First of all, I apologize for my tardiness. On my way here, I stopped by the infirmary to meet the heroes. Imagine my surprise when I found the place in chaos. Apparently, someone in the temple decided it was wise to attack the mind of one of the heroes, who immediately realized what was happening and accused the priestess. Imagine everyones surprise when we found out about this. The softness in her voice did not fool anyone present. So I would like to know priestess, who was so foolish as to order such stupidity without the authorization of the royal family, causing the rest of the heroes to see us now as enemies? Her voice grew colder and colder. And although Darla looked at the king for help, he only looked at her silently, full of annoyance. Your majesty...you see...uh, the priestess voice broke and a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. It was one thing to confront the king and quite another to confront the queen, who was said to be as cold as the snow in the high mountains of the north. I asked a simple question that only requires a simple answer. But I see that the temple priests are not even capable of providing such a thing, though I can get an idea of who is responsible Darla could swear that the temperature in the room dropped a couple of degrees as the queen spoke. The king, on the other hand, filled with helplessness, clenched his fists. His gaze was filled with contempt for Tathiana, knowing full well that she was taking advantage of the opportunity the other temple priestess had given her to humiliate Darla, his current mistress. But even if he was the king, he could do nothing openly against the queen. Not when it was her powerful family who were the guardians of the north and kept invaders and barbarians out of the kingdom, plus they were the ones who kept the rebels at bay. I suggest that since it was someone from the temple who got us into this mess, it is precisely them who will take care of solving the problem with the dragon and the rest of the monsters that came with the failed summoning. Besides imposing an appropriate punishment for attacking one of the heroes without the authorization of the royal family, dont you think so, your majesty? Tathiana looked at her husband, her open fan hiding the smirk that shone on her face while those words escaped her lips. Perhaps a couple of weeks in the palace prison will remind them that the temple is not above the crown. Chapter 29 “There are things it is better to forget” Chapter 29 There are things it is better to forget Again, all was darkness. Until it was no longer dark. A beautiful starry sky was drawn high in the celestial vault and little by little the edges of the small garden in front of the entrance of the apartment building where Kalysto lived appeared around her, like fresh paint stains being washed away by the rain. Kalysto looked up at the clear night sky when the loud flapping of a group of pigeons startled her. Strange, why are they flying at this hour? As she wondered at the unlikely event, the cold night breeze blew against her face, ruffling the skin on her arms. She buttoned the thin jacket she was wearing over her waitress uniform. I should have packed a thicker jacket this morning. She thought as she pulled out the keys that unlocked the gate that led to a short stone path through the flower-filled garden in front of the front door to her building. She looked up one last time and saw a shooting star pass by. Then, after closing her eyes for a second, she made a wish. I want to be able to travel the world and never have to worry about getting money again, she whispered and looked down. For some reason, although she could have sworn she was alone, she seemed to sense the presence of someone else approaching her and trying to hear her words. So she turned around, wanting to find that strange presence, but saw no one else around her. However, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, assuring her that she was being watched. But along the lonely street lined with apartment buildings, there was only her. At the end of the block, she caught a glimpse of Amandas husbands car still waiting for the traffic light at the corner to turn green, after the couple had been kind enough to give her a ride home after finishing her night shift at the restaurant. I wish I had a magic wand and the power to cure people with it, she whispered to the lonely night, remembering how bad and depressed Amanda looked that night after receiving the news that a tumor had been found in her brain. Although it would be ideal if I could get rid of all this tiredness too. She could barely keep her eyes open and her brain functioning. Even though she was only a few feet away from her warm and comfortable bed, it was already a little after midnight and she had had an absolutely exhausting week. And tomorrow she had to get up early to take her last exam of the semester. Then she thought better of it. Although if I could have magic and also speak any language, that would be even cooler, she wished, then remembered that wishes werent supposed to be said out loud, so she looked around and after making sure no one else was there with her to hear it, then shrugged, downplaying it. A small firefly glowed around the bush that bordered the entrance to the building, it almost seemed as if the insect could understand her words as it flickered brightly and approached her as Kalysto inserted the key into the entrance gate. But its hypnotic light seduced her, making her forget everything else for a few moments and stare at it as her mind went completely blank, her body completely motionless in front of the entrance gate. As she watched the little insect intently, as if nothing else existed in the world. Fairy! Said a voice deep in her mind. Causing Kalysto to awaken from her hypnotic trance. She blinked, full of confusion, as she looked around, observing that there was no sign of Amandas car or her husband on the lonely street. She felt out of place and shook her head to shake off the groggy feeling. Im not a child anymore to go around thinking about those stories, she scolded herself, as she struggled with the key that had gotten stuck in the lock, not allowing her to pull it out, but not allowing her to turn it and open it either. She knew she should no longer believe the nonsense her father had once told her so many years ago. He used to like to go out with her in the backyard in the middle of the night behind her mothers back, and tell her stories by the light of the moon and the shining stars. At eight years old, she was thrilled to hear stories about his travels and the other cultures he had known, as well as all those stories he had made up for her. Perhaps thats where Kalysto got her love of books and travel. But the only trip she had ever taken was when she moved from the town to Blasky. This will be our little secret, my little princess. Okay? He always told her when she joined his nightly escapades, until one night, as she watched him from her bedroom window, he looked back to make sure no one had followed him and she saw him stop just before the beginning of the thick forest that bordered the mining town where she was born. But that time, unlike the others, he shook his head when she motioned through the window to join him, as she always did. And as she felt the pain of his rejection as keenly as if it were happening all over again at that moment, and not as a mere memory that had come out of nowhere into her mind, her whole environment suddenly changed. And she ceased to be the young twenty-one-year-old waitress who came home late from work on a Friday night, and became a little girl inside the room she had grown up in. The same room that starred in some of her nightmares. Wounded by her fathers rejection, she watched him walk in silence as she placed her small hands and pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window. Daddy? she heard herself say, losing all control over her body. Becoming the simple observer of an event that marked her life and started the beginning of her misfortunes. If only he had never left us, that man would never have ruined our lives. She thought and wished she could close her eyes and get away from this place. From something she no longer wanted to relive, and yet she had to watch helplessly as it all unfolded again. Her mind and emotions were mixed with those of that time, to the point where she became unsure which of these two versions of her was the real one, and which was not. Am I dreaming? Then everything just stopped mattering. And she went back to feeling like that little girl who just wanted to have her fathers approval and spend more time with him. And she noticed with childish delight how her fathers skin seemed to glow with a light of its own as he paused under the shade of an old, leafy tree, illuminating the dark night as a shaft of moonlight pierced the thick clouds covering the sky and unveiled his lone figure. Making him appear ethereal. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He looks like an angel. She thought. Soon after, a strong light blinded her and by the time she could look back toward the forest entrance, her father was gone. And he never came back. Kalystos heart clenched at the painful memory and she clenched her fists feeling her nails dig into the palm of her hands and those two versions of her that had been unified for a few moments separated again, allowing her to become aware of her adult version again. And she wished with all her might that she would never have to witness that scene ever again. One that, no matter how hard she had tried to forget as she grew up, she had never managed to do so. Again, the darkness devoured everything around her. Her mind went blank, and she stopped seeing herself inside the body of a child. The smell of the flowers in the garden flooded her nose and a second later, it was morning. The morning sun shone high against the front door of the apartment building she lived in and her cell phone alarm sounded from inside the right pocket of the sweatshirt she was now wearing. Wasnt I wearing my work uniform just now? She thought, feeling confused as her head began to ache and pulled out her cell phone to turn off the alarm. 7:00 am I have my final exam in an hour! I cant be late! Her alarm said. Then Kalysto frowned. She was sure she had already taken that exam. She even remembered how easy it had been to answer the questions. What the hell is going on here? She whispered, all her senses on alert at the strange dj vu. I could have sworn I was having a nightmare just a moment ago. At what point did I shower and get dressed for class... Did I even get to eat breakfast? She carefully observed every little detail of the small front garden, looking for a clue as to what was out of place. Then she noticed that, although she was carrying on her back her heavy backpack with everything she needed for that day, including another change of clothes, along with a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt and her work uniform shoes, the strange thing was that her backpack didnt weigh anything. Thats not normal... my backpack is always heavy. She looked carefully at every little detail around her sensing that something was not right, from the small firefly glowing lonely in the bush surrounding the fence in front of the building, to the garden flowers decorating each side of the cobblestone path leading to the outer fence. But nothing seemed out of place. Whats going on here? She whispered. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and immediately, that voice deep in the back of her head interrupted her. Shut up, were not alone! And as if it was a movie, her body moved on its own, putting the cell phone in her pocket and pulling out her keys as she approached the gate leading to the street. Kalystos body let out a long sigh, and the words came out of her mouth without her being aware of it as she remembered that morning her landlady had once again tried to play matchmaker between her eldest son and her. Ill have to find another place to live soon. Its a pity, I really liked living here, said her body. The firefly left the bush it was in and approached her, almost as if it wanted to offer her some comfort. Her body paused to watch it, while time seemed to freeze in that instant and Kalysto was startled by the momentary loss of control over her body. It was at that moment that out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the edge of an almost transparent silhouette trying to approach the firefly in front of her. Wait, a minute! Isnt that the same firefly I saw before that orc...? But her thoughts were interrupted. There it is! Shouted that other voice deep in her mind and her headache exploded and Kalysto felt as if her head was being split in two, as she forced herself to have full control of her body again. Come on Kalysto, focus! Focus! She scolded herself, and soon after, just as she began to see the outline of a feminine nose just inches away from her, two windows appeared in front of her eyes. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain resistance has been activated.] And just at that moment, she became the master of her body again. Then she raised her fist and struck hard at the face of that unknown female figure. Who the hell are you and what were you trying to do to me? she shouted, forcing the woman to take a step back. Impossible! said a voice she had never heard before. Youre not supposed to be able to resist my skill! The surprise in her voice only annoyed her further. I said, who the hell are you? She growled, and hit her three more times until the edges of her figure became a little duller and the woman fell to the ground. Then Kalysto sat on top of her and threw another punch against her face, then closed all the windows that had appeared and obstructed her vision. She needed to get a good look at the face of this new enemy. A sun-tanned skin stood in front of her, and a woman in her mid-twenties with black hair and eyes stared at her in surprise and annoyance. But Kalysto did not give her time to counterattack and instead put both hands on her neck, full of rage. Answer me! she shouted at her. What the hell did you do to me? Where are we? How did you get here? You dont belong to this memory! Who are you? And as the unknown woman struggled for air, all the surrounding color blurred, melting and melting them both into utter darkness. Get out of here! Get out of my mind! was the last thing she heard herself say until there was nothing left but shadows and emptiness. Screams echoed all around as the afternoon light flooded her view. It took Kalysto a few seconds to realize that she was one of the people screaming before stopping and turn to see that the woman she saw a few seconds ago was lying convulsing on the floor of what appeared to be an infirmary as she continued to scream. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the twins and Koden along with Edward, who ran to her as soon as they saw she was awake. Meanwhile, a group of guards dressed in armor and with a sword sheathed against their waists were arguing with a group of people, among them an older man standing near the door. The rest of the people, most of them each prostrate on a stretcher, watched them as they were being attended to by people in light gray robes. -This is a kidnapping! If you dont let me out of here right now, Ill call the police! -one of them shouted. At that instant, several turned to look at her and the woman screaming on the floor, her screams overpowering those of the older man with the brown beard who looked to be in his forties. What happened? Koden said, approaching her. Are you all right? Edward shouted, running to meet her. At the same time, two men in gray robes ran to help the woman on the ground who was dressed in a white robe. What happened? asked the last two, Kalysto deduced from their attitude that they were doctors. She attacked me, Kalysto informed them. She forced her way into my mind and attacked me, she added, realizing how true those words felt as she said them, regardless of the fact that the one who had physically assaulted the woman had been herself. But that felt more like self-defense than anything else, and for a moment, silence reigned in the large room. First, they kidnap us and lock us in this room! And now they attack the younger ones too? This is it! Im calling the police! Then the older man with the beard tried to take his cell phone out of his pocket and the guards, seeing that suspicious movement, rushed at him, drawing their swords. The rest of the people, who were wearing common Earth clothes, got up from their stretchers and also ran to try to help. Then chaos broke out. Two hours later everyone was locked in a prison. Thick stone walls separated each cubicle in which each of them was locked in solitary confinement. Thick metal bars blocked their escape and at the same time, were their only window. Though the only thing Kalysto could see was Koden locked in the cell opposite hers. Chapter 30 “A small moment of calm before the storm” Chapter 30 A small moment of calm before the storm What are you doing? Koden asked her from the opposite cell with his bushy eyebrows furrowed as black as his hair, and his green eyes fixed on her. Havent you ever seen those movies where someone finds a way to escape from prison? She answered him in perfect Spanish, making him frown as he tried to understand what she had said. As she took the opportunity to touch and inspect every stone that made up the walls of her cell to level up the skill. What did you say? Could you repeat that, please? He answered in broken Spanish. Kalysto looked at him, arching an eyebrow. The little light from the two crescent moons coming through the small window high on the wall to her left, at the back of the cell-filled alleyway, illuminated her face. A pair of torches placed on either side of the other cells illuminated a little of the dingy, dark corridor where the wailing of some prisoners could be heard, along with the sobs of the other people who had been brought against their will from Earth. How does Koden expect to seduce a Spanish teacher when, even though he attends her classes, he doesnt even bother to learn her language well? She questioned, unable to comprehend the tactics he was using to try to woo Jessica. Escape from here? She answered slowly, hoping that this time he would understand her words, and by the way his eyes widened and his face filled with emotion, she guessed that this time he had understood her. Inspect! she whispered, ignoring him again as he began to check the nearest wall. As Kalysto continued with her new self-imposed task, she touched every stone she could reach to touch from the walls surrounding her cell. Annoyed that she couldnt glean much information from when she tried to inspect that woman dressed in white, beyond a bunch of question marks and that her name was Ivhana. What kind of ability was that... And how can I find out what kind of abilities other people have? She questioned herself just at the same moment when two small windows opened before her. [Eka stone. Class: common. Type of rock resistant to moisture and heat. Commonly used in the construction of ancient castles and prisons. For more information on the weaknesses of a material, you must level up the skill]. And while she did not see any information that would be useful to her, she moved on to the next rock and repeated exactly the same procedure, getting the same answer. She then set about closing the windows after inspecting at least five consecutive rocks, so that they wouldnt disturb her vision so much, but so that it wouldnt be too obvious what she was doing in case anyone else besides Koden could see her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could watch as he continued to search for any possible nooks and crannies in his cell that might be useful for them to escape. Though she doubted he was also taking the opportunity to level up his skills. Koden even shook the grating, which caught the guards attention. Be quiet for once if you dont want me to come over there and beat the crap out of you myself, heroes or not! shouted one of the guards standing at the beginning of the long corridor. What are you doing? Edward whispered this time. Ehhh...Koden, with his hands still on the metal bars that held him prisoner, did not know what to answer and immediately looked at Kalysto for an answer. From the path his eyes took and the location from which Edwards voice came, Kalysto could deduce that he was in the cell to the right of hers. Diagonal to Koden and across from one of the twins, which thanks to the lost puppy dog look he gave her when she approached the grille, made her realize it was Gabriel. This is an old castle, and surely it must have some secret passages somewhere, she answered him in Japanese. Not wanting the guards or any of the other people who had been kidnapped along with them to find out what they were talking about. Secret passages? Edward asked, wanting to make sure he had understood what she had said, and answering her in Japanese as well. Yes. Ill help too! The young man got excited and from the way Gabriel looked at him for a few minutes before he started copying him, it was obvious that he had also understood what they were apparently doing. Kalysto didnt bother to correct them, instead she turned and continued inspecting each of the stones on the wall that separated her cell from Edwards. When she finished with that wall, she began with the opposite one, and two rocks later, several windows opened before her. [The skill Inspect has been leveled up.] That made her smile, until the next window opened. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected.] Kalysto grimaced, and at that moment, her headache returned. Fantastic, thats all I need! She nodded her head and sat down on the mattress that was on a rectangular stone that looked more like a sacrificial altar than the base of a bed. And she grimaced again as she looked at the dirty cloth lining that covered the mattress made of straw, the pillow, and the thin folded sheet. She shook them, trying to remove the excess dust on the cloth, but noticing the stains of what appeared to be dried blood and an unknown black substance, on the pillow. I hope purifying will also serve to clean it, she whispered before saying, Status window, and began to check her stats as time passed and her mana refilled, then pulled her cell phone out of inventory. To check the exact moment when her mana points were recharging. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: human Level: 6 Fatigue: 97 Class: Wizard (Normal) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: N/A HP: 90/360 MP: 10/254 Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Strength: 26 Vitality: 31 Agility: 35 Endurance: 32 Intelligence: 39 Charisma: 2 Luck: 1 State: tired. Mentally exhausted. Available points: 3 It would be convenient to raise my luck. She thought, but, even though she had been healed after she received that heavy blow to the head, if she hadnt raised her vitality and stamina a few hours ago when she went up to level five, she would surely be dead now. So she hesitated. Luck is not something that has helped me survive so far. But if she was honest with herself, it bothered her that Edward had so much of it. Maybe thats why its so easy for him to get away with it even though hes so weak. Kalysto looked at her stats again as she debated, noting how her mana points had gone up to eleven. Suspecting it had only been a minute, she activated the timer on her cell phone, just to be sure. As she debated again about which stat she should pay more attention to. Intelligence definitely takes priority, I have very little mana. But again the doubt arose with her stamina, vitality, and strength. The first two were a big weakness for any healer and a big disadvantage for a priestess. And just like for any mage, a priestess needed a high intelligence score, which gave her very little opportunity to raise her other stats. And making me an easy target for any enemy. And she definitely didnt like that. A full minute passed and her cell phone vibrated at the same moment her mana points went up to twelve. One point per minute, then. She thought, annoyed as she realized that there were two hundred and forty-two minutes left until her mana points would be completely filled up again. Thats far too long. And remembering that her new boss could summon her again at any moment, she turned her back on Koden and pulled a mana potion from her inventory and as soon as the statutory ten minutes between potions had passed, she drank it. I need to be able to get stronger potions. She complained. Maybe Ill have some luck and be able to learn to make them myself. But she had always seen luck as something she forged on her own, but after seeing Edwards stats and being aware of how easily he got out of trouble with minimal or no effort on his part, she thought again that maybe it was a good idea to turn it up. Even if it was just a little. So, feeling hesitant, she decided to continue with her review, but when she pressed on the strength stat the screen that popped up just said: [Strength: basic stat that is raised by leveling up or by allocating free points in it.] How useless. She thought. Then she did the same with vitality. [Vitality: basic statistic that is raised by leveling up or by assigning free points to it. Each point assigned to this stat will increase the HP of the user by 20 points.] She then pressed on agility, but just like the strength stat, it didnt give her any new information. Still, she didnt give up and continued to review each one. [Endurance: ability to perform an activity or exertion for as long as possible. Raising this stat reduces the ability to take physical damage, strengthening the defense. This is a basic stat needed for tanks.] I definitely need to raise this one. She thought, full of excitement. And immediately assigned a point, raising her stamina to thirty-three. Then she pressed on the intelligence stat. [Intelligence: basic statistic that is increased by leveling up or by assigning free points to it. Each point allocated to this stat will increase the users MP by 14 points. This is a basic stat needed by mages/wizards, healers, and saints.] She bit her lip, her fingers itching for the need to raise this stat. But she had already allotted a point to it when she went up to level five, so maybe this time, since she was locked in a cell and with no chance to go and face off against monsters, maybe, she could afford to spend her available points elsewhere. I might not get a chance like this again. She excused herself. Then she pressed on charisma and, to her surprise, the window that opened gave her less information than the previous ones. [Charisma: ???????? The users identification skill level is too low to see these stats.] Damn! She complained. How high do I need to get this thing to finally stop seeing so many question marks everywhere? She though, annoyed as she remembered that something similar had happened to her with the woman who had entered her mind. [Luck: ???????? The users identification skill level is too low to see these stats.] This is it! She thought with annoyance, deciding on an impulse to spend her last available points on increasing her luck, tired of absolutely everything in her life always being one constant struggle after another. Maybe this way Ill finally start doing well without so much effort. But less than a minute later, she had already regretted doing it. Why the hell did I do that? She scolded herself. What I need right now is mana, not luck! The more mana I have, the faster I can level up my skills and the better chance I have of surviving! And she wanted to hit her forehead with something, but restrained herself. Instead, noticing that half an hour had already passed while she was checking her stats and debating whether or not to raise her luck, she approached her pillow which had a black stain of something she wasnt sure what it was, next to one that looked like dried blood. And with a grimace, she began to check a doubt she had been left with from the first time she used purification on herself and got the impression that the bloodstain on her clothes had decreased in size. Purification! Purification! She whispered as she did her best to hide the golden glow her ability had left behind when used. Frightened at being discovered, she turned around, only to see that Koden had already laid down on his attempted bed and turned his back on her. The chill of the night creeping in through the small barred window high up on the end wall of the corridor, against which, at opposite ends, the headboards of her and Kodens beds were placed. Purification! Purification! Purification!" She continued whispering, with a little more confidence this time. "Purification! Purification! Purification! Would there be a way to summon the abilities just by thinking about them? She questioned and immediately tried it. Purification! But contrary to what she expected, she felt tired and dizzy right away and watched as half of her mana drained quickly. So she stopped and continued whispering until her new bed, pillow, and blanket, looked clean enough to sleep on and not have to worry about germs or an infection. And despite her headache, she felt content with her progress. An hour later, her inspection skill was already at level three, after she checked every single stone in the three walls surrounding her cell. She had even used it against the grille. [Cell grille. Class: Common. Low-grade grille, resistant to fire, rust, and moisture. Can be bent if the user possesses strength greater than 60. Weak to ice magic.] Kalysto let out a long sigh. At least, this time it gave me a little more information. She consoled herself. If only I had ice magic, I could freeze this thing and escape from here. She thought. And she spent the next two hours raising the inspection skill to level five while inspecting each of the two hundred and fifty-one health potions, the three hundred mana potions, and the one hundred and fifty-two bottles of revitalizing potion, she had in her inventories. Kalysto felt very proud of her loot as she enjoyed wrapping her clean sheet around herself and after taking a swig of one of the low quality holy water potions she had stolen from the invading army after wasting a health potion to get rid of the severe headache she got after using so many times her skill and spending so much mana so quickly, only to find out that the health potion did not remove the headache and only slightly lessened it. I wasted a potion so foolishly. She was annoyed. But at least she had discovered that the constant use of her abilities increased her fatigue, and that, if she continually healed herself with potions and kept spending mana continuously and relentlessly, her health began to decline. At least it was an interesting discovery... painful and expensive, but interesting. Then she kicked off her shoes, let down her hair, and turned her back to Koden. Her eyes began to close, and the accumulated tiredness, along with sleepiness, quickly took hold of her. A single thought lingered in her mind as drowsiness took over: If only I could heal myself, this would all be so much easier. Chapter 31 “The call from her new employer” Chapter 31 The call from her new employer An annoying violet light illuminated her eyes, interrupting her sleep. Mmm... Whos the idiot who put a flashlight in front of my face? Kalysto thought, half asleep. She was about to throw the pillow in the face of the annoying intruder when she started to open her eyes and saw that it was the violet screen of her new employer. Shit! Startled, she immediately sat up and began to read the white text she had written on it. [I hope youve had enough time to adjust to this world.] ...Something like that... answered Kalysto in a low voice. Looking cautiously at the entrance to her cell, making sure that neither Koden nor any of the guards were paying attention to her. [As we had discussed earlier, I want you to learn the first profession today.] Okay. [Have you familiarized yourself with your skills yet?] Only some of them. But I would like to ask, why am I not allowed to heal myself? Is there a way for this skill to be fully unlocked? [...] The next window took several minutes to reappear, so long that Kalysto began to doubt that her new employer would give her an answer. And she bit her lower lip as the light from the two moons filtered through the small window high up and halfway up the wall that connected her cell to Kodens and indicated the end of the corridor. [...Because its not necessary.] Kalysto felt both annoyed and surprised by these words. What do you mean, its not necessary? Dont you care if I die? What happened to taking care of the health of their employees? In this world, there are no social benefits and social security for employees? But when she opened her mouth with the intention of arguing about how unfair that was, a new screen opened before her. [I have assigned you a teacher. She will guide you and help you prepare so that you can fulfill one of the three main missions of our agreement.] ... Okay, she mumbled, still feeling annoyed, but you still havent told me what the third mission is about. [...] [...For now, you dont need to know.] [ Ill start with the invocation. ] So thats the way its going to be? Huh? She thought resentfully. Immediately, a violet light was drawn on the mattress on which she was sitting, it was at that instant that she realized that she was barefoot and ran to put on her shoes and socks while the circle was drawn again just below the sole of her shoes, expanding to form a circle full of symbols that she failed to recognize. Before the circle was activated, she placed the pillow vertically on the improvised straw mattress lined with cloth, and arranged the sheet on top of it in such a way that, if at any moment the guards passed by to make a patrol and saw a lump under the blanket, they would think it was her. Just as she finished arranging it, she picked up her hair bun and began to pull it into a ponytail at the same instant that the summoning circle was activated, and her whole world blurred. A spacious, brightly lit room appeared before her. And Kalysto hurried to finish arranging her hair to look as presentable as possible, thinking that she would finally meet her new employer. However, seeing the room whose ceiling was as high as if it were that of a second floor rather than a first floor, made her question the height of these creatures. Maybe my new boss is a half-giant, and thats why he sees humans as insignificant? She thought curiously, looking closely at the tall beige painted walls. Ok, the color is definitely nice, when I get my own house someday I know what color to paint it. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. There were no paintings hanging on the smooth walls, but what there were, however, were large windows that let in light, surrounded by elegant curtains. And in between, thick torches of what appeared to be beautifully cut glass illuminated the entire room and decorated the walls. A couple of pieces of furniture parked in the back around a tea table in the center of which rested a pretty floral arrangement, caught her eye for a moment. But despite the elegant and somewhat minimalist decor of what appeared to be a room for receiving guests, there was no one there waiting for her. So she turned to her right, continuing her inspection of the place, finding herself near one of those particular torches, noticing that it wasnt glass. Is that a precious stone? How can they light a fire on a stone? She took a step closer to inspect the strange phenomenon up close when a loud throat clearing behind her back made her realize she was not alone. She turned immediately, noticing a woman in armor with a sword tucked inside its scabbard strapped with a leather strap to her waist. The nice shade of brown mixed with milk of her skin caught her attention immediately, being the first person who didnt have a light or tan complexion that she had seen in this world. So maybe theyre not racist about skin color, but species. Good to know. The woman, who looked no more than six feet tall, looked at her with no expression on her face, though she still kept her clenched fist hiding her lips. Her dark green hair contrasted with the light greenish hue of her eyes. Next to her, seated in a majestic chair with golden edges, was another woman a couple of years younger than the first one, but with long, straight aquamarine hair extending to the middle of her breasts and blue eyes fixed on her. And with her slender body covered by a long lilac-colored robe with long sleeves. Next to both of them, a long wooden table was placed and on it, hundreds of gray-colored stones the size of a clenched fist were displayed and arranged in fifteen rows, each of them with at least seventy stones. A second table, smaller than the previous one, but with the same dark shade of varnished wood, displayed more than thirty one- and two-liter glass bottles filled with potions. From the blue hue, she could tell that most of them were mana potions, two two-liter bottles were red, and the rest were all violet. To get rid of fatigue. Kalysto thought. Beginning to worry about what it meant to be given so many potions. Hello, Im Kalysto, she greeted, trying hard to put a smile on her lips and relax the expression on her face. We know, replied the woman sitting in the chair. From the lack of reaction on her face, Kalysto could tell that she was not very happy to be there with her. A sense of disparity came over her and, pretending to scratch the top of her lip, she whispered suspiciously. Map immediately a violet window opened before her, revealing that she was now on the left side of the continent, within the vast forested region. The violet dot indicating her employer looked like a quarter crescent moon above which was the yellow dot of her, almost overshadowing it, but not completely. So we are close, but not in the same room. Kalysto concluded. Realizing that neither of the other two people gathered there was her new boss. Still, she was curious to know if they would lie to her face. With a gentle movement, as if she was arranging a strand of hair that got out of place, she closed the window. Noticing that the expression of both women did not change. So they cant see my system. She brightened, her usual distrust coming to the fore. Are you my new boss? She asked, feigning ignorance and wanting to find out a bit what the relationship between them was, but she wasnt sure if it felt right here to ask them directly. No... But lets say we both work for the same person, she answered, gritting her teeth. Does it bother her so much to talk to a human? Or is her problem with the boss? Kalysto thought. Wiping the smile from her lips, striving to maintain neutrality in her expression and avoid grimacing in displeasure. Surely she has some other kind of contract with the boss. Despite her human appearance the woman sitting in front of her didnt seem to be as tall as the guard next to her, although her slender figure could compete with that of a model on Earth, from the tension in her muscles it was obvious that she would rather be anywhere else but near her. Beauty is definitely not everything. ... Okay and she kept silent, waiting for the stranger to introduce herself and continue with whatever it was she had to say. Good evening, Kalysto. I am Artemis. Your new instructor, the young ex-waitress nodded her head. Today we will touch on two subjects. But first, may I see your system? Kalysto frowned. System? As in singular and not plural? Havent you noticed yet... Then its better not to let them know I have an advantage. Is that necessary? she answered in a loud voice. No, but it would make things easier for me, she said, and silence reigned in the room. After a few minutes of waiting, Artemis let out a long sigh. "Tell me if you have already chosen a profession." Of course not. The boss told me that I should wait to choose the two professions he would choose for me. And I dont even know how many professions a person can have. Artemis nodded her head. In this world, normally humans can only have one profession due to the restrictions imposed on their system and this option is only open to them as soon as they reach level 10. But our system allows us many more freedoms. We can have up to three professions, although most of them stay with one and specialize in it. Moreover, we dont have to wait until we reach that level to choose them. Chapter 32 “The New Teacher” Chapter 32 The New Teacher In this world, normally humans can only have one profession due to the restrictions imposed on their system and this option is only open to them as soon as they reach level 10. But our system allows us many more freedoms. We can have up to three professions, although most of them stay with one and specialize in it. Also, we dont have to wait until we reach that level to choose them, she commented with a bit of haughtiness. Generally, there are races that specialize in one profession or another and exchange services with other races, humans being the exception to this rule. Dwarves, for example, specialize in engineering, mining and blacksmithing. Elves, on the other hand, whether these be common, light or night elves, tend to vary between jewelry, alchemy, trade, leatherworking, tailoring and herbalism. Am I supposed to stand for the whole class? Kalysto thought, and as he was about to ask if he could sit down, taking advantage of Artemis stared at her for a moment, perhaps making sure she was paying attention as she took a mini-breathing break. But immediately, her new teacher continued without giving her time to ask questions. These last three professions are also chosen by the semi-human races, with the exception of dragons. Wait a minute! Are you saying that dragons are also humans? No, Im telling you that some races have evolved enough to adopt a human appearance like dragons, or semi-human like were-tigres, were-panthers or were-rabbits, who retain the characteristics of both species. There are many more species than I imagined. Kalysto thought, surprised at the discovery. If you ask me, were, unlike dragons, are the result of human experiments. So thats why they hate us? She thought, but instead said: That sounds horrible. It is. Especially since they despise them and see them as slaves or low-ranking soldiers, they send to their wars to avoid risking the lives of their precious fellow humans. Just like they do with the heroes they summon from other worlds? Kalysto asked, certain that it was always like that in all the Isekai stories in novels and manga she had read or heard about. ... Yes, something like that is... an awkward silence stretched between them. May I sit down? Kalysto interrupted, seizing the opportunity. And for a brief moment she thought she saw a look of annoyance on Artemis face before she quickly relaxed her expression and nodded her head. Immediately, Kalysto walked over to one of the one-person sofas in the small room behind her, lifted it up and placed it across from where Artemis was seated. From the frown both women made, neither seemed to like what she had done. What, did they think I was going to sit on the floor? She thought wryly, making herself comfortable on the cushioned couch. Artemis cleared her throat. ...As I was saying, some species specialize in one or several professions, and others are simply a very varied mix of everything, like humans and demons. Unfortunately, this puts them in a very disadvantageous position for them, as they will hardly have access to the specialized knowledge of each profession that can only be discovered after many decades or centuries of study. Artemis raised her head with dignity. We fairies, for example, dont care as much about archaeology as some demonic kingdoms do. We prefer to be explorers that immediately caught her attention, and Artemis seemed to notice it. So they are fairies? Werent fairies smaller and with wings? She thought, looking sideways at the guard, who seemed to be about two meters tall. If it werent for their strange hair color, they would pass for human at any moment. So does my new boss make deals with fairies or is he one of them too... Since when do fairies have the power to stop time on other planets? Too many questions for too few answers, but with the attitude his new employer had had the last time she talked to him, it was best to wait a little longer, maybe start getting some results before starting to demand answers. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Its a pity its not a profession humans can take up, Artemis added with a thin smile full of arrogance on her lips. Its a calling that runs in our blood. You see, I believe your kind call it instinct. Because of our need to explore and know other territories, it usually becomes our second profession, she added. And what does it do? Does it give them some special ability or something? she asked with curiosity, pretending she hadnt noticed anything strange about her previous behavior. Suddenly Artemis attitude changed, starting to look nervous. ... It gives us prestige among us. That is, nothing. Kalysto thought. This time it was she who gave her a half smile of silent satisfaction. I see. It... and helps us with the creation of maps, Artemis tried to defend herself, and an awkward silence returned to the room. Then she cleared her throat before continuing. As a third option, we usually choose illusionism, which allows us to go unnoticed by other races while traveling and exploring. That seems useful. Kalysto thought. Besides the rest of the professions already mentioned, we focus on mining. And very few of us focus on enchantments and the inscription of glyphs and runes. The latter profession is more like a specialization in enchantments. And its these last two professions that you should take. But I need you to have enchantments at least level 40, ideally you should have it at level 50, so the system will allow you to more easily access the knowledge about the protective barriers that are necessary as part of the mission you have been given Kalysto nodded for a human normally that would take almost a lifetime, but in your case we dont have all that time. So I will use a rather intensive and a bit aggressive type of training, she added, pointing to the smaller table on which were several bottles of potions. Those are... she couldnt even finish talking about the large size of the bottles as Artemis interrupted her. Potions of mana, health and revitalizing potions, of superior concentration. They were not so easy to acquire so part of your training will consist of going and helping the elves who have so kindly provided them to us," Now that she was ready to count them she realized that there were forty bottles, which increased Kalystos distrust against Artemis. They, as well as us fairies, have been contaminated with the black plague. Not liking where this was heading, Kalysto took the opportunity to divert the conversation to a doubt he had been left with from earlier. Wait a minute, did you say fairies? Artemis nodded proudly. I dont want to sound rude, but it was my understanding that fairies were those little creatures with wings like butterflies or dragonflies. I think youre confusing us with nature spirits or with dryads, who live in trees and are smaller. But I think I understand, in part where your confusion comes from, she then turned her head to the armored woman at her side and with a wave of her hand, instructed her to step forward. Show your other forms to Kalysto. Yes, maam, immediately Galatea, at almost two meters tall, stopped looking like a human being to become a small ball of light of the same shade of dark green as her hair, which took Kalysto by surprise, since at that moment he remembered having seen a sphere of light similar to that one, although of a different color, during the day before the summoning, hanging around the garden at the entrance of the building where she had lived in the last few years. As long as a human is below level 20, thats all hell see of us. Then she looked back at the guard. Now Galatea changes back, she ordered. And Galatea did so, no longer looking like a small sphere of light, but a tiny human form about the size of two open hands, with a pair of dragonfly-like wings attached to her back. Thats the way fairies appear in childrens stories from the world I come from, commented Kalysto. Thats usually the form we use when interacting with other species," Artemis turned to Galatea, You can change form again. Thank you, my lady, she commented in a solemn voice. Which made Kalysto wonder how hierarchies worked within the fairy world, and what position the woman who had become her teacher had. And this is our usual form, but its also the one we spend the most mana with, she commented as she took a slice of a white-colored fruit from a plate that suddenly appeared on her lap. And that when it got there? Kalysto wondered, sure she hadnt noticed it before. Or was it there from the beginning and it was me who couldnt see it until now? And that led her to another line of thought. If they can appear or disappear, things at will... Are we really alone in this room? And she wanted to be able to open her map and find a way to enlarge it to show her in detail how many people were near her at the moment. If you spend more mana this way, wouldnt it be better not to use it? Although we spend more mana, the expenditure is minimal and we can easily recover it by eating. Apart from giving us an advantage in size which helps us in our jobs, it allows us to regenerate our health much faster. So it has its advantages. I see, she commented, feigning interest, as she racked her brains trying to find a way to open her map and enlarge it without making her hand movements noticeable. But it was impossible. Maybe having illusionism as a profession could be much more advantageous than I thought. Chapter 33 “The new teacher. Part 2” Chapter 33 The new teacher. Part 2 Well, if you dont have any more questions... commented Artemis when she saw that Kalysto had remained silent. Actually, I do. Although its more of a point to discuss. Go ahead, Artemis instructed her. I dont see how helping the elves has anything to do with my three missions, Artemis immediately frowned. Their forests, like ours, have been affected by the miasma and the plague. And now they are being invaded by monsters, she scolded her as if she were a little girl throwing a tantrum. My contract stipulates nothing about eliminating monsters, only about curing your people and purifying the miasma. And the fairies are her people, not the elves, she added, the last part as improvisation. Kalysto wanted to see if she would deny it. When the blood of monsters is not purified after killing them, over time it can turn into a pool of miasma, her voice laden with harshness. Again, that has nothing to do with my three missions, or is it the third? she questioned with apparent innocence. Immediately Artemis face tightened and Kalysto watched her clench her jaw. -...No... she half growled, and it almost seemed as if Kalysto was snatching the words out of her the hard way, which only raised her suspicions even more. Why all the mystery? How dangerous is this mission going to be? She questioned. Feeling increasingly paranoid at all the secrecy. Dont they expect me to survive? So? But Kalysto only received silence as an answer. As I see it, it is Professor Artemis who needed the potions in order to accelerate my training so I could create the magical barrier needed to prevent the miasma from damaging your crops, according to one of my missions, along with clearing the miasma from your lands, or am I wrong? Kalysto began to think that this was as good an opportunity as any to get more information, and her new instructor seemed annoyed enough to give it to her without realizing it. Anger flooded Artemis delicate face. Killing monsters will level you up, which will make you stronger! She assured her as she clenched her fists against the skirt of her dress, ruffling the fabric. The small plate on her legs earlier with chopped fruit was gone. When did she put it in her inventory...? She must have one too, right? She thought full of curiosity, especially since she hadnt seen her make any hand movements to indicate that she was putting anything away in her inventory, but from the way the cloth was folded against her closed fists, it didnt look like there was anything else on her thighs. Curious, very curious... Would that be part of the profession of illusionism? Why, if so, that meant that if she took it, she would have many small advantages. How convenient. But I dont need to be stronger or level up to upgrade professions or fulfill my part of the contract, do I? Again there was nothing but silence as she watched Artemis who tightened and frowned even more. So thats why my new employer doesnt care what I do with my free time. Kalysto thought, how did I not realize that before? - Look, I dont mean to make you angry, Professor Artemis. I just want you to understand that it is not my obligation to accept an assignment that has not been given by my employer and from which I get no benefit. Besides, from the excess of revitalization potions, I can deduce that your accelerated method of learning can cause some kind of damage to my body, cant it? Artemis opened her eyes in surprise and immediately avoided Kalystos gaze, which only increased her distrust. This confirms that my welfare is not important to any of them. She thought, annoyed with them for the lack of care they had for an employee and with herself for having expected better from them. How dare you doubt the ladys good intentions? Galatea interrupted, bringing a hand to her sword and beginning to unsheathe it. Even if you are the champion of the fairies, I wont allow it! Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Oh! So thats my official title? she asked curiously. Didnt you know that? That stopped her movements. Kalysto shook her head and whispered: status window before the windows opened, she caught a glimpse of Artemis out of the corner of her eye, who apparently realized what she was doing and raised her hand, interrupting Galatea. The two women looked into each others eyes, and it almost looked like they were having a telepathic conversation in which Artemis was scolding her knight. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 6 Fatigue: 33 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Not selected Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? of ?????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 290/360 MP: 254/254 Strength: 26 Vitality: 31 Agility: 35 Endurance: 33 Intelligence: 39 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 Status: Annoyed, curious. Available points: 0 Well, at least this time I was able to get some information... although not the most useful. She consoled herself. And after she finished checking her status window, she closed the windows and looked at the two women in front of her. Then they both stared at her in silence, while Artemis seemed to be thinking of a way to convince her. Why so insistent with the elves? She wondered. If forcing me to help them is so important to her, then maybe I can take advantage of this. Why dont we make a deal? Remove the restriction so I can heal myself and then I wont have to worry about the long and medium term damage to my body from your accelerated training, Kalysto commented, folding her arms. I can do no such thing, replied Artemis between her teeth. Kalysto arched an eyebrow, not at all convinced by her words. Cant or wont? A prolonged silence was all she got as an answer. So they dont expect me to survive the third mission. That explains why they havent told me yet and why I cant refuse to do it or renegotiate it.... but if thats so, then that changes things... I need to get stronger and get more resources. While she was locked in the cell raising her inspect skill, she had started to think that maybe it was a good idea to talk to her new employer and ask him to help her get a room to a place to live near them, thinking that maybe that could benefit her in the future and that it would be easier for her to heal her people by living among them. But now, seeing their constant refusals to allow her to heal herself, she realized that she wasnt safe with them either. And Kalysto wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. However, she stayed. There were sick people there who needed her help, and part of the contract was that she was to heal them. And she would do her part. Those sick people were not to blame for what was happening to her..... They sure thought that by getting a person who was on the verge of death, it wouldnt matter if they lost her a couple of years after she had helped them. Kalysto made a grimace that she was quick to wipe from her lips. I need to find a way to fulfill the contract and stay alive. Arent you going to answer? Artemis lowered her gaze and continued in silence, as did the guard at her side. I dont have any eagerness to finish my training quickly. Besides, I was given 3 years to get it. Why the sudden eagerness? ... It is necessary. According to whom? You? Kalysto crossed her arms I havent received any comment from my boss, which makes me doubt that he knows about your sudden eagerness what bothered her the most, apart from Artemis continued silence, was the fact that it should be more important to cure the sick than to waste the next weeks in an intensive training that by the amount of potions that were on the table made her think that it could probably end up affecting her health. And she wasnt about to risk it. So I would like you to be so kind as to give me a reason why I should undergo a type of training that could kill me. There is no need to exaggerate. The training wont kill you, Artemis clarified with annoyance. But it will leave my body in bad shape, which could shorten my life span, or am I wrong? Again, there was silence. And since I cant cure myself, that leaves us in a predicament, dont you think? ... You wont die during the training, she answered reluctantly. Not right away, you mean, realizing that at no time had she assured her that there would be no negative consequences for her in the long run. ... Still, I cant give you what youre asking for, even I dont have what it takes to bargain for it So that leaves us back at square one, Kalysto got up from the couch and walked over to the huge collection of stones on the larger table. She then picked up one of the fist-sized rocks and inspected it. [River stone. Class: common.] Seeing that there was nothing strange about them, beyond the immense quantity, she was reassured. And after closing the window that opened, she called up her status window and on the purple screen selected the professions option. A list appeared before her, but, though she read it, she could not find the option Artemis had said about glyphs. She then selected enchantments, as she had been told, and although she saw alchemy and herbalism among the list and was excited at the thought of being able to make her own potions, she decided to look into that later. [Warning: the user has selected enchantments as the main profession. Are you sure you want to learn this profession?] [YES/NO] Kalysto selected yes. And immediately, another violet window opened before her. [Congratulations! The user is now an apprentice enchanter.] Chapter 34 “A New Profession” Chapter 34 A New Profession [Congratulations! The user is now an apprentice enchanter.] [Enchantments. Level 1. Allows enchanting objects to add basic stats or ?????. The chance that the enchanted object will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment is 70%. The success rate is 30%. At least 3 skills of this profession must be raised to the next level for the profession to level up.] [The user has learned the following skill: Health enchantment: level 1.] Kalysto clicked on the name of the new skill to get more information about it. [Health enchantment: allows the user to enchant objects that will increase the HP of the objects wearer by 1 point. The chance that the enchanted object will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment is 70%. The success rate is 30%. Spends 10 MP per use. (You must raise this skill to level 5 in order to unlock the next skill.) (Enchanted items needed to raise to the next level: 50.)] That means I need 167 stones to reach level two and 1670 MP... Now I understand why they brought so many stones and potions... How long will it take me to level it up? Having made her choice, she closed all the windows and looked closely at the river stone in her hand. Getting the materials available to teach a class is within the teachers duties, not the students, so I am not the one who should pay for this And Kalysto knew that her teacher knew that, thats why she hadnt mentioned anything about the stones at all. ... Im giving you an order! Artemis growled, and Kalysto wanted to mock her arrogance. While she appreciated what her boss had done for her and the information Artemis had let slip, she decided that she wouldnt do anything that wasnt necessary for her contract or beneficial to her. If they were going to treat her as just another worker, she would treat them the same way. It was my fault for getting used to the good treatment I always received from my previous boss and expecting to receive the same here. How na?ve I was! Kalysto turned and with an arched eyebrow looked at Artemis. Are you the one I signed the contract with? Her teacher kept silent, and after a few minutes when Kalysto saw her open her mouth with the intention of answering, she interrupted her And please dont lie to me, I already know you are not, because before coming to talk to you I talked to my new boss who told me about you, and if you lie to me, I will never trust you again, which means I will refuse to work with you. Does she think I dont remember that I asked her something similar as soon as I arrived? Then Kalysto purified the stone in her hand. She then whispered health enchantment and unlike her class abilities, the professions enchantments emitted no glow. How curious. She thought and put the stone away in her inventory. And she did the same with the next one, the soft golden glow came out of her palms when she used dispel and purification, but not when she cast health enchantment, she rolled the stone in her hands, noticing that a crack had been made in the middle and then put it away in her inventory. What are you doing? Artemis asked her. Practicing my skills, of course, using the class material. I can see that for myself. What I want to know is why are you doing it? It seems we cant come to an agreement, so Ill take the class materials and practice later on my own. Her words seemed to annoy Artemis, but she remained seated in her chair nonetheless, unwilling to get up. How dare you steal from the lady and talk to her like that? Galatea shouted. Stealing? Are you sure thats what Im doing? Kalysto answered calmly. You were probably one of the people who went to the river to pick up these stones for me to practice, am I wrong? Again that annoying silence reigned. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. How hard is it for these people to answer a simple question? Besides, I think you are the ones who have not understood, she said and pointed to the teacher, she is just an instructor who has been chosen for my boss, not someone who has the authority to give me missions and I am free to refuse to work with her and ask for a new instructor. That seemed to take them by surprise. What did you say? Artemis asked, unable to believe the kind of nonsense she was hearing, when normally it would be considered a great honor for anyone to be her student. But Kalysto ignored her and instead approached Galatea. After I finish putting away the class materials, I would appreciate it if you would take me to where they have confined the people who have the black plague, preferably the place where they have those who have recently been infected. What? This time it was Galatea who asked. As you heard. Do you think you could do that, or should I wait and talk to the boss about this? She said, as if she had a way to contact him. That made the other two women tense up, and Artemis and Galatea looked at each other sideways with some fear. Definitely the new boss is someone powerful. I must be careful with that, then. No... Theres no need to go that far. Galatea assured her and looked at Artemis. Giving away how nervous they were at the unexpected turn of events. The instructor gave her a hateful look. Is there anything else the teacher wants to teach me before I finish storing the stones and leave here? She commented as she continued to purify and enchant the stones before putting them away. The next three crumbled in her hands as if they had been made of sand. So I shouldnt charm them first... what a waste of resources. Kalysto concluded. Then, she continued to use inspection with each of them in such a low whisper that she hoped they couldnt hear her as she made sure to keep leveling up the skill. That definitely paid off. She thought, as she became curious as to how many objects of the same type could be grouped in the same pigeonhole of her inventory. A few minutes later, two very familiar windows appeared before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Kalysto let out a long sigh. And taking advantage of the fact that neither of the other two women seemed interested in interrupting her, she took out a mana potion from her inventory and drank it. As soon as she finished, she put the empty bottle back in her inventory. I assure you that the potion made by the elves is far superior to the one you just drank, said Artemis. Probably, answered Kalysto, putting the rest of the rocks in another locker, this time without enchanting them. But that doesnt mean I should take them, only for you to force me later to accept a mission that wasnt given to me by my boss -and she could notice the way Artemis clenched her fists and viciously tightened the fabric of her dress. Still, the woman did not move from her chair. And after a tense silence, Artemis let out a long sigh and tried to compose her expression when she saw that Kalysto had finished collecting the fifteen hundred rocks she had asked the guards to gather for the class. ... Youre right about that. It was me who made the deal with them and not you, she said, but it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she was not happy to admit that she had tried to take advantage of her. There are two professions you are obliged to choose. One is enchantments and the other is glyphs, but if you raise it properly, it will also allow you to learn runes and other ancient languages that are necessary to reinforce and enhance magical barriers and spells. That caught Kalystos attention. Maybe if I level it up, it could help me learn a way to open magic portals or summoning seals. And secure my return home. She got excited. Surely Im not the only one who awakened a system, and while there were most likely many casualties, I doubt Earth was destroyed. Besides, if I return, Ill be able to heal Amanda and Alices grandparents. I might even be able to make money by healing others. I already chose the enchantment profession. However, I didnt find the other one you mentioned in the list the system showed me. Thats obvious, since it will only be shown to you once youve raised enchantments to level 40. And dont even think about trying to learn trade, in the meantime. Ive heard stories about how greedy humans are and I dont want you to get the idea that you can learn a profession and then unlearn it and learn another one instead. You cant choose another profession until youve chosen inscription of glyphs and runes or the system wont show it as your second choice. What if I want to be a merchant? I have no idea how that profession plays out, so I couldnt help you with that. We fairies dont usually trade, we make soul binding contracts, with seals like the one on your wrist Kalysto found it a bit far-fetched to make a deal like that just to sell or trade something, and again she hoped that the pretty tattoo would disappear as soon as the contract was over. We tend to provide everything we need for each other and if we want something we dont have, we tend to take it as an excuse to travel and explore. Two elements innate to our nature as fairies. Chapter 35 “A bit of darkness” Chapter 35 A bit of darkness Special cells. Northern area of the royal palace prison. The damp, cold air of the prison seeped under the warm fabric of her robe and a faint stale smell hit the delicate nose of the priestess Darla. How dare they lock me up in a filthy prison, like some common criminal? She growled as she hugged herself, not daring to touch the thick blanket folded over the comfortable bed she was sitting on. Despite how clean everything seemed to be, Darla couldnt shake the feeling of filthiness that was weighing her down. In fact, her legs and the soles of her feet ached after standing for the last half hour before finally giving up and sitting on the bed. I dont think the high priestess should say something like that, the guards might hear you and bring your words to the kings ears whispered Ivhana, the other priestess with her tanned complexion due to all the years she worked in the fields, helping her father with the crops. Shut up, Ivhana! Whose side are you on? she growled at her. Yours, of course, high priestess. You know you have my loyalty since you cured my father two years ago. The only reason I agreed to work in the temple is to repay you for the favor I received," the twenty-three-year-old replied softly from the other bed inside the cell they shared. Darla lifted her chin haughtily, feeling a little vindicated that at least someone still respected what she represented. Ivhana, however, glanced sideways at the guard who was finishing his rounds and waited patiently for his figure to be lost after the entrance to the corridor, while she paid close attention to the sound of his footsteps. And when she was sure that he had moved away and that they were completely alone in that corridor, she rose from her cot and approached Darla. Unfolding the thick woolen blanket that was on the other bed and placing it on the shoulders of the high priestess. Dont worry about the dirt, my lady. I have heard that these cells are well maintained because this is where they lock up the aristocrats whom the king wants to give a chastisement. I have heard that the real criminals are given dirty cells on the south side and they dont even have real beds in their cells, just a dirty mattress made of straw, placed on a rock. But... The fact that you have been put here and not somewhere else means that, although the king is upset, he has not yet forgotten you. How could he want to make an enemy of the only Saintess the kingdom has had in the last three hundred years? But that stupid Tathiana...! Darla snarled, rage heating her blood. The queen has the backing of the duchy of Brincy who have full control of the north and have begun to spread their alliances throughout the kingdom, and that is something the king cannot dare to ignore, as soon as Ivhana saw Darla begin to calm down, she lowered her voice, barely a whisper against the high priestesss delicate ears. But there is something even more important I must inform you of. Her attitude caught Darlas attention. It is about the girl you ordered me to investigate. What is it? What did you find? Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I think you were right to suspect her. Not only does her mind work in a strange way. But she was able to detect my presence inside her mind and expel me. Whats so strange about that? Ive heard of some people who can do that. Court magicians, for example. Thats exactly my point. A powerful magician might have noticed me right away. But for someone who just got a system, thats a complete impossible thing to do. Darla blinked several times, watching her silently before answering. Are you telling me shes powerful? Im warning you that theres something about her thats not right. Besides, I think her father was summoned. Darlas eyes widened, surprise etched on her pale face. Thats impossible! There hasnt been a hero summoning in over a hundred years! She assured her. ...Not that we know of...Silence reigned in the cell after Ivhanas words. Until Darla, with a scowl, dared to break it. ...But if it wasnt us ... Who did it? ...I dont know. And I dont think its going to be easy to find out Darla nodded her head, trying to think of a solution to this new problem. An unreported hero could become an enemy of the kingdom at any moment. Not to mention what that young woman could do as soon as she found out. ..... And thats not all... when I was in her mind..." she added in a whisper so low that even Darla had to struggle to hear it, there was a voice... a voice that did not belong to that girl, but to another presence... one filled with darkness... then she looked her in the eyes as she hugged herself. I believe she is one of the people the first prophecy spoke of. Three hours earlier. The forest of Los lamentos, on the outskirts of Tenulhys, capital of the kingdom of Balsac. Galoth was worried. Several of the subordinates assigned to him for this mission had run after the human prey that had ambushed them when they arrived in the world with two moons. And none of them had returned. And while they themselves had barely managed to escape alive from the powerful mages that had cornered them just after he had reencountered that little human and slain more than half of their enemies, they had gotten too far away. Galoth had no idea where the hell they were, or how far they had strayed from the initial location. We must go find the rest. We dont know these lands and the others have no way of finding us, he commented, while Ereshkigal finished healing the eye that the little archer woman had injured with an arrow. This is all I can do for now young orc, Im afraid youll have to get used to seeing with only one eye, he replied after he finished applying a dark green paste on the eyebrow and bandaged part of his head, covering the wounded eye. This will leave a scar, he added, although scars for an orc were a sign of honor in a warrior who had survived a battle. And they were both surprised that that little human could cause such damage. Even with all the amulets of protection they were wearing. And dont worry about the dead. Most of them died at the hands of the little huntress, the rest at the hands of the human mages the easiness with which he told him that surprised Galoth, who despite having participated in some small hunting missions for his tribe before, it was the first time he participated in something of such magnitude. Ereshkigal, on the other hand, had worked for the Lord before, despite being a mere hobgoblin. And that only increased the admiration the young orc felt for him. However, among the few survivors, there is one of them that in the future will be very useful for our mission that caught Galoths attention, who immediately stood up and took his axe. But I am afraid that little Arkhas is not ready yet. There is too much confusion, fear and insecurities in his heart at the moment. Shouldnt we help him? he worried. If he remembered correctly, that was the name of the little goblin, whose shaky legs barely let him take a step without falling or stumbling. But Ereshkigal shook his head. The spirits say we must wait. It will take a while for little Arkhas to be ready, but when he is, we will find him, smiled the old man with a wicked gleam in his eyes that the orc, busy staring at the trail of bodies around them, failed to notice. And how? We dont even know where we are or what this new world is called. How could a small goblin do such a feat? Elinor is the name of this place, answered the old man. And about Arkhas. He himself will show us the way, seeing the confusion on Galoths face, the hobgoblin added, a sea of fire, death and ashes will lead us to him. Chapter 36 “Beginning with the first mission” Chapter 36 Beginning with the first mission Im dying! Artemis growled at her in a low voice, as if it pained her to have to lower herself and admit something so delicate in front of a mere human. Hmm? What are you talking about? You look fine to me, commented Kalysto after discovering that time in both worlds did not run at the same speed. Although neither woman was willing to tell her how big the difference was. I have the black plague, she admitted through gritted teeth, and lifted her skirt above her knees, revealing her black-colored legs covered in hard scabs and whose toes almost looked like they were made of stone. So that was why she wouldnt get up from the chair! And I had begun to think it was a way of showing her superiority! Kalysto approached, keeping about a meter away, thinking that perhaps it would be an optical effect similar to what had happened with the torches made of glass, but even at that distance, the tips of her feet seemed petrified. She immediately pulled up the collar of her T-shirt and covered her nose with it. Are you the only one in this condition, or is there anyone else whose symptoms are this extreme? Immediately, her attitude changed. There are others who are sick, but Im the one in the worst condition. And let me guess, this can only be cured by a saintess, right? So, this is why you need me, although it looks very different from what I had seen before. Dont touch it! Artemis was alarmed to see that Kalysto was getting too close to her, although the former waitress was only pointing to a spot on Artemis knee where her white skin was starting to turn black. If youre saying that because youre afraid of infecting me, then it would be easier if you just remove the blockade. Or do you expect me to get infected and die too? She arched an eyebrow and saw the confusion on Artemis face. So that possibility had never occurred to them? Really? I dont think this is something I can cure with my current level of skill, let alone all at once. Ill probably need a lot more time and potions to heal you. And maybe its a good idea to start with those whose symptoms arent as severe to level up my skill first. You sound like my mother. Wise woman then, she stood up, remove the sleeves of your dress and let me see your arms, after Artemis did as she was asked, Kalysto could see that, although it hadnt spread to her hands, there were already spots starting to appear there, along with a couple of scabs on her left elbow. What other parts of your body are affected? My legs are the worst part, I cant even move them, Kalysto then focused on one of the smaller black spots on Artemis forearm. Purify! Purify! Dispel! Dispel! Jhil! Jhil! Purify! Purify! Purify! Jhil! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! Jhil! Purify! Jhil! After a few minutes, the black spot covering part of the teachers skin began to get smaller and smaller. As I thought..." she muttered, and summoned her status window, seeing that she only had 15/254 MP left. Curious about how it would feel to be low on mana, she summoned her ability once more. Purify! But this time she used it on her own shirt, with which she was covering her nose to avoid breathing so close to someone infected. Immediately, a wave of dizziness swept over her and bile rose up into her throat as the usual two warning windows opened before her as the world became a blur. [Warning: user has less than 10 MP remaining. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Shit! she growled as she fell to the ground, hitting her head. What the hell, whats going on? asked Artemis in panic, as Galatea rushed to Kalystos aid. Im out of mana, whispered Kalysto. Impossible! If you had run out of mana, you would have died by now...! Or at least fainted, commented Artemis in a know-it-all voice. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it But until this morning I lived my whole life without mana. thought Kalysto. I have only 5 points left... she whispered, checking her status window,and I already feel like Im going to vomit... or faint any moment... Galatea lay her down on the couch, and bring one of the mana bottles. One gulp will be enough to get her back on her feet. And so they did. As soon as Kalysto felt better and her mana recovered, she purified herself, just as a precaution. So tell me, how does someone get sick with the plague? Is it contagious orally or by what means? Artemis thought a bit about her answer before speaking. If you breathe in the miasma or are injured by a monster that is infected, then you become contagious. So you can get infected if there is an open wound? Artemis frowned before answering the question. Usually its the monsters that cause the wound, so I wouldnt know, since it always happens at the same time as far as I know... but the contagion happens in a much slower way when you breathe the miasma. And you need to be exposed for several minutes, after which it can take days before symptoms start to show on the skin. Interesting commented Kalysto stroking her jaw, while thinking-, it would be good to purify your room, just to be sure. What? Artemis asked with a frown. Your room? The place where you sleep? What do they call that here? Yes, yes... I understand what you mean. What I dont understand is why you mention it. Kalysto found her question very strange. Because your sweat and your very clothes can contain small traces of your disease and you can unknowingly become a source of infection for others, she commented, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Also, being exposed to the same environment that has already been contaminated can help to worsen your situation even faster. I... I never thought about that... I didnt know. Its normal. From what little Ive seen of your world, it seems much less developed than mine when it comes to medicine.And not only in medicine. Who would think of attacking a city at the point of a horse and swords? Tell me, do only fairies live here? Yes, it is. This is the kingdom of the fairies, although occasionally we have visitors from other races. As a precaution, from now on, keep your distance from others. And constantly check your body for new wounds, and do not allow anyone to touch the water you bathe with. It must be discarded immediately. Artemis body immediately tensed up. You say that as if it were my intention to infect others, Kalysto blanched her eyes at her dramatism. It may sound that way, but it is possible that your negligence has already infected others. Im just asking you to take preventive measures. What? She became alarmed, and her face turned pale. I have never...! But Kalysto interrupted her before she could continue her diatribe. Tell me something, all the others who are sick, did they catch it from the miasma or from the monsters? Or are there at least a couple of cases where some of them caught it after being in contact with you or something that is yours? Like washing your clothes or changing the water you bathed with, either yours or one of the other sick people whose disease has progressed quite a bit? What... how would it be... but... then...? Artemis was now even paler than she already was. Even a small wound on the hands of people who have been in contact with you, if coupled with another wound in any area of your body, could spread infection, and you didnt even realize it. Oh, by the gods... I... guilt flashed across her face. I never said you knowingly exposed them to danger. Youre just not taking all the necessary care. Did it really never occur to you to notice the patterns followed by those who became infected? Investigating that sort of thing is important, not just settling for blaming the miasma and the monsters. So...? Artemis opened her eyes wide, fear reflected in them .... My daughter, too? And at that instant, the fairys face was filled with terror. Please! You have to check her! She has been close to me and today she was not feeling well!... Maybe... -tears flooded her eyes. Artemis raised her hands and covered her mouth, unable to finish the sentence as loud sobs escaped her lips. Kalystos heart softened at the scene. Of course Im going to check her out. Thats what Im here for, she replied calmly. The sooner we get started, the better. Oh, but shes asleep at this hour! Then well have to wake her up. Take me to her and show me to your room, then Kalysto took two bottles of mana and another of revitalizing potion from the table and while the guard pushed the chair Artemis was in as if it were a wheelchair, Kalysto stopped near the white needle-pointed double door that led to a long corridor. I think Id better bring at least one health potion as well, she commented. Why? Those dont work against the plague, even holy water doesnt work against it, Artemis questioned. Because my head hurts already, Kalysto replied, knowing full well that a health potion wouldnt take it away, but at least it would help lessen the pain while she found a time when she could take a sip of holy water while the other two women werent watching her. Oh! Uncomfortable at the answer, and realizing for the first time that perhaps Kalysto was right in saying that the kind of training she had planned would be too hard on her human body, Artemis looked away as her guard led them to her room, where her daughter slept. And her hands trembled at the thought of what she might discover once they got there. Chapter 37 “Beginning with the first mission. Part 2” Chapter 37 Beginning with the first mission. Part 2 A spacious room in pale blue tones greeted them. In the middle of it an elegant bed that would fit three people comfortably, which was occupied by a six-year-old girl, who was sleeping peacefully on the white sheets. Is this your room or your daughters? It is mine, answered Artemis, and Kalysto immediately frowned, not liking what she saw. From now on, and until I manage to cure you completely, it is better that your daughter is not in contact with you. And that you are quarantined in your room, Artemis was about to argue, but Kalysto cut her off. You will be isolated for the sake of the others. Now, would one of you be so kind as to wake the child? Galatea, commanded Artemis, and immediately the guard did as she was ordered, approaching the little girl and shaking her shoulder until a pair of pretty pink eyes opened. Mommy? murmured the little girl, drowsily. Hi, Im Kalysto, the former waitress interjected, stepping in front of her before the little girl ran into her mothers arms. Whats your name? ... The girl looked sideways at her mother before answering. "My name is Medea." Nice to meet you, Medea, she smiled at her, trying to gain her trust. Now I need you to do me a favor. As you probably know, your mommy is quite ill, isnt she? The girl nodded her head. Can you cure her? she questioned, full of anxiety. Before falling asleep waiting for her mothers arrival, Medea had overheard her mother talking to her grandmother about the coming of a heroine who would come to cure them all. But at some point, while waiting for the return of her mother, who had earned the honor of welcoming the champion of her people, Medea had fallen fast asleep. Although she would have liked to have been there to welcome her to the kingdom. Well," she answered with a calmness that filled the little girls heart with tranquility, it will take me some time and I will need to do some studies. But to start doing it Im going to need your help. Do you think you could help me, Medea? The girl immediately cheered up, nodding her head and getting up immediately from the bed. Of course, lady champion, it will be an honor for me to help you save my people! Kalysto found the way she addressed her very curious. You can call me by my name, and I will do the same for you. Is that all right with you, Medea? The little girl, with a white complexion and the same shade of hair as her mother, nodded her head full of energy. Tell me, is there any place on your body where you feel some kind of discomfort? It could be pain, itchiness or any other kind of discomfort ? seeing that the little girl lowered her head and remained silent, Kalysto continued, Have you noticed any purple or black spot on your skin in the last few days? ...I...ah...well... Medea clasped her hands together uneasily in front of the long white pajamas she was wearing. Its okay, Medea. No ones going to be mad at you for that, she assured her, But I need to check a few things, the girl almost looked as if she had been scolded despite the sweet tone Kalysto was using with her. And Artemis, seeing her daughters reluctance to respond, knew something was wrong and immediately felt guilty. A thunderous sob escaped her lips, which caught the attention of Medea, who became alarmed and ran to her mother. Galatea and Kalysto immediately interrupted her. Mommy? Mommy, are you all right? What happened? Are you in pain? she asked in despair, her own eyes filling with tears. Its okay, sweetie. Please answer Kalystos questions. Its important, the girl nodded and turned her back on her mother to face Kalysto. I... she started, but then bit her lip. Okay, Medea, can you tell me where it hurts? In the back, she whispered in a voice so soft that Kalysto could barely hear her. Can you show me? Medea nodded and lifted up the long dress she wore as pajamas. Above the hem of her underwear, the three women could see the black stain extending from her lower back, down her left shoulder, and across part of her hip. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Artemis sobs became even louder, flooding the room. Dont worry Medea, I can fix it. But it will take me some time and I need you to stand up, okay? The girl nodded her head. Is it...is it going to hurt? she asked fearfully. Her big pink eyes looked like those of a wounded puppy in desperate need of comfort. Of course not," Kalysto smiled tenderly at her. But you must be as still as possible. Can you do that for me, Medea? she added, the tone of her voice full of playful complicity, immediately gaining the trust of the girl who nodded her head, and for the next hour, Kalysto checked and healed the little girls body. Then she spent the next half hour purifying Medeas room. And as soon as she finished, she closed the notification windows that had been opened. [The skill Purification has leveled up!]. [Jhil skill has leveled up!] [The Dispel skill has leveled up!] [The Purification skill has leveled up!] Kalysto then took a break while she took a long drink of a revitalizing potion and checked the time on her cell phone. It was 3:45 in the morning. Its so early and I have a long day ahead of me. She wished she could have consoled herself with something, but this was what she had traded her life for, so it was best to move forward with what she could do for now, taking advantage of the fact that her supposed stay in prison would last a whole week. Still, it is better to be cautious and return early, in case something happens. As soon as she and Galatea were sure that all was well with Medea, they laid her down on her own bed. But I am not sleepy, reproached the little girl. Even so, it is time for the young lady to go to sleep, insisted Galatea. But I want to see my mother, she pouted. Tomorrow you will be able to talk to her, but you will not be able to see her, nor touch her until I finish her treatment, or you will get infected again and that will make her very sad? Or do you want her to be sad again? Kalysto asked the last question, pretending to be surprised. Medea immediately shook her head. Then [Sleep well], she whispered, activating her ability and forcing the little girl to fall asleep. Then she turned and looked at Galatea, who looked at her with suspicion. It is likely that she will sleep more than usual tomorrow. Let her be, her body needs rest. But make sure she eats well and drinks plenty of water. We still dont know how much wear and tear or damage the illness may have done to her body. Galatea nodded, and they both left Medeas room, and headed for Artemis room, which was next door. But they both stood outside the door frame, away from Artemis. I will try to level up my skills a bit before I return to you. For now, you must remain in quarantine as we had discussed." This time Artemis didnt even refute her, she simply nodded her head, thick tears still running down her cheeks. Thank you!... Thank you so much for saving my little girl! And despite the unpleasant situation they were in, Kalysto felt good to feel so useful. Maybe, this is what I was born to do. She thought to herself. I need you to grant me authority over Galatea. Im going to need her help in organizing the other sick people. Of course, she assured her. And she looked at Galatea. "Give her what she needs and help her in any way that you can. Yes, maam. In that case," Kalysto turned to Galatea. "I need you to prepare three rooms. In one I want you to keep all the more serious cases, in another all the newly infected, or the less serious cases, any sick that dont fit into these two categories will go into the other room. Understood? Galatea nodded her head. Yes, maam. And please avoid direct contact with infected people, especially with the areas where the plague can be seen. They could be contagious. Get me enough handkerchiefs and gloves for the people who are going to deal with the sick, and give them to me first. After purifying them, you can use them as a preventive measure. If you can get a dressmaker who can make me a number of face masks, that would be very useful right away. Face masks? Galatea asked in confusion. Its similar to a handkerchief, but its used to cover the mouth and nose to keep the airways from getting infected. It may be a bit of a nuisance to use at first, but it will be very useful. If youll allow me pencil and paper, Ill draw you a picture. Of course. If you will follow me, I will be able to give you what you have asked for. Thank you and before leaving, she turned to Artemis. Have a good rest. Likewise, champion of the fairies, she said. Rejoicing for the first time, while surprise still flooded her once skeptical heart, that the young woman before her had been well chosen. And she was relieved. At the same time, in the forest of Los lamentos. There is danger in these woods, but also a great opportunity for us. We must proceed with caution," commented Ereshkigal as he finished bandaging Galoths shoulder, which had been bitten by a giant venomous snake species that neither of them had ever seen before. The remains of which now rested embedded in thin branches around the campfire they had set up in their makeshift camp. Drink," he added, handing her a vial of potion, this will help remove the remnants of the poison in your body, he assured him. Galoth did not even doubt his words and immediately brought the vial to his lips. Drinking the entire contents. You shouldnt have done that, boy. You should never be so trusting, he whispered, the shadows of the night dulling his old face illuminated by the fire, giving it a slightly terrifying air, but surrounded by mystery. Chapter 38 “A New Ability” Chapter 38 A New Ability For the next twelve hours, Kalysto spent the time healing the sick in the room where all those who had recently been infected with the plague had been hosted. As soon as she finished curing them, she would send them to Galatea, who had been given a series of questions to ask all the sick to determine how and where they had acquired the disease, as well as a detailed list of all their symptoms. An apprentice seamstress had approached her as she attended to the patients, carrying a sample of the mask Kalysto had asked them to make, the fairy excited to be able to help and level up her own skill had not only offered to make more, but had also designed the gloves and a doctors gown, just as Kalytso had drawn them for her. So now the other fairies who were helping to organize the sick were, like her, wearing white gowns. Despite the hard work, Kalysto was pleased with how far her skills had progressed over that period of time. Fortunately, Galatea had taken pity on her and explained how to manage the system windows so that while she was busy healing or in battle mode, they would stop appearing in front of her nose, and instead appear on her left side, so that they would no longer obstruct her view. And so Kalysto programmed it, leaving the most important ones, such as the announcement that she was running out of mana, to her right. After a short five-minute break in which he took a sip of the mana potion, wishing it was the revitalizing one, she ate several pieces of fruit that had been brought to her. One of them, about the size of a large apple and whose skin was golden in color, but white on the inside. It was the fruit that Artemis had told her about, the one that helped to replenish the manna. Its name was nede. The other, thel, which was becoming her favorite, was a little smaller and dark purple, and was as juicy and with the same consistency as a grape, but sweet. It was like eating honey. But what she liked most, apart from being the size of a medium apple, was that it took away ten fatigue points. Ten of them and Kalysto would no longer need to wait so long to take another mana potion, but could keep working for hours without the accumulated fatigue in her body being a problem. It was a pity that it did not cure eyestrain. But other than that, Kalysto considered it a great discovery, so much so that whenever she got the chance, she put a pair in her inventory, along with a nede. As soon as she finished her last serving of fruit, she checked the notifications that had come to her while she had been healing the sick. [The Jhil skill has leveled up!] [The Purification skill has leveled up!] [The Jhil skill has leveled up!] [The Dispel skill has leveled up!] [The Jhil skill has leveled up!] [The skill Purification has leveled up!] [The Dispel skill has leveled up!] [Jhils skill has leveled up!] [The skill Purification has leveled up!] [The Dispel skill has leveled up!] [Jhils skill has leveled up!] [The skill Purification has leveled up!] [The Dispel skill has leveled up!] [Jhils skill has leveled up!] [The skill Purification has leveled up!] [The skill Purification has leveled up!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ezhil Purification. Level 1.] As soon as he saw the purple notification, Kalysto clicked on it to get more details. [Ezhil Purification: Unlike the purification skill, the user no longer needs to touch the target to purify. Instead, by extending your hands, you purify everything around you in a radius of 10 meters. Expends 15 MP per use.] Excited by her new ability, Kalysto approached the sick section again and immediately stretched out her arms. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification! And just as the description said, a golden glow burst forth from her body, spreading about ten meters, purifying the air and everyone the golden light touched. If I also raise Jhil and Dispel to 10, will I also be able to acquire a similar version of both of them? She was excited about her new theory and immediately set to work on leveling them up. The next patient was an old man named Nathyel. I appreciate your help, little one. My knees dont even hurt anymore! He commented happily, after Kalysto asked him to take off his shirt and she checked his chest and back, where she found the characteristic black spot, with only two veins, from where the plague was spreading. It seems that it will take me a little longer to be reunited with my dear Emanuela. And who is the lucky lady? She asked as she performed another round of purification, dispel and Jhil on the old mans back. My late wife. She passed away more than a hundred and fifty years ago. But I still remember her as if it were yesterday when I managed to convince her that I would be a good husband for her and not that fool Ezekiel. It must have been hard to fight for her attention, Kalysto commented, not knowing what else to say as she continued to check the old mans back, his arms and even under his armpits, to make sure she hadnt missed any black spots. I have my tricks, he whispered mischievously. And Kalysto wanted to smile at his antics. Please remove your shoes and socks And just as she had feared, another black spot with protruding black veins lay on the sole of his right foot. She had already found five other people with a stain in the same place, and she began to worry that it was some kind of pattern. I think youd better lie down... she commented as she saw the effort the man was making to hold his leg up while she examined it with her gloved hands. And how many do you have, Mr. Nathyel? She asked him, more to distract the surprised man who seemed to be too uncomfortable being in just his underpants, and finding more black spots than he himself had been aware he had. It took you more than fifty years, sweet girl. I can assure you of that, he commented, trying to keep his voice cheerful, though fear was evident in his eyes every time she discovered a new stain. Dont worry, Mr. Nathyel. Ill do another round of healing tomorrow, so we can be sure that everything is in order, the old man nodded, Is that all right? Yes, I think that would be best, too. Great, then as soon as Im done with you, you can get dressed and fill out the form Galatea gave you. But dont go home yet. Ill go over it again tomorrow. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Dispel! Dispel! Jhil! Jhil! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! Jhil! Jhil! Dispel! Dispel! As soon as she had finished with him, she turned to Galatea. Could you call everyone who left and ask them to wait in this room until morning? I have a theory I want to check, and some of them didnt return from their trip to the bathroom -to preserve their privacy, she had asked another fairy whose hair was full of gray to help check the private areas of other fairies who had refused to undress in front of her. Some had even insisted on checking themselves, which had annoyed her as she couldnt be sure if they had lied to her or not. But if she managed to evolve even to jhil, in the same way she did with purification, preserving the fairies modesty would not be a problem, and she would no longer have to worry about whether any of them escaped while still infected. Of course. I need a break, she told her, before she left to do what she had asked her to do. Ill be back in two hours. Is there somewhere nearby where I can relax? Although she felt she could keep working for another couple of hours, she was sure it was better that the fairies didnt get used to her keeping up this strenuous work pace. Or Artemis might start to think that her idea of intensive training was more than valid. We have prepared a room for you at the end of the corridor if you wish to rest, or if you prefer to take a walk there are several gardens, if you continue along this other corridor you will find a very nice one on your right. Thank you, Galatea. Ten minutes later, Kalysto had not only found the garden but had continued walking towards the surrounding forest, sitting under a leafy tree and admiring the colorful landscape full of pretty flowers. After making sure she was completely alone, she pulled out a pack of cookies and two cupcakes from her inventory, along with Tsuki. Hi! Did you miss me? The little furry wolf turned his white head as if he didnt understand what she was saying. Arff? I guess thats a no, she sighed, and hugged him, enjoying the softness of his fur and running her hands over him. Good thing he wasnt affected by being locked in the inventory. After a long session of caresses and hugs in which she ended with his tongue licking her cheeks, she deposited him on the floor. Dont ever do that on my face again she warned him, and seeing the sadness laden look the puppy gave her, she added but you can lick my hand or my legs but not my face, you almost licked my eye, she immediately used purify with herself, and took out a bottle with water from the ones she had bought, and washed her face, and almost drank the rest, when she was about to finish drinking the bottle Tsuki barked, demanding some for him. Yes, yes, yes, here you go and she poured some into the palm of her hand, allowing him to drink. When he finished, she wiped her hand and gave him half of the package of filled cookies she had taken out, and broke one of the cupcakes in half, and offered it to him. Tsuki was quick to devour them, looking at her with anticipation as she took a bite of the second cupcake. Okay, heres half, but dont ask me for more for today. And just as she was taking a bite of her half of the delicious cupcake, a slime crashed against her face, another against her hand, and another against Tsuki. Who didnt take long to attack the shameless monster who tried to steal his food. Chapter 39 “Tsuki’s power” Chapter 39 Tsukis power Tsuki immediately tried to scratch the slime but instead of piercing his new enemy with his claws, his paw was absorbed by the slime, and as much as Tsuki tried to get away from him, he couldnt. And he had to watch sadly as half of his cupcake began to fall apart in the slimes stomach. Before the slime tried to do the same to his paw, he started rubbing against the grass, trying to get rid of the small but very sticky creature. And as soon as he was able to separate his paw from the slime, annoyed by the loss, he attacked it again. Meanwhile, Kalysto, who couldnt even breathe, tried to shake off the annoying creature that was covering her nose and mouth, but the gelatinous slime seemed to slip through her fingers like water, not giving her a chance to catch it and throw it away. To either of them, she annoyingly clasped her hands together, approaching both creatures, and taking advantage of the fact that her mana was almost at full strength, she chanted in her mind: Sleep well, sleep well, sleep well, sleep well, sleep well, sleep well, sleep well! Almost a minute later both slimes fell to the ground asleep as she coughed and struggled to get some air. She immediately pulled out another bottle with water and rinsed her face and the next second she pulled out the club she had stolen from the goblin on the ground and hit them hard, until the round stone inside both of them cracked. Four windows, two blue and two violet opened before her. [You have gained 20 experience points.] [You have gained 20 experience points. ] Without thinking of anything else Kalysto turned around with the intention of helping Tsuki, only to find that the little puppy was throwing thin beams of electricity at the slime, until it stopped moving. Surprised by what she had just saw, she asked. Can you use magic and you didnt tell me? Tsuki, instead of looking like a duly scolded puppy, whined while sniffing the slimes body and digging with his paw, as if he could recover his lost cupcake. Agg! Stop that. It could be poisonous! Tsuki whined again, this time louder. Ill give you another cookie if you behave. He immediately fell silent, and like a good puppy, sat on his hind legs, waiting for her next command. Kalysto had to try hard to hide the smile that played on his lips. So she shook his head and put the club away, then pulled out another cookie and gave him half. Moving closer to look at the remains of the other slime, noting that unlike the two that had attacked her, the round stone inside the slimes body was intact. Curiously, she picked it up, but the instant her hand made contact with the stone, a violet window opened before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this core?] Kalysto blinked, completely surprised by what was happening. What if its something bad?... it could be poisonous... What if I get sick? She hesitated. Then she remembered the bottle of holy water she still had unfinished, and the other two bottles of low concentration she still possessed. But it could also be an opportunity. So she decided she could take a chance. She took out the bottle her new boss had given her and after uncorking it she put it back in storage uncapped, so in case of an emergency she could drink it straight away without wasting time. She did the same with the two small ones and put their corks in one of the pockets of her backpack, to avoid losing them. She took a deep breath, and when she felt ready, she pressed the accept button. [The user has acquired 0.005% of the regeneration skill.] What? She frowned. If a core barely gives you 0.005% of the ability, that means I have to hunt twenty thousand slimes in order to get the full skill?... Wouldnt that label me as a genocidal? It would practically be the same as extinguishing their population, right? She was surprised, feeling a little sick at such slaughter. But at the same time, another idea occurred to her. But that means I wouldnt have to worry so much about dying at any moment or about the third mission. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. And the instant she thought that, all traces of guilt disappeared. Excited at the new possibility that opened up before her, she ran to pick up the other two cores, wanting to test her theory. But unlike the previous one, these two were not whole, so she picked up the split halves, trying to form them again. Absorption! she shouted, but nothing happened. So she tried to think of what else she could call the ability and after several failed attempts, and after checking her ability window and still seeing a bunch of question marks, she finally came up with what it was. Absorb! A violet window opened before her. [The user wishes to absorb the remains of these slime cores?] Yes! she exclaimed. And a minute later, which seemed like an eternity, another violet window appeared in front of her. [The user has acquired 0.0025% of the regeneration ability.] Kalytso wanted to complain about how little she had managed to obtain despite being two cores, but realized that doing so would be a complete waste of time. Instead she turned to Tsuki. With a better strategy drawing in her mind. Inspection! [The users skill is still too low to see this targets stats.] Kalysto cursed, and as if Tsuki could understand everything that was happening, he made a particular sound, which almost sounded like a laugh. Earning a frown from his mistress. Very good! Since I see youre in such a good mood, Im going to make a deal with you Tsukis ears, whose tips were dyed sky blue, stood up. And Kalysto took out a knife and a nede from her inventory, and broke it into eight pieces, for every four of these cores you bring me, Ill give you a piece of this keeping in mind that this will help him recover the mana he spends hunting them, it will be something necessary. And since you helped me catch a whole core, take a piece for you to taste what you will receive as a prize, she added, pretending she was being magnanimous. Tsuki, at first, didnt seem very convinced and looked at the piece of fruit suspiciously. After hesitating for half a minute, he very slowly approached her and began to sniff the fruit. Then, careful to bite Kalysto, he licked the fingers that held the fruit, tasting its flavor, realizing that it didnt taste bad, he continued licking, this time with more force, making Kalysto drop the piece of fruit on the ground which he didnt take long to eat. As soon as he finished, Kalysto asked him. -So we have an agreement? Arff! He replied, wagging his tail from side to side. Very well, Ill take that as a yes. Now go find me some more of those slime cores! And leaping up a bark, Tsuki sniffed at the remains of the slimes she had hit with the club and then went into the forest, followed by his mistress, who again drew a bow. At least this will serve Tsuki as training. She excused herself. Ten minutes later, they found their next prey. And Kalysto used the Inspection skill. [Slime. Level:1] Why dont you give me more information? She lamented. And she immediately shot an arrow that stuck in its target without hurting it. What the hell are the bodies of these things made of? Seeing that her bow was useless, she saved it. Tsuki, attack! She ordered, and immediately Tsuki did so, but while thin lightning bolts came out of its body and immobilized its prey, another slime came out of the bushes that surrounded them and threw itself against the body of the small wolf. Kalysto immediately took the club out of her inventory and hit the slimes body hard against the trunk of a tree, but the monster instead of being crushed against the thick trunk, it bounced as if it were made of rubber. Kalysto frowned at the bouncing creature and put away the wooden club, then pulled out one of the swords. And ran after the slime, matching its agility and with one sharp motion cleaved it in half before it tried to attack Tsuki again. Annoyed, for another wasted core, she picked it up. Absorb! she said. And a violet window opened before her. [The user wishes to absorb this core?] Yes!" she exclaimed. A few seconds later, another violet window appeared before her. [The user has acquired 0.0015% of the regeneration ability.] Then she picked up the one that Tsuki had electrocuted and pulled out its core. [Does the user wish to absorb the remains of this core?] Yes! [The user has acquired 0.005% of the regeneration skill.] Then she opened her skill window, excited to see that a new one had been added to the list. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 2 Mana detection: level 1 Mana Sense: level 1 Mana Control: level 1 Mana manipulation: level 1 Dispel: level 7 Sleep well: level 1 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 1 Blessing: level 1 Jhil: level 8 Passive skills: ???????? From ??? Level 40/125 Languages: : legendary level (User can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in the world of Elinor. This is a bonus given by the administrator) (The skill has been upgraded by administrator so that the user can also understand the native fairy language). Regeneration: 0.014% of acquired skill.(Incomplete). Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 40 Pain resistance: level 30 ?????????: level 3 This is going to be a long afternoon," she whispered, as she watched the sun begin to set on the horizon, above the canopy of the leafy trees. I might as well take advantage of it to keep raising my other skills. Ezhil Purification! Inspect! She said, and two small windows opened before her, giving her information about the large tree whose trunk she was touching. Chapter 40 “Purifying the forest. Part 1” Chapter 40 Purifying the forest. Part 1 Two hours later, night had fallen, and they were both completely lost. Despite the light of the two moons shining high in the sky, the dense branches of the huge trees blocked out all the light. So neither Tsuki nor Kalysto could see much of what was around them, although Kalysto was definitely the more impaired of the two. So she checked her skill window and checked that after the 100 slimes they had hunted, she now possessed 0.514% of the regeneration skill. At least thats something. She consoled herself. Ezhil Purification! She whispered, stretching her arms out to her sides and watching as the golden light pouring from her body purified everything within ten meters around her, illuminating her path. At least it will serve me to level up the skill a bit, purify the forest and find a way back. Come on, Tsuki! Help me find my way back to where we found those first slimes, and I gave you the cupcakes! She was sure it was the mention of the cupcakes that encouraged him to try to find the way. She simply followed him. Two minutes later the golden light of her ability went out, and Kalysto activated it again, trying to see if she could use it without having to raise her arms sideways to her sides. At first, it didnt work. It was after the twenty-fifth try, that she was able to activate the ability while keeping her arms relaxed at her sides, but she still had to move her hands. Thats a start. She tried to cheer herself up. A few minutes later three windows appeared before her, two violet and one blue. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected.] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up!] Kalysto immediately closed them and took out one of the potions Artemis had given her and took a sip. And opening her status window, she was able to verify something she had noticed while she was healing the sick. Elven mana potions, even with a single sip, could give her more mana than she had. Like in that instant, where she had 500/254 MP. Which was simply absurd. Being forced to burn the excess mana before it evaporated, she began to conjure. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Ezhil Purification! Then she started to run, taking the small wolf by surprise as she overtook him. Come quick, Tsuki! Before I run out of mana! Arff! cheered the little one, running beside her. Happy with the new game they were playing. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Ezhil Purification! Kalysto continued, hoping to level up Jhil, so she could get it to level 10 and test her theory. She really hoped it would come true. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Ezhil Purification! The strong golden glow illuminated the forest, allowing her to see the path ahead of her and assuring her that no strange creature would attack them again while they were unsuspecting. Kalysto ran through the forest, illuminating the trees and bushes and branches that crossed her path as a smile lit her face. She might be tired and the soles of her feet already hurt, but it had been years since she had felt free to run as she pleased through a forest, without the fear of her stepfather finding her clouding her world, or having to worry about winning another race and making sure she got first place. And so, forgetting all worries, Kalysto ran as if she were one with the wind, jumping over bushes as if they were mere obstacles, while laughing at how much work it took Tsuki to jump the last one. If you dont hurry, youre going to be left behind, Tsuki! She shouted at him with a huge smile on her lips. Arff! The little boy seemed to complain, but quickly circled the thorny bush, just as the golden glow of her skills began to fade. Kalysto immediately corrected it. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Ezhil Purification!... Come on Tsuki, dont lag behind! And her new pet barked, running beside her, wagging his tail from one side to the other, happy to enjoy this moment of freedom with his master "Jhil! Jhil!" sang Kalysto, as Tsuki brushed against her, making sure that any mistreatment he might have suffered from the bush was healed. Then she kept running. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Ezhil Purification! She exclaimed and continued with the games, until beyond the light of the golden glow, a shadow moved. She immediately stopped and pulled out her bow from her inventory and an arrow with penetration stats and readied herself to shoot. Whos there? she shouted. If you dont identify yourself in the next two seconds, Ill shoot at your head. Next to the shadowy figure she had seen, another one appeared and Kalysto immediately drew her bow. Tsuki, prepare to attack," she whispered to her pet, which laid its ears back and began to growl at the new enemies. One! she warned. But before she got to two, a female voice echoed in the dark forest. Its me, champion of the fairies! Its Galatea! One of the shadows raised both hands, trying to show that she was no danger to them. And Kalysto, recognizing her voice, whispered. Dispel! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Purification Ezhil! Wanting to check if it was her and not some illusion created by another fairy. In front of her was Galatea, with her coffee with milk-colored skin and dark green hair, next to her was a fairy with pink hair she had never seen before, much shorter than Galatea, but also wearing an armor. This is Hanna. She usually keeps watch in the woods. I asked her to help me look for you in case you were lost. However, I have no way of combating the skills that the illusionism profession awakens. She reminded herself, thinking about what Artemis had told her. Come on, Kalysto, concentrate! Concentrate! She scolded herself. Having noticed that, it activated the skill that had helped her with the white-clad woman who had entered her mind. And just as she had expected, two windows opened to her left. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Seeing that neither of the two changed form after that, nor seemed willing to attack them, Kalysto lowered her bow. Then Galatea, with her face loaded with surprise, pointed at Tsuki. Saintess, that beast is... You mean Tsuki? Thats my pet! Tsuki, introduce yourself! The puppy immediately stopped growling and sat up on its hind legs. Arff! Arff! However, Galateas attitude didnt change. Do you have a problem with my pet? Kalysto asked, drawing the bow again. Of course not, Saintess, she hastened to answer. "But we got worried when you didnt arrive after the agreed two hours. So we came looking for you." All right," she commented, pretending nothing had happened, and put the bow down along with the arrow, but did not put them in her inventory. Lead the way back, please. Chapter 40 “Purifying the forest. Part 2” Chapter 40 Purifying the forest. Part 2 Despite the odd looks Galatea occasionally gave Tsuki, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And Hanna seemed to be a rather reserved woman, so there were no problems on that front. As soon as they returned to the room with the more recent and less seriously ill, Kalysto put Tsuki back into her inventory while the two guards were not watching her. And, she noticed that the patients who had left, even with the excuse of going to the bathroom to check for more plague stains in places too intimate to share with her had already returned, and by the way some of them avoided her gaze, and anyone elses for more than a second, Kalysto guessed that they found more marks on their bodies. Those who had retreated, or I had already checked them before, please come to me, they slowly did so and began to circle her. Kalysto immediately began to conjure, Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Then she lowered her arms. Tomorrow I will perform a couple more healings on you. I ask you to check every area of your body very well, especially the soles of your feet and between your toes, I have already found several fairies with signs of the plague in those areas, so I ask the rest of you not to go barefoot and to check your bodies very well before the last check tomorrow. If you find any traces of the disease, let me know immediately so that I can treat you again. We have made excellent progress so far, but we must not let our guard down, understood? They all nodded in agreement, some even somewhat reluctantly. Kalysto let them be, however. Then she went to the small group of those she still needed to check and began the purification incantation. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! But as soon as he finished, he noticed that he hadnt reached them all, so he had to approach the end of the group and conjure again. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Kalysto had already noticed that although the spell that cured the black plague was undoubtedly Jhil, if she used Dispel, and Purification along with it, they accelerated the healing by more than 50%. So she decided to keep using them and force herself to level them up, but no matter how hard she had tried to get all three to level up at the same rate, she had not succeeded. And she spent the next two hours healing the rest of the sick. It was when she was healing the second-to-last sick person that she finally got one of the things she was looking for. And she checked the collection of notifications she hadnt seen in the last few hours. [The Dispel skill has been leveled up!] [Jhil skill has leveled up!] Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. [The skill Dispel has leveled up!] [Jhils skill has leveled up!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Jhil Ezhil. Level 1!] She immediately turned to the rest of the group. Everyone come to me, please! I am going to perform another round of healing. Check if you are being touched by the light of my ability or not. It is important that you make sure that every part of your body is touched. Dont leave any part out, not even your feet, understood? It seemed that everyone began to crowd around her a little at her words, but she took it in calmly, remember that we will still have one last session tomorrow which I will divide into two smaller groups, but for now are you ready? After hearing a long chorus of yes, Kalysto took a long drink of mana potion and began to conjure. Dispel! Dispel! Jhil Ezhil! Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! .... Were all touched? After they answered, she fired two more rounds, just to be sure. And while the golden glow wasnt as intense this time, it did manage to focus on some people more than others. Then theyre the ones who need more healing. She noticed that Jhil, unlike her other abilities, only activated when someone needed some kind of healing. And just then, two windows appeared before her. [Warning: User only has 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any ability again or your health will be severely affected.] And Kalysto smiled. Very well. Thats all for today. Thank you very much for your cooperation and patience," she said, although she would have liked to scold those who had wanted to leave with the excuse of going to the bathroom instead of taking the survey. "I hope you have a good night. And Ill see you tomorrow. As soon as she left the small crowd, Galatea approached her. Good job, Saintess. Lets wait for me to check on the group in the morning. After that, I think they can all go home. Could you let Artemis know that Ill check on her tomorrow as soon as Im done with this group? Of course. Anything else I can do for you? Can you ask someone to bring me dinner? Of course, she said, escorting her back to the room they had assigned her. As soon as dinner was brought to her, she took Tsuki out of inventory, ate, and went to bed. Well, at least things dont look as bad as they did before. It was her last thought as she watched the light of the two moons filter through the window of her spacious and luxurious room. And her eyes began to close. After letting out a long sigh, feeling the calmness invade every part of her body, a sudden blow against her face, thanks to Tsukis tail, whose hairs seemed to stick up her nose, forced her to cough and open her eyes again. Tsuki! she scolded him, but the soft snores coming from the small body told her that he had long since fallen asleep. She let out an unladylike grunt and rolled over in bed, turning her back to him. Its strange having to share my bed with someone. She thought, before falling asleep again. Chapter 41 “An unexpected twist” Chapter 41 An unexpected twist 18 hours earlier. The chill of the night hit Galoths face, as the young orc blinked twice before looking up at the older hobgoblin standing before him. I do not understand why you would say that to me. No one in my village has done anything to betray the Lord, so the great shaman has no reason to attack me to punish my tribe. And yet you have something that is mine, young orc a mischievous smile came across the old mans face as the huge body of the young fellow sitting in front of him froze at his words. Explain to me Galoth, son of Holleoth, how did one of my books come into your hands? Galoths face paled at his words, and fearing the harm the mighty shaman might do to his cousin, he knelt before him at once. Ease your anger with me. I will gladly accept whatever punishment the shaman believes should be imposed," the old man observed him silently. From what little he had noticed of the young orc, he knew he was honest. The spirits think you are covering for someone," Ereshkigal commented, and he realised it was true when the orc avoided his gaze. He had never heard a single complaint from the young orc in the few times he had visited his tribe. And though he knew the young man was a hard-working warrior, he knew that his heart, unlike his fathers, was soft. Ereshkigal saw no malice or contempt in his gaze; on the contrary, Galoth looked at him with respect and admiration. Unlike his father, with whom on more than one occasion he had had minor altercations. Tell me, was it your father who ordered you to steal it? And seeing the confusion on Galoths face, Ereshkigal got the answer that mattered most to him. Can you at least understand the teachings that are written there? No, this time the orcs cheeks flushed with shame. Did your father never teach you anything about the high magic of the spirits and their invocations? ... I cant even read, he admitted, feeling vulnerable. But not daring to lie to someone his uncle treated with such respect. And who was rumoured to serve the Lords left hand. Of course you dont know," he whispered. Suspecting that his father would not bother to teach him because it might have jeopardised his place in the tribe. Show me your status window again," he ordered, understanding now why the young man seemed far more interested in whatever story he could tell him, and in closing the windows of his system than in exploring it. As he had done with his own. Galoth, like the good warrior he was, but did not want to be, obeyed the order he was given. Status window he said. And the strange blue screen again appeared inches from his face, interrupting his view. [Status window] Name: Galoth, son of Holleoth Age: 24 years old Race: orc Level: 6 Fatigue: 93 Class: Summoner (Normal) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A. Affiliation: N/A HP: 1000/1200 MP: 284 Strength: 51 Vitality: 27 Agility: 17 Stamina: 42 Intelligence: 8 Charisma: 0 Luck: 0 Status: embarrassed Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Available points: 10 Now, press here, commented Ereshkigal, pointing to his intelligence. Again, Galoth did as he had been ordered. Ever since he had started this mission, he had felt so out-of-place having to be in command of one of the squads, having within him someone who held a position far superior to his own in the eyes of the Lord. So since they had come to this world and separated from the rest, it felt much more natural for him to follow the old shamans orders. Keep doing it until I tell you to stop. And Galoth did so, feeling his mind grow clearer and clearer each time he did so. His thoughts raced faster and faster as he felt a new energy flow through his body. And at some point, just before the elder shaman ordered him to stop, the mysterious symbols before him began to make sense. I can understand them! Galoth exclaimed with joy. Its about time, my boy. I was beginning to worry. But what kind of magic is this? One that was bestowed upon us by the enemy of our Lord, Galoth frowned, uncomprehending. Why would she do something so stupid? ... Perhaps because she did not believe we would survive, or because she underestimated us. But well show that smug goddess that were not the idiots she thought we were a wicked grin darkened his old face. And we will make her regret giving us access to her secret weapon," Galoth nodded, willing to follow his orders and earn greater honour for his tribe. Now show me your skills! he commanded. And Galoth did so. Two hours later, as the first rays of sunlight began to rise over the horizon, the hobgoblin and the orc looked out over the small village to which the path they had been following during the early hours of the morning led them. - Come on boy, victory awaits us," Ereshkigal encouraged him with a sinister smile on his face. An army of skeletons along with the zombies that he had resurrected, and that were once part of the invading army advanced behind them, like his personal army. Between them walked some of the wizards who had ambushed them earlier, and who were now part of Ereshkigals collection of undead. And at either end of them, walked two huge golems made of earth and stone. Show me what youre made of! exclaimed Ereshkigal, holding the staff his Ladyship had given him as a gift in his left hand. One day and three hours earlier. Kingdom of Vatha. That morning Clarissa Bor, the daughter of the Bor merchant who had recently purchased his title as a baron in the kingdom of Vatha rose before the sun, and as she tucked a pillow under her covers and covered it with the softness of a consummate lover, her heart trembled for an instant. Clarissa shook her head, trying to erase her doubts, and instead pulled out the suitcase she had hidden under her bed and put on a simple bag she had bought a few days ago, to make sure not to draw attention to herself. Then she checked her appearance before leaving. Finally, she braided her reddish hair and picked up the heavy suitcase. A double whistle below her window, imitating the sound of a bird, told her that the way was clear. And for an instant, her heart hesitated. Clarissa wished she could say goodbye to her dear mother, but she knew well that she would soon tell her father, who was ready to force her to marry the old marquis to whom he had sold her without her consent, in exchange for expanding his business. Clarissa shook her head. The soft sound of a knock against the door alarmed her, but before she could find a place to hide, her maid, Anna, entered the room, her dark gaze full of sadness. Miss, are you sure this is the right thing to do? After what happened in the capital, it is no longer safe to stay here. Besides, if hes willing to sell me out for a couple of gold coins and he doesnt care about my opinion, I dont care about his either. Anna didnt seem so sure, but she still took the suitcase and helped her out of the house through the back door that led to the laundry room. A tall, muscular young man with brown hair and a gentle gaze was waiting for them. And as soon as he saw them, he ran to Clarissa, wrapping her in a warm embrace. Are you all right? Do you still want to run away with me? The eighteen-year-old, only a day away from her nineteenth birthday, nodded her head. Lets go, before someone discovers us and after saying goodbye to her maid and her young knight, giving Anna a few coins to thank her for her help, the pair mounted the horse that Bastian Tyre had bought a few days before. And after tying their bags securely, they travelled on horseback to the border for the next six hours. Stopping only to get something to eat, feed the horse and go to the toilet, they continued for another four hours until they finally crossed the border and rented a room in a small village near the border. There they spent the night, and the next morning they rode until noon, arriving in the city of Mosso, in the kingdom of Balsac. There lived a cousin of Bastian, who after his grandfather, a baron, had lost all his fortune years before and left his family bankrupt, had bought a small farm after years of hard work and had invited his cousin and future wife to come and work with him. They had both accepted, and Bastians cousin had offered to help the couple with the preparations for the wedding, which was to take place later that day. Three hours later. Border city of Mosso. Northeast of the kingdom of Balsac. Alim Berkeley, the Grand Cardinal of the Temple of Light in the kingdom of Balsac, was travelling in his luxurious carriage as the heat of the afternoon forced him to open the window. The warm breeze did little to improve his mood, but at least it brought him some comfort. After the terrible tragedy that had struck the capital of Vatha, in which he had lost the holy pontiff along with more than half the population in a mysterious accident. He and an army of the finest holy knights serving the goddess Mhiralla set out to investigate. But as they were leaving the beautiful and cheerful city of Mosso, a gigantic pillar of golden light shone near the citys temple, rising up to the heavens and next to it a pillar of blue, the same shade of azure that was believed to belong to the eyes of the goddess Mhiralla, and the system she had bestowed on humans, illuminated the horizon. Stop the car! Stop immediately! cried the great cardinal, his heart trembling at the significance of that golden light. What is the matter, great cardinal? one of the knights guarding the carriage, alert to any danger on the road, hastened to ask. Back to the city at once! A new saintess and her knight have been chosen by the goddess! We must fetch them and bring them at once to the holy temple before anyone else discovers them! Chapter 42 Unexpected changes Chapter 42 Unexpected changes The next morning, all the plans Kalysto had made the day before came crashing down when she opened her eyes to find a violet window in front of her. And with Tsuki lying on top of her chest, his tail covering half of her face. Kalysto brushed it off and had to wipe the white hairs from her face with the help of the inside of her sheet. We need new sleeping arrangements, Tsuki! She scolded him, but the little one continued sleeping as if nothing had happened and Kalysto let out a frustrated sigh. Then she focused on the violet window. Why does he insist on talking through this medium if Im in his castle... Is it because Im human? Although she felt a little rejected by the idea, she tried her best to ignore it. She just had to do her job, and that was all. [I heard that you had an altercation with the instructor I assigned you. What happened? Why did you refuse to work with her?] So you already went to tell her your side of the story? How quick of you Artemis. I think the boss has been misinformed, she replied calmly. As far as I understand, Artemis is just an assigned instructor and not someone who has the authority to impose missions on me in exchange for teaching me. Besides, it was obvious that she had been somewhat careless with her illness, which ended up causing her own daughter, Medea, to be exposed to the black plague. [What did you say?] Kalysto could feel the alarm, anger and fear growing in her boss, even though she couldnt see it. So she frowned uncomprehendingly. She tried to impose... Kalysto began, but was interrupted. [The other thing!] There are certain cares that a person with such a contagious disease should take, and obviously neither she nor many of the other sick people have been taking them. Hence why there are so many other cases of infected people who have never been exposed to either the monsters or the miasma. One of them was Medea. But I already cured her. You can ask Galatea. She was there during the whole session, and she also helped me with the surveys we did on the patients. [Ill find out more about that. For now, explain yourself!] It is known on Earth that there are several ways to catch a disease. With flus for example if someone sick coughs or sneezes in front of someone whose defenses are low - then she realized that maybe in this world they didnt know about antibodies or microscopes, so she decided to change her approach - or is susceptible to getting sick, just by breathing near the emitted saliva of someone with the disease, the other person will also catch it. According to what was explained to me, if someone breathes the miasma they can become infected, so it would not be strange to think that the sweat or any type of secretions of an infected person could also infect others in small percentages of the plague, which, as it accumulates in the body of another individual due to constant exposure to other sick people, he himself will end up getting sick. The same thing happens with wounds, if someone in contact with a sick person, has a small wound on his hands, and lets say he was helping Artemis to take a bath or change clothes, and lets suppose he was so unlucky that Artemis in that instant, was touched in an area of her body where some scab on her body fell or has a tiny wound, her blood or sweat could contaminate the wound on the other persons hands. So I asked Galatea to get me a dressmaker to make some items that will help protect people who come in contact with the sick. And thus avoid unnecessary contagions. [What about the surveys? I dont see why you need to get information from my people. Our lifestyle is none of your business.] I believe I told you that I would need to do some research on the subject before signing the contract. And in my world, there is no such disease. [I remember.] When the research is finished, I will pass the data to you or if you like, you can read the questions and answers that were collected yesterday and then hand them over to me. [I will order Galatea to give them to me. Now, keep telling me what happened with Artemis. I heard that you spent yesterday healing the sick and purifying the forest, and not doing what I assigned you.] - You said I should meet my instructor and choose my first profession, and so I did. But as soon as I saw that I would not come to any agreement with her, I went on with what I thought was the most important thing, which was to cure Medea and then see what condition the other sick people were in. Then one thing led me to the other. [What was it she wanted you to do?] She wanted to send me on a mission to heal the elves in exchange for the potions they gave her as material for classes. But as I recall, in our contract I am completely free to refuse, plus I am under no obligation to accept any mission or any contract that anyone else tries to force me to do. Least of all for class materials that are not my responsibility to get. Unless you are telling me that I must get potions in order to take the classes, in which case the classes must be postponed because it means I must get myself a job in the human kingdom in order to get the money to be able to buy the potions. Which, as you may already know, are not so easy to come by in the human kingdom," she said, which in turn would leave me without much free time to hold up my end of the deal. But if I am forced to do that, then the best thing to do would be to simply wait for my mana capacity to regenerate naturally. Although I think that would take quite some time, but since according to the contract I have 3 human years to fulfill my obligations, that means I have enough time and I dont have any rush. Also, you should keep in mind that if I have to get money to cover my expenses in this world, it will take me much longer to get the money for the potions that apparently the professor wants me to pay for just because she chose a very intensive curriculum, which puts too much pressure on my body, which in the long run will be very detrimental to my health. Just with what I did yesterday, I already suffered from continuous headaches and excessive fatigue. Even now, having just woken up, I feel exhausted. And since I cant cure myself, being continually sick will hurt my performance. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [...] An awkward silence lingered between them until finally a new violet screen opened before her. [Did you say elves?] Yes, thats what I said. [Wait a moment.] And several minutes passed before another screen appeared again. [I thank you for what you did for my people yesterday. Ill check later on the surveys you had Galatea do yesterday and Medeas status personally. You and your pet can stay and live in the room you are in until our contract is up. I will assign a fairy to take care of your meals. But it would be wise for you to perform the mission for the elves. The plague has begun to spread among their people, and since you have had some success in this part of the mission with my people, you could be of help to them. What do you want in return?]] Another window popped up. [Mission: travel to the kingdom of Elenium and cure the elves who have been contaminated with the black plague. Reward: a home stone and a return stone. (The home stone will take the user back to her current room , while the return stone will take her back to the place marked as return, or where she was before using the home stone. These stones have been bound to the user by the administrator and no one else can use them.)] That will definitely come in handy. She thought, but what struck her most was how easily he was giving her things she hadnt asked for. In other words, it would be convenient for the boss to turn the elves into allies, wouldnt it? [...] [What do you want in return?] And Kalysto smiled, knowing that she had all the advantages in this new negotiation. I want you to increase my mana capacity and that of all my basic stats by at least 100 points, I want 1000 gold coins, plus I want you to give me the option to have at least three more professions, and remove the lock on the healing skill so I can heal myself for some reason she got the impression that he would refuse the latter. [You are asking too much.] And youre asking me to heal an entire race when you know I dont have enough mana, and my human body doesnt possess the stamina or stats to bear such a burden without getting sick, Kalysto defended herself. [ I will not remove the restriction.] That annoyed Kalysto. And it also confirmed her suspicion that her boss was the violet system administrator. May I know why? [...I dont trust you.] And what does that have to do with removing the restriction? Are you aware that I could catch the plague myself while Im healing your people? she questioned. Do they think I will turn against them in the future and are they taking the necessary steps to make sure I am eliminable... Why are they afraid I will become a future enemy in the first place? That raised all her suspicions. Does it have to do with the third mission? Distrust surfaced again. And Kalysto folded her arms and waited in silence for several minutes while her boss refused to answer. But sitting on her new, wide, comfortable bed, with only a T-shirt on and her hair tousled, she didnt look at all intimidating. [I never said anything about curing the entire elven race.] But neither did you deny it or specify it. Besides, Artemis said they were being attacked by monsters, which meant I could be in danger at any moment. What if a monster killed me while I was healing them? Immediately, the window containing the mission changed. Limiting the healing to only elves who lived in the city he was sending her to. And added another home stone that would send her back to the same spot where the bosss summoning circle would leave her when Kalysto went to the elves so she could use it in case of danger. Along with another unbound home stone, so she could set it up freely, plus their respective return stones. [ I cant change your basic stats either.] She continued as if nothing, and before Kalysto could argue. Another window appeared. [But I can give you 5 skill crystals which will each increase your strength, vitality, stamina and intelligence by 10 points, respectively. In addition, I can give you another 5 skill crystals to increase your intelligence... I can increase your professions by two. Considering that I took away your freedom to choose professions, its only fair that I restore them]. I heard that some fairies are allowed to have up to three professions. [And youre not one of mine, are you?] But could I become one? Silence. Seeing that I didnt answer, she continued. In that case, I will need more potions during the mission. Yesterday, I spent several of the potions that the instructor had negotiated. And it was thanks to that that I was able to make so much progress with the patients, since my mana regeneration is quite slow, as I am human," she reminded him, using her humanity, and the fact that her boss saw them as an inferior race, as an excuse to get more potions. Besides, what about the gold? [I dont possess human gold, but I can give you enough emeralds and other precious stones to trade with to get the gold you want.] How many? She demanded. She had already realized that with her new boss it was always best to be as explicit as possible. [10 medium-sized emeralds should be more than enough.] Kalysto nodded. She didnt know how much gold coins equaled in this world or how much one could buy with just one, but she was sure that 10 emeralds would definitely pay for any of her and her pets expenses for a few months. I need to buy clothes. How do you use these crystals you told me about? [ You can absorb them using your absorption ability. ] How the hell do you know about that? I only found out about it yesterday! Are you spying on me? Kalysto frowned. I dont have such an ability," Kalysto said, because, even though she had used it, it didnt appear in her status window. So she opened it, going to the ability tab of her two systems. [You have it, just check and youll see.] So Kalysto did as instructed and closed the window of both systems, then invoked them again. But this time, unlike the previous one, in the purple window, one of the innate abilities that previously appeared with a collection of question marks, now clearly read: Absorb: level 3. Is this an ability that many people have? She questioned, surprise reflecting in the tone of her voice. [ No. I only know of 4 beings on the entire continent who currently possess it.] Beings?...not people? That means it is not an innate ability of humans. Chapter 43 “Meeting the Elves” Chapter 43 Meeting the Elves After an arduous negotiation in which her boss agreed to grant her three bottles of medium-grade mana and two weeks of Elinorian vacation, in which she would only be called in case of emergency, Kalysto accepted the mission. And she was given three hours to get organized before leaving. The Saintess ran to bathe and put away most of her breakfast, which consisted of various fruits, bread, cheese, juice, and a cup of vegetable and root soup that was plain. Funny how they added salt to the bread and cheese, but not to the soup. It tasted awful. With some regret, she had to admit to Alynn, the fairy who was now in charge of bringing her meals, that she didnt like vegetables and she didnt like root vegetables either. Then Alynn gave her more freshly baked breads to make up for how little, according to her, Kalysto had eaten. Who didnt hesitate to give Tsuki two, eat one herself, and keep the rest in her inventory for later. Alynn, consider me officially a fan of your breads, she commented as the fairy accompanied her to the room where the less seriously ill were. The plump fairy, who seemed to have the attitude of a consummate granny, though her red hair had not a single gray hair, blushed. Champion, you flatter me. Even her voice seemed made of honey. Please call me Kalysto. I feel like youre saying youre going to lock me in a coliseum and make me fight other warriors like the Roman gladiators. What did you say? she questioned with a frown. "Please forget what I said, it is obvious that there are no Romans here," at that moment they arrived at the entrance of the room where Galatea was waiting for them. Good morning, champion of the fairies. Good morning, Galatea. How did you sleep? In good condition. Are you going to check on the sick before leaving for the elves city? Yes, was there any eventuality while I was gone? She asked as Galatea handed her a new set of gown, face mask, and gloves. Kalysto purified them before putting them on. And she also purified herself, Galatea and Alynn. The fairies in the room with the more serious ones have been complaining of pain," Kalysto frowned. No one told me about that. The plague eats the MP and HP of the sick. We think it feeds on it. And the more it grows, the more painful it is, she reported. Kalysto nodded her head. So Artemis attitude was more about that than anything else. Thats why potions were important. Tell me Galatea, are the potions of the elves superior to those of the fairies? Of course they are! Its not that ours are bad, its just that we dont have many potion makers and most of them are low to mid-ranking. But in Elenium, they have a high-ranking wizard. That immediately caught Kalystos attention. Another wizard, huh? It would be interesting to meet him and learn a thing or two from him. Suddenly, the trip sounded more and more interesting. Thanks for the tip," she then entered the room, Good morning everyone! I dont have much time today, so Ill be quick. I need you to divide into two groups. Ill do the last round of healing now, after which you can go home. That cheered them up. Come on, quickly! Split into two groups, one at the back of the room and the other come to me immediately, please. Come on, lets not waste time! The next ten minutes she spent doing several rounds of healing similar to the previous day, noticing how, with each round, fewer and fewer were bathed in the golden light when she used Jhil Ezhil. Very well. All those who ceased to be bathed in the golden light may leave. The rest will stay where they are! The members of the second group may now approach me! She then spent the next fifteen minutes healing this group until none of them held Jhil Ezhils glow. Alright group, thats all for today. You may now retire to your homes! Please remember to always wear a mask like this and gloves whenever you come in contact with someone who has the plague, and help me by telling other fairies about these preventative measures, okay? Of course, champion. Ill be sure to tell everyone about the use of mouth plugs. Theyre called face masks, but I really appreciate your efforts. Champion, thank you very much for healing us, you saved our lives! Said the old man she had treated the day before. And her heart warmed as she saw the sincerity on his face. Is there anything I can give you as a thank you? Your words are more than enough Seeing that the old man was about to object and that the other fairies seemed only too willing to listen to her answer rather than leave at once, she added, But if you really wish to give me something in return, I have discovered a great fascination for theles, and the delicious cheesy breads that Alynn makes. In that case, Ill see about getting you a dozen theles! And my eldest daughters husband makes good bread! The older man perked up. In that case, thank you very much for your kind offer. Ill be happy to eat them. Ill bring you a dozen too, champion. Ill bring you two dozen, insisted another fairy. I make excellent cheese," added another. I appreciate your good intentions, however, I must be going. I will be traveling for a few days, and Im not quite sure what my schedule will be. However, she immediately looked to Alynn for help, and the kind woman approached them, with her robe, gloves, and face shield on. If the champion is not available, I will arrange for her gifts to be delivered to her myself. Dont worry. Thank you very much, Alynn. Now, if youll excuse me, I need to run and tend to some more sick people before my trip. Healing the sick in the second room was not as easy as the sick in the first room. There were almost a hundred more fairies, and she had to divide them into three groups. She worked for exactly twenty minutes with the first group, using the alarm on her cell phone to time it. By the time she was done with the first, she checked the notifications that had come in which she had been completely ignoring as she worked. [The skill Dispel has leveled up!] [Jhil Ezhil skill has leveled up!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill! Dispel Ezhil: Level 1] Finally! Kalysto was excited. She immediately ate a thel fruit and drank some water while taking a short break, and as soon as she was done, she took a long drink of mana potion. Then she continued with the second and third groups, devoting exactly twenty minutes to each. To her annoyance, she didnt make much progress with them, but at least she managed to relieve some of their pain, and before leaving, she invoked [Sleep well] several times on each of them, making sure they would at least get a few hours of rest. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Then she entered the next room. There were not as many sick people there as in the second one, but their condition was much worse. So she spent the next hour treating them as much as she could. And as soon as she finished her rounds of spells, she invoked [Sleep well] on them several times. At least then they wouldnt be in so much pain. She took pity on them. She checked her notifications again. [The skill Sleep Well has been leveled up!] [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up!] [The Sleep Well skill has leveled up!] She closed them immediately, and as soon as she got out of there, she met Galatea. Could you please get me several face masks, gloves, and robes for my trip? Of course, champion. Ill go right now to get them. Ill go see Artemis, before I go back to my room and take a bath, she informed her, and did as she had said. Talking to Artemis was much easier this time. As soon as Kalysto entered the room, she asked her to remove the top of her robe and let her see her back, and just as the Saintess had feared, there were not only black spots there but also scabs, and small areas where the skin seemed to be turning to stone. Kalysto spent the next hour trying to heal her, but all she managed to do was spend what was left of a bottle of mana and remove all the small and some medium-sized spots on her upper body. The scabs had been the hardest part, although Dispel Ezhil, seemed to be helping to crack the edges a bit. Kalysto couldnt understand why if Jhil Ezhil was the specific healing spell, it was Dispel, who could help her with the scabs. I need to check them carefully and level them up. This doesnt look like a simple illness anymore... She worried. And that means I will have to take advantage of the trip to the elven city. Since you have accepted the mission with the elves, it is only fair that you get the potions I showed you yesterday. In that case, try to negotiate that they give us more, because between yesterday and today I have already spent four bottles of mana, only healing the sick. That surprised her instructor. How could you spend so much in such a short time? she asked, unable to believe what she had just heard. I cured one hundred and twenty fairies this morning. The rest I was barely able to give them a couple of rounds, like with you. Thats a lot more than I thought youd been doing. I know. Im already asking for several days off as soon as I finish the mission with the elves. I havent even started it and Im already tired. And its not even eleven in the morning, Artemis pursed her lips, trying not to make fun of Kalystos situation, but it was difficult. In that case, you deserve them. Youve worked hard. I hope youll be just as hardworking to start training with the professions. Please dont start. My afternoon already seems busy enough, and the evening looks so far away. Besides, unless you want to give me another large collection of potions and at least two two-liter bottles of high-quality holy water, along with about ten thousand rocks to enchant in my free time. Dont even remind me of that training. This time Artemis didnt even bother to hide her smile. Dont give me ideas. Id better go. At least this way I got to bathe before the trip. I wish I could get some sleep, though. Are you going dressed in those clothes? Artemis worried. Whats wrong with my favorite shirt? She was a little annoyed by the comment and wanted to rebut, but she was tired enough not to waste her time doing it. So she decided to change her approach. Why, are you going to give me clothes? She asked cheekily, not believing they would give it to her. Youll be representing our people, so obviously Im concerned about how others see you. Kalysto arched an eyebrow. She had never cared about her appearance. The more she went unnoticed by the male gender, the more confident she felt. So she frowned. Wearing black when they are going through such a difficult situation, they have so many sick people, and many of their people have died from the plague, would not go down well. They will think you are bringing them a bad omen. But am I the one whos going to go and cure them? How on earth does that make me a bearer of bad luck? Because black is a bad omen for high elves. Kalysto rolled her eyes and left the room after saying goodbye. Minutes later, when she emerged from the bathroom, Alynn was waiting for her in a new gown, along with several folded robes, face masks, and gloves. Next to a small leather bag on the bed. Whats that? She questioned, pointing to the brown leather bag. Thats an enchanted bag. It was given to me by Lady Artemis to keep your potions in, champion. I also took the audacity to save you some cheese and bread for the trip. I remembered that you dont like roots or vegetables, and elves consume them in excess. Shit! Ill be on a diet! Please tell me youve packed me enough for a couple of days and at least three dozen theles! Alynns round, sweet face crinkled with concern. I apologize, but I didnt pack that many. If you like, may I go back to the kitchen and get you some more? Id appreciate it, and if you have some more bread, cheese, or meat, all the better. Sounds like my stay with the elves will be less than pleasant, she added with a long-suffering face, and Alynn smiled with camaraderie. She looked like a grandmother excited to please her grandchildren. After helping her tie her dress, Alynn brought her more food. And Kalysto went to say goodbye to Artemis. I hope this dress is acceptable, but I must say I prefer pants, she complained, worried about how thin and flowing the fabric seemed, along with how delicate her new flat sandals looked. She almost felt like a priestess in some temple in ancient Rome. If I have to run, theyre sure to get damaged. She thought, missing the comfort of her tennis shoes. The dress is appropriate. Besides, I have a surprise for you, commented Artemis, who was now wearing a face mask. Why do I think I wont like it? questioned Kalysto, and the smile that shone on Artemis face, who no longer looked as pale and haggard as in the early hours of the previous morning, didnt tell her anything good. The notification must be coming soon, her instructor got excited. And at that moment, a violet window opened before her. [You have done a good job with healing my granddaughter and helping my daughter. I thank you.] Granddaughter? Kalysto thought. Are you my bosss daughter? she asked Artemis. Suddenly worried about the bad impression she gave her when they first met. Although she wasnt Miss Personality either. She excused herself. Artemis smile was all she received in response. Then, another window appeared before her. [Mission: Raise the enchantment profession to level 10 in one month. Rewards: One week of vacation in the human world. Two two-liter bottles of high-quality holy water (one will be given upon accepting the quest, the other upon completion). Twenty thousand river rocks to enchant (will be deposited in the inventory upon accepting the mission). Two thousand small quartz crystals to enchant ( must be returned at the end of the mission). Enchanted bag (contains the materials.)] If I raise Jhil high enough, Ill be able to remove Alices grandmothers cancer and Amandas tumor. Kalysto got excited but tried hard not to show it. Can I choose when I will make the trip? [Yes. You will be free to choose.] Then I accept Those two potions of holy water will definitely make it worth the effort. [Go back to your room. I will begin the invocation.] Okay, she said, though she wondered why if she went somewhere else it was still called a summoning. Could it be a problem with the translation spell? Before reaching the door she turned to Artemis. I dont know whether to love you or hate you. Thats up to you, although I think it would be nice if we got along. Youre not the troublesome, lazy brat I thought you were. Nor are you the evil fairy who tries to take advantage of her na?ve students, she said before walking away. But youre not na?ve! Kalysto heard her shout as she walked away towards her room. But she chose not to answer. Less than five minutes later, chaos greeted her. Her bosss magic circle hadnt finished fading when a huge branch, tree and all, almost fell on her and Kalysto had to dive to the side to avoid it. The soles of her sandals slipped against the shiny ground, causing her to almost crash into the huge wall separating the summoning platform from the huge castle. Screams flooded the whole place while the roar of several monsters destroying everything in their path could be heard from all directions, as one of them tried to approach the second floor, where she was standing. The huge Cyclops, more than two floors high, was slowly advancing towards her while whipping a tree trunk back and forth as if it were shooing away flies. Immediately Kalysto drew her bow and arrows with penetration and began to shoot at the eyes of anything that looked neither elven nor human that was within twenty meters of the edge of the long terrace where she stood. Who are you? asked a tall, slender elf with long blond hair and a fair complexion. Who suddenly appeared behind her. Trying to hide how much his repentant appearance had frightened her, Kalysto raised her left hand, showing her golden tattoo. You were the ones who made a deal for me to come and cure those with the plague. Who are you? And why didnt anyone warn us of this attack, so we could delay the summoning? The tall elf in long white robes, the same color as her dress, looked her up and down before answering. You are not what I expected, he replied calmly, as if they had all the time in the world. And there were no screaming soldiers downstairs. Yeah, well, this isnt the kind of reception I was expecting, either. Chapter 44 “Invasion” Chapter 44 Invasion Kalysto approached the edge of the wide terrace that contained the drawing of a magic circle on the ground. The city opened up before her eyes, its wide streets and buildings made of stone welcoming her along with the dark shade of green of the vegetation surrounding the hill on which the tall castle she stood in was situated. Allowing her to see most of the city from above. But also of the nine gigantic monsters fighting the few armed warriors who dared to stand against them, while others led small groups of civilians, to the skirt of the suit of a huge statue of a man with a scepter and a crown on his head that stood right in the center of a large square, in front of the castle. Seeing that none of them came back out after approaching the magnificent statue, Kalysto thought it must be an escape route. But that was not something she could help with. However, while she thought she could leave the instant things got too difficult, she could at least help them buy a little more time while they evacuated the remaining people. And a few free experience points would come in handy. Aside from the tree that had fallen to her left when she arrived, the wide terrace she was on seemed to be a safe place. And while it wasnt much damage she could do to these giant monsters, there were no other archers in sight, either. Or at least she couldnt see them from the second floor of the castle and the thick vegetation to her left, blocked part of her view. The layout of the city almost seemed to follow the design of a falling drop of water, whose starting point began with the castle. Where are the rest of your people? Do you have so few warriors left? And as she drew her bow to fire again, it occurred to her that, even if her new abilities couldnt go that far, there was still something she could try. The saintesses are supposed to have sacred energy, right? Dispel! Purification! She summoned, and while the golden glow still flooded the arrow, she shot it in the Cyclops eye. The arrow buried itself completely in its target and the monster cried out in pain, bringing its hands to the wounded organ, letting go of the tree it had been using to keep away the elven warriors whose spears and swords were pointing at it. The golden energy still glowed from her arrow, as it seemed to burn every part of the monster that came into contact with it. Curious. Excited, Kalysto prepared to shoot a second arrow and as soon as she did so, the voice of the elf next to her interrupted her from drawing a third. That was a good idea! Thank you for creating an opening for me, without sacrificing the soldiers," the elf stretched out his hand and a bright blue light shone around the magic circle that was created in the air in front of his open palm. [Ice spear] -he recited, and a gigantic ice spear was shot towards the cyclops, its tip pierced its broad chest and then stuck into the ground, anchoring the monsters huge body to the earth so that the body did not fall on top of the soldiers, nor did it cause any more damage to the surrounding buildings. Nor to the small family of civilians the cyclops had been following before the soldiers interrupted it. Kalystos heart pounded at such a display of power. I want to do something like this! Kalysto was thrilled. Is this what a real wizard looks like? And she turned with the intention of taking a better look at him, only to see the smug, superiority-laden smile stamped on his masculine, handsome face. Immediately, a pair of windows opened to the left of her. And Kalysto ignored them. She had forgotten to turn off the battle setting since Galatea had shown it to her the day before. And now, she was too excited to think straight. Fuck training with Artemis. This is what I want to be able to do! What the hell will I have to negotiate with him in order to get him to teach me how to do that? <> And Kalysto completely agreed with that voice in her head. <> And immediately a memory of his drunken stepfathers huge hand as he approached her small, helpless figure amidst the shadows of her lonely room flooded her mind. Her face paled at the terrifying image, and bile rose in her throat. Do you think you can help me get rid of the rest? asked the elf, his melodious voice forcing her out of the dark memories of her painful childhood. I need someone to distract them while I prepare the summonings, and the rest of the archers were sent to the north gate, the few remaining to the south, when the alarms went off less than half an hour ago. They wanted them defenseless. She realized. Its too much of a coincidence that they started attacking so close to my visit. Her paranoia was triggered. Who did they tell? How did the word get out? This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. At that instant, Kalysto again invoked dispel and purification on her arrows and began to fire them at the other two Cyclops that were five meters behind the previous one. And against the other four creatures, each with three eyes and four arms, whose height almost rivaled that of the Cyclops, but the dark blue of their skin made them stand out. And though she had already completely blinded the six monsters within twenty yards of her, the elf at her side was barely finishing the spell. Agility in a wizard, despite his great power, is indeed a problem. She thought, as she admired how the elf finished the multicasting and threw four giant spears at the four three-eyed creatures, which seemed to be much more agile and less clumsy than the huge cyclops. One of the cyclops that was much lower down began to climb the hill, walking among the remains of half-shattered houses and traces of a fire while the bodies of other monsters lay on the ground or on top of the rubble of some buildings. Kalysto calculated that now that creature was within range of what she could attack. So instead of just standing around in a daze admiring how wonderful it was to see that ice sprouting from the magic circles that were drawn in the air, she focused on her new target. And after summoning dispel and purification to her arrow, the Cyclops turned around, revealing his profile as he slammed the tree in his fist into the surrounding buildings, the erratic movements of his thick, huge arms along with the leafy branches of the tree and the attempts of the soldiers who were surrounding him to keep him away from the small square in front of the castle, obstructing Kalystos view of the Cyclops small, elongated eye. Shit! Fearful that the golden light of her spells would be extinguished, she chanted them again, and at the same moment that the elf launched two more huge spears, she launched her arrow, piercing the Cyclops ear hole. Immediately the monster screamed and turned around trying to find the culprit, he found her while she prepared another arrow and ran uphill towards the castle trying to reach her. At that instant, Kalysto shot another arrow, followed by a second one. Both entered his one eye, blocking his sight, causing the Cyclops to let out a cry of pain and drop the tree, which to her seemed to fall on top of one of the warriors who had been fighting him. Crushing his leg. Kalysto felt guilty about her injury, but immediately forced herself to stay focused. And though she didnt see the notification, she did feel the coldness of her Mental Defense ability run through her body from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. And all compassion and guilt she had previously felt for the elfs possible injury disappeared without a trace. As did the other voice in her head. The moment the cyclops brought both hands to his wounded eye, whose arrows glowed with the saintesss golden energy worsening the wound. She turned to the wizard at her side. Can you get rid of that cyclops? I think we make a good combination, he replied, summoning another gigantic ice spear while the monster was still lamenting the wound and trying to remove the tiny arrows that escaped from his chubby fingers which suffered burns every time they came into contact with any of them, but that did not stop the stubborn cyclops from trying. Less than a minute later, the monster was pierced by a giant ice spear, stopping all the destruction and death his advance had caused. And I think you are perfectly capable of taking them out without my help, Kalysto replied, as she saw how easy it was for him to get rid of those threats. Thats not entirely true. The spells take a while to be prepared, not counting the cooldown time, so I need someone to distract them in the meantime. Blinding them stops them from advancing and causing damage to both the people and the city, which buys me some time while the few soldiers escape and help the civilians to safety. That sounds like a plan," she commented, thinking about how beneficial all that free experience would be for her. wed just have to get close enough to finish off the rest. She commented, observing the second group of monsters that were much lower. But something to her left caught her attention. Amidst the thick leaves of the leafy tree that had been thrown against the summoning platform when she arrived, Kalysto caught a glimpse of a silhouette moving in the distance. Then a new idea crossed his mind as she saw a new group of creatures that had four arms. Dont you think you can shoot from here? Asked the elf as she watched the group of cyclopes coming up the hill, completely oblivious to the ones she just noticed. I am a saintess, not an archer. This, she added, raising her bow, is my hobby. In that case you have a very particular hobby, he commented with the same calmness he had had from the beginning, while more magic circles of various colors this time kept drawing in the surrounding air. Kalysto, realizing that he had not yet seen the new group, asked. What are those things? And she pointed to her left, to the group of four-armed giants whose green-toned skin blended in with the leaves of the tall trees surrounding the city. Though they were as nearly as tall as the dark-skinned ones the elf had killed earlier, the newcomers had a horn atop their heads. Shit! Those are cuoekqles!... One of the magic circles, the orange one, approached him and touched his fingertips -All soldiers fall back, get the civilians to the evacuation routes! A group of cuoekqles is on its way! The west side entrance has fallen! -His voice echoed through the surroundings and several horns began to blare in all directions, sounding the alarm. All trace of calmness disappeared from that elfs face as he recited several spells and more and more magic circles were drawn around, if before he had been being careful not to destroy the city, now he had sent everything to hell. A barrage of spells fell on the monsters that still remained near the castle, fireballs and ice spears mingled as they burned and pierced the bodies of the remaining Cyclops along with that of the other four-eyed but hornless creatures further down the hill. People ran between the streets as they escaped down small alleys and out of sight through secret passages that some warriors guarded. Seeing that everyone was evacuating as the great wizard destroyed part of the city while slaying most of the monsters, except for the cuoekqles that had not yet finished breaking through the thick forest, Kalysto pulled her home stone from her inventory. This attack seems too synchronized to be a coincidence. When you guys finish solving your security problems, give me a call, but when she muttered the code word, the home stone did not activate. And she was still there, standing in front of the mighty wizard. What the hell? Kalysto thought, and a wave of fear swept over her as she lost the only safety she had to get out of there alive. Oh, no young saintess! Youre not going anywhere. Chapter 45 “A New Alliance” Chapter 45 A New Alliance A spear of ice conjured with Caranthirs right hand pierced one monster, while with his left he conjured a great flare of fire and burned another, whose body fell on top of an empty house. He knew that he must not use too powerful magic in the city, or he himself would be the cause of its destruction. But after, two hours earlier, the alarm sounded warning of the sighting of a huge group of monsters that had been sighted several kilometers to the east, they had sent the best of their army to confront them only for a second alarm to go off an hour later, announcing that the city had been invaded from the north, and half an hour later a third alarm announced the entrance of another enemy group from the south. Caranthir and the rest of the soldiers who were still defending the city were just trying to buy a little more time while the last citizens were getting to safety. But despite his large reserves of mana and how tired he was, he was concerned about the survival of the soldiers he had left behind in the battle to the north, the ones he had had to abandon when the city was attacked. And trying to rescue those who lived in the outlying areas was problematic, if not impossible, right now, but at least he could buy them some time while some of them arrived. It was at that instant that he felt the teleportation platform activate, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Shit! he cursed. Caught between surprise and panic at the idea that someone had been able to break through the vast collection of spells and anti-teleportation barriers that he himself had placed over the castle. He had personally taken it upon himself to deactivate any teleportation mechanism in the entire city and activate a spell that blocked anyone other than himself who tried to use magic to move around the city as soon as he heard about the first invasion. Impossible! He whispered at the impossibility of what his magic was warning him of. And he looked back, trying to observe the platform on the second floor, where he did indeed catch a glimpse of the faint glow left by the magic when it was activated. But, although his eyes now also confirmed it, his mind could not catch up. Terror coursed through his veins as cold sweat ran down his back. And Caranthir sent all care to hell, and spent almost the last of his mana points teleporting himself in the right corner of the platform, in a small corner that allowed him to watch unnoticed while his mana regenerated a little and he could assassinate the newcomer, after interrogating him. Or at least that was the plan. But as soon as he got there and pulled out a small bottle of his most potent mana potions and drank it, it wasnt an enemy army he found there as he had expected, but the Saintess, the one they had been waiting for over an hour ago. Caranthir frowned. Not only was it strange that the Saintess had been able to break through his barriers, but it was too much of a coincidence that she had arrived at the exact moment when his people were most vulnerable. And he clenched his fists as a collection of doubts at the strange and very sudden collaboration of the fairies. A trap, for sure. He thought. One that the king, his younger brother, had been so foolish and desperate to fall into. Anger boiled in his veins, as did the thought of betrayal, but he forced himself not to let his emotions cloud his judgment. Fairies could be very powerful enemies when they wanted to be, and it was not wise to antagonize them. Not considering the powerful being behind them. Caranthir would have to find out whether or not this woman was related to the sudden attacks. And I would have to be very careful in doing so. He decided. One could never be sure enough. So he tried to flirt with her and gain her trust, though it didnt seem to be working. But he erased all attempts at being charming as soon as he spotted the cuoekqle, and immediately ordered everyone to stand down. And while he was distractedly killing all the monsters nearby and nearly destroying what was left of the city to give the three remaining groups of stragglers time, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Saintess do something he never expected. And seeing the home stone in her hands, he immediately re-activated all the anti-transportation barriers on the terrace, only to discover that the ones he had thrown earlier were still there. He frowned, not understanding how she had managed to get through them without destroying them the first time, but he made sure she couldnt do it a second time. Now was not the time to worry about that. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Oh, no young Saintess! Youre not going anywhere," he assured her, before grabbing her forearm forcefully and teleporting them both to one of the refuges. **** Town of Lambo, on the outskirts of the forest of Los Lamentos. Kingdom of Balsac The public library of the small town of Lambo, was a mysterious place full of knowledge that anyone could enter. Even Arkhas. Especially after stealing the thick traveling cloak of that unsuspecting old traveler he had found traveling on horseback through the thick, silent forest two hours before. Arkhas had followed him silently to the edge of a thin river where the old man got off his horse and let him drink water after tying him to the branch of a nearby tree. Then the unsuspecting old man bent down and with his gloved hands pulled out a leather canteen from inside his dark cloak and began to fill it with water and then pulled down his scarf and drank while Arkhas, completely ignoring the presence of the four-footed animal that was beginning to notice his presence, picked up some nearby rocks in silence, and after collecting his loot, Arkhas hid behind a strange bush and threw the first rock intending to hit him in the head, but instead it hit his back. That cheered him up. At least this time, he had hit the target. And before the man turned around he threw two more, but only one of them hit the target and smashed into the old mans face, hitting his nose covered under an old, long, dark blue scarf whose ends had been burned by the fire. Again, Arkhas was surprised that another stone had hit the target, so encouraged by his sudden stroke of luck, he threw a fourth followed by a fifth. Again he missed it, but the last one did hit him full in the forehead, or at least he guessed it would be his forehead, but it was hard to guess with his face obscured by the thick cloak that covered it. So Arkhas didnt give up and continued to throw his stockpile of stones, from time to time, and by accident hit the horse, which began to whinny to attention as it tried to force itself off the branch and away from the stones that bounced on the ground and hit its legs. And in a moment of courage completely foreign to him, Arkhas picked up a heavier rock and ran with all his might as the old man struggled to pull something out of a leather pouch strapped to his waist, but his shaking hands were not helping him, and while he was distractedly cursing, Arkhas was finally able to hit his head. And he continued to do it again and again and again. Until blood of an odd color washed over the ground. So he turned to the noisy horse and filled with elation at his recent success and at the pair of blue windows that opened before him, he pushed them aside and tried to throw the rock at his new prey, thinking he would catch it and feeling bathed with renewed strength. But the rock fell halfway. Annoyed with himself for his lack of strength, even in this new world, he pulled out the knife his cousin had tucked between his boots in case he lost the one he had been given first. And he slashed the horses back with it, noting that this time the blood was not of a strange color and odor. And his stomach rumbled with hunger. It wasnt easy to beat the animal, but every chance he got, he reached out and slashed it here and there. Until after half an hour, finally Arkhas was the victor of that arduous battle. And two blue windows opened before him. [You have gained 30 experience points.] [You have leveled up!] Arkhas immediately closed them and threw himself on the ground trying to catch his lost breath. After a while his stomach growled with hunger and his throat felt dry, so he walked over to the river and drank some water, then looked at the horse that would soon become his lunch. There was no fire with which to cook his meat, but that didnt stop him from satiating his hunger. And as soon as he had finished he took off his bloody clothes and bathed in the river, then washed them along with the old mans dirty old scarf. And when the clothes were dry enough to continue his journey, he ate some more food and dressed. Looking carefully through each and every one of the strange treasures that the old traveler hid among his things. Including the pair of gloves the old man wore to cover his ugly stained hands. Trimming the cloak and learning to keep his face covered after wrapping himself several times, erroneously, with the scarf to keep his nose and mouth hidden had not been easy. But both items allowed him to travel and blend in with humans. He had even discovered an artifact called coins that allowed him to buy food and get a room to sleep in the small town he found an hour later. Or so he had heard him say to the girl who served him at the adventurers guild, which he went to after hearing a guard send another young man there who had come from another town far away to get his papers and had been lining up to get in just ahead of him. Thimoti, like Arkhas, had not long ago come of age. But the young man had lost what little he had to a group of assailants along the way. After sympathizing with his story and because they were in a similar situation, Arkhas had followed him and they had become friends as they went to the guild and signed up to it as they listened attentively to all the information they were given. So it was that Arkhas learned to make an excuse for his lack of a past and since he wasnt the only one, the few humans he came in contact with filled in the gaps in the information on their own, seeing his scarf burnt and full of dust. Giving Arkhas more material to respond to when he came across a new opportunity to talk to someone. And that was how for the first time in a long time Arkhas felt valued and happy. With his heart pounding with excitement at the new opportunity the gods gave him, and after accepting the guild girls recommendation to go to the library and get more information that could be of use to him in the future. Pleased that from now on he would have a better future ahead of him, he opened the door of the small library and entered that precious enclosure full of knowledge that had been denied to him before. No one would ever see him as a wimpy, pathetic goblin again. Now, he was an adventurer. And he would return home, as a hero. Chapter 46 “A New Alliance.” Part 2 Chapter 46 A New Alliance. Part 2 Kalystos stomach churned as a slight dizziness seized her, and bile rose in her throat. Frightened to be in such a vulnerable state in front of her kidnapper, she immediately forced herself to concentrate and the characteristic coldness of the Mental Defense skill enveloped her. Let go of me! She growled as she tried to break free from her captor, but unable to do so, she kicked him in his crotch causing him to let out a pitiful moan and she took advantage of his distraction to put away the home stone and take out one of the goblin knives from her inventory and tried to bury it viciously in the arm with which the unknown elf was holding her prisoner. But he disappeared just before the tip of the knife touched his skin and reappeared a few meters to her right. Are you out of your mind? he growled in a shrill voice, as he took a pain potion. What the hell do you think youre doing? What, youre kidnapping someone and youre mad because theyre trying to defend themselves? She defended herself, noticing out of the corner of her eye that they were not alone and that hundreds of elves sitting on the dirty floor surrounded them, their pale gazes full of fear and confusion. And some of them began to stand up as they watched them silently, did you kidnap them too? Is this some kind of prison? She asked, trying to make time while looking for an exit with her eyes, but she only saw a wide and extensive corridor surrounded by stone walls with little illumination. At the end, she thought she saw the arch of a doorless frame, but before she could run there with all her might, the wizard appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Dont even try to escape! he shouted. At that moment, Kalysto pulled out his bow and an arrow with penetration stats again. Lets see how fast it can disappear. Surely his mana must be about to run out. She thought, remembering that he had just taken a red-colored potion, which meant she had ten minutes before he could take a mana potion. So she summoned dispel and purification on her arrow and prepared to attack. Who ordered you to kidnap me? she growled, taking him by surprise. What? I think theres been a little misunderstanding Saintess, I didnt mean to kidnap you. Whats going on here? An authoritative voice echoed down the wide corridor as a tall elf, with straight blond hair the same shade as her kidnappers, with a pale complexion but gray eyes, entered through the same doorless frame through which she had planned to escape. With a silver crown adorning his head. Interrupting them, just as she was about to release her arrow. Thats exactly what I want to know. Is it you who ordered him to kidnap me? She growled, tightening the string and still aiming at the wizards head, noticing the small army of armed guards that entered the corridor behind the kings figure. Caranthir? Would you be so kind as to explain to me why there is a woman I dont know wanting to use you as a target practice dummy? Its just a misunderstanding, brother, he replied, and Kalysto scoffed. Is this the way elves treat their guests, mistreating them and forcibly taking them to an unknown and poorly lit place without any explanation? she rebutted, her voice laden with annoyance. Mistreated? asked the wizard in confusion and looked her up and down. Youre a Saintess, you can heal yourself! He played it down, and his words only annoyed her even more. But before she could refute, the king seemed to notice the golden glow that now shone not only on her arrow, but also on her bow. I apologize, Saintess, for any misunderstanding my foolish brother may have caused, he said quickly as he strode purposefully toward her. The tense guards behind him followed without drawing their swords, but the tension in their bodies did not go unnoticed by Kalysto. I am King Ettokalr, son of Arandh, and I thank you for coming to help my people. I am very sorry for the way you were received. I will personally see to correct that. But as you will see, we are under attack. I thank you for your welcome, Ettokalr, son of Arandh. I am Kalysto, champion of the fairies, she saluted, hoping she had not done too badly as she lowered her bow and arrow, but did not put them away. But it would have been better if you had warned us of your situation before I set out on my journey here. I was almost crushed by a tree as soon as I arrived, and your brother almost broke my wrist by bringing me here by force and without explanation," she complained. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I am very sorry to hear that and I apologize again on behalf of my brother for the harm done, he said cautiously as he watched her hesitate while he continued to cast distrustful glances at his older brother, the king wanted to be able to find something that could ensure that she did not leave, so he added, If there is anything I can do to appease your discomfort, please let me know. And the king knew that at that moment he got her full attention. Kalysto put away her bow and arrow, and with her left hand she combed a lock of hair back behind her ear, allowing the king to see not only the golden mark of her boss, which connected her to the fairies, but also the reddish mark of the wizards mistreatment of her. As she thought about the best way to get around the unexpected situation. Its not as if his ills were to blame for what that idiot did. Im afraid a simple apology wont be enough, though I doubt I could receive it from the actual perpetrator, however, the sick people I had agreed to come and heal are not to blame for the kidnapping attempts and the little respect shown by... then she gave the wizard a sidelong glance letting him see all her displeasure. Then Kalysto looked at the king again, neutralizing her expression. So I will accept your token of sincerity in the form of high quality mana potions. Pitifully, though I have all the willingness and ability to heal those with the plague, my mana capacity is not up to such an arduous task. If it is potions that the Saintess needs, we can easily give them to her, the king commented. Caranthir will personally give them to you as an apology. He is our best potionist. And can I trust your potionist not to poison me after today? After all, I wasnt sent here to be attacked or shaken like a baby would with a cloth doll," she remarked, exaggerating her indignation a bit. Again I apologize for my brothers behavior," Ettokalrs cheeks flushed red at her words. And he scowled at his brother unable to believe that he had been so careless to do something that could make the fairies his enemies. If I can get his promise that I will never be mistreated by him again, I would feel safer. Of course," the king assured her, giving an angry look to his brother, who rolled his eyes before bowing his head to her, placing a hand on his manly chest and mumbling. I swear on my honor that the young Saintess Kalysto will receive no harm that comes from me as long as I live. And although Kalystos system gave her no notification, she figured this was the best she could get out of this crazy situation. So she just nodded her head. The king, seeing that she still looked uneasy, called one of his most trusted guards. Saintess, this is Jaesia. She is one of my best warriors. From now on she will accompany you during the time you stay with us and will protect you in case of danger, the elf with long brown hair put her closed fist against her chest and bowed her head in respect. I thank you for your consideration, king of Elenium," she said bowing her head to him, and seeing that the elf responded to her gesture, she greeted the warrior elf, and added, Now, Jaesia, would you be so kind as to guide me to the place where you have the patients? **** Ettokalr son of Arandh paced back and forth in the room where he would be staying temporarily while he found a solution to the delicate situation in which his kingdom found itself and argued with his older brother, the same brother he had always loved, respected and admired. The same one whom as a young man he had wanted to emulate and for whom he was willing to give his life and his crown without hesitation. The same one, whom right now he wished to smash his fist into his face. What the hell were you thinking? Ettokalr roared, suddenly deciding that exploding was as good an option as any other. We are surrounded by enemies and the cuoekqle are knocking at our door! Our people are dying from the plague while the miasma devours our forests! We cant afford for you to start fighting that little girl right now! Not when even you, our best warrior, cant kill a cuoekqle because they are immune to elemental magic! Were you even using your head, Caranthir? His older brother ruffled his hair and looked back at him, looking far more shaken and stricken than he had ever seen him. Do you think I dont know how dangerous our situation is? he growled back. Besides, dont you find it suspicious that she arrived just as we were being attacked? I doubt they would have had anything to do with it, otherwise they wouldnt even have sent her to us in the first place! They only sent her here because I made a deal with them! And dont you dare even hint at that in front of other elves! He was alarmed. Do you plan to make the fairies our enemies? Do you know what their queen would do to us if we laid a single hand on that girl? What do you really have against her? But instead of answering, Caranthir avoided his gaze and clenched his fists. ... I dont know why I reacted that way with her... its just that... theres something about her thats not normal... I couldnt even get into her mind. Ettokalr scoffed. Of course that shes not normal! If she were normal, do you think the fairies would have chosen her as their champion in the first place? "And it was recent," he added, stroking his chin. What? That stopped his nervous pacing and made him turn to look at his calm older brother sitting in a comfortable chair. If you pay attention to what Kalysto said earlier, Im pretty sure she woke up the system recently. What? They sent us a Saintess whos still green behind the ears? What the hell are those fairies thinking? Chapter 47 “A New Alliance” Part 3 Chapter 47 A New Alliance Part 3 Jaesia, just four elven warriors, accompanied Kalysto to the overcrowded room where they had all the sick people. "There are too many people in there," she said, observing several sitting on the floor and several on the makeshift stretchers. She thought she also saw several of them with travel bags and a family she had seen earlier, escaping from a Cyclops attack. And she began to doubt that they were all from this city. Surely they had let word spread to other elven cities that a Saintess was coming to heal them. And as much as she would like to do it, if she did, these people would begin to demand more and more of her. She had experienced that before, and she had also seen it too many times, how others lives were snuffed out while the surrounding people spent their time taking advantage of them. It was best to make sure to just honor the deal, for the time being. Do you have at least three more rooms I can use? It will be almost impossible for me to move between them freely as they are right now. One of the guards frowned at her. "I dont think I can get three rooms, but Ill see if I can find at least two" and the brown-haired elf turned around, to comply with her request. How efficient! She was surprised. Then Kalysto stood under the door frame and clapped her hands three times loudly, calling out to the hundreds of people in the very spacious room, which could fit a whole hundred-square-meter apartment with complete peace of mind. May I have your attention, please? The murmurs in the room began to subside, and she waited until they were silent. My name is Kalysto and I am here on behalf of the fairies as soon as she said that, the murmurs started again, and she turned to Jaesia, would you be so kind as to help me with them? Be quiet! shouted the elf, her voice full of power. Thank you," Kalysto smiled at her. As I was saying, I am a Saintess, and I am here to cure you of the black plague. But I will need your cooperation in order to help you. First, because there are so many people in this room, it is a bit difficult to treat you in this condition. So I ask all of you who are not from this city or who have not lived here in the last two years to please make yourselves comfortable in the other room that the gentleman here will show you," she said pointing to one of the warriors on her right. And she stared at him, waiting for him to tell her his name. I am Xaermn, Saintess. "Thank you," she told him, before continuing her speech. Xaermn here will take care of escorting you. Please answer any questions he asks you and be sure to inform him of how you think you got the plague. Also, be sure to check the soles of your feet, and between your toes for plague stains. I have encountered enough sick people who tend not to notice the stains on these parts, so please avoid being barefoot. Also, as a precautionary measure try to get something like this," then she took out her face mask and put it on, "or at least cover your mouth with a handkerchief when you are in the presence of people who are not sick, to avoid infecting them. It has been discovered that it can be spread in ways other than from breathing in the miasma or from the attack of a contagious monster. I want you to be aware from now on that you, yourselves, are a source of infection for others. So avoid contact. Now, please, all those who do not belong to this city, follow Xaermn, she said, stepping aside to let them pass. There were about one hundred and fifty elves coming out of the crowded room. Is this really necessary? asked one of the warriors accompanying her. Of course, it is. Since the way they acquired the disease can vary from one territory to another. Besides, if we can also survey them and write down their answers, we can find common places where people have been catching the plague that has so far gone unnoticed. I thought only miasma and monsters could infect and that it was a foolishness of humans who seem to fabricate stories to spread fear. And yet you have people who have never faced a monster or breathed miasma and caught it, dont you? She questioned them, and by the silence that stretched out, she knew she was right. I think a lot of people have the same idea as you. But Im afraid thats not so. Just yesterday I treated an old man and a six-year-old girl, both with the plague, and neither of them has been in contact with either the monsters or the miasma. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. So how did they get sick?" the elf asked. In the girl''s case, it was her mother who infected her," she said, and she could see the surprise on the face of the elf, and of those who were leaving the room and had eavesdropped on their conversation. The efficient warrior who had left approached Xaermn and pointed to a room. Then he ran up to her. Saintess, I could only find two available rooms. I sent Xaermn and the travelers to it," he commented, not realizing that he had inadvertently confirmed Kalystos theory. Thank you," she then turned to the more than 400 elves still left in the room. Now all those who have recently acquired the plague, or who are not in a serious situation, please come with me," she then turned to the guard who had just arrived. Will you lead us, please? Of course, this way, Saintess commented the elf, surprised by the drastic change in her attitude. Jaesia also stared at her, but none of the guards now accompanying her dared to say anything to her. Kalysto spent the next hour doing what she now considered her usual round of healing. Excited to see that the potions sent to her by her kidnapper with a single sip raised her MP to 1054/254, she hurried to spend them before the points exceeding her capacity vanished, so she took the opportunity to not only continue to level up Jhil Ezhil, Purification Ezhil and Dispel Ezhil. But also to Inspect. Using it to look at the stats of not only people, though in most cases she could only see their name and level, in some she could also see their age, but she also used it on their clothes and anything she was near her now that she didnt need to touch an object to assess it. As soon as she finished her last charge of mana and the usual warning sign appeared before her. Kalysto paused. [Warning: user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] She closed it and approached Jaesia. Im going to take a break. She announced and went to sit in an unoccupied corner, as she went through her huge collection of unchecked notifications and pulled out a thel from her inventory and began to eat it. [The Jhil Ezhil skill has been raised to level 3!] [The skill Ezhil Purification Ezhil has risen to level 4!] [Ezhil Dispel skill has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Inspect has been raised to level 3!] [Jhil Ezhil skill has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has raised to level 5!] [Ezhil Dispel skill has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Inspect has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Jhil Ezhil has leveled up to level 5!] She closed those notifications and finished eating her thel, then slyly pulled out the bottle of low-level holy water she had and drank a quarter of it. Feeling her headache due to the overuse of her abilities, it disappeared. She then pulled out another thel and began to check the notifications that had come to her as she was shooting arrows like crazy when she arrived at the elves castle. [You have gained 500 experience points.] [You have gained 350 experience points. ] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +1 free point.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +2 free points]. [You have gained 500 experience points.] [You have gained 350 experience points. ] [You have gained 350 experience points. ] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +1 free point.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +2 free points]. [You have gained 500 experience points.] [You have gained 650 experience points. ] [You have gained 450 experience points. ] [You have leveled up.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +1 free point.] [You have gained +1 vitality point, +1 strength, +1 stamina, +1 agility, +1 intelligence, +2 free points.] Kalysto opened her eyes, surprised at how many points she had gained, even though she hadnt been the one who had killed them. What level were those monsters, and how much experience could I have gained if I had caused them more damage or if I had been able to kill them on my own? She thought, remembering how easy it seemed for her kidnapper to kill them. If only I could learn how to cast that spell! Then another window she hadnt noticed before was before her. One she had to re-read several times to make sure she wasnt seeing wrong. [The user has now passed the minimum threshold needed to unlock the Elemental Magic skill. Do you wish to select the first element of elemental magic you wish to learn now?] [YES/NO] And Kalysto wanted to scream with excitement. Chapter 48 “A New Alliance” Part 4 Chapter 48 A New Alliance Part 4 Ettokalr son of Arandh and current king of Elenium, listened carefully to what his guards were saying about the Saintess as he went back to his room and waited for the report about the situation of the soldiers still fighting in the north while wishing they could quickly end the subjugation of monsters and thus take care of the ones that now roamed the city. But he had to first send his older brother, Caranthir, to eliminate the monsters still roaming the city after the latter swore to him that he would not do anything crazy, such as trying to take on the Cuoekqle alone. But despite Caranthirs promises, Ettokalr could not help but be nervous. Moreover, the unexpected timing of the attacks a couple of hours before the arrival of the saintess indicated that the attack had been planned. And not only that, the massive arrival of nearly two hundred elves from other kingdoms to be healed showed a leak in the information. And Ettokalr doubted that his sister, the only elf outside of his trusted advisors and elves to whom he had warned of the coming of the saintess, was the source. Which meant there was a spy among his own. Apart from Jaesia and his siblings, he decided to distrust the rest, which was why he gave Jaesia the mission of escorting the saintess, fearing that she was the real target. Because if so, what this invisible enemy was looking for was that in case they managed to survive the monsters, the fairies would destroy them after losing the saintess. So, while she was thinking about how to unmask his enemies, Ettokalr looked for a way to distract himself. And after asking one of the guards about the Saintess, the latter had elaborated, giving him a long explanation of the care and precautions to be taken so as not to become infected. Moved by curiosity, when Ettokalr returned to his temporary room, he took off his shoes and checked his feet very carefully, as the guard had told him to do. And his face paled as he found black spots between his toes. **** The next hour and a half that Kalysto spent nursing the sick felt like torture. She wanted to sit down and take some time for herself while she explored that mysterious and enticing window. She had work to do, though, and the faster she finished healing them, the faster she could get the hell out of here and go investigate. But a slight glance to her left where the window was still open, without her daring to close it for fear that the opportunity would never present itself again, called to her like a sirens song to a sailor lost at sea. No, no! I must be strong and wait! I must find out what all my options are first! However, the image of that giant ice spear piercing through monsters over two floors tall made it painfully difficult. So she had to force herself to focus. Come on, Kalysto concentrate! Stay focused! She scolded herself. And at that moment, two other windows appeared, hiding her tempting siren. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] And immediately the cold familiar seized her, allowing her to focus on finishing healing the sick in that room. Would any of you like me to help you sleep? She asked, seeing their faces full of fear and uncertainty as the fear of what was happening outside the shelter caught up with them now that the plague was no longer a sentence hanging over their heads. Most of them accepted, so Kalysto took the opportunity to level up that skill as well. And as soon as she was done, she spent the next three hours healing those who were supposed to be more serious, but none of them were in as bad shape as Artemis was, in fact, apart from a couple of scabs, most of them were just covered by large patches of black spots. By the time she was done with the last of them, she was absolutely exhausted and starving. Still, she didnt hesitate to ask again. Would any of you like me to help you sleep? And to her luck, more than half of them said yes. Once she finished, she approached the guards that had been protecting her and after giving them several rounds of healing, she frowned as she saw that Jhil Ezhils golden light kept shining again and again on Jaesias body. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Are you sure you are not sick or injured anywhere? she asked her. Not that I know of, Saintess," the elf replied, feeling increasingly nervous. Is there a bathroom nearby that we can use? The elf nodded and took her to the farthest one, which was empty and while the other woman undressed and checked every corner of her body, Kalysto took the opportunity to eat one of the delicious breads made by Alynn, and took another sip of low quality holy water. Feeling a slight tingling through her body and inside her skull. So prolonged use of magic on humans does cause damage to the body. She thought, recognizing the familiar tingling she felt the first time she drank a potion of holy water and her broken foot healed along with the rest of her wounds. Ill have to learn to create holy water fast or Ill end up killing myself with these intensive work schedules. And Kalysto let out a long sigh as her to-do list seemed to get longer and longer. And to pass the time, she checked two of the skills she had acquired that she hadnt had time to check before, and that she was curious about seeing how the scabs caused by the plague reacted to them. After opening her skill window, she clicked on the name Dispel and Dispel Ezhil. [Dispel: skill that is normally acquired at level 17, but has currently been unlocked by the admin. It is used to disperse miasma on an object the user has contact with and stop its advance, helping to cure magic-type illnesses. When dispersing the mana of a magic circuit, it will break. Can break or deactivate the mana of a magic barrier or magic symbol, but must be touched to break it.] [Dispel Ezhil: Unlike the dispel ability, the user no longer needs to touch the target to dispel the mana or deactivate the magic circuit in which it is contained, hence its usefulness for use in conjunction with the Ezhil Purification ability to eliminate miasma. The radius of action will increase as the skill levels up. Current radius: 10 meters. Expends 15 MP per use.] Kalysto frowned as she read that and took the last bite of the thel she was eating as she analyzed the situation. She had already suspected that there was something odd about the plague. I understand that it decreases HP since its petrifying their organs, but why is it also consuming the MP of a sick one? It doesnt make sense, even if its a magical disease... unless.... But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Jaesias trembling voice address her. Saintess? Yes? I think...I think I found what the problem is. Would you like me to go over there and look at it? .. Please? Her voice sounded small and frightened, so she wasnt surprised to see the black spot on her lower back when she opened the door and let her in. And Kalysto spent the next twenty minutes healing her. As soon as she was done, Kalysto gave her a pair of gloves and a face mask, one of the ones Galatea had given her and that she herself had been wearing another pair since she started tending to the sick. As a precaution," she said. Thank you, Saintess. Then, wishing to finish quickly here so she could return to her room and see how Tsuki, whom she had left sleeping on her bed, had been doing. She headed towards the room where the travelers were. Hello again. I would like to know when you arrived here and when you contracted the disease, She asked them as soon as she arrived. One of the elves inside, the mother of an infected girl, spoke first. I am from the kingdom of Ylusium, and word spread there that the king of this city had made a deal with the fairies to cure his people of the plague. That is why so many of us traveled here and as she looked around, several of them nodded their heads in agreement, we arrived half an hour before the attacks began. And their words confirmed what Kalysto had already suspected. So after thanking the woman for the information, she turned to one of the guards guarding her. Take me to your king, the young elf warrior blinked in confusion, and after a last glance at the room full of sick people, he took her to the room where the king was staying. The Saintess of the fairies, requests an audience with the king," announced the guard as he knocked on the door of the royal room. .. Come in," said a voice that was not that of the king. However, when the doors opened, Kalysto saw Ettokalr was sitting in a comfortable chair and next to him, there was another elf dressed in fine robes. The unknown elf, instead of retreating, stood up, standing to the right of the king. What is the matter? Ettokalr asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. I need a rest and regain strength, as my mana capacity is small. Also, it came to my attention that the king did something that was not within the deal we made." Ettokalr clenched his jaw and let out a long sigh. Of course, a fairy would find a way to twist a deal. Sorry to disagree, but when the deal was made with my boss, it was made with only people who lived in this city in mind and not travelers coming from other lands. So I am under no obligation to heal them. Ettokalr frowned and stood up in annoyance. My sister and my niece are among those travelers, as you call them! And you are going to heal them! He accused her, pointing his finger at her. As I said before, that is not among the terms of the contract that was made with my boss, so I have no obligation to cure them. Besides, Ive already finished healing everyone in the sick room. I even cured your guards, so technically, Ive already finished my part of the deal. Anger shone in Ettokals eyes. Youre not leaving this place until you finish healing every last one of them along with every elf in this damned castle! And the guards she herself had healed a few minutes ago now moved to surround her. A note about the plague: when a monster wounds someone and spreads it, that person usually does that same day or the next day, as it spreads quickly through the body. With a lot of luck, he will last three days at the most alive. When the person becomes infected because they breathed in miasma, the speed at which the disease spreads through their body varies depending on how much miasma they breathed in. It can range from a week to almost a month. And in these cases, it usually takes at least a week for the spots to appear, or they appear in places that people do not check regularly, so they usually notice it when it is too late. Chapter 49 “A New Deal” Chapter 49 A New Deal I think you are misunderstanding some things," Kalysto commented appearing calm which she was far from feeling as she was surrounded by the tips of the swords of the guards she had healed, with the exception of Jaesia, whose sword pointed towards the ground, but remained firmly in her hand. According to the contract I have with my boss, my rest times will be respected and I am at complete liberty to refuse to perform a mission. I dont know all the details of the deal you made with my boss are, but you seem to have forgotten one rather important detail in this negotiation: I am human," she clarified and lifted the sleeve of her dress, revealing the tattoo of her contract. Which means that my constitution is weaker than yours and my body needs proper rest. I come from a world where mana doesnt even exist, so my body is still getting used not only to having it, but to its excessive use. Besides, Im sure that in your contract with the boss, you never specified how much time I had to perform this mission, did you? She questioned him and seeing the anger flashing in his eyes, she knew she had guessed right. If you check your contract, you will notice that it says that I will cure only those who live in this city and have the plague. I never agreed to cure an entire race. Immediately, the king touched the delicate tattoo on the back of his left hand, and when he did so, a purple screen appeared before everyone revealing the details of the contract where it was not specified what her boss had asked for besides the potions, but that Kalysto would go to cure his people of the plague and that during her stay, he was expected to treat her as an ambassador of the fairies. The advisor standing next to the king craned his neck, trying to read the contract while the king cursed as he saw that Kalystos words were true. Damn fairies! growled the king. Its because of this sort of thing that no one, except demons, likes to make deals with you! You always find a way not to fulfill! As he rose to continue his tirade, his shoulder bumped into the head of his advisor, who had been reading the contract over his shoulder and Ettokalr scowled at him, annoyed at his audacity. And what the hell do you think youre doing, Lakyat? Im sorry, your majesty," the elf immediately retracted, and took several steps back. Out! Everyone get out of here except for the saintess and Jaesia! Ettokalr ordered, and the rest hastened to obey. I am sorry to deny the kings words, but I have fulfilled part of my agreement so far, or are you going to deny that I have spent the last hours healing your people? The king immediately glanced at Jaesia, who nodded in confirmation of what the saintess had said. Ettokalr frowned in response. Besides, I doubt it is the kings intention to antagonize my boss or me," she added, stepping forward. Taking advantage of the absence of the other guards, and sensing that unless she attacked Ettokalr, Jaesia would not harm her. Not when the plague could return at any time and infect someone of your people again in the future. Kalysto let the knowledge of this penetrate his mind. So that he would understand how inconvenient it was for him to treat her badly at that moment. However, she could not leave it there. Not when they could find another saintess in the future. "Much less considering that Im learning how to build magical barriers to keep monsters away from the cities." Impossible! Refuted Ettokalr. Making magical barriers requires learning more than one profession. Even we havent been able to do it, and it would take a mere human centuries to..." then his eyes widened wildly. By any chance, is Artemis your teacher? This time, it was Kalystos turn to be surprised. Do you know my instructor? Then the kings laughter was heard throughout the room. It seems you have a very interesting contract with the queen of the fairies, human saintess. His words again took her by surprise. So my boss is the queen, huh? Good to know. She thought. You seem surprised. Didnt you know the identity of the person you made a contract with? I apologize," she hurried to say, regaining control over her expressions. The king has been so defensive with me since I arrived and seemed so upset all the time that hearing him laugh like that took me by surprise. I apologize for my earlier behavior..." commented Ettokalr, sitting back in the comfortable chair and crossing his legs, as he tried to downplay his earlier outburst of temper. And you are absolutely right in saying that there is no need to antagonize each other. Not when we can have a very beneficial relationship going forward. Did I get the impression that you had mentioned something about your poor physical condition? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Is the king trying to offer me a deal? If the saintess is interested, of course. But first, I need you to cure the elves that came from other kingdoms. I cant send them away right now because of the situation and having them here could make others get infected. And since your body needs to improve its stamina, I offer you four skill crystals. Each one will raise your endurance by ten points. Which will help your body to better adapt to mana usage. But if you agree to heal my sister and niece right now, I will add a fruit from our holy tree, which will increase your mana points by 500. That surprised her. The saintess should eat the fruit before sleeping to give her body time to recover and assimilate the expansion of her limits. Normally it is advised to meditate for a few hours but because the saintess admitted she was tired.... If you bring them in at this moment, I could heal them both before retiring to rest. Excellent decision! Then I will order a room to be prepared for you so that you can rest. That wont be necessary. Ill go back to the fairy territory to eat something before I go to sleep. Im starving right now. She smiled at him, remembering what his contract said about treating her as a representative of the fairies while she was in their territory. The kings cheeks flushed red hearing that. Did no one bring lunch to the saintess at noon? No, and it is almost time for dinner. But considering the situation you are in, I simply thought you had overlooked it. Jaesia, bring my sister and niece immediately and find out why the hell Lakyat didnt comply with my orders about feeding the saintess! Immediately, your majesty. I apologize for such a display of discourtesy. I was sure the saintesss needs had already been adequately attended to. I assure you that will investigate what happened and add a vitality crystal as a token of my sincerity. I accept your apology. But since I think it best that I return to fairy territory for the time being, I would like to ask if there is any way we can communicate in the future. Of course, he said. And after opening a leather pouch inside his right pocket, he took out a sky-blue crystal orb. This is an invention of my brother Caranthir, you will only need to inject some mana and say the name of the one with whom you wish to communicate, since both my siblings and Jaesia and I have one, the saintess will have to specify which of us she wishes to communicate with. He commented, handing it to her, along with the vitality crystal, which as soon as it touched the palm of her hand, a violet window opened before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this vitality crystal?] [YES/NO] Kalysto set the windows aside and put her new gifts away in her inventory, deciding it was best to wait until she was in her room before absorbing the skill crystal. Thank you for the gifts. I will make good use of them. I would think it wiser to keep it close by and not within your inventory, or you will not see the time when I request it in case of an emergency. And I would hope that this emergency would only be during the time I am finishing with the current deal, as I am also performing other missions, and discretion is necessary for them, she added, remembering that she was supposed to be right now in jail inside the human kingdom. I needed to help those two escape. She thought. Though she had no idea how she would go about getting them out of prison, not with the dislike her boss had for humans. I understand, Ettokalr commented. Also, I would recommend to the king to make a new deal with my boss. Borrowing a small army of soldiers to help him with the situation here would be convenient. Many of the elves you healed are part of my army. I think I will be able to use them again soon. Most of them are resting right now, and I doubt theyll wake up until tomorrow. He arched an eyebrow at her words, and a sly half-smile crept across his face. Any recommendations the saintess is willing to make to me? I heard that your brother is a great potionist. If he was the one who made the potions that were given to me, I myself would be very interested in learning how to do them. That immediately caught the kings attention. "And Im sure my boss will be able to find other fairies who wish to upgrade their profession. Even if she says no, you would lose nothing. Aside from admitting that my kingdom is vulnerable? Do you really think she hasnt found out by now? she replied with an arched eyebrow. In that case, I offer you another deal. I will convince my brother to teach you how to make potions and I will give you four more fruits from our sacred tree and two vitality crystals plus two more endurance crystals if the saintess creates a protective barrier against monsters in this city. I am still a student and it could take me months to learn how to make it. I am sure that under the teachings of Artemis in one or two years the saintess will already be able to make one almost the size of this city. And for every year you come to renew the barrier, I will provide you with another four fruits. I think 2000 MP would be a tempting offer for the saintess, wouldnt it? ...Mmmm... I understand that elves are very good archers. According to my older brother, the saintess is a decent archer. However, I do not possess the sight of one. I can give you a crystal that will give you such a skill. If the king is willing to give me the rewards before I finish curing the plague patients who are in the rooms I have been provided for that purpose, then I would also be interested. So, do we have a deal? As long as you cure me tonight, too, I agree. And at that moment, a purple window opened before her. [Does the user wish to make a binding soul contract with the Ettokalr son of Arandh?] And Ettokalr, the king of the elves of the kingdom of Elenium, opened his eyes in surprise at the sight of the purple window that opened before him, asking him if he agreed to the terms of the contract that Kalysto just drew up. Impossible! He whispered, as a shiver ran down his back. Chapter 50 “Rumors of war” Chapter 50 Rumors of war A makeshift tent filled with wounded soldiers greeted her. More than half of the elven army that had been sent to fight the horde of monsters that had invaded the north outside the elven forest seemed to be in there. Can you heal them? Caranthir questioned, as soon as they entered the tent. That depends on how many mana potions you have available for me," answered Kalysto, stretching out her hand to him, who only frowned at her after handing her four small vials. Those are part of my special collection. One sip should give you a thousand of MP," Kalysto immediately took a sip and set about healing the sick closest to her, making sure to keep the potions in her violet inventory. Caranthir watched her for a few minutes while one of the commanders in charge of the attack filled him in on everything that had happened since he had last had to leave them. They reported two new waves heading this way," reported the brown, muscular, short-haired elf. Two swords rested at either side of his hips, and the thick muscles of his heavily worked arms spoke of his strength. Whoever planned this seems to want to make sure we dont get out of here alive seeing that the deputy commander of the royal army seemed to agree with his words, he added. Protect the saintess and make sure no harm comes to her while she is helping us. Of course, sir. Think that if you fail these monsters will be nothing compared to what the fairy queen would do to us if we lose her saintess, at that moment Ardrachs face lost what little color it had. The saintess is the heroine of the fairies? Are you crazy to bring her to a battlefield? What the hell were you thinking, Caranthir? Do you want to kill us all? I was thinking that at least with her here we have a higher chance of survival," he answered, and without giving Ardrach time to refute the crazy things going through his deranged mind, Caranthir teleported to the battlefield. And the sound of the explosions his attacks caused when they hit their target could be heard from the tent. **** The night before, before Kalysto had gone to sleep in her comfortable bed in the fairy territory, she had healed not only the king and his sister, but also his niece. In return she had received four resistance crystals which she absorbed before going to sleep, along with the vitality crystal. She was also given a fruit from the sacred tree of the elves. Despite the sour taste and the bitter sensation it left on her tongue at the end, she ate every last bite, wishing she could have a bowl of honey so she could get past the strange and unpleasant combination of flavors. Ettokalr had been right to warn her to eat her sacred fruit before bed, as her eyes had begun to close and her body suddenly felt heavy. Though instead of sitting down to meditate, as he had advised her, she had fallen sound asleep. The next morning, she had risen early to practice one more round of healing in the two remaining sick rooms in the fairy kingdom. And noting that now her MP was 838, thanks to the holy fruit, and she took the opportunity to do a small round of Artemis healing before returning to the elves territory. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Unlike before, it was now a bit faster to heal the fairies, and although she was still far from finishing healing Artemis, the sick in the second room looked much better. If I can raise Jhil Ezhil even two more levels, and raise my mana a little more, maybe I could finish healing those in the second room much faster. She thought, getting excited at the thought of finishing one of her three missions much sooner than expected. And two hours later, she had finished healing all the travelers. Thank you for healing my people. Again I apologize for my behavior and lack of attention yesterday. I assure you that for your next visit you will be welcomed with open arms," said King Ettokalr. Kalysto instead arched an eyebrow, not entirely convinced by his words. But choosing to keep things as peaceful as possible, as she wished to find a way to convince Caranthir to teach her magic. We would like to invite you to a banquet in your honor as soon as we finish the fight against the invaders, but given the current situation for the moment, I will have to settle for just inviting you to lunch. Would the saintess give us the honor of her presence? I appreciate the kings good intentions, but I still have other pending tasks that require my attention. I understand," he commented. In that case, at least allow me to give you a small gift as a token of my sincere thanks. And he raised his hand, causing Jaesia to hand him a beautiful red chest with gold borders carved in the shape of leaves and thin branches. Thank you," commented Kalysto, surprised to find another golden sacred fruit inside the beautiful wrapping. Does the king happen to know where I can get some honey? The sound of the Kings laughter broke the silence of the room and it was at that moment that Kalysto realized that both the counselor they had noticed the night before and Xaermn were no longer there. Our young people have the same problem as the saintess," he smiled and his face lit up like an old mans when he begins to tell the good stories of his youth to his grandchildren, I remember when my brother began to study magic centuries ago, and he complained about the same thing. His face relaxed, and he stopped looking so severe and full of worries. Jaesia, give the saintess some honey. Thank you, said Kalysto as soon as she received a vial full of honey, and put it in her inventory along with the chest with the fruit. Im going to have to start organizing it, Im starting to run out of space. She thought. And before she could say goodbye, Caranthir appeared in the room in a blast of wind. Black goblins are spreading the plague to the soldiers in the north! You have to help us! Somewhere unknown, 24 hours ago. A surge of pain awoke Mhiralla, daughter of the goddess of light and the god of ether as she rested. Annoyed at being awakened prematurely she examined the surroundings of the subdimension she was in, but there was nothing there to interrupt her sleep. So she proceeded to examine the world outside. And a small, golden dot of Sacred energy shone on the horizon arousing her interest. But as soon as she tried to reach it, something blocked her, hiding that little golden glow from her. Mhiralla frowned, full of annoyance. Who dared to hide something from her? And she expanded her awareness again, concentrating on tracking everything on the Tanish continent trying to trace the source of her new annoyance, but she didnt find it. What was found was the faint glow of the saintess she had chosen years ago, discovering that despite the time that had passed, the fool had not increased her power. Her brow was already furrowed, frowning even more. Annoyed at such a display of stupidity. And then Mhiralla, fearful that the new saintess would rise to power, chose a new one, granting her own knight to protect her so that the new young woman would devote herself solely to raising her class. Cure all the sick that you find on your way," she commanded after touching her soul and giving her the system. Protect her from all danger so that her sacred energy can grow without hindrance," she ordered her knight. And although Mhiralla still felt somewhat uneasy that now her two sworn enemies had their own saintesses, she needed to rest before finding a way to get rid of them. But for now, she needed to regain her strength. And then she could prepare for the war that was to come. Chapter 51 “When war knocks at your door.” (Elven Arc.) Chapter 51 When war knocks at your door. (Elven Arc). Despite the sound of battle raging hundreds of yards further north from where she stood, Kalysto tried to put her nerves aside and concentrated on healing the large collection of wounded inside the makeshift tarp that served as a tent. Dont think about it. She convinced herself. He said Id be safe here... She reminded herself, glancing sideways at the muscular elf who was now acting as her personal guard. This is my big chance to learn magic. Or at least that had been the deal she had made with Caranthir before being brought here. But despite repeating herself, the curiosity to see how bad the situation was and how many monsters were really out there, mixed with the fear of being infected by the plague and the excitement at the possibility of getting many more experience points. Just a couple of arrows, I dont even have to kill them and I could level up so easily! She lamented as she passed to the next group of beds and saw the poor state the next sick patient was in, whose bandages covered half of his face and were stained with blood. This is a great opportunity, Kalysto. Dont ruin it. And before her eyes strayed back to the entrance of the tent, she stretched her hands over the wounded elf and whispered: Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! After using Ezhil Purification a couple more times, to make sure the elfs wounds didnt get infected, and neither did she herself, she removed the bandages to work directly on the nasty wounds that were beginning to close. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! she chanted. I cant believe this is so much better than holy water, if only I could use it on myself! She marveled at the sight of the tissues on half of the elfs face that appeared to have been disfigured with some kind of acid, regenerating right in front of her incredulous eyes. I need to find a way to unlock this skill and use it on myself!... How can I convince her to unlock it for me? She thought, but no matter how hard she tried to find a solution, she came up with none... Maybe if I finished the first two missions fast? She questioned herself, but even so, she was well aware that she had no guarantee that would happen. As soon as she was done, Kalysto moved on to the next stretcher. And out of the corner of her eye, she observed a pair of elves invoking the healing magic of water to heal some of the patients. Even though what they were doing to speed up the bodys natural healing, it couldnt compare to what she herself was doing, though for sure their skill level was far above hers. If some of you can move and get closer to me, we would finish faster only twenty-five of them did so, being able to be healed in the next round. The rest of them, seeing that, slowly began to join the next rounds, helping each other to hold each other up so they could get around the saintess and once they were healed, they went back out to the battlefield, on the opposite side of the canvas tent. It was as she was healing the amputated leg of another elf, whose skin and bones were regenerating under the potent magic of Jhil Ezhil, that a group of goblin-like creatures, but with shiny latex-black skin and nearly two meters tall, along with forty other goblins, one meter and twenty centimeters tall and red-skinned, assaulted the tent. Ambush! Protect the saintess! Ardrach shouted, drawing two of his swords as he attacked the newcomers. Kalysto on the other hand immediately got excited and drew her bow and an arrow and after whispering purification the golden light enveloped both of them and launched an arrow at one of the red-skinned followed by another, which she launched against the eye of one of the over powered black goblins, being surprised to see that half of her last targets face disappeared as soon as it was touched by the golden light of her arrow and two notification windows appeared before her while several elves began to surround her as they fought against the invaders. [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have leveled up!] Kalysto, excited at the large amount of points she had just received, didnt hesitate to shout. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! And the golden light enveloped her and some of the Elven warriors that were next to her and the arm of a black goblin disappeared completely when it touched the light while attacking one of the warriors. Take care of the red ones, Ill take care of the others! Dont let them get close to the sick ones! -Just then one of the black goblins cut off the arm of an elf and with its claws tore his chest, infecting him with the black plague. Immediately Kalysto pulled out another arrow and after purifying it, she shot it at the goblins head before it ripped the elfs front again. Two notification windows appeared to her right, but after glancing at them out of the corner of her eye, she ignored them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. [You have gained 700 experience points.] Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! she shouted as she ran over to the wounded elf. Dispel! Dispel! Ezhil Purification! She chanted, watching as the thick black veins that had sprouted from the wounds on the fallen elfs chest had spread with surprising speed to his arms and face, stopped as they were bathed in the golden light. Well, at least for the moment, he would be safe. She convinced herself, planning that as soon as she could bend down and recite Jhil just for him, she would. Purification Ezhil! She recited again and drew another arrow. Purification! She summoned before launching it at the head of another black goblin and one more. [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have gained 700 experience points.] She launched two more arrows, before the red goblins also started attacking her, realizing that she was finishing off those who were their biggest advantage. And she managed to shoot one right in the eye before it approached her and was intercepted by one of the elves surrounding her. [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have gained 1000 experience points.] Ezhil Purification! She said, eliminating four other black goblins that were fighting against other elves. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have gained 700 experience points.] [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have leveled up!] [You have gained 1000 experience points.] And while everyone was fighting around her, Kalysto did not stop shooting arrows at the red goblins in the eyes, and some in the neck as well, helping the elves who, despite their wounds, had united to defend her. [You have gained 200 experience points.] [You have gained 100 experience points.] [You have gained 200 experience points.] [You have gained 300 experience points.] [You have gained 100 experience points.] [You have gained 100 experience points.] [You have gained 200 experience points.] [You have gained 100 experience points.] [You have gained 200 experience points.] Ezhil Purification! She recited, eliminating two black goblins that were close enough to the ten-meter radius touched by the golden light, losing half of their bodies in the process- Ezhil Purification! [You have gained 700 experience points.] [You have gained 800 experience points.] Ezhil Purification! She repeated, eliminating four other black goblins that were fighting against other elves who were trying to stay close to her and avoid being infected by the plague while keeping her safe. Ezhil Purification! Then she focused again on the entrance of the tent, where five other huge black goblins were entering. Shit! Purification! She shot an arrow that disintegrated half of the head of one of them causing the rest of his body to fall to the ground, the other four looked at the body on the ground just as she finished shooting the second arrow and immediately ran to different ends of the tent, away from the corpse. Causing the arrow she had just shot to not hit the head of the other black goblin, but instead vaporized the shoulder of another one behind it. [You have gained 1500 experience points.] Unlike the first group, these not only gave her much more experience, but they were much faster and, therefore, harder to hunt. The next two arrows she launched were easily dodged by the newcomers. Watch out! Kalysto shouted as one of them tried to pass them by and tried to attack the sick people still lying on the stretchers at the back of the tent and the others started attacking the surrounding elves, Purification Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Purification! She shot another arrow at the one who was already wounded, who was the slowest of them. [You have gained 1500 experience points.] [You have gained 1600 experience points. ] [The skill Ezhil Purification has been raised to level 6!] The remaining two, seeing what the radius of the golden light could do, immediately moved away, staying away from her and her arrows, but ready to stalk against any unsuspecting elf that got close enough to them. Purification Ezhil! Kalysto summoned and launched three more arrows at the red goblins, watching as the elves took advantage of their enemies blindness to decapitate or split them in half. With her taking care of the black goblins, it was much easier for them to get rid of the huge group of red goblins. Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification, Ezhil Purification! She continued to summon, not giving the newcomers time to get close enough to kill the elves. Ardrach, I need you to cover me so I can heal the wounded! She shouted as she noticed that, despite her efforts, several elves had caught the plague, seeing the black veins invading their faces with alarming speed. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! she shouted, getting rid of the last three black goblins of the first group that entered...... Purification! She recited launching three more arrows at the red goblins, while the two strongest black goblins were still studying her from a distance. She shot an arrow at one of them to scatter them, but just as she had imagined, they both jumped to opposite sides of the tent with surprising agility and continued to study their group in silence. Watching as the elves finished off the remaining red goblins, without lifting a finger to help their fallen compatriots. [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have gained 700 experience points.] [You have gained 800 experience points.] [You have leveled up!] [You have gained 100 experience points.] [You have gained 200 experience points.] [You have gained 100 experience points.] Wait a minute, saintess! Ardrach replied as he cut off the head of another red goblin and then approached her. And as soon as she saw him coming, she leaned towards the young elf who had been infected first and after putting away her bow and arrow in her inventory, she began to conjure quickly. Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! And before she could continue with her healing rounds, the two black goblins jumped, and while one of them attacked the elves that were far away from her causing several to run to their comrades in arms, the other one jumped, flying through the air taking advantage of the moment of distraction of Ardrach who had turned for an instant to observe what was happening with the other huge goblin. And with an agility that rivaled that of a black panther and that of a circus acrobat, the other black goblin landed next to Kalysto without a sound as his arm transformed into a huge black spear that pierced the right side of her chest. Chapter 52 “Open field” Chapter 52 Open field A wave of intense pain flooded her body as the sharp blade that the enemys arm had become pierced her body. A choked scream escaped her lips before she could close them and a series of windows appeared before her. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Hatred and rage disfigured her face and with a swift movement she grabbed the blade that was tearing her flesh with both hands, not to prevent it from doing more damage, but to prevent him from escaping. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She screamed and watched with sadistic fascination as the body of the creature that had just pierced her began to dissolve into thin air. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She added, making sure he couldnt get away as the creature tried to struggle, and its body began to disintegrate as it was completely within the range of both skills. A few seconds later, the notification of his death reached her. [You have gained 1600 experience points.] Immediately, she continued to purify herself as she watched the black veins that had formed around her wound thin as she invoked dispel and purification on the injured area. And just like the previous time disinfecting the wound immediately and using dispel helped to prevent the plague from spreading in her body. But still the fear of catching a disease that could turn someones internal organs to stone was terrifying. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel! Purification Ezhil! Purification! She continued invoking and took out again the bottle of holy water, the one she had left uncorked inside her inventory, and took a sip. Watching as the wound began to close as the black spots and veins around it eventually disappeared completely. Purification! Dispel! whispered another arrow and launched it towards the left arm of the other huge black goblin surrounded by elves. Then she ran to the right as soon as she released the arrow. The enemy jumped to the right, attacking a couple of elves and jumping away from the sacred energy of the arrow, but Kalysto was already summoning her power again. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! And as one of the elves slashed the enemys side, the golden light of her spells dissolved one of his legs. Making him lose his balance and as he fell, Ardrach took the opportunity to cut off his head. And while the blood of that monster spilled on the ground, a black smoke began to spread. Kalysto immediately approached. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! she summoned and the golden light that came out of her body cleared the smoke. [You have gained 600 experience points.] The elves around her began to whisper. Ardrach, what was that black smoke? Was it miasma? Thats right, saintess The high elf almost looked like he wanted to tell her not to come closer as it was dangerous but seeing how she continued to conjure quickly to purify it even though his brave warriors had not hesitated to stay away, he didnt know what to tell her. So he kept silent. All those who have been contaminated come to me. It will be easier for me to cure you that way. And this time all those who had risen from the stretchers to protect her, no matter how wounded they were or how fast the plague was spreading in their bodies, did not hesitate to surround her. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She continued to summon until the usual warning sign appeared before her. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Those who have already been healed surround the perimeter. It was because of our negligence that the saintess was hurt! The gods were on our side this time and it was nothing serious, but we cant count on their help forever! After scolding his men again, Ardrach turned to Kalysto, who was drinking a mana potion. I apologize for the breach in security, saintess. I assure you it will not happen again. We will keep you safe in this tent if it is the last thing you do. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And I think we are too easy and obvious a target inside this tent, Mr. Ardrach. Besides, Im running out of arrows to defend myself and I think that if we finish quickly here, my help might be needed out there if there are more of those things by the way his face relaxed at her words, he seemed to agree with her. Ill get you more arrows. And before she turned around to go to the other end of the tent where there were still wounded, Kalysto noticed that none of the black goblins she had killed dropped any weapons. So no loot this time. She was saddened. But when he saw one of the elves picking up the swords and sharp knives and shields of the red goblins, an idea occurred to her. Could those who are leaving please wait a moment? Then she turned to the two elves who were picking up the weapons-. And you two, if you give me those weapons, I think I might have something that would be of interest to you. I dont think the saintess needs so many weapons, if you insert mana in this quiver you will have more than enough arrows to defend yourself in case we are too busy to defend you said Ardrach while he handed her a quiver full of arrows and a bow. No, but they will be useful for me to sell them in the human market and get some gold. She thought but stopped insisting, remembering that as soon as she reached the fairy territory after finishing this she could claim the emeralds that would come as payment for her mission. Its not fair. I wanted that sword. But there would be more opportunities in the future to get more weapons. Thank you for the gift," replied Kalysto, but I dont know how to imbue this quiver with mana, she added as she took out the twenty arrows inside and put them in an empty box in her inventory. Im afraid I dont have the time to teach you," Ardrach lamented, but Im sure any of my men would be more than willing to help you reload your arrows if the saintess asks for them, he added giving them a look that made the other elves not hesitate to murmur their consent. In that case, could they start right now before they leave? Im afraid youll be too busy to bother you later. Of course," answered Ardrach, being himself the first to take the quiver in his hands and injecting mana into it. Less than a minute later, twenty arrows were inside the quiver. Kalysto took them out and put them in her inventory, then opened her skill window. She was sure she had a skill that could be of use to them right now. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 4 Mana detection: level 1 Mana sense: level 1 Mana Control: level 1 Mana manipulation: level 1 Dispel: level 10 Ezhil Dispel: level 4 Sleep well: level 5 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 6 Jhil: level 10 Jhil Ezhil: level 5 Blessing: level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ??? Level 40/125 Languages: : legendary level (User can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in the world of Elinor. This is a bonus given by the administrator) (The skill has been upgraded by administrator so that the user can also understand the native fairy language). Regeneration: 0.514% of acquired skill.(Incomplete). Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 40 Pain resistance: level 30 Absorb: level 3 Kalysto selected the skill blessing, wanting to check if it was something she could use on others, as did the healer and priest on the team Natasha was playing with. [Blessing: grants a 2% increase in a targets base stats when touched, a skill normally acquired at level 15 but currently unlocked by the admin. Starting at level 20, you can create low-level holy water.] So this is the one I need to level up to finally create holy water? She got excited. How about we make a deal? All those who help me fill my quiver with arrows will be granted a small blessing to increase your stats. This will be quite useful out there, dont you think? And to ensure the cooperation of the fifty elves that were still inside the tent, she approached Ardrach and invoked. Blessing! A golden glow surrounded the man, who seemed to feel much lighter. Thank you very much for the gift, saintess. It wasnt necessary to give us something in exchange for our cooperation, we would have gladly been of use to you without receiving anything in return," the man commented, but the truth was that she didnt feel quite right about receiving something without giving something else in return. She hated being indebted to anyone. No problem. I think this way we will all be satisfied with the deal and so while the healed elves lined up to fill their quivers twice with arrows, Kalysto was giving a blessing to each one of them, while she finished healing the sick in the room. As soon as she was done, a small group of elves stayed with her and while Ardrach ordered them to dismantle the tent and organize the weapons they had brought, Kalysto began to close the collection of windows she had open, until she got to the one she really cared about, but had been too busy or tired to sort out until now. [The user has now passed the minimum threshold needed to unlock the skill Elemental Magic. Do you wish to select the first element of elemental magic you wish to learn now?] [YES/NO] And finally, she selected yes and a new blue window with several options opened before her. Chapter 53 “Open Field” (Part 2) Chapter 53 Open Field (Part 2) [The user has now passed the minimum threshold required to unlock the Elemental Magic skill. Do you wish to select the first element of elemental magic you wish to learn now?] [YES/NO] And finally, she selected yes. And a new blue window with several options opened before her. [Choose your main elemental magic element: *Fire. *Earth. *Air. *Ice. *Water. *Electricity/light. *Darkness/shadows] The last two options immediately caught Kalystos attention. But after seeing the destructive ability and ease with which Caranthir cut through monsters that were more than three times his size, she was more than determined to choose ice right now. Though its very curious that water and ice are separated when they are just two different states of the same element. She thought, frowning. And when she raised her hand to select ice, she blinked, and the blue window changed before she could touch it. Now light and dark had disappeared as options. [Choose your main element of elemental magic: *Fire. *Earth. *Air. *Ice/Water. *Electricity. *Shadows] Strange, she could have sworn they were separated only a moment ago. Where did the other two options go? Surprised at the sudden change, she tried to get closer to the screen to make sure she was seeing right, but the window stayed exactly the same distance from her, so she couldnt get any closer. What the hell is going on? She was annoyed. Its as if something is interfering with my system, but who? Again the system flickered again, and this time she could see the exact moment of the change. Now water and ice had separated again. How strange. She folded her arms and blinked several times. Are you all right, saintess? Ardrachs voice, full of curiosity, startled her. Yes, of course. Everything is fine... Are they finished? In a few more minutes, we can leave. Well..." but when she saw that the screen had not changed again, she turned to him, and before he left she asked him, Do you know anything about a blue system? Ardrach frowned before answering. As far as I understand, the blue system is a gift that the goddess Mhiralla granted to some select humans, but a few years ago, annoyed to see that they were using the inventory she had given them to kidnap other humans and beings of other species, she blocked them all. Since then I have not heard any more rumors of her selecting new warriors to give them her gift and while he was thinking about what more information to give her, the blue window changed. Allowing her to see ice and water together again as one element. And before they changed again, Kalysto selected them. So the goddess Mhiralla, huh? Beginning to think that maybe she was the one interfering somehow. Indeed, isnt it strange that a wizard has to wait so long to be able to start using magic? Doesnt she like wizards? [The user has selected Ice/Water as her first element. Are you sure about this selection?] [YES/NO] She selected Yes. Then another blue screen appeared before her. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water Manipulation. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water creation. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ice manipulation. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ice creation. Level 1!] Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water Blades. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ice Blades. Level 1!] [The user has reached level 11! The user now has the level needed to learn the next elemental magic skill: Ice Daggers. Level 1.] [Error! The skill has been blocked! The user only has level 1 in the skills Mana Control, Mana Manipulation, Ice Manipulation and Ice Creation. Level up to be able to activate this skill again] [The user has reached level 11! The user now has the level needed to learn the following elemental magic skill: Water arrows. Level 1.] [Error! The skill has been blocked! The user only has level 1 in the skills Mana Control, Mana Manipulation, Water Manipulation and Water Creation. Level up to be able to activate this skill again.] [The user has reached level 12! You now have the level needed to learn the next elemental magic skill: Ice Arrows. Level 1] [Error! The skill has been semi-blocked! The user only has level 1 in the skills Ice Manipulation and Ice Creation. Raise them to level two to be able to fully activate this skill. For now, you will only be able to create an imperfect arrow] Well, at least now I can do some magic. She thought, somewhere between excited about her new abilities and annoyed that she couldnt create arrows right away. Stupid mana manipulation skill! She complained, though she couldnt even feel it. Apparently, leveling up as a mage in the blue system is almost impossible... How the hell do others survive in the first few levels? So she closed all the windows she had open and opened the skills one. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 4 Mana detection: level 1 Mana sense: level 1 Mana Control: level 1 Mana manipulation: level 1 Dispel: level 10 Ezhil Dispel: level 4 Sleep well: level 5 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 6 Jhil: level 10 Jhil Ezhil: level 5 Blessing: level 1 Water manipulation. Level 1 Water creation. Level 1 Ice manipulation. Level 1 Ice creation. Level 1 Water blades. Level 1 Ice blades. Level 1 Ice daggers. Level 1 Water arrows. Level 1 Ice arrows. Level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ??? Level 40/125 Languages: : legendary level (User can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in the world of Elinor. This is a bonus given by the administrator) (The skill has been upgraded by administrator so that the user can also understand the native fairy language.) Regeneration: 0.514% of acquired skill.(Incomplete). Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 40 Pain resistance: level 30 Absorb: level 3 But being the champion of the fairies, the saintess must have received the blessing of obtaining the violet system from the queen of the fairies. Thats quite a feat. Not many receive that honor. What on earth is he talking about?...Then she remembered...Oh, right! I had asked him about the blue system! Rarely is that system granted to someone of another race, although I have heard rumors that claim that due to the ongoing dealings between some demon clans and the queen of the fairies, she has blessed them with the system. In our kingdom, only Prince Caranthir has received it, although he was already a wizard in his own right when he was elected. Caranthir is a prince? She was surprised, but then her brain registered a much more interesting fact. How did he manage to become a wizard without the help of a system? If he was able to do it means I can learn other elements even despite the limitations of the system. She got excited. It took him over seventy years to achieve such a feat. It was a great surprise to everyone. Normally it takes more than a century to perfectly control a single element. Seventy? How old is he? He doesnt even look that old. In fact, he looked to be in his late twenties. So I dont think the saintess should worry about the blue system. Although I have heard that the goddess Mhiralla is the only one who hates fairies, who are one of the favorite creations of the old gods. And thats why she stole the idea of the system from them and tried to copy it. So its a copy? No wonder it has so many flaws! She thought, and began to select the new skills she was most interested in getting more information about them. [Ice Manipulation. Level 1. Allows the user to shape ice and throw it at a specific target. The higher this skill gets and as the user levels up and increases her control and manipulation of mana, the user will be able to unlock other skills with greater attack power]. [Ice creation. Level 1. Allows the user to turn water into ice or create it through a magic circle directly. Cooldown time 2 minutes]] [Water blades. Level 1. Creates 3 water blades and launches them against a specific target. Cooldown time 2 minutes.] [Ice blades. Level 1. Creates 3 ice blades and launches them against a specific target. Cooldown time 2 minutes] [Ice arrows. Level 1. Creates 3 ice arrows and launches them against an assigned enemy. Currently the skill has been semi-blocked. The user only possesses level 1 in the skills Ice Manipulation and Ice Creation. Raise them to level two to be able to fully activate this skill. For now, you will only be able to create an imperfect arrow. Cooldown time 2 minutes] Well, at least I can start working with these. Ill figure out a way to level them up. She thought looking greedily at the last skill. I need to get stronger and level up! And taking advantage of the fact that one of the elves called Ardrach to inform him that they could now depart, Kalysto took out the Eagle Eyes skill crystal, which the king had given her a few hours ago before leaving for the battlefield, along with the other rewards from the deals she had made with him the night before. [Does the user wish to absorb the eagle eyes skill crystal?] [YES/NO] She immediately selected yes. A new pair of windows, one blue and one violet, opened before her. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Eagle Eyes. Level 1!] Come on, saintess. Its time," Ardrach informed her, extending his hand to help her get up from the sheet that was lying on the floor, which had been used as a stretcher to lay the sick. Thank you," she said and in a low whisper activated her new ability. Turning to look at the battlefield that was clearly visible at the bottom of the small hill they were on. And fear twisted in her guts as she saw about two thousand elves fighting against an army of monsters that easily exceeded ten thousand. And in the background, behind the sea of bodies of strange creatures of different colors and sizes, was a huge portal, almost as large, but more rounded, than the one she had seen on Earth. Chapter 54 “Open Field” (Part 3) Chapter 54 Open Field (Part 3) And fear twisted in her guts at the sight of nearly two thousand elves fighting against an army of monsters that easily exceeded ten thousand. And in the background, behind the sea of bodies of strange creatures of different colors that were knocking down the few trees in their path and the small group that were almost as tall as a five-story building, there was a huge orange portal, almost as big as the one she had seen on Earth. Shit! The quiver without arrows she was holding slipped from her hands, hitting the cold earth beneath her feet, while Ardrachs voice was heard as background noise as he gave orders. You guys go with Satho! Zhankenshy, you and your group protect the far right. We dont have enough men on the battlefield, but if we take turns in small groups to be healed and blessed by the saintess, well have a chance! Take care to inform the rest about this! Roedhoj, pick a couple of archers and protect the saintess! The others will come with me! Our job is to stop any of those monsters from ever getting close to her again! Kingdom of Elenium. First shelter. Kings room. Jaesia entered the temporary chamber of Ettokalr, son of Arandh, leaving behind the two guards that guarded the thick iron door that protected the kings current quarters. The first refuge, as they used to call it, was a building away from the castle and connected by a subway tunnel reinforced with magic by court magicians for generations. And despite the sullen appearance of its stone walls, it was the safest thing they could access without alerting others to the presence of the other shelters. Ettokalr lay on the cushioned pillows, his long straight blond hair disheveled, more from the mans desperate attempts to stir it as he thought of a solution than from having rested for a couple of hours. Xaermn and Lakyat are gone, she reported promptly. Even with the trust between the two of them, she had never liked to waste time. Or taking as many detours as the court elves normally loved to use. Ettokalr immediately sat up on his disheveled sheets. What do you mean, theyre not here? he growled hoarsely. You sent me to investigate yesterday why the saintess hadnt been given food. So I went with Xaermn to investigate, and according to the cooks, they did prepare the food, but I noticed the strange behavior of one of them during the interrogation so I asked Xaermn to keep an eye on him while I settled other matters of importance. But this morning, by the time I went to look for the cook, he had been poisoned and there were signs of a struggle on his body, although the crime scene seems to have been cleaned up. How do you know he was murdered and not that he himself was a spy who committed suicide for fear of being discovered? With all that had happened since he had made the deal with the fairy queen and had announced to his sister in a private conversation that the saintess was coming to his kingdom and made sure that only a few knew about it. He was sure that there were at least a couple of spies in his castle. By the mark of a hand on his arm. I saw the cooks arms while I was interrogating them and there was no bruise on his wrist; he was punched in the face and the collar of his shirt was wrinkled. The magician who checked his body confirmed that he must have been killed during the early hours of the morning. Also, it was when I was trying to find out what had happened to him that I noticed Xaermns absence, and when I asked about him to other elves, they informed me that they had seen him arguing with Lakyat last night. And now there is no sign of both of them," the young king whispered as he stroked his chin. No. And I already checked his quarters, and neither he nor his personal valuables are there. If Lakyat is involved in this, that would explain how word spread in other kingdoms that the saintess was coming so quickly. Although that still doesnt explain why we were attacked just before her coming," Ettokalr rose from his bed and began pacing back and forth, annoyed at the betrayal of one of his closest advisors. There is something else you should know. Though I have no way of confirming it right now. Whats going on? Apparently Xaermn traveled to the capital of the kingdom of Thagyol in the middle of last week, two days before it was destroyed by monsters, and from what I was told, when he returned, three days later, he acted as if nothing had happened. He didnt even report the invasion. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Theres no way he wouldnt have heard about the opening of a portal in the capital," he muttered with a frown. Jaesia watched the king with concern. If indeed the saintess is the real target behind this invasion, is it right to have sent her to the outskirts of the Thagyol border? Jaesia asked. That was not part of the agreement with the queen and could be detrimental to us later." She stood in front of the kings bed, who had just sat down on a comfortable chair next to the head of his bed. The saintess will not tell the queen since she wishes to learn magic and does not seem to have a way to communicate with her. And even if she does and doesnt survive the attack, you will all be gone from here by the time that happens," he commented quietly. You cant expect me to escape and leave you... But the king interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, taking her hand in his and pulling her warm body close to his. - The queen will settle for torturing me and killing a few of my people, but she will be too busy protecting her people from these invaders to waste her time hunting us all down. You cant be sure of that. They already survived the first invasion, and even if they have the military power to survive a second one, the plague is a problem for them. Thats why they chose a saintess. And choosing a new one will take time, even with all the power she possesses. Finding someone with the necessary qualities is not an easy task. Ettokalr, you cant waste your life like this," she whispered and reached out a hand to caress the face of the elf who had been her lover for years. Dont worry about that. Besides, my brother will protect her well. He seemed interested enough to do it even before I ordered him to seduce her. She didnt seem interested in him, only in his power," objected Jaesia, who, unlike her king, knew that a womans heart was not always moved by someones status. Ettokalrs sister herself was a clear example of this, having renounced her right to the crown and run away from an arranged marriage to be with the simple and humble elf to whom she had given her heart and body. She will fall sooner or later," the king assured her. Her desire for power will make her an easy target for Caranthir, despite his past. Besides, that na?ve young girl could become our ticket to get the fairy queen to grant the system to more elves of our own people. I dont think the saintess is as na?ve or manipulable as you think. And yet she agreed to make us a barrier for such a low price, even if she arranged that the terms for renewing the barrier would be renegotiated each time she renewed it. The price alone for making it was ridiculously cheap. That girl has no idea what kind of potential she has. I just made sure I made my move before anyone else alerted her to her great value. Besides, my brother is one of the most powerful mages on the entire continent. But there are others more powerful than him. Yes, I know. But she doesnt know that. **** How am I supposed to get out of here alive? And with everything that had happened since Kalysto had arrived in this world, she had forgotten a small detail. One that only at that moment she managed to remember when she saw that portal. And it was that according to the end of the tragic book: "The Fall of the Hero", the continent of Tanish would be destroyed, and only a very, very small group of fairies would survive the great massacre. It''s just a coincidence!... The name is similar, that''s all. She tried to convince herself. Shit! And while her heart was beating like a runaway horse against her ribs, she opened the map of the violet system, to make sure. And there, around the wooded area where her golden dot was located, several kilometers north of the violet dot on which her bosss position was marked, and next to two other dots she had no idea who they were, at the top of the window marking the different territories, it said in bold letters: Tanish Continent. Shit! <> whispered that other voice in her head. Shut up! She growled under her breath, earning several glares from a couple of elves. Think positive... She tried to convince herself. Look at all those experience points waiting to be harvested. She thought. And as a shiver ran down her back and her palms began to sweat, something deep inside her stirred, rejoicing at the chaos and all the destruction before her. And more than fifty meters beyond, flying above the sea of monsters, was Caranthir surrounded by various magical symbols, shooting gigantic fiery flares at the gigantic monsters that kept coming through the portal. And something inside her resonated, warming her blood at the sight of that fire devouring the bodies of the enemies, dispelling all traces of the fear she had felt before. And turning it into excitement. She wanted to be able to do something like that, to bathe them all in a sea of fire until there was nothing but ashes left around them. <> whispered that voice in her head. But despite Caranthirs monumental efforts, too many monsters had already left and advanced towards the small hill where she stood. And as she fantasized about acquiring all that power, a monster over six meters tall jumped, falling into the small circle of elves surrounding her, crushing one of them with its huge foot. Before bowing down and letting out a mighty roar. Chapter 55 “Royal Trouble” Chapter 55 Royal Trouble Royal palace, kingdom of Balsac. 11:10 pm. The night before. Milo Riva, chief court magician of the kingdom, and Marquis of Riva pulled back his long black hair in an elegant ribbon that matched his blue tunic. At thirty years old, he was considered one of the most influential men in the kingdom and a coveted bachelor. But despite the occasional attention the ladies gave him, he was a busy man. Or at least he used that as an excuse to turn them away along with the kings overtures to match him. A week ago he had even hinted at marrying his new mistress Lethicia Tehro, the daughter of the Marquis of Tehro. Milo had immediately refused, much to the annoyance of the king who was beginning to suspect that his faithful servants sexual proclivities were towards men, and decided to let the matter rest for a while before insisting again. Milos crystalline green eyes looked at the bottle of perfume his lover had given him and he hesitated. It would be too obvious, he worried. One of the servants might recognize my scent on her, so he cast upon himself a spell to nullify any scent on his body. And he put on his reading glasses, knowing she loved the intellectual look they gave him. And he loved the secret smile she gave him every time she took them off before closing her beautiful gray eyes and kissing him. The very memory warmed his body and his blood rushed to the south. Milo went back to check his appearance one last time, making sure everything was in place and just before he cast the spell that would take him to a dark corner of her room, two loud knocks sounded on his bedroom door. Who is it? He growled in annoyance that someone would dare disturb him just before their long-awaited date. The king requests your presence immediately, my lord and Milo wanted to snarl and kill the king at that moment, but the only thing that showed his discomfort was his scowl and clenched fists, which he was quick to release. He couldnt damage his facade, not after how hard he had worked to get this position. Even if the king was nothing more than a self-important asshole, more concerned with finding the next hole to dip his cock in than the welfare of the kingdom and caring for his beautiful queen. And Milo was sure, that with all the things that were happening on the mainland, the king would end up leading the kingdom to its own destruction. At least he still listens to my words and those of the Marquis of Allfel. Though he was beginning to doubt that would last long, especially with the way the king had lately begun to act on the whims of the Darla, one of the high priestesses of the temple of light, and the only saintess they had on the continent. If only Queen Tathiana was the only one in power, the kingdom would be safe. Milo checked his appearance once more in front of the mirror and pulled a thick robe over his clothes, sent two pulses of mana into the crystal of one of his left hand rings, alerting his lover that something was slowing him down, and opened the door. Take me there! He ordered the servant who nodded immediately. But contrary to what Milo thought, he took him neither to the kings office, nor to his room, but to a remote balcony in the north tower, where the royal guests were lodged, and on which an imitation of a prison had been built where the aristocrats whom the king still wanted on his side or wanted to blackmail were lodged. Milo frowned as he walked through the half-lit corridors, sensing what the king would ask of him when he saw the location of their meeting, but he hastened to relax his expression. Good evening, your majesty," he greeted, bowing, which the king hastened to cut off with a wave of his hand before looking like an annoying insect at the servant he had ordered to bring him so close to midnight. Retreat! he ordered with annoyance. Good evening, your majesty, my lord! -The young man replied with a bow before disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. The lights of the two moons illuminated the red cloak, whose plush white edges accentuated the kings pale silhouette. Im sorry to call you so late at night, Milo. But I need you to accompany me and you are one of the few I can trust for this," the king murmured as soon as the sound of the young servants footsteps ceased to be heard. In other words, he doesnt trust the other court magicians enough for this. Of course, your majesty," he replied promptly. Then follow me," he said, and with a wave of his hand he ordered the guards to wait at the entrance to the corridor while they made their way to the staircase leading to the prisons that were in the dungeons. A small flare of fire appeared in the palm of the kings hand as they descended the stairs, lighting the way. And the small act of display on his part almost made Milo roll his eyes at his childish behavior. The king knew that Milo was also a fire mage, one far more powerful than he, one with a mana capacity far beyond his own. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. And yet, from time to time, the king did not hesitate to brag or remind them that he too had received the blue system from the goddess Mhiralla. Despite being only level ten despite his forty-five years. But before they reached the guards guarding the cells, the voice of King Medhas broke the silence. Lethicia is pregnant, the royal physician informed me this morning that it was a boy," Milo almost stumbled upon hearing the news, immediately worrying about what Queen Tathiana would do when she heard this. But he managed to disguise his sudden awkwardness with great agility. It helped that the king was too excited about the news to pay enough attention to it. Dont worry, Milo, I will no longer pressure you to marry her," he assured him, turning to look him in the eye as he put his other hand on his shoulder. Your secret is safe with me, my friend. But I recommend you get a wife even if its just to keep up appearances, I wouldnt want court gossip to spread rumors about your tendencies in bed. Obviously you are not the only aristocrat with such particular tastes, but as the chief magician of the court, you must keep up appearances. Milo almost choked on his own saliva as he understood what the king was implying. What? He whispered, his cheeks turning slightly red. How on earth did he come to such a crazy conclusion? ... And since when are we friends? He thought, but didnt correct him. As I said before, you wont have to worry about marrying her anymore. At the party to celebrate the coming of the heroes, Im going to announce her as my royal concubine. And a couple of weeks later, I plan to announce the birth of the future crown prince. What will happen to Princess Galythe? he asked worriedly. She will marry the second prince of the kingdom of Bhallys. They also succeeded with the summoning of heroes. They have agreed to strengthen a political alliance with us and we will hunt together those monsters that destroyed the kingdom of Vatha before they cross the border to ours. But although Milo agreed to the political alliance, it would have been better to use the second princess instead of Galythe. When Tathiana learns that her daughter will lose the right to inherit the throne, she will be furious. Her father wont be too happy about it either. And Milo wanted to advise him that it was a stupid move that would gain the powerful duchy of Brincy as an enemy, but he kept silent. If he cant figure it out for himself, I wont be the one to tell him. It is better to wait and see what he really plans to do about it. I doubt hes going to confront them like this without having a plan or something to back him up. In that case, my congratulations to his majesty. You finally got the male heir you wanted so badly," he added, knowing full well that although the previous king had established a law allowing women to inherit not only the throne but also a title of the aristocracy, King Medhas was a bit more conservative with his beliefs. That was why he had murdered his older sister and stolen the crown for himself. He is surely planning to clear the way for his only male child. So he will also get rid of the second princess. Milo thought. Less than ten minutes later, both men had already arrived at the entrance to the cells. How dark it is here," whispered the king, whose mana was already running low, so he extinguished the flame in his hand and glanced sidelong at Milo, who did not hesitate to light all the torches in the neat corridor full of clean and comfortable cells with a wave of his hand. But unlike the king he did not enter the corridor, instead he used the flames he had lit to eavesdrop on their conversation. Medhas! What took you so long? Darla demanded as soon as the guard opened the grating that kept her locked in her cell, and saw the king standing in front of her and ran to embrace him. I was beginning to think you had left me here abandoned," she said, pretending to pout. Of course I would do no such thing, my dear. But you went too far and upset Tathiana and now I have her breathing down my neck," he growled with annoyance and some coldness despite the hand he was caressing her cheek with. When will you get us out of here? she asked instead, and at that moment as she brought her hand close to the kings face, Milo could feel a disturbance in the mana around the king. And he frowned. Right now. Milo will take you and the other priestess back to the temple." at that moment, the kings voice sounded a little strange to the magicians ears. But youll have to keep a low profile, its not convenient for me to bother Tathiana with everything thats going on, and even less so after the fiasco you got me into with the Lanish duchy the kings voice recovered its growl. Dont be like that, you know it would have been very convenient for you if that foolish old man had agreed to marry me instead of passing the title of duke to his son. But unlike before, I have no control over the current duke. Have him marry one of your daughters in exchange for giving you the mana stone mine and I will give you the holy water he needs to cure his father of the poison. That would practically be announcing to the world that you were behind the assassination attempt on the former duke. But they have no way to prove it, otherwise they would have done it already," she assured him. And at that moment Milo felt a disturbance of mana again. My lord," the wizard interrupted and the strange mana fluid broke as he approached the cell. Soon it will be time for the changing of the guard. He noticed a strange gleam in the king''s eyes that quickly disappeared as Darla''s gaze settled on him, full of disdain and distrust. Milo returned a half-smile laden with superiority, remembering that despite being a saintess, she was but a simple country girl that the temple had picked up a few years ago. After the guard allowed them to leave and the four of them exited through a secret door to the outside of the castle along with the two guards who were guarding the king, Darla turned to her lover. And what will you do with the girl who attacked Ivhana? she asked. I''m sure she''s the one the first prophecy warned us about. Don''t worry about a pretty face and focus on what is really important," he scolded her. You must increase your power within the temple or we will lose everything we have been working for. But...! Milo, get them out of here at once! The king interrupted her. And without waiting a second longer, Milo did as he was ordered. Half an hour later, a shadowy figure materialized inside the queen''s palace, in Tathiana de Balsac''s room. It''s me, my love," whispered Milo. I''m sorry to be so late, but I''m afraid I bring you bad news. Chapter 56 “Real Trouble” Part 2 Chapter 56 Real Trouble Part 2 A shadowy figure materialized inside the queens palace, in Tathiana of Balsacs room. As soon as the queen felt the change in the flow of mana near her bed, a thin ice sword materialized in her hand and the room cooled in immediately. Milos heart warmed at how beautiful Tathiana looked as she summoned her magic. Magic he had taught her himself, even though she didnt possess a system. But it was a necessary protective measure in case the king or the family of the current royal concubine tried to harm her. And a well-kept secret between the two, which only the queens father knew. "Its me, my love," whispered Milo, wanting to reassure his precious lover. "Im sorry to be so late, but Im afraid Im bringing you bad news," he explained. Whats wrong? Are you hurt? She asked in a low whisper, her face heavy with concern as she stood up from the chair she had been sitting in waiting while she read a book and checked if there were any wounds on the mages body. Milo instead put a finger to her lips and immediately cast a spell around them to prevent the sound from escaping more than a meter around the bed of the woman to whom his heart had belonged for years. As soon as he was done, they both sat down on the bed and, after assuring her that he was fine, Milo proceeded to tell her everything he had seen and heard that night, including his suspicions about the priestess. What? How dare he take away my daughters right to the throne? She growled, immediately rising from the bed. Milo could have sworn the room dropped about ten degrees in temperature at that instant, and the two guards standing outside the door thought so too. Milo rushed to grab his beloved before she either snapped out of the sound-canceling spell or unintentionally broke it. And yet he expects to continue using my familys resources and army? Calm down, exalting yourself will not lead us to find a solution. "But now I have not only the second princess and her mother to worry about, but a new heir!" I know," he replied in a soft voice. And I assure you that the daughter of the Marquis of Tehro will not stand idly by and try to take my crown!" And dont forget Darla, you must watch out for her too," he whispered as he wrapped her in his warm arms. I knew that woman would only bring trouble," she whispered against his masculine chest as she returned his embrace. "We must find a way to get rid of her and take control of the temple or diminish her influence within it." And we will, but for now," he kissed her forehead and pulled away from her, walked to the shelf where the queens jewels were displayed, and picked up a delicate pin with a polished diamond in the center. After casting several spells on the gem, he returned to her side. This will keep your mind safe from any outside invasion or influence for the time being. I will look for something more suitable as soon as I have a little more time, my love," as he placed the brooch on the delicate fabric of his beloveds pajamas, the movement of shadows under the door caught his attention. Medhas is going to be too busy preparing the heroes before sending them off to war. Ill talk to my father and..." Milo placed a finger on her feminine, luscious lips and pointed towards the door. Tathiana immediately grasped what was happening and carefully approached the double doors of her room without making a sound while Milo hid behind one of the columns of the bed, hiding his presence between the thick curtains of one of the four posts that surrounded it. With a single movement, Tathiana opened the doors and the body of a servant girl fell to her feet as the two guards guarding either side of the door looked at her with faces as pale as the woman who had been trying to spy on her. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. What is the meaning of this? The queen roared, and both guards turned towards her. One of them brought his hand towards his waist, clenching his fist around the handle of his sword. But the guard couldnt finish the move as Milo had teleported behind him, knife in hand, and slashed his neck with a single slash. The maids screams echoed down the lonely hallway as blood trickled down her face. Impossible, no one could teleport inside the royal palace! the guard muttered before drawing his own sword and lunging at Milo with the intention of attacking him, not noticing that the queen now stood behind him with a conjured ice sword in her delicate hands. True," she replied before piercing the surprised guards abdomen from behind and then slashing his neck. The next morning, Queen Tathiana had her royal breakfast at the kings palace. And although it had been years since her supposed husband had joined her for breakfast, or at any meal other than a banquet or in the presence of important officials for the sake of appearances, this morning the king showed up. It was the royal concubine who was notable by her absence. Tathiana arched an eyebrow as she spread some jam on her toast in complete tranquility and watched the king being accompanied by one of his servants entering the royal dining room. One of my attendants informed me what happened with one of your servants last night in your palace. I am sorry that you have gone through such an unfortunate experience. Are you sorry that it happened, or that I survived an assassination attempt? The king immediately clenched his fists around his cutlery and let out an unpleasant grunt. By the way, dont you find it strange that just today of all days, your concubine decided not to come to breakfast with me as she usually does every morning? And instead, I have the honor of having you, whose company I havent shared in years. Isnt that very curious? She asked as she raised a glass and took a sip of juice while looking him in the eye. Ill get you another maid immediately and Ill change the guards..." the king began to explain and Tathiana let out a snort. How obvious! He cant even hide the fact that he plans to use them to keep an eye on me! Thought the queen. That wont be necessary," she dismissed him immediately, preventing him from continuing to speak. "My father has already taken care of that. The maid he chose will arrive before nightfall. My father will come with her to investigate the matter and will bring his own guards to take care of the protection and care of my palace from now on," she said, challenging him with her eyes. Reminding him that the only reason he was still in power was because of the support of her family. The kings cheeks flushed red and his face soured with anger, knowing that he would have to give an account to the Duke of Brincy as soon as he arrived for failing to adequately protect the queen. Knowing that the man would not be satisfied with having full control over his daughters palace, but that since this incident, which had gotten out of the kings hands when he had sent the maid to spy on his wife, had now become the perfect excuse for him to be the one who would be spied on by the family of a wife he never wanted and could barely tolerate. With the rebels gaining more and more ground, monsters and demons beginning to invade the south of the kingdom, the Duke of Brincy could use the attempt on his daughter as an excuse to stop supporting him and join the rebels. And that was something Medhas could not allow. Much less after losing control over the army of the Duchy of Lanish, even though the dying old man who was the former duke, lay bedridden on the verge of death. Not even after the new duke had dared not only to refuse to marry one of his daughters but to refuse to answer the summons he himself had sent him on the day of the heroes invocation to bring his army and join the mages of the tower and the holy knights of the temple to eliminate the black dragon and the other monsters that came from the other world along with the heroes. King Medhas clenched his fists, hatred shining in his black eyes as he gazed at the woman with whom he had been forced to engender a child. But even her beauty could not overshadow the disgust he felt for her, nor the arrogance that, even after so many years in which he had not even deigned to revisit her bed after she became pregnant, still dominated her cold gaze. And even though he wore the kings crown on his head, Tathiana had never stopped looking at him as if he were inferior to her. Even though it was she who had failed to give him the son he wanted. Just as his other concubine had also failed to do so, and the rest of the other mistresses he had had and discreetly eliminated in the past. But this time, things were different. He had finally got a male heir. And he would take it upon himself to spoil the party for all those who had dared to despise him. All of you will learn the hard way then what happens to those who dare to defy my authority," he muttered under his breath, making sure the queen could not hear him and in a fit of rage he rose from his chair throwing it to the floor along with half of his breakfast as he left the room. Never again will any of you dare to despise me again," he snarled. Youll see! Ill finish you all! He continued his rant as he strode down the brightly lit corridors of his palace. I am the fucking king of Balsac! And all of you damned insects will learn to tremble in my presence! Chapter 57 “On the brink of death” Chapter 57 On the brink of death A blue monster with more than six meters tall, two heads on its shoulders and whose arms from the elbow to the end of its claws were covered with a black substance that reflected the light in the same way as a suit made of latex, jumped on them. Falling into the small circle of elves surrounding Kalysto and crushing one of them with his huge feet. Before bowing down and letting out a mighty roar. Challenging them to battle. The saintess immediately recognized the particular black texture of his arms, so similar to the huge black goblins she had faced before. And she jumped back, putting several meters of distance between her and the strange creature. Ice blades! Kalysto exclaimed and three bluish-white magic circles were drawn around her. Ezhil Purification! The golden light of her holy magic illuminated the three ice blades before she threw them against the monsters chest, which let out a powerful roar that burst its eardrums. Shit! she growled, but she could only hear an unpleasant ringing in her ears as the pain grew louder and louder. [Passive ability Pain Resistance has been activated.] Come on, Kalysto, focus! Stay focused! She scolded herself and, as always, the cold sensation that accompanied that sentence ran through her from head to toe. As the rest of the elves around her groaned in pain, kneeling on the ground. So Kalysto pulled out the bottle of the high quality holy water her boss had given her and took a small swig. The familiar tingle of healing invaded her ears and most of her head, relieving the severe migraine caused by her continued overuse of her mana and made worse by that monsters scream. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] That creature, seeing that she was still standing, took two steps forward and stretched out his black hand trying to reach her as a few drops of the thick substance as black and shiny as the oil that covered her hands and forearms, fell to the ground contaminating the earth. Purification Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! shouted Kalysto immediately, watching with bizarre satisfaction as the dark half of the creatures arm evaporated while he cried out in pain at the missing limb. A violet window opened to her left, but after reading it, she quickly closed it. [Ezhils Purification skill has risen to level 7!] Ice Blades! Conjured Kalysto and a blue notification window appeared on her left. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. [The Ice Blades skill cannot be used at the moment. User must wait 1:50 minutes before being able to use it again.] Stupid cooldown period! And just when I can finally use magic! She growled and jumped away from the monster again as she pulled out her new bow and an arrow- Purification Ezhil! She conjured and the bow and arrow were bathed in golden light as she shot an arrow into each of the creatures four eyes, blinding it. Then she shot four more arrows into each of its two necks, hoping that would help so it could no longer burst everyones eardrums again. But as soon as he saw it open its mouths again, she became worried. Water blades! She called out, making sure to cut the end of his lips so it would hurt to move them and make sure he stopped screaming. Then she ran to where the wounded elves were, and after checking that she was far enough away so that her power wouldnt heal the monster as well, she whispered. Jhil Ezhil! And she turned her head back to the creature, noticing that her golden light had reached a part of his body and began to heal the arm she had injured. Ezhil Ezhil Purification! -She growled, hearing him scream again as soon as the hand that had begun to regenerate vanished into thin air again. So she moved a little further away until she reached where Ardrach stood surrounded by other elves. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Seeing that the golden glow of her healing ability stopped shining on the Elven vice-commander, she said: Ardrach, I need you to distract that thing while I heal the rest! Of course, saintess, the muscular elf turned to the other soldiers, You heard the saintess! Those who have been healed, attack the Sajhun! Kalysto frowned at the strange name and looked at the monster. Inspect! she whispered, and two windows opened to her left. [Name: N/A Race: Sajhun. Level: 25 HP: 24,850/25,000 MP: 100/100 DMP:400/500] Twenty-five thousand. Is that serious? How the heck can a monster have that much health? But instead of staying to question things that she probably wouldnt get an answer to, Kalysto continued healing the elves that were far away from Sajhun with Jhil Ezhil. Wizards, attack! Ardrach ordered, and four of the six mages that accompanied them began to throw fireballs at Sajhun while Kalysto healed the other two. As soon as she finished with them, she began to approach those who were closer to the monster and had not been able to heal before, placing her hands over the ears of one of the archers. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she whispered. And it was at that moment, as she desperately tried to hurry and finish healing the elf in front of her, that the ground shook at her feet. And Kalysto turned, looking out over the edge of the plain, at the top of the small hill she stood on, where the thick forest opened up before them, and watched the twelve dark gray-furred wolves with hideous, sharp ridges of what appeared to be bone the same color as their filthy fur protruding from their spines Ice blades! Kalysto exclaimed, attacking one of the wolves. Water blades! She continued, attacking another and drawing her bow just as the elf she had been healing had done and both began firing at the pack of wolves running at high speed towards them. Saintess, watch out! Ardrach shouted, at the same instant that the shadow of the Sajhun covered her, and while one of the monsters heads launched a puff of fire in the direction of Ardrach and his people, the gaze of the other head was fixed on her as it stretched its remaining hand, like a clenched fist in her direction, ready to crush them. Chapter 58 “On the brink of death” Part 2 Chapter 58 On the brink of death Part 2 And while his mistress was on the verge of death, Tsuki was hogging the pillow, taking advantage of the fact that Kalysto had left early that morning and took hold of the comforting warmth she had left on the sheets. At some point, he dozed off again, but a soft knock against the bedroom door caused him to perk up one of his ears and pay attention. Alynn, the fairy who had been bringing food and clothes to his mistress since they were given this room, entered with a tray in her hands. The saintess hasnt returned from healing the elves yet? She asked him quizzically, as if he could answer her. Tsuki only raised his head in acknowledgement, more from the smell of the warm bread on the tray than from the womans words, so he turned his head away, pretending he couldnt understand her. I know young Tsuki can understand what Im saying, so you can stop pretending," the fairy scolded him. I am perfectly aware that not just any creature can be the pet of a saintess. Least of all the hero chosen by the great fairy queen. Alynn set down the tray full of fruits, cheese and breads she had finished baking herself less than ten minutes ago, along with a large piece of roasted meat and another uncooked one she took from the tray she placed on the night table next to the bed and held the plate of raw meat between her hands as she scowled at Tsuki, waiting for an answer. Arff! He barked and shook his head. I assure you that they are taking advantage of the fact that the saintess knows little about this world and they surely put her to heal the elves of other regions that have also been under attack, or the survivors of that other kingdom that was destroyed last week! Bunch of freeloaders! If they needed to heal more elves, they should have established that in the contract and give a payment according to what was agreed! Im sure the saintess could use to get a couple more potions. I heard she spent like five the day before yesterday! She sure is going to need more just to keep healing Lady Artemis! Im going to inform the queen about this! It took the saintess less than a day to heal most of our sick. Now only the more serious cases are left and theyre still progressing well! She refuted and lowered the plate with the raw meat to the floor so Tsuki could eat. And as far as I heard the elves didnt have any serious cases like us, so it shouldnt take the saintess that long to heal them, unless there were many more sick than we were originally warned about," Tsuki frowned from the bed, listening to her carefully. And remembering how much his mistress had worn herself out as she worked for hours healing the fairies. He didnt like what the elves seemed to be doing with Kalysto. So he barked again, implying to Alynn that he fully agreed with her indignation But where are my manners? This is your food, young Tsuki. I remembered you liked it the last time I brought it to you, so I asked the guards when they go out to make their rounds to hunt some for you and the saintess. One of them is the grandson of one of the patients the saintess cured, so he offered to hunt once a week for you as a thank you for saving his grandfather. We fairies are more the type to eat just about anything, but we prefer fruits and sweet things. So unless theres an important celebration, we dont usually prepare much meat," she commented as she watched him eat. Oh, by the way, that reminds me! She exclaimed, turning back to where she had left the tray of food on the bedside table, to point to the small plate with tiny white grains on it. I noticed that the saintess likes salt with her meals, so I got some. In this world, it is only used to make bread and cheese as far as I know, but apparently in her world it is different. Please let her know I brought it to her, and she can use it at her leisure. I can always get more, even if it takes a little time," she then pulled an orb out of her pocket and placed it next to the tray. A sphere of energy covered the tray, ruining Tsukis plans to get a couple of breads as soon as Alynn left. Well, Ill be back in a little while to take the dirty dishes and get some juice for the saintess. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Arf! Tsuki refuted, turning away from what was left of his meat to approach his owners tray, but even though he brought his nose closer, the delicious smell that until a few minutes ago was emanating from the freshly baked bread had disappeared behind the energy barrier. Thats the food of the saintess, young Tsuki! You cant eat it! Alynn scolded him, putting her hands on her hips. Tsuki rolled his eyes as Kalysto did, and with one paw pointed to the four round loaves of bread on the large, now protected tray. Oh, I see, so young Tsuki likes my bread too? Alynn asked, looking for confirmation. And Tsuki nodded his head. Arff! Alright, Ill bring some more! But youll have to share them with the saintess, too. I know theyre her favorite! Tsuki didnt want to make it clear to her that although her new master loved hot breads, she also really liked theles as they took away her tiredness. They were sweet and juicy. But he kept silent, and instead finished eating his meat while he waited for the return of Alynn who came back less than fifteen minutes later with two trays each with four round breads the size of an open palm, a glass and a pitcher of juice. She set one of the trays down next to the saintesss food and arranged another crystal sphere to protect them. Then she took two breads from the second tray, which she left away from the protection of the crystals, and placed them on the tender puppys plate. Here you go, young Tsuki. I hope you enjoy them! She commented, trying to hide a smile as the elusive Fenrir approached to excitedly devour one of the loaves. Alynn wished she could pet it, hold it and spoil it, but the elusive pup still wouldnt let her touch it. Ill be back before dinner. I hope the saintess will be here by then. And without further ado, she left, closing the door as she waved to another passing fairy. Tsuki devoured one of the breads enjoying its tasty flavor. Master is right, Alynns breads are delicious! Tsuki thought. And remembering what her owner always did, Tsuki took the other loaf and looked for a place to hide it. First, he checked behind the white curtains, but then he realized that the merest of breezes could make someone else notice his hiding place. Then he checked under the bed, but despite how clean everything was, he didnt like the place. Then he walked back over to the nightstand and looked at the two trays of food protected by a layer of magic, and wished not only that he could have one of those to protect his food but also that he could stick his paws in one of them. And he looked at the cheeses, he knew better not to touch them, not only because his master liked them but because they smelled strange. Then he turned and looked around the sparsely colored room. It seemed that the fairies had decided that the color of the saintess would be white. And although Tsuki liked the color, he knew his master preferred black. So much so that not only did he meet her dressed entirely in that color, but he also knew of a strange backpack of the same color and smelling of food, which she kept in her magical cave. Tsuki let out a long sigh. In the end, after spending half an hour trying to pick out various places he regretted later, he lay back down on the bed and hid it under the pillow. Then he settled back on the white sheets and fell asleep. Or at least that was the plan until the squeaky voice of a little girl forced him to open his eyes. - Oh, a cute little doggy! Are you lost, doggy? A little girl with pink eyes and her aquamarine hair combed in two pigtails was peeping at him through the small opening of the half-open door. Tsuki frowned at the sight of the strange brat he was sure he had never seen before, and growled at her. Not at all pleased with her intrusion. -Oh, Alynn made bread! -And as if on invitation, the little girl finished opening the door and walked in uninvited, reaching out her small, pale hand to grab one of the two loaves of bread lying on the unprotected tray. As soon as she was about to touch them, Tsuki jumped up from the bed and growled at her. Medea stopped, looking at him in surprise, not quite sure what to do next. - I''m just going to take one. They''re delicious," she clarified. But Tsuki didn''t care about her opinion. Those were his master''s breads, and he knew that later when she came, he could convince her to give him some more. So he jumped off the bed and growled louder at the little invader, advancing towards her and forcing her back. Chapter 59 “On the brink of death.” Part 3 Chapter 59 On the brink of death. Part 3 -Oh, Alynn made bread! -And as if it was an invitation, the little girl finished opening the door and walked in stretching out her small pale hand to grab one of the two breads that were lying on the unprotected tray. As soon as the little girl was about to touch them, Tsuki got up from the bed and growled at her. Then Medea stopped, looking at him in surprise, not quite sure what to do next. Im just going to take one. Theyre delicious," she clarified. But Tsuki didnt care about her opinion. Those were his mistresss breads, and he knew that later when she arrived, he could convince her to give him some more. So he growled louder at the little invader, advancing towards her and forcing her back to the door that was now wide open. Arf! Arf! woof! He then let out a long howl in the form of a warning and to call for reinforcements, then growled at her again with more force. And just as he expected, the warrior who had found them in the forest and guided them back to the palace appeared at the door. What is going on here? But seeing the daughter of Artemis inside the room, and the protective way in which Tsukis body guarded the saintess food, Galatea quickly got an idea of what had happened. Miss Medea, dont you know its rude to enter someone elses room without the owners permission? But I just wanted to pet the puppy and eat something! the girl defended herself. Besides, the door was open, and he looked lost. That puppy is the saintesss pet! And its disrespectful for you to enter her room while shes working! If you are hungry, just call one of the maids to bring you something to eat or go to the kitchens. Galatea scolded her with a frown. Fearing that the saintess would take this as an offense and then refuse to continue healing the fairies, or even worse, just Artemis. But this is my house. I can go wherever I want! The queen assigned this room to the saintess personally. And the only one who has permission to enter here is Alynn. But...! If you have any objections, you can discuss it with the queen," she said, taking her by the hand and leading her out of the room. Then she turned and from the door frame looked at Tsuki. I am sorry for what has happened. I hope you excuse her impertinence. I assure you it wont happen again," Galatea apologized before closing the door carefully. Why are you talking to him as if he understands what you are saying? Tsuki clearly heard the girls voice from the other side of the closed door. Because a Fenrir is a type of sacred beast with a high level of intelligence that can communicate telepathically with its master, and with those it finds worthy. They are also very dangerous! The lady was lucky he hadnt decided to attack. Even being just a puppy, you shouldnt let your guard down with them! Can he use telepathy? I want to talk to him like that! Do you think hell ever agree to talk to me? Medea asked excitedly. Completely forgetting to pretend she was sorry for trespassing or trying to eat someone elses food. And ignoring the warriors warnings. Im afraid with the rude behavior the young lady has shown him, I doubt he will do so. And I ask you to never do anything like that again. The saintess might get angry and delay your mothers healing as a result or refuse to heal her completely. Besides, a Fenrir is a very territorial creature and loyal to its masters. Fortunately, he did not attack you. Tsuki listened to their conversation until their voices were lost in the distance and the girls fear for her mothers health grew. When little Fenrir realized that their food was no longer in any danger, he settled back into the comfortable bed, hogging the pillow that still retained the scent of his master. And he went back to sleep, still keeping his attention on the noises around him in case someone else dared to invade his new territory again, while he waited for Kalystos return. **** Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Ice blades! said Kalysto, attacking one of the wolves who stumbled as soon as one of the ice blades pierced his left eye, forehead, and nose. "Water blades!" She continued attacking another one, seeing that the first one had fallen, although no notification of his death reached her. And she drew her bow, as did the elf she had been healing, and they both began firing at the pack of wolves running at high speed towards them. Saintess, watch out! Ardrach shouted, at the same instant that the shadow of the huge Sajhun covered her, as one of the monsters heads launched a puff of fire in the direction of Ardrach and her people, the gaze of the other head was fixed on her as it stretched out its remaining hand, like a clenched fist in her direction, ready to crush her. Shit! Good thing I didnt bring Tsuki with me! She thought as she saw the intimidating figure getting closer and closer. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She shouted as she launched three more arrows at each of the eyes of the head that, despite its wounds, was watching her every move. Can that thing regenerate? She worried. And it jumped out of the way as the lower half of its arm, which looked like it had been painted with petroleum, disintegrated at the touch of the golden light that surrounded her. Watch out! She shouted to the other archer with her as the saintess fired more arrows at the Sajhuns bare legs and into the ear of the other head who after losing his balance caused the rest of his body to fall to the firm ground crushing the wolf that was closest to her and which Kalysto had wounded earlier with the water spell and her arrows. Two windows appeared to her left. [You have gained 1,500 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 13.] Kalystos eyes widened in surprise at the sheer amount of points she had gained. I need to kill more of those things! She got excited and shot more arrows not only at another one of the approaching wolves but also at the one that had fallen to the ground and the one she had attacked first. While the archer that was with her attacks the other two that were closest to them. [You have gained 3,000 experience points!] Water Blades! She shouted as soon as the cooldown time was over, attacking the second wolf coming towards her while the others had slowed down as they noticed the half-giants presence. The newly fallen monster groaned in pain as the arrows she had shot at it buried themselves completely on his skin and in the eyes of the head that had been slammed face first into the ground. While the other one, the one that had been giving her the side profile and the one she had shot in the eardrum, continued to moan as the arrow finished burying itself deep in his ear. Kalysto shot an arrow with penetration into the neck of the wolf, which fell lifelessly to the ground. [You have gained 3,000 experience points!] And taking advantage of the fact that the other six wolves were far behind, Kalysto turned and approached the head of the Sajhun that was not spitting fire after storing her bow. Sleep well, sleep well! She whispered, but a warning screen appeared before her, ruining her plans. [Warning: the skill level is too low to be used against this target!] Damn! Then she tried again with a different approach as the vice commander and the other elves fought another pack of wolves that attacked them from the right. Archers, attack the Dackets! Only two of the mages will stay as backup. The rest come with me to protect the saintess! Ardrach ordered. But they were more than twenty meters away and Kalysto had other plans. Ice creation! She whispered and put her hands on the head that was upside down, watching how the hairless skull of that creature began to freeze until the ability stopped. Ice manipulation! She added immediately. Extending the ice from his skull to the whole of his head and part of his shoulder, where she noticed a crystal almost the same bluish tone as his skin and the size of an open hand on the back of his shoulder. Thats a crystal like a slime crystal? She got excited. Ice manipulation! Ice manipulation! She continued to conjure, inwardly thanking the system that, unlike her other magical skills, this one did not have a reuse time. So she endeavored to cover his entire head in ice, paying special attention to his nose and mouth to prevent him from being able to breathe. Even if I dont have enough level to kill him, if I asphyxiate him, sooner or later he will die. She thought, full of confidence. And just as she had been doing with the healing rounds, she forced her power to come out faster and spread out, covering not only the first head but also the crystal over his shoulder, not wanting any elf to rob her of her precious prize. Ice manipulation! Ice manipulation! And she continued to extend and strengthen it, making it thicker and thicker so that it would penetrate into his flesh and freeze his blood, but she met resistance as she tried to extend it under her enemys skin. Ice manipulation! Ice manipulation! Ice manipulation! She growled, forgetting about the wolves and letting the other elf take care of the rest, while she could hear Ardrach and his group approaching to help them. I need to drown him fast! Droplets of blood began to trickle out of her nostrils, but she didnt care. Ill heal myself later with holy water. She thought. She kept her concentration on spreading the ice toward the right side of the huge Sajhuns body, hoping she had enough mana to finish freezing him. But the process was going much slower than she had imagined. Saintess! Ardrach shouted. His voice charged with desperation. Stop making me lose my concentration and take care of the other head! she growled in response. Saintess, watch out! Ardrach shouted again. Causing Kalysto to turn towards the sound of his anguish-laden voice, only to notice the other head staring at her as he opened his mouth and a flare of fire began to erupt from deep inside the Sajhuns throat, ready to kill her. Chapter 60 “On the brink of death.” Part 4 Chapter 60 On the brink of death. Part 4 A flare of fire began to form deep in the throat of the Sajhun, who with his mouth wide open, looked her in the eyes with intent to burn her alive. Water creation! Kalysto shouted. Putting her palms together in front of her, aiming at the enemys face and a jet of water spurted from her palms, falling right into the open mouth of the Sajhun, who with his other head and upper torso stuck to the ground with ice, struggled in vain to get up while coughing trying to expel the water that had gotten into his nose and mouth. But before he could do it and just when he opened his mouth again to cough, Kalysto, who had not stopped throwing water at him as if her hands were a hose, as soon as she saw that water had entered his mouth again, changed the spell. Ice creation! She shouted, and all the water she had thrown at him froze, sticking his head to the ground and sealing his mouth full of ice. Completely determined to drown the creature. Ice manipulation! She whispered, extending the reach of the ice layer not only to the creatures face and the puddle lowered its head, but also down its neck and shoulders. Ardrach, cut its head off! She ordered, willing to lose a couple of points in order not to take any more risks to get the crystal hidden in the back of the Sajhuns shoulder. [Ice Manipulation skill has been leveled up!] [Ice manipulation is now level 2] [Ice manipulation is now level 2] Ardrach raised his sword as soon as he reached her side and set about doing as she had commanded, so Kalysto pulled out two of the knives with penetration stats she had stolen from the goblins and used them to climb up the Sajhuns shoulder until she reached her prize. And even though the only thing she had ever climbed in her life were forest trees in the village where she was born, she struggled to make it while Ardrach cut off the monsters head and the rest of the elves took care of the wolf pack. As soon as Kalysto reached her goal, she put the knives away in her inventory and pulled out a sword, trying to penetrate the thick layer of ice over his shoulder without damaging the crystal, but it seemed impossible. Shit! she growled, knowing that a broken crystal meant getting a much lower percentage of any ability she could absorb. But realizing that extracting it was going to be much harder than she had thought, she began to hit the frozen flesh hard near the edges, so that if she caused any cracks, it wouldnt be anything serious. And kept hitting hard until the ice gave way and the cracking of both the ice and the crystal alerted her that she had achieved part of her goal. [You have gained 13,000 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 14.] It was just after she got the notification about his death that she realized what a foolish thing she had been doing. And she knelt down, put the sword back into her inventory and pulled out a long knife, placing it to the side of her as she clasped her hands together on top of the ice she had created earlier. Ice manipulation! She whispered, causing the ice around the crystal to recede. It took her much more concentration than when she was spreading it out, but she managed it a couple of seconds before the Elven vice commander spoke to her again. Saintess, are you all right up there? Do you need help to get down? Ardrach asked, his voice full of concern. Ill go down on my own, dont worry about me," she assured him as she buried the knife in the monsters skin, its green colored blood caked her hands but she didnt care and continued stabbing it to soften the flesh around the crystal until she was finally able to pull it out. And as soon as she succeeded just after lamenting the huge crack that almost pierced its center from one of the corners, that a purple sign appeared to her left. [The user wishes to absorb the remains of this core of Sajhun?] Kalysto wished she could absorb immediately, but she remembered what had happened on the two occasions when she had absorbed a crystal, where she either got very hungry or fell asleep. And after noticing that this crystal was ten times larger than the ones she had absorbed before. She decided to wait until she was in the safety of her room to do so. So she immediately put it away in her violet inventory and ignored the notification. Letting it pile up with the rest and taking advantage of her vantage point, she began to shoot arrows into the eyes and necks of the rest of the wolf pack with dark gray fur and crests on their backs. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Inspect! She whispered, filled with curiosity as she remembered how many points she had been given, even if the kill was shared. [Name: N/A Race: Dacket Level: 17 HP: 14,420/17,000 MP: 100/100 DMP:100/100] What the heck is DMP? She wondered and frowned, remembering that the Sajhun had also had this stat. And why the hell do these monsters have so much HP? I want to have it this high too! She lamented. Thinking about what kind of deal and who she had to make it with in order to get such high stats. And as the elves continued to fight the rest of the wolves, she kept shooting arrows at them, robbing them of experience points. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She gasped as she saw the small strands of black smoke that began to rise from the purified arms of the corpse she was standing on. [You have gained 1,000 experience points!] [You have gained 1,500 experience points!] [You have gained 2,000 experience points!] [You have gained 1,000 experience points!] [You have earned 1,000 experience points!] [Youve earned 1,500 experience points!] As soon as she finished receiving the notifications Ardrachs voice broke her concentration, as she fired arrows at the two wolves that were still alive and those that the group of elves that Ardrach had been with earlier were still fighting. A fire mage threw two fireballs at one of them, killing it on the spot. Preventing her from stealing any more points. [Youve gained 500 experience points!] [You have gained 500 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 15.] I think Im starting to really like this way of leveling up. She thought, feeling her heart beating excitedly against her chest. Saintess? Do you need help to get down? No, but from here I can see a group of twenty dark goblins approaching the army below, from the edges of the forest. I think we should go help them." She then descended on the creatures shoulder. It would be better if we first purify the blood of the monsters we have killed, so we avoid creating pools of miasma and then spreading the plague through the forest. Kalysto didnt quite agree with his words. But she got his point across and after using the elfs muscular body to hide the fact that she pulled a bottle of mana from her inventory. Pretending to take it out of her pocket, she took a long swig of one of the high mana concentration potions Caranthir had given her and set about purifying the miasma that came out of the monsters blood. Technically, Im not getting paid to do this. She thought with annoyance. So she turned to Ardrach. Can you conjure up some more arrows for me while I finish? Of course, saintess and with a wave of his hand, three other archers approached her, conjuring arrows in their own quivers and laying them on the ground near her. Thank you, she said to them with a smile, then the fire mages began to burn the bodies of the monsters and a black-colored smoke rose from them as Kalysto continued to purify the earth and air around them until not a single trace of the miasma that had begun to form was left. And after healing the elves that had been wounded during the short battle, Ardrach handed her over five hundred arrows that his warriors had conjured and Kalysto immediately put them into storage. Great, more arrows to practice incantations! And she suddenly remembered that she had less than a week to level up that profession, according to the mission her boss had assigned her, thanks to Artemis interference. I definitely want that vacation! She thought, realizing that her to-do list was getting bigger and bigger. Maybe I should hurry up and finish my mission with the elves fast. The problem was that although she could claim she just needed to stay in the shelter and heal them, she had heard the elves talking while she was healing them. Realizing that they were no longer inside the kingdom of Elenium, but on the outskirts, near the border that led to another kingdom that had been destroyed by a wave of monsters last week. Which meant that Caranthir had deliberately withheld this information from her. As had the king. Who had not yet given notice of the completion of the mission, so she could not yet claim her rewards. And she was beginning to suspect that the sly king was taking advantage of her ignorance of the geography of these lands to make her believe that his older brother had been magnanimous in offering to teach her magic in exchange for traveling to the camp they had set up and healing the warriors inside the makeshift canvas tent. I think the saintess should stay behind. It is too dangerous for her to accompany us to the battlefield, whispered Ardrach and Kalysto arched an eyebrow at the comment. Its less safe to stay in one place under a gaudy beige canopy in the middle of a lonely but showy hill, dont you think? Ardrach opened his mouth and then closed it again, then frowned. The saintess has nearly died twice, three times if you count the wolves. More, if you count the dark goblins," she added, causing his face to twitch in concern. I came here just to heal the wounded, but Ardrach, if we dont do something, those dark goblins and that thing that went through my chest will end up infecting all of you," she added, trying to show concern. Deep down, though, she did feel sorry for the fate of those elves who would die from the plague if she left, which she had begun to think about since she was annoyed with Caranthir. Especially since less than four hours after he had begged her to help him heal his warriors, the fellow had abandoned her to her fate, even after assuring her that she would never be in danger. And shed come closer to dying here than the little time shed spent in the Los Lamentos forest. The crazy things I get myself into just to get a good magic tutor. But a part of her was already beginning to doubt whether it was a good idea to accept him as a teacher. And while normally she would put her safety above all else and wouldnt bother risking her ass for a bunch of strangers, she was too excited about the amount of experience points she could get just for serving as their backup. But... Call Caranthir. And tell him I need to talk to him. Chapter 61 “On the brink of death.” Part 5 Chapter 61 On the brink of death. Part 5 -Call Caranthir. And tell him I need to speak with him -Ardrach frowned at the saintess words, but nodded, agreeing to the request of the woman who had saved his comrades lives despite the great distrust that had always existed against the faerie. Some soldiers had objected when Caranthir had said he would bring her, as it was well known that fairies never did a favor for free and were beings full of cunning that always found a way to take advantage of any deal made or twist it according to their whims, however, the saintess had seemed quite tolerable to him. So he acceded to her demands and approached one of the mages in his charge, and asked him to send a message to Caranthir through his fire magic. Besides, he couldnt help but feel guilty, as his efforts had not been enough to keep her safe. And he was terrified at the thought of what the faeries would do to his people if they let their saintess die through simple carelessness. And they had come close enough to losing her. More than once. The best thing was for her to return and heal the wounded from the shelter. Then they could all concentrate solely on defeating the army that was only half a kilometer away from invading their kingdom. *** And while Kalysto waited, she watched the warriors at the bottom of the hill, fighting fiercely against the legion of monsters in the wide valley surrounded on the right and left by lush trees and two thick forests. And although they were doing very well for the few, they were compared to the enemy, the problem was those small groups of monsters that seemed to be made of solid petroleum, some even dripping with the black liquid as if they had just bathed in it. The sight itself was quite unpleasant. The smaller ones, however, some of them the size of a goblin but with flat noses, looked like muscular latex-clad men ready for an S&M session. There was no way those elves, no matter how good they were at fighting, could survive a close encounter with those monsters. Not with the way those who were about two meters tall could modify the shape of their arms and turn them into weapons that, with a single cut, could infect others with the black plague. Most curious of all was that they themselves, the monsters, seemed immune to the dangerous disease. How is that possible? She questioned, though she also found it strange how extremely fast the elves seemed to catch the plague, and how it spread so quickly through their bodies. Perhaps most of the fairies I cured earlier were not infected directly? But then she herself had been infected twice, and both times although she acted quickly, the black veins that popped out around the wound were much thinner and did not spread across her face, as had happened to the elves who were infected when they were ambushed. Is it because we are of different races? And while she couldnt use Jhils ability on herself, she had been able to heal without it. But that had not been the case with the elves. And the fairies had been infected several days before so its impossible for me to compare the situation. Kalysto let out a big sigh, and stretched her neck from side to side, wanting to be able to take some potion to remove the excess fatigue that was already weighing on her shoulders, but the strong migraine that came with the continuous overuse of her abilities was killing her. So it was better to wait and drink some holy water, or the pain would end up immobilizing her. But that was not her only problem. On the one hand, moving freely among the horde of monsters and purifying the foci of infection was something she could not do alone. She needed Caranthir for that. The problem was that she was no longer sure if she could trust him, or the king. Not after she found out that they werent even inside their kingdom, so technically she had already finished her mission, even though the system hadnt given her any warning about it yet. On the other hand, she had already been on the verge of dying too many times in the last few days and, being honest, she needed a break. Between healing the fairies and the elves, she had barely had time to sleep, but even though she got up very early every morning and went to bed even later, she was tired all the time. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And yet they want me to raise my enchantment profession to level 10 in less than a week. She reminded herself. And while part of her wanted to leave and focus solely on finishing the three quests as payment for saving her life, another part of her felt bad for leaving them to their fate alongside those monsters in black. Plus all the points she would lose by not killing the monsters. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. She thought. But its been less than four days since I almost died at the hands of an orc. Is it really worth risking my life for a bunch of strangers I dont know if I can trust? She questioned herself. I dont want to die. Especially since she knew there was a smarter way to do things. And she let out a long sigh again. Im too tired to think clearly. And at that moment her stomach growled, remembering that despite working all day, she had only eaten a light breakfast in the fairy territory. Again, the elves forgot to offer even a glass of water. And it must be close to four oclock in the afternoon by now. So, while waiting, she turned her back to the elves and slyly took out half a bread that she had not finished eating during breakfast, fearing that she would not have enough time for everything she had to do that day. Next time Ill make sure to eat properly no matter who is waiting for me. And just as she took out a thel and took a bite, wanting to reduce some of the overtiredness she had, Caranthirs voice interrupted her. Cant you see Im busy? I dont have time to play babysitter with a fairy. Im human, in case you hadnt noticed. I thought your brother had informed you of that little detail. My brother doesnt keep me informed of everything he does. Im not his babysitter," he replied, crossing his arms as he watched her eat and snorted. I cant believe you would dare eat something in a situation like this. And I cant believe Ive almost been killed and crushed by monsters more than four times since you brought me here. One of them went right through my chest. I was lucky, a couple more inches to the left, and Id be dead, she growled at him, annoyed by his attitude, and put the rest of the fruit away in her inventory. Feeling uncomfortable eating in front of him with the sullen attitude he was showing her. Youre a saintess. You just need to heal yourself and thats it," he replied with a shrug and played it down. His words annoyed her. Kalysto could understand that these mens lives were much more important to him than hers, but that didnt mean she had to put up with being treated that way. Did you know that we are not even inside your brothers kingdom? Of course I know, I thought you did too. I imagine that you also knew how many monsters there are in this place and yet you didnt mind bringing me here, risking my life, and you didnt even bother to inform me," she questioned. Of course I knew we were outnumbered. Thats why I asked you to come here to heal the wounded and infected instead of taking them to the shelter. What the hell is all this stupid interrogation for? Youre wasting my time! If you cant keep your end of the deal and keep me safe while I heal your soldiers, I dont have to keep mine, either. Although technically Ive already finished my end of the agreement. What the heck? For not being a fairy, you sure act like one! He shouted at her, approaching her. As if he wanted to use his huge figure to intimidate her. I dont have time for your whining! We made a deal! He growled at her with their noses almost touching. Kalysto arched an eyebrow, beginning to regret agreeing to come help him instead of going back to her room for lunch. I should start looking for another magic tutor. But that was not all. She didnt like that they had lied to her and tried to take advantage of her. That was what really bothered her the most. That and the way they changed their attitude towards her every three seconds. If they had been honest from the beginning and told her that where he was taking her wasnt even part of his kingdom, she wouldnt have had a problem. But it was the fact that he hid the information and that Caranthir broke his word to keep her safe that brought her usual distrust to the surface. If they lied about that, what other things did they lie to me about that I havent realized until now? And that led her to realize that maybe the contract she had been so happy to make with the king, maybe it wasnt as beneficial as she had originally thought. Maybe that was why he agreed so easily. Creating a barrier that covered an entire city in exchange for a couple of fruits and crystals for sure was a very low price to pay for the safety of his people. What a fool I was! Although learning potions was something that would definitely come in handy for her. Especially since she needed to quickly level up the enchantment profession. Now she needed to turn the situation around and turn things in her favor. I should have made a binding soul contract with him instead of just a verbal deal. Im sure hell refuse to teach me magic later too, or try to get me to do more things for him and his people. Bunch of freeloaders! You promised that nothing bad would happen to me if I came to heal the sick people inside the canvas tent, and by the way, I almost died in the process. So since I finished my part of the deal and you broke yours, Im out She took out a home stone from her inventory, and without giving him time to reply, she activated it. Disappearing from the battlefield. Chapter 62 “On the brink of death.” Part 6 Chapter 62 On the brink of death. Part 6 Caranthir could not believe that she had dared to walk away and leave them there to their fate. Even if it was true that there were no more wounded inside the tent, which he himself had checked before teleporting to where she was. What the hell? He whispered in confusion. Caranthir, is everything all right? Ardrach asked, approaching the place where the saintess had been seconds before. What the hell happened here? he grunted. And when Ardrach informed him of everything that happened in detail, Caranthir covered his face with the palm of his hand after letting out a curse. Shit!...So much I criticize Ettokalr for rushing to judge a situation without knowing all the facts and I go and do the exact same thing to her! He observed the half-frozen body of the Sajhun, unable to believe that the little Kalysto had been able to destroy and tear out his core. Because he had no doubt that it was she who had taken the precious crystal. So she really has an aptitude for magic... Does the queen of the fairies know? He frowned, doubting that this was the case. And he decided not to say anything to his brother for now. Otherwise, he might insinuate again that he should take advantage of the fact that she wanted to learn potions with him and seduce her. Caranthir let out a deep sigh and took out a super concentrated mana potion from his inventory and after drinking it, he appeared on the terrace where he himself had drawn the summoning circle that diverted anyone other than himself who tried to teleport to the capital of the kingdom, to that terrace. Hoping that Kalysto had not yet left after sensing that the protections had been activated seconds after she disappeared. And he let out a sigh of relief when he found her finishing eating a thel. Just as he was about to apologize for having vented all the bad temper mixed with the enormous worry he felt about the whole situation on her, he noticed that she was drinking a thin bottle of what he was sure was holy water. Is that holy water? He asked, unable to believe that bottles of such precious liquid still existed. Even the saintess the humans had was not capable of producing it unless it was in very small quantities and of very low quality. Kalysto, instead of answering, arched an eyebrow. So what if it is? she answered in a dry voice. And Caranthir wanted to hit himself in the head for the great stupidity he had done in antagonizing her just because he had been in a bad temper, especially with his brother for ordering him to seduce her when he had finally felt interested in something other than his magical research, or his extensive collection of books. Im sorry," he hastened to say before ruining the situation again. But she didnt seem convinced by his words. **** Kalysto watched Caranthir for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh. And as much as she wanted to stay upset with him, she knew it wasnt practical or convenient for her. Not when he might know some magical spell to find Alice. And there was a small chance, more a hope than anything else if she was honest with herself, that Alice was also on the same continent as her. If indeed Alice had gone with Thomas and everything in the book of The Fall of the Hero, turned out to be true. As it seemed to be so far. Besides, I would waste a lot of time looking for another wizard to train me. And if I learn potions with him before my contract with the boss ends, Id have another guaranteed way to make money. Even if I return to Earth, that kind of knowledge would be very useful to me... that and his ability to teleport. Thought the former waitress. Who didnt overlook the way he looked at the bottle of low quality holy water she had taken a sip from earlier. And she did her best to hide a smile. If I play my cards right, I could get what I want from him. She noticed. From what I saw, your men seem to be doing very well on the battlefield, if not for those things covered in black. Black goblins and creatures that seem to be made of miasma," Caranthir clarified in a calm voice. I can defeat them," she added, mimicking the calmness in his voice. What? As you heard, although purifying them would be the exact term. But the result is the same. If you dont believe me, you can ask Ardrach." Caranthir frowned and remained thoughtful for a few seconds while she finished eating her thel. Purification Ezhil! Purification! Purification Ezhil! she called out, wiping her hands clean of any remnants of the fruit juice and making sure there were no traces left around her lips either. Then she gave him a half-sideways smile when he saw her clean hands. You smug! Caranthir whispered. Kalysto shrugged, playing it down. And he let out a long sigh and stared into her eyes, his expression serious. What do you want in return? Kalystos smile widened as she saw him give in, despite his pride. How the mighty fall. She was delighted. Being aware now, seeing how everyone reacted so negatively to the idea of making a contract with a fairy, or with her despite being human, and of the strong racism that existed in this world. Thats like me treating Tsuki badly just because hes not a dog. Or Sakura or Jessica just because we are from different cultures? What matters is not what race you are, but how you behave! That kind of racism was too foreign to her, even when she lived on Earth. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Here it only became even stranger to her, especially because she was helping them. Your brother already negotiated with me that you would teach me to make potions with the same level of quality as you have given me so far. But it wouldnt hurt to write it down in our contract, just to be sure you wont go back on it later. I would do no such thing! He defended himself. Then explain to me what you did or tried to do a while ago? She questioned, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow. I apologize... I thought that... forget it, it doesnt matter now all traces of guilt vanished from his face, now it was all business. You know that learning potions is something that takes years, right? You have two years to teach me, but for the moment, I need you to focus on mana potions, as they are the ones I need the most. Later, if we have time, you can teach me everything else. As long as you dont lie to me again and assure me that you will make the effort to teach me well, there should be no problem. Im not usually a liar," he commented with a frown, to which she only arched an eyebrow, and he let out a sigh. Besides, you will guarantee my safety while I am on the battlefield, otherwise I will impose a penalty. Caranthir nodded and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. I apologize for that. You were absolutely right to be upset. I also apologize for my brothers attitude. Although we hadnt had much contact with fairies before, weve always heard unflattering stories and Ettokalr can be a bit.... Controlling, calculating, ill-tempered, quick to judge people and take advantage of them, even though theyve already been helping his people for hours even though he never deigned to offer me even a glass of water or a slice of bread? she cooperated. Caranthir let out a long sigh. He can do anything, even things I dont agree with, in order to protect his people," he excused him. Kalysto, realizing that this conversation would lead nowhere, decided to change the subject. I think it would be much safer for me if, when we meet for our lessons, we do not meet near your brother or his palace. I have a cottage in the forest, I dont live in the palace, Caranthir agreed immediately. Then I think it would be ideal to have our lessons there. You will teach me magic, as we had agreed before. But you will do it for at least two hours three times a week in exchange for having healed your men in that canopy. Technically, I already fulfilled my part of that deal, but if you assure me that you will teach me how to do the ice spear, those fire attacks I saw you do and how to teleport, I would be willing to go back to healing your warriors, but now I will do it from afar. There is no need for me to take any risks. But..." He tried to speak, but Kalysto raised a hand indicating that he should stop. As I said before, there is no need for me to take unnecessary risks. Instead, I will help you purify the creatures in black. You will teleport me to such groups, I will purify them and we will then switch locations, thus finishing them off. And leave only the common monsters on the battlefield for you and your army to deal with," she clarified, You will take care of the mana potions I need during this and my security. After that I will stay for an hour healing your sick in the back. But not in the tent, its too obvious and the perfect place for another ambush. I apologize for that. When the first gate appeared two days ago, it was about half a kilometer further away, so we thought it was a safe place to pitch a tent and treat the wounded. How did two gates appear so close together and in such a short time? She was surprised, in the few stories she had read, this kind of phenomena always appear randomly. Yeah, well, its pretty obvious that someone wants us out of the way. Considering that there were also many sick fairies, maybe they too were attacked. But unlike the elves, they were mostly only affected by the miasma. And very few had wounds. She thought. Whatever attacked them either died in the process, or didnt make it very far... maybe the elves are right and the fairy queen is more powerful than I thought. Make it two hours and Ill give you the cores of the monsters I kill she was surprised by his offer, and he noticed it. Do you really think I wouldnt notice that you kept the core of that Sajhun? I split his core and blocked his airway. And although I wasnt the only one who attacked him, I was the one who delivered the final blow. I dont intend to give it back. Im not judging you. Im just making a point by saying that I noticed it and thats why Im bringing it into the negotiation. You seemed interested in that, Kalysto nodded her head in acceptance of the offer. If you could get me another one of the same, Id appreciate it. I doubt I could do what I wanted to experiment with a broken core. Would you be willing to trade holy water as well? Do you know how to make it? Yes, we can add holy water to the negotiation and two, I have the saintess class. Of course, thats within my capabilities At least thats what the boss had implied when she gave me the first vial of holy water. Since Im going to be needing a lot of high quality mana potions and a few revitalizing potions over the next few months, how about I offer you in exchange three liters of holy water a month along with a half hour to heal your sick? How many liters of mana potions do you need? He asked, crossing his arms, trying not to show that he was quite anxious to get those bottles of holy water. But Kalysto could easily recognize the greed shining in his blue eyes. That depends on how high quality were talking about. Will you add your special super concentrated mana potions? Those take longer to make and the materials are more expensive. Then sell the holy water instead of keeping it for you and yours. Are you out of your mind? He was shocked. Do you know how hard it is to get holy water these days? There are those who would give half their fortune for just one bottle! And thats why selling half of it will ensure you get the materials you need to make all the potions I want. Add a liter of holy water and Ill give you thirty liters of high quality mana potion plus two liters of my super concentrated version per month. Plus the three liters of revitalizing potion. Wait, I missed something. Do you know how to track someone? You lost someone? Yes, my friend is missing and I need to find her. Can you help me? Only if during this and next week you come at least twice a week to heal my warriors for an hour. I dont think these attacks will stop for the time being and I would prefer to have a backup in case we have more cases with the plague. Agreed. But I dont want that to be part of the deal the queen made with your brother. Werent you done with that already? The system hasnt given me the notification yet, nor the rewards. So I guess either your brother hasnt notified me about it or he hasnt finished delivering whatever it is he negotiated with my boss. Either that or he wants to take advantage to see who else gets sick to force me to cure him. She thought. Ill talk to my brother later about it. Id appreciate it. So we have a deal? As soon as Caranthir nodded, two violet windows appeared before them. How the hell can you do that?... I thought the fairy queen was the only one who could do such a thing! Kalysto shrugged, even she didnt have an answer for that. Though she vaguely remembered Artemis saying that fairies didnt consider being a merchant a valid profession, so she just assumed it was because the violet system allowed them to make contracts. And now I realize why they prefer to make a soul binding contract with another species instead of simply exchanging services... its definitely the only way to be sure that others wont change the terms of the contract. [The user wishes to make a soul binding contract with Caranthir, son of Arandh?] [YES/NO] Kalysto selected yes, and wrote down all the details they had already agreed upon, making sure to highlight that, if he ever allowed her to be in danger again, he would have a penalty that she would choose based on the severity of the incident. Though in reality it was because she wasnt sure what to ask of him, so she preferred not to specify. Do you accept the contract? she asked him and watched the moment he selected yes on his own screen. And unbeknownst to him, in the same hand with which he had selected yes, a small black crescent moon was drawn on the inside of his wrist. I hope I wont be there when he finds out. She thought as she remembered that for the elves, black was a color that brought bad luck. Although it was Kalystos favorite color. And to distract herself, she bent down, taking off her delicate sandals that she was still sure would break at any moment, put them away in her inventory and put on her comfortable black tennis shoes. What are you doing? "he said, suddenly becoming nervous. Getting comfortable and getting ready for battle, isnt it obvious? She answered him, then stood up and stretched out her hand towards him. Ready! Now, lets go to war! Chapter 63 “On the brink of death.” Part 7 Chapter 63 On the brink of death. Part 7 Kalysto stretched out her hand to Caranthir. Im ready! Now lets go to war! And when she watched him blinking, not knowing what to say to her. She finished approaching him and after placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered, blessing! Why was that? Just a little incentive to ensure your cooperation," she told him. And because I need to level up that skill so I can create holy water. She thought. I thank you," Caranthir replied, not knowing what else to say. And immediately transported them to the battlefield. Can you take us on top of the Sajhun? The elf nodded and immediately teleported them on top of the monsters thawed body. Why did you want me to bring you here? Caranthir asked curiously, watching as his men tried to stop the advance of the legion of monsters. But without his help, it seemed almost impossible. Eagle eyes! Kalysto searched with her eyes for the silhouettes of the creatures she had seen before. There! she said. Pointing to the left, where about twenty dark goblins were approaching a small group of mages accompanied by five warriors and two archers, who were defending that side of the battlefield. And before he could teleport them there, she added, Can you see those others who are hiding in the forest? She pointed to the opposite side on the right, where barely the figure of one of them hiding in the trees could be seen- Can you create a wall of ice that will prevent them from fleeing into the forest and ambushing us later? I cant see them from here, but what you are asking for is not something so easy to do. I can try though, he assured her and immediately teleported them to the left in the middle of the group of twenty plump, dark goblins. Kalysto immediately went to work. Blessing! she said, touching herself. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! And three of the unsuspecting dark goblins, who were surprised to see them appear out of nowhere, couldnt even move as half of their bodies began to evaporate. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Several violet notification screens appeared to her left. But she ignored them. Instead, she ran towards the rest of the small group who, after seeing the golden light, pointed their swords at her. [You have gained 3000 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [You have gained 1500 experience points.] - Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Kalysto was surprised to see that, although the skill hadnt leveled up, she could almost swear that the radius had expanded a bit after she had used blessing on herself. [You have gained 1500 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [You have gained 3000 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] I definitely need to keep blessing myself before I use any other skills! She decided. For his part, Caranthir was surprised to see how effective Kalystos skills were against a group of dark monsters that obviously outleveled her. And before the other creatures surrounding them tried to attack her, he conjured a fireball and launched it against the horde of monsters that were approaching her. As expected, the dark goblins were little affected by his fire. But the same did not happen with the other monsters whose scorched bodies rushed to meet him, changing their target. And Caranthir was quick to impale them with spears of ice, and before a giant sand golem crushed Kalysto, he grabbed her arm and appeared on the other side of the battlefield, near the entrance to the other forest, where he had caught a glimpse earlier that one of his men was wounded. What the fuck? Dont do that again without warning me! Kalysto growled at him. Feeling her stomach twist and what little she had eaten so far, struggling to rise up through her throat. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Several of my men are wounded. I need you to heal them. Then bring them in while I try to avoid throwing up my breakfast," she growled at him, holding a hand to her mouth. A couple of breaths later, her stomach began to settle. Maybe this whole teleportation thing isnt as good an idea as I thought. The problem was, in a world where they still traveled by horseback, it was their best option for traveling long distances. Ill have to get used to it. Especially since it would be very useful for finding Alice. At that moment, Caranthir appeared in front of her with two wounded elves. Ill get the others," he announced before disappearing again. And Kalysto took a quick look at the forest, making sure there were no monsters lurking around, before approaching the warriors. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! She cast her spells as she watched the crosscut across the torso of one elf was healed, while the wounded arm of another regenerated. [Jhil Ezhil skill has risen to level 7!] [Ezhil Purification skill has risen to level 8!] As soon as she finished, she cast a blessing on them. And Caranthir brought another pair that she did not take long to heal. It was when he brought a fourth group, that one of the warriors, an older man, turned away from Kalysto as if she might infect him with the plague. And as Kalysto healed the other three elves, Caranthir looked at the reluctant elf who, despite his injured arm, stayed away from the golden light of Kalystos skill. What are you doing? I refuse to let a damned fairy touch my body! he pleaded, his beard as white as his hair. Then go and die. Youre wasting our time," Kalysto growled as she shrugged her shoulders. But what the hell is wrong with you? Caranthir replied. Im hungry, Im tired and my head is starting to hurt again. And like I said, Im not going to waste my time trying to heal someone who doesnt want to be healed. Besides, we dont have time for this. There was another group of those dark things going into the forest, and we havent finished killing the first group yet, though I doubt theyre the only ones. If we dont finish them off soon, it wont matter whether or not your army wins this war because they might die from the plague before I get back. Ha, I knew it! You cant trust a damn fairy! And as soon as the man turned to speak to Caranthir, Kalysto approached him quietly and whispered. Sleep well, sleep well, sleep well, sleep well! And as soon as the man fell to the ground asleep, she healed him. If you think someone might be a problem, make him pass out. And next time bring a bigger group, I spend the same mana healing two as I do ten. Of course, its your potions Ill be spending so..." she added, shrugging her shoulders. As soon as they finished healing, the wounded Caranthir returned to her. I think you should stop wasting your time looking for the sick and dedicate yourself to diminishing the enemy army," commented Kalysto. You are the strongest warrior your army has, and yet you are wasting your time looking for the wounded.--Excuse me if I dont want my soldiers to die! You are tired and you are starting not to think clearly. I think we should attack the ends of the enemy horde. Your warriors are already taking care of the front, and you tend to hold back to make sure they dont get hurt because of you. But if we go to the back, you can attack freely. And as I noticed, the dark monsters seem immune to fire, so I would purify the ones that survive. Caranthir watched her in silence. The exhaustion after not having been able to sleep in the last thirty-two hours in which he had been fighting non-stop and keeping himself at potions point was reflected in his face. Youre right, lets finish them off. But things were not as easy as they had thought. And as soon as Caranthir teleported them to the far left of the horde of monsters surrounding the portal, immediately a group of black-skinned, six-foot-tall goblins rushed to attack them. Their long arms changing shape into sprawling spears and sickles, one of which pierced Caranthirs abdomen before Kalysto could purify them, as a huge mud golem advanced towards them. Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! She immediately disintegrated the elfs attacker, along with four other creatures. But there were still another fifteen of them missing, who, seeing their comrades disappear, stayed away from the range of the golden glow. [You have gained 3000 experience points.] [You have gained 5000 experience points.] [You have gained 4000 experience points.] [You have gained 5000 experience points.] Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! And inadvertently, as she cast the Dispel Ezhil spell, the magic circle that Caranthir had been summoning fragmented. And tiny sparks of the mana conjured by it glowed around the broken symbol. What the hell was that? the wizard complained. Im sorry! She apologized, while making sure to keep the monsters in black away and continue healing Caranthir. Make sure you dont do it again," he growled at her. And as he regained his strength, he began to conjure again. Several red circles were drawn around him along with one nearly two meters wide, which was drawn high in the sky. And as she continued to conjure, Caranthir launched his attack and a rain of fireballs rained down from the sky, falling directly on the back of the horde of monsters while those near them were bathed in a sea of fire. <> That voice in her head cried out full of excitement. Yes, well, no one asked for your opinion, so shut up," Kalysto replied. Chapter 64 “On the brink of death”. Part 8 Chapter 64 On the brink of death. Part 8 Everything seemed to be going well until it ceased to be. Despite the dozens of monsters Caranthir had taken out with his fire and the multitude of spells he cast in an interspersed manner, many more continued to pour out of the portal. They almost looked like a bunch of crazy ants coming out of an anthill. Caranthir, dont you have a way to shut that thing down? Kalysto complained, pointing at the portal as she varied between throwing ice blades, arrows and purifying everything around her. No one can do such a thing! he replied in alarm. If portals are a common problem in their world, shouldnt they have already started investigating them? She thought. But just as had happened with the black plague, people in this world seemed more inclined to solve their problems with magic than to try to make advances in science. Cant you freeze it, or at least fill it with ice stakes so that everyone who passes through it will die or block their way somehow? She shouted, as she began firing arrows left and right at any monster halfway nearby that had survived Caranthirs continuous magical attacks. Ice arrow! She conjured, and a crude imitation of an arrow was created in her hand, yet she still launched it at the gaping mouth of a monster in the distance. Concentrating on trying to spread the ice across its mouth as soon as the arrow cut its throat, but it didnt seem to work as well as she had hoped. What the hell do you think youre doing? Caranthir asked her after teleporting to her side while drinking one of his special mana potions. Leveling up my ability, of course," Kalysto replied, but Caranthir looked at her as if she was crazy. At a time like this? Its as good a time as any," she replied with a shrug. At least make a decent arrow, not a crude imitation of an ice stake. My mana sense is low and my ability to manipulate it is even worse so... Caranthir suffered at the sight of the saintesss disastrous attempts to manipulate the ice. He felt embarrassed. And after creating a couple of magic circles that threw fire at his enemies, keeping them away from where they were, he landed behind Kalysto and put his hands on her back. Breathe and close your eyes for a moment and feel the mana I am introducing into your body," he instructed, while checking that no one was approaching them. But I dont feel .... Oh... so thats what the mana feels like? How on earth have you been able to do any magic so far without knowing the basics? Well, the system gave me the names of the skills and I read them and tried to mimic what it felt like every time it was right. Try not only to feel but to visualize. The key to a successful spell is part not only of the mages mana capacity but also his abilities to handle that element and visualize the result he wants," Caranthir scolded her. Unable to believe how far she had come with her meager knowledge. [The skill Mana Sense has level up to level 2.] Kalysto smiled at the notification, realizing that she could finally feel the mana flowing inside her body, surrounding her heart. Look and learn," Caranthir told her, positioning himself next to her and conjuring a beautiful bow made of ice that left her with her mouth open. Ice arrows! he conjured, and three perfect arrows appeared in the air, ready to be shot from his precious bow that looked more like a work of art than anything else. I hate you right now, whispered Kalysto, envy and pure longing mingled in her greedy gaze. Caranthir smiled, full of arrogance. And that, my dear pupil, is a true arrow of ice. I hope the demonstration did you some good. And I hope teaching me how to do that is part of our deal. I want to learn how to make a bow like that," she exclaimed. If I can also learn to add penetration stats to it, itll be the perfect bow! She began to plan. I really need to start working on raising my professions. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Give me three liters of holy water and Ill teach you," Caranthir tried to bargain. He wasnt so sure that would work with her, though. We have a deal," Kalysto replied with excitement. Now get me as much of some flammable liquid as you can and take me to the back of that portal. I have an idea. Caranthir took her first to the top of the hill, then approached one of his mages and ordered him to take anyone who was injured or who had been contaminated with the plague to the saintess wing. The young mage obeyed his orders and began carrying more and more of the sick to the saintess and then back to the battlefield. After several minutes of healing the soldiers, two violet-colored notifications appeared to her left. [Jhil Ezhil skill has leveled up to level 8!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 9!] I wish I could raise my magic skills that fast. Kalysto wished and took the opportunity to bless all those elves who were ready to leave, asking again to one of them if they could conjure arrows for her while she healed them. [The Blessing skill has leveled up to level 3!] At last! thought Kalysto. By the time Caranthir returned, he found fifteen of his men being healed at the same time he saw them stacking arrows on a pyre. What is the meaning of this? He asked her. What? Its a fair deal! They give me arrows and I give them a blessing. Or did you think they were free? Caranthir wanted to object, but seeing how well his warriors, especially his fire mages, were performing on the battlefield after receiving her blessing, he preferred to keep silent. Kalysto noticed this. Did you get what I asked for? She asked him as she finished blessing the last of the elves and prepared to put away her new collection of five hundred arrows. Dont you think thats too many? He asked, looking at the arrows. One can never have too many. And I need more items to enchant. She thought. Caranthir frowned before speaking again. Ill give you ten thousand arrows if you bless my entire army. As long as theyre willing, we have a deal," she replied with a smile. What are you waiting for? Bring them here! And for the next twenty minutes Caranthir did just that, along with the other fire mage who could also teleport, but only for short distances. Kalysto noticed during that time how the Elven army finally began to significantly diminish the invading horde, while Caranthir destroyed them from the rear. Thanks to her blessing, the attack power of all the fire mages multiplied, which led to the morale that had fallen hours before, to rise again. [The skill Blessing has leveled up to level 4!] [The Blessing skill has leveled up to level 5!] When she finally finished with the batch of blessings, she took a break to drink some holy water as soon as she was left alone. And she let out a long sigh as soon as her headache began to subside. Now I understand why people dont usually hurry up a skill quickly, she said quietly, but there was no one around to hear her. She ate a thel, blessed herself and, using her eagle vision skill, began to shoot purified arrows at all the dark creatures she observed on the battlefield. [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [You have gained 3000 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [The user has leveled up to level 16!] [You have gained 1500 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] [You have gained 1500 experience points.] [You have gained 2000 experience points.] And despite all the chaos in that valley, Kalysto smiled. The boss was right, it was definitely convenient for me to come here. She thought. A few minutes later, Caranthir teleported to her side. Can you bless me again?" he asked. Where are my ten thousand arrows? Are you really asking me for them now? Ive already kept my part of the deal and I havent seen you keep your part. Do they fit into your inventory? Kalysto shrugged her shoulders. That would be my problem, not yours. And after letting out a long sigh full of exasperation, Caranthir teleported and then appeared a few seconds later and threw her a small leather bag tied tightly. What is this? My part of the deal. You can open it here and start counting them if you want. Ill count them later, but if theyre not complete, Ill start deducting gallons of holy water from our deal. That wont be necessary. Now, can you bless me? Yes, but I want you to take me to the back of the portal. Okay," he said, and she approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder before casting a blessing. [The Blessing skill has leveled up to level 6!] Immediately, Caranthir teleported them. What shall we do now? he asked curiously. Now, I want you to throw the flammable liquid I asked for on the other side of the entrance and set them on fire. Are you out of your mind? That will cause a fire in the forest. Then well worry about the forest. If those monsters come to your city, what do you think they will do to your people? Sing love songs to them? Caranthir frowned before doing as she asked. And as the temperature began to rise and Kalysto heard the scream of the monsters being devoured by fire as soon as they stepped through the portal, a half-smile came across her face. All right, its time to test my theory. And as if it were glass, great lines began to form inside the portal. Chapter 65 “On the brink of death.” Part 9 Chapter 65 On the brink of death. Part 9 All right, its time to test my theory! From the back, the portal only looked like a swirl of energy. But unlike before, Kalysto could now feel the mana flowing. Even with her eyes closed, the hairs on her arms stood up at the proximity of such an amount of energy. Sending a shiver of pleasure throughout her body. Kalysto wished she could bathe in it and touch the portal, but she didnt know what consequences that would bring. However, she felt as if something in that portal was calling to an unknown, dormant force within her. Almost as if it invited her to caress that strange surface with her bare hands. Her fingers itched at the urge to touch it, but still she forced herself to stay away from that tempting siren song. All right, come on Kalysto! You can do this! She encouraged herself. And she stretched out her hands and closed her eyes. Feeling her mana spread from her chest to the rest of her body, especially her hands and feet. Then she opened her eyes and chanted. Blessing! She said, pointing to herself with one hand before extending her arm again. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! As she concentrated on continuing to conjure, she could see small, thin cracks begin to appear inside the portal from the outer edge inward, as if it were made of glass instead of energy. Then she brought her outstretched hands closer, placed them a few inches from the center of the portal and again continued to conjure. Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil! The next crack formed from the center of the portal as if she had smashed her fist against glass and began to extend with three thin lines to the edges. But the more incantations she cast, the harder it became to keep doing so, as if there was a force inside the portal fighting against her to prevent her intervention. But that didnt make her give up. A trickle of blood began to trickle out of her nose as she continued to press and conjure. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! she continued. Suddenly, a surge of energy burst from the door surrounding Kalysto. A strong breeze ruffled her hair and hit her in the face, forcing her to close her eyes. And when the former waitress opened them again, she saw that she was no longer alone. Inside the portal, as if it were a large crystal ball, a gigantic black eye appeared inside. The pupil moved from side to side searching for its prey until it finally stopped moving when it found it and focused on the lone female figure at the back of the portal. What the hell is that? Kalysto panicked. Almost immediately, six semi-transparent tentacles of dark mana shot out of the portal, extending all the way to the back. The thinner ones began to wrap around Kalystos legs and hands curling around her body, the two larger ones began to lash against her back. Dealing to break her concentration. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. A vague forgotten memory from her childhood, one from a time before she lost her memory, came back to her like a quick flash. In front of her, a little girl whose blurry face she could not identify was smiling, as she sat on the green grass on a beautiful sunny day. Wisps of black smoke began to surround her until it became a thick black mist that dyed the grass and the surrounding forest in thick shadows. But as quickly as that unknown lost memory came to her mind, it was gone. And in that instant, she felt as if her head was split in two and an intense pain erupted behind her eyes. Immediately, several windows opened to her left. [The Mental Defense skill has been activated] [The Pain Resistance skill has been activated] But even with her skills activated, she could still feel some pain. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! Stay focused! She scolded herself. In an attempt to force the ability to activate again, she believed that maybe there had been some mistake during its activation and thats why she still felt pain. Who are you? The tentacles and that eye inside the portal seemed to growl. To the point where Kalysto could almost swear she could also hear that same unknown voice in her head as the pain grew stronger and stronger. She felt like someone was not only dealing with rummaging through her head but also that they were crushing her brain. Get out of my head! Kalysto shouted. And remembering Caranthirs words, she imagined her mana rising from her heart to her head, reinforcing her barrier. [The Mental Defense skill has been activated]. [The Pain Resistance skill has been activated]. [The Mental Defense skill has been leveled up to level 41!] [The Pain Resistance skill has been leveled up to level 31!] Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Dispel! she recited. Every time Dispels golden light touched one of the tentacles, it froze, but as soon as it was purified by her other spell, the tentacle not only regenerated but seemed to double in size. And more notification windows appeared to her left. [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 10!] [Ezhil Dispel skill has leveled up to level 5!] Four new black mana tentacles came out of the portal, joining the previous ones, almost forcing her back. Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil, Dispel Ezhil! She continued to conjure like crazy, barely pausing for breath. She watched as those tentacles of dark energy seemed to freeze and distort slightly for a few seconds as she conjured the next batch of spells again. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! And this time, unlike before, the area bathed in the golden light of her Ezhil Purification skill seemed to be about twenty meters, instead of only ten. But as soon as she purified them, three more tentacles of black energy shot out of the portal, as if they had regenerated from within. At this rate, this will never end. The saintess feared. She felt several beads of sweat trickle down her forehead as fatigue built up in her body and the air seemed to be escaping from her lungs. But still she continued. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! The same cycle continued for another ten minutes, and before the usual warning sign came up, she conjured: Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any ability again or your health will be severely affected.] Shit! she growled. And before more tentacles came out again, she pulled out one of the bottles of super-concentrated mana Caranthir had given her and took a sip. And as she ran to finish approaching the portal, after storing the potion in her inventory, and touched the portal with her bare hands, seven tentacles of dark energy came out this time through the door, through which for several minutes no other monster had come out again. Not since Kalysto had begun to use her skills against it. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! [The skill Dispel has leveled up to level 11!] [Dispel Ezhil''s skill has leveled up to level 6!] Dispel! Dispel Ezhil! -Ezhil Purification! At her words, the energy surrounding the portal seemed to tremble as she could feel the cold mana from the portal burn her palms. Rejecting her presence. And as the energy of those tentacles began to disperse, a resounding crack resounded in Kalystos ears, bursting her eardrums and a powerful breeze burst from the portal, almost knocking her to the ground. And as if it were glass, thick lines began to form inside the portal. And for a moment, silence reigned. Chapter 66 “On the brink of death”. Part 10 Chapter 66 On the brink of death. Part 10 Thick lines began to form inside the portal, running through it from the inside to its edges. The swirling whirlpool of energy that had been spinning endlessly before, concentrating in the center of the huge portal, suddenly stopped. And for a moment, silence reigned. Kalystos heart galloped against her ribs as she watched, filled with anticipation at the unusual phenomenon, and wiped the blood dripping from her nose. I think its been at least ten minutes. She thought, and pulled out a bottle of holy water, and took a small swig, feeling a bit of dread as she realized it was close to running out. Besides, leveled up the blessing skill. I need to find more slime cores and finish getting the regeneration skill. She decided. That would also help Tsuki level up. The itch that accompanied with the healing of the holy water spread all over her body, but was concentrated on her head and her injured back. It was a struggle with herself not to give in to the compelling urge to scratch all over while her skin regenerated and she kept an eye on everything around the portal, waiting for another attack from those spectral tentacles of black mana. Was that miasma? she wondered. But since she hadnt been in the presence of the miasma, she wasnt entirely sure. And she had forgotten to use inspection with them. The portal continued to stand there in front of her as she thought. But unlike before, the overwhelming amount of energy emanating from it and ruffling the hairs on her arms was now almost imperceptible. Although if she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could feel a faint palpitation of mana in the center. As if something was interned to reconnect. Dispel! Dispel Ezhil! Conjured knocking on the cold portal, whose smooth surface was now completely solid and felt as smooth as glass. Creation of ice! A layer of ice formed around her outstretched hands and began to extend up to seventy centimeters around her hands. [The Ice Creation skill has leveled up to level 2!] [The Ice Arrows skill has been unlocked!] Finally! she thought with excitement. Now I just need to learn how to make the bow and the giant spears. -Blessing! she added as an afterthought, noticing how the silhouette of her hand was etched into the ice. Ice manipulation! And she extended the layer until it wrapped around the entire portal, spending the next fifteen minutes on that. As she could hear the noise of the battle continuing on the other side of the portal. [Ice Manipulation skill has leveled up to level 3!] As soon as the skill leveled up, Kalysto could notice the change immediately, making it much easier for her to make the thin layer she had made to cover the portal grow thicker and thicker. And at last she was able to spread it completely across the front of the portal. But before she could finish, the howl of a wolf was heard behind her back. And when she turned around, she observed the animal, more than a meter tall, and with brown fur. Inspection! she whispered as she turned her back to the portal and reached out her hand to pull out the bottle of mana potion and take a swig. [Name: N/A Race: Jhun. Level: 17 HP: 17,000/17,000 MP: 100/100] Only one leveled up, difference, I can take him, she whispered, but less than a second later her confidence was shattered as she noticed a pack of twelve of them coming out between the trees, running in her direction. And to her left, another pack of black wolves almost three meters tall and whose bodies seemed to sprout spices drops of petrol also rushed towards her... Shit! Me and my big mouth!... Inspection! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [Name: N/A Race: Dark-Jhun. level: 25 HP: 30,000/30,000 MP: 100/100 DMP:500/1000] Seeing that she had a better chance of survival if she got rid of the brown wolves first, she ran to meet them, and as soon as she was less than five meters away, she stopped. Water creation! A strong jet of water shot out of her hands hitting the open mouth of the first wolf, and she made sure to wet as many of them as she could immediately. Before the first of them took a bite out of her, she ducked down. Ice creation! -Immediately the water began to turn to ice, freezing the paws of six of the twelve wolves that had been drenched and in some, parts of their bodies. In one fluid motion, she drew her bow and an arrow from her inventory as she leapt to the side, dodging the attack of one of the wolves that were still free. And while she shot a couple of arrows into the wolfs neck, another one took advantage of her distraction to pounce on her and bite her leg. Kalysto could barely dodge the powerful bite and kicked him in the side, making her own leg hurt against the hardness of the monsters skin. Ice blades, water blades, ice arrows! This time when she summoned the arrows, they were much better and although it was a bit complex to launch all three at the same time, she was able to find a way to launch them against the side of the wolf she had kicked, which was still rising from the ground. But just as she was about to draw another arrow from her inventory, another wolf tore into her side. Fingernails tore at her skin and her dress. The force of the blow knocked the air out of her lungs and sent her a couple of meters backwards, crashing into the body of one of the Dark-Jhun and bouncing off the ground. Leaving her right in the middle of the other pack of fifteen wolves. Ezhil Purification!!! Dispel Ezhil!!! Ezhil Purification! she said immediately. Watching as the bodies of the dark-jhuns around her dissipated under the golden light of her skills. [You have gained 5,000 experience points.] [You have gained 7,000 experience points] [You have gained 6,000 experience points] [You have leveled up!] [The user has reached level 17!] [You have gained 5,000 experience points] [You have gained 8,000 experience points!] [You have gained 6,000 experience points!] [You have gained 9,000 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user has reached level 18!] Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! She continued as she drew her bow and arrow, stood up from the ground and continued to shoot arrows at the remaining Jhuns as she continued to conjure. Dealing to finish killing the brown wolf she had attacked earlier. Four arrows to the neck was enough for the notifications of his death to appear to her left. [You have gained 1,500 experience points.] Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the remaining dark-jhuns, who began to watch her without approaching. And she took the opportunity to continue launching arrows at the jhun who had attacked her earlier and threw at the enemy as if she were a food offering. And she launched three arrows against the jhuns chest, and two more against his right eye. But she knew that the others were just waiting for an opportunity to kill her. Ice arrows! Ice blades! Water blades! She shouted, and the moment she did so the notification of his death reached her, at the same time she heard the remaining eight dark-jhuns hurl themselves against her back. [You have gained 1,500 experience points.] And she waited for the first attack to come. When the black jaws of one of them opened to bite her leg, she recited. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification!And she watched with sadistic satisfaction as the remaining dark-jhuns disintegrated. [You have gained 9,000 experience points] [You have gained 5,000 experience points] [Youve gained 8,000 experience points] [You have leveled up!] [The user has reached level 19!] [You have gained 6,000 experience points] [You have earned 9,000 experience points] [You have earned 9,000 experience points! [You have gained 6,000 experience points] [You have gained 5,000 experience points] [You have gained 6,000 experience points] [You have leveled up!] [The user has reached level 20!] She then began to shoot arrows at the five jhuns who were not frozen and who darted towards her, now that the dark-jhuns were gone. The fastest one she shot in the eyes, the next one in the chest, and the other one in its two front legs, slowing them down. But the other two were smarter and not only dodged her arrows, but lunged at the same time at her. One of them was hit with her bow, but the wood ended up splitting in half. And she was half able to dodge the bite of the other, but not the claw he threw at her, and his claws tore into her left shoulder. Staining her white dress with blood. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated]. Ice blades! Water blades! She shouted, throwing them at the second wolf, then jumped, leaving both wolves in front of her. Water creation! Ice creation! Ice manipulation! And after freezing half of their bodies, she pulled out a sword from her inventory and cut off the first ones head. [You have gained 800 experience points!] But as soon as she cut off the second ones head, a black-colored spear pierced her stomach from behind. Chapter 67 “On the brink of death”. Part 11 Chapter 67 On the brink of death. Part 11 But as soon as Kalysto cut off the head of the second jhun, a black-colored spear pierced her stomach from behind. Several notifications overlapped to her left, but she only glimpsed two out of the corner of her eye. [You have gained 500 experience points] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated]. Immediately, the pain that had been spreading through her abdomen stopped, becoming a dull rumbling noise in the background and allowing her to think again. Kalysto growled, rage burning through her veins as the warm afternoon breeze blew against her face, ruffling her hair. And before she could take any initiative, as she brought her hands close to the pointed spear that had pierced her skin, another wolf -one she had wounded before but not killed-, charged at her. Burying its sharp teeth in her forearm. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! she immediately chanted. Golden light emanated from her hands. Surrounding her whole body and several meters around, eliminating that monsters weapon. While she threw a punch to the face of the jhun who refused to let go of her left forearm. Like a dog refusing to let go of a delicious bone. So she pulled out a knife from her inventory and viciously buried it in jhuns neck. But even so, that monster did not let go of her arm. And as if possessed, she continued to stab him mercilessly. Let go of my arm, damn thing! It was at the moment she noticed the challenge in his eyes, and the small smile he seemed to give her, that she looked back. Where another dark goblin, much taller than the previous one, ran towards her. As his arm changed shape, turning into a long spear which he immediately aimed at the saintess chest. Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! she immediately recited with her heart failing against her throat. And that menacing figure dissipated within half an inch of touching her body. And she almost sighed with relief. And while part of her wanted to feel sorry for herself because in the last four days of her life, she had been closer to dying than she had been in her twenty-one years of life. Another part of her just wanted to send it all to hell and go to sleep for a week. Kalysto was tired. Not only physically from all that had happened in the past four days since she had arrived in this world, but from all that she had had to work until midnight, attend classes early in the mornings, prepare for end of semester exams while training for the last competition of the month, and give tutoring to Edward. Her last month and a half had been so exhausting that during the last few days she had almost felt like she was acting on autopilot, and at other times, like a zombie. Even though she had slept more than four hours straight in the last few days and in a comfortable bed, she would wake up tired and with her body aching. She wouldnt be surprised if her fatigue level was over two hundred points right now. She felt like her body was going to fall apart at any moment. I need a long vacation after this. She decided. Fuck the elves! Ill go to sleep as soon as Im done with these overfed fucking wolves. And at that moment, she looked at the wolf with his teeth buried in her forearm and smiled at him. And something inside her stirred. And then it began to break. Suddenly, Kalysto felt much better and freer than she had felt in years. The jhun growled at her, sensing that something had changed in her. His fur bristled, sensing danger. The rest of the wolves, even with half their bodies frozen, mimicked him. Why dont you just fucking die, damn thing? Kalysto whispered and stabbed him in the eye, then said softly, as if he were a baby, Sleep well! Sleep well! Sleep well! Sleep well! And as the wolfs body slowly began to relax, Kalysto put the knife away in her inventory, pulled out a sword and buried it in his stomach. The jhun whimpered with the sword still through him as he tried to crawl on the ground and away from it, full of fear. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The sky suddenly darkened, thick clouds filled the sky as thunder rumbled in the distance and raindrops began to fall on them. Kalysto didnt even flinch. Instead she looked at him coldly, her green eyes darker than usual. And she took out what was left of the first bottle of holy water her boss had given her and drank it. Its a pity it ran out so quickly, dont you think? She asked the wounded animal, before putting the empty bottle away again. And she took a step forward, approaching her prey. The jhun whimpered as he sensed her nearness. But under Kalystos foot, the sound of something breaking reached her ears. The saintess withdrew her foot, observing a small black colored crystal. She looked around, noticing that there was another one less than half a meter away. Both as long as her index finger, but barely a centimeter thicker than her thumb. Then she glanced sideways at the jhun. making sure he hadnt moved and looked at the remains of the black crystal. What is this? She thought as she bent down to pick it up, but first she touched the land with her right hand and whispered. Ice creation! And taking advantage of the falling rain, she transformed it into ice, freezing the jhuns legs and abdomen, sticking it to the ground. And when she was sure that none of them could attack her while she was distracted, she picked up the crystal. And before there was a chance to use the inspection ability on the crystal, a violet window opened before her. [The user wishes to absorb the remains of this dark-goblin core?] [YES/NO] Yes she whispered immediately. [Warning! Due to the bad state of the core, the user has only absorbed 5% of the regeneration passive ability!] Shit! Immediately, Kalysto picked up the second one. Hoping for better luck. [Does the user wish to absorb the remains of this dark-goblin core?] [YES/NO] Yes, she said, full of confidence. But unlike before, what came out was not what she expected. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new stat: Dark Mana!] Kalysto blinked several times in surprise, not knowing what to do with the new information. So she shrugged and turned to her prey. Ill check it out later. She thought. But first I have a couple of matters to settle with these monsters. And she smiled sweetly at the frightened wolf. Where were we? Oh, yes, I remember! Youll have to excuse me, Ive been getting distracted very easily lately," she said and pulled the sword out of his stomach, making the jhun groan in pain. Then Kalysto cut off his head. [You have gained 500 experience points.] Her footsteps echoed in the rain. Her favorite tennis shoes soaking under the inclement droplets as the coldness of the atmosphere clung to her, numbing her to the bone. But still she did not stop. And Kalysto walked carefully over the ice surface she herself had created and decapitated each and every one of the remaining wolves. [You have gained 500 experience points] [You have gained 300 experience points] [You have gained 400 experience points] [You have gained 600 experience points] [You have gained 500 experience points] [You have earned 300 experience points] [You have earned 500 experience points] The raindrops washed the blood from the sword but not from her clothes. And Kalysto put the sword away in her inventory as she enjoyed the raindrops falling on her face. Silence seemed to surround her, interrupted only by the sound of the rain getting louder and louder. Kalysto felt strange and out of place. But at the same time, there was a calmness inside her and a security that had not been there before. Something she hadnt felt in many years, not since before her father disappeared and sat with her in his workshop, telling her stories. Or in his study, while she pretended to read and watched him reading those books written in a foreign language he had promised her he would teach her when she grew up. While his mother was forbidden to enter his study. And despite all the time that had passed, she remembered in excessive detail his every feature; from the sweet tone of his voice to the soft golden hue of his skin, his emerald green eyes, the same striking shade she had inherited, and his messy light brown, almost blond hair. In fact, she was almost the spitting image of her father. She was nothing like her mother. A woman whose face she would have forgotten were it not for the family photo she kept in her room. And as she lay there, lost in thought, two elves appeared near her. One of them was the fire mage who had been leading her to the sick earlier. Kalysto did not remember his name. I cant help you right now. Im out of mana," she lied. Deciding that she had done more than enough for them. And that she had earned a much-deserved rest. The heavy rain began to subside. Suddenly turning into tiny drops, falling farther and farther away from each other. Dont worry, saintess. That wont be necessary. Kalysto noticed how the one controlling the fire approached her with a smile, hiding the other elf from her sight with his broad back. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her usual distrust flared. Something is not right. But before she could reach out and pull the home stone from her inventory, the other elf was already behind her. Spraying a white powder against her face that she immediately tried to wipe off, but a white handkerchief covered her mouth and nose. A strange smell filled her nostrils as her body relaxed against her will and black dots invaded her vision. No... someone helped... But she couldnt even finish that thought as darkness devoured her. Chapter 68 “Changes.” Chapter 68 Changes. Temple of light. Kingdom of Balsac. Darla paced back and forth in her spacious, luxurious room as she bit her thumbnail. Her long white dress accentuated her hips and voluptuous figure, even if there was no one else there to appreciate it. That fucking idiot! she growled under her breath. I cant believe that after all Ive done for him, Medhas has taken Tathianas side! she groaned. And the taste of her own blood filled her mouth as she bit too hard on her fingernail. If it were up to me, I would have already punched him in that ugly freckled nose! Darla was about to continue cursing the king when a shadow passed by her balcony window and a whistle, similar to the sound of a bird, echoed in the air. Forcing her to stop. Jhil! she whispered, healing her injured fingernail and making it as good as new. Her brow furrowed slightly, as she remembered that since the punishment the goddess imposed on all humans, she, like the rest of the people on the continent, could no longer level up. And she was stuck at level fifteen. Damn idiots! Why do I have to pay for other peoples mistakes? I wasnt the one who came up with the idea of using the inventory to kidnap people! she growled under her breath. Deep down, Darla hoped that everyone else on the planet suffered from the same problem. But it was impossible for anyone who wasnt a dragon to survive the journey from one continent to another when the sea was infested with monsters over level seventy. She had once heard that someone had seen a monster with a level of one hundred and twenty in the northern sea. But she had no way of confirming it. Just as they had no way of receiving news of what was happening on other continents, beyond knowing they existed thanks to the ancient manuscripts the temple had, when priests and a group of dragons disguised as human travelers, hundreds of years ago, tried to trade maps of other lands. Darla took a handkerchief from the nightstand beside her wide bed and wiped her hand before walking to the doors of her balcony and opening them wide. In one corner, under the shade of a leafy tree with pale pink blossoms, stood one of her informants with half of his face well covered under a black mask. His face bathed in shadows thanks to the thick hood of his dark cloak. What do you have for me? She questioned him as soon as she approached him. And took a seat on the delicate chair in front of the glass table she used to take tea in the mornings when she didnt want to leave her room. The daughter of the Marquis of Tehro is pregnant. According to the royal physicians records, it is a boy," reported her spy. And Darla smiled as she took the pitcher full of fresh water and poured herself some in a cut-glass tumbler. So the medicine I gave Medhas really did the trick. She was delighted. So Lethicia finally got it... What did the queen say about it? She asked curiously, but the mischievous gleam in her eyes betrayed her interest. She detested Tathiana. And while most of the aristocrats in the kingdom believed it was because Darla had been one of the kings mistresses for months, the truth was that she had hated her for years. It doesnt look like the queen has heard the news yet. Perhaps she has been too busy after the assassination attempt she received recently. Did someone try to kill her? She worried. Fearing they would blame her for it after the queen sent her to prison. Have they arrested the culprit yet? The maid and the two guards involved are dead, but the duke suspects that they received outside help to get to the queens room in the middle of the night. So the Duke of Brincy changed the entire palace staff, from the maids to the guards. Now everyone who works in the queens palace is part of the dukes personal army." Darla grimaced at his words. That meant she would have no chance to plant spies among her maidservants as the king had been doing so far. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The gentle afternoon breeze stirred the leaves on the trees as a heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the steady sound of Darlas fingernail tapping the glass of the table in a steady rhythm. I doubt very much that King Medhas is happy to have his father-in-laws army so close. They have increased the number of guards at the kings palace in response. Which has led some nobles to suspect that if the king is fearing retaliation from the duke, it means he had something to do with the attack on the queen. Darla could feel she would get a severe headache very soon. How can he be such an idiot when he wears a crown on his head? She questioned. If it wasnt because hes the king, I wouldnt even bother to help him. The problem was that until Galythe, the crown princess and eldest daughter of the king and Tathianas only offspring, ascended the throne, Darla would still need Medhas help to secure her position. But that was not her only problem. The influence she had had over him had begun to crumble. Darla could feel it the last time they saw each other in that poorly lit cell. Even the fact that it had taken him so long to get her out of there was already alarming. With the death of the pope, much of the influence she had on the temple died with him. And with the disappearance of the temples high priest, after he traveled to the south for a vacation less than a month ago, Darla had lost her main backers inside the temple. I need a new plan. She thought. After the previous one failed spectacularly after pressuring Irdas, the former duke of Lanish, and a month later Logan, the current duke, with the kings backing to marry her thus ceding her power over one of the two most powerful military forces in the kingdom in exchange for giving her a bottle of holy water to cure Irdas. Who had been poisoned by Darlas spy as revenge for refusing to marry the high priestess. She was running out of ideas. Though not all is lost. She assured herself. And though she knew the young duke had a mistress, that was something she didnt care about. It is well known that Logan is very concerned about his fathers steadily deteriorating health. It is only a matter of time before he realizes that there is no other means to save him and he ends up giving in to me. Maybe I should just push him. A mischievous smile came across her face. Tell Leyla to increase the dosage of the poison of Irdas and to keep me informed of the situation in the east. And be sure to spread the rumor in and out of the duchy that the black plague has returned. So the few who still possess some holy water will refuse to sell it to the young duke That stupid old decrepit old man, how dare you refuse me? She wanted to growl, but to tell the truth, it would be much better to marry the handsome young duke than the old man. What have you found out about the high priest? Have you found him yet? No, maam. But apparently a new dungeon was opened near the farm where he was staying. The knights of the temple who had gone to investigate asked for his help, and they have not been heard from since. Most likely, they are all dead. How come I wasnt informed about this before? she complained, feeling her headache increasing. It happened only three days ago. The news must have reached the temple by now. But with the wave of monsters that escaped from the dungeon and those that are invading the south of the kingdom, I doubt the king will take long to find out. And in demanding help." Darla growled. Regretting having spent so many resources on the summoning, especially since she had to send a group of knights from the temple to help the mages of the tower and imperial knights hunt the black dragon and the monsters that came out of the summoning ritual. Damn it! she complained. Too many things have gone wrong in the last few days. Never mind the comments I will receive from my opponents in the temple when they find out that I was sent to prison by the queens orders! High priestess! We have a problem! One of the minor priestesses, who used to run her errands, entered her room without knocking, opening the doors wide. Retreat! Darla whispered to her spy, who immediately melted into his own shadow and quietly disappeared. Darla had been very lucky to meet them several years ago. Duncan, a mage of the shadow element, had been on the verge of death after surviving a monster attack while his younger sister, Leyla, was infected with the plague. Darla had cured them both, who, grateful that she had saved their lives, had begun working for her ever since. What the hell is going on? Whats all the fuss about? She growled at her, not hiding her annoyance at her lack of good manners. However, the young priestess was unfazed by her bad temper. On the contrary, she had long since become accustomed to the fickle moods of the temples only saintess. And with her pale face covered with sweat, she approached the balcony of the high priestess as she caught her breath. A new saintess has been brought to the temple! Chapter 69 “A bad day” Chapter 69 A bad day What did you say? Darlas heart skipped three beats when she heard that nonsense. No! Its impossible! She thought. However, her hands began to sweat and the slight tremor in her hand forced her to put the glass on the table so as not to spill her drink. A new saintess has been brought to the temple! repeated the other priestess, whose name Darla had never bothered to learn. I am the only saintess there has been in the last hundred years on the continent! Darla protested, frightened at the sudden thought of losing her status. The one thing she had that set her apart from the rest. Im not going back to being a simple peasant starving to death! She decided, terrified at the prospect. Still, she tried hard not to show her fear on her face. I am the saintess and the others owe me respect and admiration. It is they who must shake in my presence, not the other way around. They are the ones who need me in order to not die from the plague or the monsters. She said to herself to console herself. The great cardinal has just returned from his journey and claims that the woman he brought with him is a new saintess chosen by the goddess Mhiralla," the young woman replied, full of confidence. Darla, on the other hand, felt her world fall apart as she heard those words, betrayed by the goddess who, until recently, had been on her side. Wasnt he supposed to have gone to Vathas kingdom, to personally investigate what happened there and see if he could sense any trace of the pope? Darla questioned with annoyance as she rose from her seat and stood in front of the intimidated young woman. Uh... the other priestess avoided her gaze,...well...hes back. Just what I was missing," she growled under her breath as she passed the newcomer and walked to the door of her room. Cant you get some peace in this place? What kind of fucked up luck is this? She wanted to growl out loud, but restrained herself. Keeping up appearances both inside and outside the temple was important, especially now that Berkeley was back and without another high-ranking priest here, he was the one who was now in power. Couldnt he do the world a favor and die on the way? Take me to him! she ordered in an authoritative voice. With a determined step, Darla reached the office of Alim Berkeley, the great cardinal of the temple of light in the kingdom of Balsac, and knocked on the door. Come in," said the voice on the other side of the door, and as soon as Darla opened it and entered the spacious office filled with books and ancient manuscripts, she saw Berkeley standing there, browsing through some documents near his personal library. Ah, I wondered how long it would take you to come in here and make a fuss. But it seems to have taken you a little longer than I expected." A twisted smile of superiority lit up the face of the man in his mid-forties. Darla could not help but frown at his mockery. Great cardinal," she replied, bowing. I thought you had gone to investigate what had happened in the capital of Vatha in the hope of finding good news from the Supreme Pontiff. Nonsense! he scoffed. We both know that the temple was completely destroyed, as well as most of the capital. If indeed the pope were among the few survivors, someone would have warned us by now. However, I found something much more precious on my way. A gift from the goddess," said the man with a sly smile. Too bad you were a little late to meet her. I just sent her to her new room. So its true then," Darla whispered and her voice trembled, but still the great cardinal heard her and left the documents he was reviewing on his desk. Giving the former saintess his full attention. That is right. The goddess has chosen a new saintess," he said, standing in front of her. Perhaps she got tired of waiting for the previous one to fulfill her sacred duty instead of going around wasting her time, wandering around the royal palace and sullying her name. Despite the overt provocation, Darla did not respond. Instead, she clenched her fists, trying to hide them with the long sleeves of her elegant dress, yet she could not hide the fear in her gaze. How the mighty fall, dont you think so, Darla? Berkeley whispered with a sneer. I think that fear-filled look looks wonderful on you," he rejoiced, reminding her that until now she had been the one looking at him as if he were an insect that dared to soil her food. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Darlas face distorted, hatred bathing every corner of her youthful, smooth face despite being twenty-seven years old. Someday Im going to destroy you! And Im going to have full control of the temple, then youll be on your knees in front of me, begging for your life! She thought spitefully. Since I have also been chosen by the goddess for such a function , it would be ideal if I myself would be in charge of the education of the new saintess. Nonsense! mocked the cardinal. Do you think I am so stupid as to leave her under your care and then she dies in an accident? Do you think I dont know what you are capable of in spite of your angelic face? And I would never...! Darla tried to refute, but he wouldnt let her. Since ancient times, the temple has been in charge of raising the saintesses. It will be no different this time. And unlike you, the new saintess can actually level up. Besides, why would we let the kings whore raise the new saintess? Because the goddess has chosen me again to show me a second prophecy! A huge tower full of monsters will rise to the west of the kingdom! It is our duty to prevent the demon king from getting his hands on a treasure hidden deep inside that tower or the darkness will corrupt the kingdom! Ah! What another prophecy. And tell me, Darla, why was I not informed of this? I have already informed the relevant people about this fact, she assured him. Dont tell me you are talking about the king? He questioned and seeing the way she averted her gaze, anger flooded him. So now, instead of informing the temple and following the proper order of action, you think you have the authority to choose who you tell first? What impudence! he scolded her. But Cardinal Eshus was the one who ordered last time that the king be informed of the first prophecy, so I decided to inform him of the second one as well," Darla defended herself. You still dont seem to understand the situation," sighed the great cardinal. Thats the problem when you bring uneducated people from the countryside to the temple," he lamented. What? But prophecies are a big deal. The goddess hasnt given one in hundreds of years! Besides, I think Ive found out who the prophecy was talking about," she said, but her nervousness under Berkeleys relentless gaze gave her away. There is a reason why prophecies are studied before they are released to the public. Its irresponsible the way youve handled the situation, Darla. And the fact that you now claim you know who it is just shows your immaturity. But one of the women who came with the heroes...! Again, the cardinal did not allow her to finish her words. This was not the only kingdom to perform a summoning ritual. Bhallys succeeded in summoning three heroes. The ones the prophecy spoke of could well be them. A hero to save us all! A hero to destroy us! Thats what the prophecy says. Im not so stupid as not to understand it, and Im sure that woman is the one who will kill us all," she shouted, annoyed. So a woman, huh? Could it be that you are jealous because she is more beautiful than you and you want to get rid of the competition now that you have been forbidden to enter the palace? Darlas face paled when she heard those words, HAHA! Did you think I wouldnt notice that you were in prison on the queens orders? I... There is no reason to worry about heroes. Havent you taken history classes? He mocked her. Ever since eight hundred years ago when one of the heroes tried to steal the crown, the royal family, and the kings of other kingdoms, have always been in charge of poisoning them after using them. It is well known that those who come from another world are allergic to the zhalem flower. Thats why both the temple and the royal family have a small crop of them Darlas face paled at the veiled threat. So instead of worrying about them, why dont you worry about yourself? He leaned closer to her and whispered softly. You should be careful too, Darla. Its not going to be that when the king gets tired of you, he will also expose you to the flower. A mischievous smile shone on Berkeleys careful face as fear flooded Darlas features. Before anger took its place. Besides, I would like to know what drove Cardinal Eshus to personally go after a dangerous dragon from another world and accompany the royal guard on such a suicide mission? The king ordered it. And just because a mere king of a small kingdom barks we are supposed to jump to do his bidding? Darla wanted to refute, but her lips remained closed. Just because you are the kings whore does not give you the right to dispose of my men and order them as you please! Guards take the high priestess to her quarters! From this moment on, the former saintess will be indisposed and will not leave her quarters for any reason! Anyone who violates this order will be severely punished! Five armed guards entered the office, and despite Darlas protests, she could do nothing to stop them. **** A deep darkness engulfed Kalysto. And as pain flooded her body, she was slowly able to regain control of her senses. <> Growled that voice in her head. The murmur of a distant conversation reached her ears. And by the time she could finally open her eyes, she realized she was inside a brightly lit room. The breeze from the open window hit her face as the chill of the floor crept under her white dress. Ill never wear this color again. She thought, feeling dazed. Her mind seemed to process everything too slowly. And she had to blink a couple of times to get a clear view of the studio she was in. And the figures of the three elves, one seated and two standing in front of her. The elf who was sitting seemed to be around forty-five years old and, by the expensive appearance of his clothes, looked like an important merchant. Who handed the fire wizard a brown bag. By the metallic sound it made when the wizard picked it up with a smile full of greed on his face, Kalysto deduced that they were gold coins. She really is a saintess, said the old elf, standing in front of her with his face full of admiration as he watched the wounds on Kalystos body heal. He interpreted the effect of the holy water as her own skill. Who...who are you? she asked, feeling her throat dry and her tongue heavy. The old elf in front of her gave her a grin laden with malice that darkened his face. Your new owner. Chapter 70 “The smell of death” Chapter 70 The smell of death What? Kalysto frowned at the stupidity that was being said by the blond man sitting in an elegant chair with dark carved wooden arms, a few steps away from where she had been thrown on the floor. I said Im your new master," he replied with elegant naturalness as Kalysto blinked in confusion and avoided his gaze, fixating on the elegant office filled with books, pictures framed in golden frames and elegant lamps well positioned around it. Everything there screamed money, even the small tea table next to the stranger, and the armor of the two armed elves guarding the door from inside. Making sure that the pair of elves who had brought her in did not do anything strange against their boss. Inspect! She thought, remembering that it had always been rumored that elves had superior hearing to humans. And she didnt plan to take a chance and find out if it was true now. Two windows opened to her left. [Name: Ather Race: Elf Level: 17 Class: Fire/shadow wizard HP: 1,420/1,500 MP: 100/2000] So he wasnt just a fire wizard. Kalysto frowned and then looked at the other elf who had brought her. [Name: Roedhoj Race: Elf Level: 20 Class: Warrior HP: 1,800/2,000 MP: 300/300] Kalysto grimaced at the new information, then checked the merchant. [Name: Zhioten Race: Elf Level: N/A Class: N/A HP: 500/500 MP: 100/100] No level? Does that mean he has no system? Kalysto frowned. Realizing that as soon as her captors left, she would just have to wait for the guards to leave the room as well. And as soon as they left her alone with the merchant, she could overpower him and escape. With dissimulation, she moved her wrists and could feel the restraints.The same thing happened with her feet. Ill wait until they stop watching me to see if I can cut them off. Then she blinked, still pretending to be confused, although she still felt a little dizzy. What the hell was that they gave me? She frowned. Status window! She thought, feeling her mana start to drain faster than usual as she used mental commands instead of using her voice. A couple of windows opened to her left adding to the large collection she had forgotten to close since this morning. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 20 Fatigue: 99 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Profession: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? of ?????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1000/1120 MP: 15/1146 DMP: 0 Strength: 54 Vitality: 59+10 Agility: 63 Resistance: 61 +40 Intelligence: 67 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 State: Drugged. Dizzy, confused. Upset, scared. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Available points: 42] Whats wrong with her? The merchant complained as he noticed her strange behavior. Shes human. Her race is weak to the povlanc. In fact, Im surprised shes still awake. Humans tend to pass out and not wake up again for at least twelve hours. Human? growled the merchant, slamming the teacup he had been drinking onto the floor. They assured me she was a fairy! You asked for the saintess to be brought to you. There was never any mention of her being a fairy or not, although she is their champion. Thats how she acquired the class. Are you telling me that the fairies chose someone who is of another species to be their champion? That doesnt make any sense! We dont know, but maybe she does," then everyone turned to look at her. Damn, so much for the plan to pull one of the knives out of my inventory as soon as they got careless! She thought with annoyance. But without realizing it, she caught the attention of Zhioten, who noticed the way she moved her wrists. Its a pity you woke up prematurely, my dear," he murmured with a condescending smile. Guards, make sure she cant perform any tricks! Kalystos eyes widened in fright at the thought of what they could do to her. Inventory! She thought, and both windows opened to her left. But before she could move and try to pick up the home-stone or a knife to defend herself, a third guard, whom she had not seen until now, restrained her from behind while another one placed a pair of blue-colored glass handcuffs on her wrists. Ready, sir," reported one of the guards. Kalysto frowned at him and tried to break free from the strong grip of the third guard, who was still holding her tightly, preventing her from escaping. Sleep well! She thought as she touched her captors forearm, but nothing happened. Upset and frightened by what this could mean, she immediately summoned Dispel Ezhiil! But not a single golden glow emanated from her hands or her body. Kalysto gulped, fear seeping into her bones as she found herself completely unprotected in a room full of men. Inspection! But no new window opened. A smile full of sadistic satisfaction came over Zhiotens face as he saw the fear on Kalystos face. The merchant rose from his seat, as if mesmerized by the image of the helpless lady, but before he could reach her, a voice interrupted him. Sir? Why are you still here? growled Zhioten, stopping in mid-step. Wed like to buy some povlanc," said the fire mage, and the warrior beside him nodded his head in agreement. Of course. Boys, accompany the gentlemen to Andreas office. He will take care of your order, but I warn you, it wont be cheap," he said with a smile that showed all his teeth. And as soon as the two elves who had brought her left the room, accompanied by the two guards who had been stationed at the door, Zhioten turned to Kalysto, rolling her eyes. Bloody addicts! He whispered, a grimace of disgust stamped on his face. But theres no time to waste thinking about such filthy things. Not when I have such a lovely lady in front of me," and he reached out his hand to grab Kalystos face, whose body froze at the proximity. The saintesss face became much paler than a hospital wall. Images of his mothers drunken boyfriend, the man who had been her stepfather for a few years before he beat her mother to death after one of their usual arguments, flooded Kalystos mind. Ice buried itself in her soul at the very thought of ever being touched again by such scum, and bile rose in her throat. Dont touch me! She growled in desperation as she struggled to get out of the grip of the third guard, whose huge hands held her firmly by the forearms, and inches away from the ground. How much strength this guy has to hold me like I dont weigh a pound! But it didnt matter how much she squirmed, trying to free herself from his grip. It was completely useless. Hold still! A male voice growled behind her, but Kalysto ignored him and the guards claws dug into her skin, making her bleed. Ha! the merchant scoffed. And what could you do to stop me? You cant even use your holy magic while you have that mana-blocking device on you! He said, grabbing her face with one hand and squeezing her cheeks viciously. Enjoying the sudden stillness of his prey, Youre in my domain, little saintess. No matter how much you scream or beg for help, no one here will lift a damn finger to save you! He spat mockingly, inches from her face. Lust shone in his eyes as he licked his lips and cast a lasciviously charged glance down her body. Then Kalysto took advantage of his proximity and kicked with all her strength the crotch of that pervert. This time it was she who had a sadistic smile stamped on her face. But as the merchant fell to the ground with both hands holding his jewelry, his face dyed red and tears in his eyes, the guard behind her turned her around and slapped her in the face and slammed her to the ground. What the hell have you done? Youd better behave yourself or Ill see to it that your legs are cut off so you can never do it again! The guard snarled, before kicking her in the stomach and approaching the merchant, carrying him in his muscular arms as if he weighed nothing. And despite the intense pain that invaded her, Kalysto could notice the pair of brown dog-like ears perched on top of the guards head, while a long and hairy tail of the same color came out of his tailbone. However, the rest of his features remained human. <> whispered that familiar voice in her head. Shut up. She replied as she tried to turn around to stop hurting her right shoulder, twisting on the floor, trying to reach her inventory. But as soon as she tried to pull out the home-stone, her hand went through the window. What the hell? Why cant I touch the system? <> No! <> Shut up! She wanted to scream. Sir? What are your orders? the guard growled as soon as he deposited the merchant on a wide couch. <> <> Shut up! And let me think! <> Theres got to be another way out of here! <> Cut off her damn leg!...So shell learn her place!...And as soon as shes healed, cut it off again! The merchant shouted with rancor and a face disfigured by pain. <> The bodyguard drew his sword and with a determined step approached Kalysto, whose hands trembled at the unexpected and forgotten memory of her childhood that blossomed in front of her as tears flooded her eyes at the image of her mothers death. The half-human raised his sword, and in one swift motion brought it down against the saintesss legs. At the same time, a tear slid down Kalystos cheek, and she whispered. Kill them all, Persephone. Chapter 71 “The smell of death.” Part 2 Chapter 71 The smell of death. Part 2 Warning: this chapter is a bit dark and may contain innuendo and scenes that may hurt the susceptibility of sensitive readers. Kalysto stared at the emptiness in front of her. Gone was the fear of being kidnapped, the repulsion at the lustful gaze of that strange merchant or the paralyzing fear of dying under the blade of the semi-human bodyguards sword. Everything seemed to run in slow motion as her senses went numb to the painful memory that appeared out of nowhere. Memory flickered in front of her confused eyes, giving her little glimpses of what was happening in the real world. But none of that mattered now. Her numb heart seemed to have been encased in a shell of pure darkness where nothing existed but cold and shadows. Where only eternal emptiness and immense darkness existed. No pain or emotion whatsoever. And Kalysto felt herself floating in the middle of nowhere. The image in front of her flickered again, going from being a little girl with blood on her hands in front of the lifeless body of the man who had robbed her of the only family she had left, to becoming an adult again. Sitting on the floor on an expensive soft carpet while a thick cord of black smoke began to materialize out of nowhere, slithering down her left arm like a snake. Which upon reaching the palm of her left hand cracked the handcuffs on that wrist and then spread out like a whip of darkness. Crystallizing into the tip of a black spear that pierced the guards chest without any trace of mercy. Ripping out his heart. The demi-human had no chance to react. Although Kalysto seemed to notice the world around her in slow motion thanks to her dulled senses, everything had happened in a matter of milliseconds. As fast as the blink of an eye. The groans of the merchant could still be heard in the distance but Kalystos ears couldnt register it. Her only focus was the memories of the past that she thought she had forgotten, and that she always felt were missing pieces of the puzzle that had been her life. And now, she had finally recovered one of the many pieces that had been missing. A giant puzzle suddenly materialized in the vast emptiness, filling her dark mind with some color. Among the hundreds of missing pieces, a new one took shape and clicked into place, causing the image in front of her to change. And Kalysto found herself transported to the moment that was painted with vivid colors among the pieces, as if they were part of a beautiful and incomplete landscape. The next second Kalysto was inside the image, seeing a smaller version of her. Shivering in fear under the bed in her bedroom on the second floor of the house she grew up in as she listened to her drunken stepfather come home in a bad mood and argue with her mother on the First Floor. <> That voice in her head had said to the little girl, but even from the doorframe of her old room, Kalysto could hear it with perfect clarity. <> The little girl climbed out from under the bed and opened the window, the same one through which she used to spy on her missing father. But as soon as she climbed into the frame with the intention of jumping up to the thick tree branch below her window, her mothers loud scream stopped her. And both Kalysto and the little girl turned to look up to the First Floor. Fear burned her insides and her hands began to tremble as the premonition of what she was about to witness seized her. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. And in that instant Kalysto ceased to be an adult, to become again that frightened little girl who ran downstairs only to see her stepfather kicking her mothers body inside the kitchen. A pool of blood began to spread under the bruised body of her mother, who barely had the strength to beg her attacker to stop. Her face streaked with tears and the bruises from the previous days beating still fresh on her mature skin. You fucking bitch! How dare you defy me? And where did you get that money? shouted that beast who in her small eyes looked like something that had just come out of hell. Stop it! Stop hitting her! The young Kalysto pushed the drunkard away and ran towards her mother, covering her with her thin body, smaller than the rest of her schoolmates due to malnutrition. In spite of being fourteen years old, Kalysto barely looked like she was only ten years old. Get away from there you little brat! Im teaching that bitch a lesson!" Kalysto earned a couple of kicks as soon as she refused to stop protecting her progenitor. Or at least that was until that man grabbed her by the hair and pulled it hard. But the girl didnt scream. Instead, she just gritted her teeth and tried to focus on her mother, letting that feeling of coldness that sometimes saved her from the pain of her stepfathers continuous beatings, invade her. And out of the corner of her eye she watched the knife with which her mother had been chopping the few vegetables she had managed to get to make soup. If only I could reach it! she thought. But the monster threw her against the wooden table and her limp body bounced to the floor after hitting her head, a trickle of blood running down her haggard face. Im going to teach you how to treat your elders with respect! Said that beast with his eyes shining as he unbuckled his belt. The problem wasnt the couple of lashes he launched against her back and arms, the problem came later, when seeing her reduced to a small quivering lump the expression on the drunks face changed. Ah, thats better! And Kalystos blood ran cold as she watched him adjust the lump between his pants. Now, come here," he ordered with a lust-laden smile. Lets put that pretty mouth to better use," he growled, after running his lust-laden gaze over her developing body. Disgust churned her stomach, her hands began to sweat, and bile rose in her throat. <> shouted that voice in her head, and Kalysto obeyed her immediately though she stumbled and fell to the ground for a few seconds near her mother, before getting up again. But before she could reach the kitchen doorframe and flee through the front door, a blow resounded against her back knocking her to the floor. Stunned, she noticed the knife in her left hand, which she didnt remember picking up. And how did that get there? She wondered in an instant of confusion, which she dismissed as soon as she felt the mans weight on her. And kalysto twisted and screamed for help as she tried to run away from that perverted monster, but despite her efforts, her strength was not enough. No one came to their rescue. Just as she could not get rid of the libidinous claws of that despicable being. <> Desperate to avoid what was about to happen to her as that thing tried to lift her skirt, for the first time the girl accepted the proposal. And her body relaxed as the darkness clouded her vision. A second later, Kalysto was expelled from her body. She was able to see the whole scene again from outside herself. And she watched with morbid pleasure as the small version of herself transformed in front of her. Her long light brown hair turned black, as did her eyes, and with an agility that was unknown to her, the small teenager turned and plunged the knife into her stepfathers neck. She then kicked him, knocking him off her, only to bury the knife against his side again and finally get him off her. Kalysto watched the scene as sadness, and guilt began to overwhelm her. If only I had known how to heal my mother, none of this would have happened. She reproached herself. If only I had been stronger than that monstrous man, he would never have used us as a punching bag. But she hadnt been quick enough to run away from him and alert the neighbors, or strong enough to avoid the damage that thing had done to her mother and her with his libidinous hands. It had been Persephone who had saved them. And though she was frightened to see her small, trembling hands covered with the blood of that foul monster when she finally regained control of her body, the young Kalysto, full of hope, ran to the corner where her beaten mother lay immobile, while the floor was stained with the blood pouring from one of the wounds he had inflicted on her mother with the knife that now lay buried in the mans abdomen. But all her joy at having survived that close encounter with death at the hands of that monster, along with the hope of escaping with her mother and getting her to a hospital, died when its younger version finally reached her. Her mother had long since stopped breathing. Chapter 72 “The smell of death.” Part 3 Chapter 72 The smell of death. Part 3 It wasnt until the morning of the next day that a neighbor found the three bodies lying in the kitchen and called the police. After so much crying, Kalysto had fallen fast asleep over her mothers cold corpse. And when she awoke, she was at the police station, where a social worker took the silent, traumatized girl to an orphanage. Where she lived until she came of age. And while Kalysto only wanted to run away from the painful memory just recovered, the darkness that slept inside her rejoiced at her pain. Tears flooded the saintesss face as the air seemed to grow scarce in her lungs. If only I had gotten rid of that thing sooner, maybe my mother would still be alive. She berated herself. And it was that pain mixed with guilt, hatred and despair that fueled her darkness, which smiled with delight as it sensed her weakness. But Kalysto, she didnt even think about it. And as the darkness enveloped her vision again, she could only think that it was too late to save her mothers life. Suddenly, the darkness began to dissipate, and she was an adult again, sitting on an expensive carpet. And as a silent tear ran down her cheek, the cries of the merchant reached her ears as she watched intently all around her in complete silence, in an attempt to adjust to her new surroundings. Guards! Guards! Get rid of that damn thing! The elf shouted as he pointed at her and two other elves in shining armor entered the room in alarm. Seeing the body of their boss strong bodyguard on the floor in front of the saintess, they drew their swords. What are you waiting for? An invitation? Kill her! Now! Kalysto blinked in confusion at the sudden change in her surroundings and the pain, still fresh from the loss of her mother, along with the fear and disgust at the contact, still burned within her. Immediately, both guards ran towards her, but one of them, the one on the right, reached her in less than a second. And without being aware of it, her left hand was raised without her consent. Tentacles of black mana materialized in the shape of a spear, easily piercing the two bodies of the newcomers. What the fuck was that? Kalystos eyes widened in surprise at the sight. And she immediately looked at her left hand with some fear as the merchants screams of terror were not long in waiting. Her breathing quickened as fear began to rise in her gut and when she tried to lower her left arm, still outstretched, nothing happened. She had lost control of her arm completely. What on earth? Her face paled and out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a lock of her stray hair much darker than normal. And as her heart began to beat wildly against her chest, the black tentacles jerked back and forth, overturning furniture, smashing chandeliers and destroying shelves full of books. No, not the books! Persephone, stop it! Ha ha ha ha! Why should I stop now? The voice that came from her lips was different from hers. Taking Kalysto by surprise. You dont have to damage the books! Kalysto shouted, alarmed at the thought of losing the chance to get her hands on them. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. What? There could be information that would be useful to me in them! Who knows how many secrets there are hidden there? That and she no longer had access to the internet where she could read anything she wanted with her kindle account. Kalysto could almost see Persephones eyes roll as a growl left her lips. And even as the tentacles stopped bothering the books, they began to break the windows instead. Monster! Its a bloody monster! Guards! Guards! shouted the merchant. Why doesnt he just shut up? Cant he see that Im in the middle of an important negotiation? Kalysto thought with annoyance. Trying to find something in the wreckage with which she could save the large collection of books, and solve the mystery of how to regain access to her system so she could escape from there and save the books in her inventory. Not necessarily in that order. But the man kept shouting, attracting the attention of more guards. Shut up! Kalysto shouted, and it was only a few seconds later that she realized that no sound had come from her lips. What on earth? Then the fear she had forgotten about when she was alarmed at the thought of losing access to such a vast collection of books came back to her. Kalysto tried to move her head to look at her left hand, but this time, her head did not move. And fear once again burned within her. Persephone? she shouted in her mind, but no one answered her. Hello? Ezhil Purification! She tried to shout as she tried to move her right hand, directing it to her left, but neither her body nor her magic responded to her call. Five armed guards entered the room as one of the black tentacles cut the rope binding her legs. Kalystos body stood up with a sinister smile on her lips as she moved her head from side to side, rattling her neck and pulling her shoulders back, after letting out a long sigh of pleasure. She almost looked like a cat stretching as the bones in her back tracheated. Guards! Kill that damned monster at once! shouted the merchant as soon as he saw the guards. Shut the hell up! Your voice is annoying! Although the words came out of Kalystos mouth, it was not she who uttered them. Immediately five black tentacles destroyed the comfortable sofa on which the merchant was lying, and pierced his body. The next second, the body of the saintess turned to the newcomers and smiled at them, showing her teeth. So where were we? The guards stepped back in fright as another group of ten demi-humans with their ears sticking out over their heads and furry tails sticking out of their butts, appeared in the rear. And though they outnumbered her, the fear was obvious in their eyes. This time, seven black tentacles shot out of her right hand, their tips turned into powerful spikes that pierced half of the guards in a single blow, along with the thick wall behind them. Persephone, enough! Theres no need to kill them all! We just have to find a way to escape! Kalysto shouted, but again no sound came from her lips. You be quiet! The adults are busy cleaning up the garbage! She answered her, and her head turned to the right, as if she was talking to someone standing right next to her. But Im an adult too! Kalysto wanted to complain, but she knew it wasnt the right time for that. Persephone, stop! She tried to insist, knowing it was in vain, but she needed to buy time while she thought of a plan. What we need is to find a way out of here! Be quiet at once! Im busy! Her body replied, turning her head to the right again, as if she was talking to an imaginary figure. The guards were even more frightened at the sight, and taking advantage of her moment of distraction, they fled in panic. Giving the alarm to everyone in their path and announcing that a powerful enemy had launched an ambush against them. An alarm sounded throughout the building, and several horns blared in the distance, announcing an invasion. Oh! You see what you cause by distracting me! She scolded her as if she were a little girl. Then, she turned to where the corpses of the guards lay and where one of them, whose legs were shaking too much as he tried to lift the only survivor of her earlier attack, lay. They were both terrified to see that the talk to herself was over and tried to escape. Why are you running? Theres no need to do such a thing... Im going to catch up with you anyway and kill you all." She assured them with conviction without wiping the sinister smile off her face as she destroyed the rest of the wall with another tentacle. And killed the two elusive guards. Kalysto screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to regain control of herself. But no matter what she tried, her body kept moving forward, walking over the remains of the wall she had collapsed and the corpses of the guards. She screamed again, but no sound came from her lips. She couldnt even wipe away the annoying smirk that was plastered on her face. See? Now theres a way out! a voice that was not hers answered. As a whole army of soldiers advanced towards her from both sides of the corridor that led to the destroyed room she had just exited. And for the second time in her life, Kalysto again lost total control of her body as darkness devoured her consciousness completely. Chapter 73 “The smell of death.” Part 4 Chapter 73 The smell of death. Part 4 Give me back my body! Kalysto shouted as black dots clouded her vision. And a cruel smile broke out on the face that was no longer hers, before answering her. Are you sure it was yours in the first place? Coldness buried itself in her gut as she heard that. Her first instinct was to deny it, but they both knew she had no memory of much of her childhood, not until after the accident, where her father taught her everything from scratch. And as a whole army of soldiers advanced towards her body from both sides of the corridor leading up to the destroyed room, she had just emerged from, the saintesss heart trembled. No, it cant be true. I..." But then she stopped. And though she suspected that she could no longer blindly trust Persephones words, Kalysto began to doubt. And for the second time in her life, Kalysto again lost total control of her body, as darkness devoured her consciousness completely. Kalysto lost track of time as she floated in the midst of an endless sea of shadows. She tried to move, scream, and kick. But nothing changed. She remained submerged in the deepest darkness. As doubts began to gnaw at her from within. Enough! This is no time to be thinking nonsense! She scolded herself. Come on Kalysto, focus! She fought and fought against the incessant darkness until she ran out of strength. And as the hours passed, boredom seized her, overcoming her fear and her doubts. Whether or not I am the owner of this body is not important now! I need a way out of here! She thought. Status window! She exclaimed, but again, nothing happened. Then she tried with each and every one of her skills, but the result was the same. It was after a long time that a loud cracking sound, as if something breaking, echoed in the vast emptiness. Breaking the silence. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and fear invaded her at the thought that there might be some monster in the midst of that uncountable darkness. But silence reigned again after a few seconds, and nothing happened again after that. And at some point, tired of waiting so long, she spoke again. How the hell was I able to regain control of my body the first time? ...Come on Kalysto, focus!... Im not going to let someone steal my own body! I need to think of a way out of here! She said to herself, but nothing came to mind. Then a small light flickered in front of her. Her heart beat excitedly at the subtle change, and she waited until the soft violet tinkling finally stopped. Revealing itself fully. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] And for a second, she was able to feel her body again and get a small, very blurry glimpse of the outside world. But it didnt last. And the darkness came back to devour her. Come on, Kalysto, concentrate! She tried again. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] [Error! The passive ability Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity.] Focus! Come on Kalysto, you can do it! Focus!!! She tried again. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] [Error! The passive ability Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been leveled up to level 42.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [Error! The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity.] Nooo! Come on, Kalysto, you can do it! Focus! Concentrate! She tried again. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [Error! The passive ability Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity]. Nooo! Her head, or at least what should be her head, started to hurt. But still Kalysto didnt stop and tried again. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been leveled up to level 43.] [Error! The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity.] Noooooooooooooo! Kalysto wished she could have something solid in front of her so she could hit it. Still, she tried to control herself. Took a deep breath, and despite the increasingly strong migraine that seemed to want to split her head in two, she cast a blessing on herself along with Ezhil Purification. And kept trying. It wasnt until two hours later that she could notice a change. [The skill Ezhil Purification has risen to level 10.] [The skill Blessing has risen to level 7.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been leveled up to level 56.] And again she caught a small glimpse of the outside world, observing a huge black crystal over two meters high blocking the blue sky. What the hell do you think youre doing, Kalysto? Stop at once! her body growled. No!" she screamed, but the darkness had already devoured her again, this time with much more force. [Error! The passive ability Mental Defense has been disabled by an unknown entity.] Unknown, my ass! Persephone, stop whatever youre doing and give me my damn body back, now! She shouted into the void. But no one answered her. I never imagined I had to worry about having an enemy inside me, too... She lamented and the sadness of that fact wrinkled her heart. Persephone had been a constant companion as she went through the most painful times of her life, but for the first time she was beginning to see her in a very different light. Now it turns out that I not only have to watch out for monsters! Or for the possibility that the fairies will get rid of me after our contract ends like the human kings and the temple do with the heroes summoned in most of Kassandra R. Blacks stories! Or of the very likely possibility of me dying while performing the third mission!... Then she crossed her arms while snorting in annoyance. Shit! I forgot about that!.... She let out a prolonged sigh and frowned as she tried to remember. Was it the flower petals or the leaves that the silly princess poisoned Thomas with? But try as she might, she couldnt remember. Whatever! None of that is important now!... But I must remember to find a way to acquire an immunity skill to poisons... or at least to that one in particular.... But the only way she could think of to gain such skill, was to have plenty of holy water on hand while consuming small amounts of poison, interspersed with both drinks. I hope it doesnt come to that. She thought, and stared into the void for a long time. I want to eat ice cream," she complained. Worst of all, even though she had no access to her physical body, her head ached, she was tired, and she was very hungry. Enough complaining! she scolded herself. And after taking a long sigh, she went back to trying to get out of that void for another three more hours. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 12.] [The Blessing skill has been leveled up to level 10.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been leveled up to level 69.] [Error! The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity.] Argggg! Stupid Persephone! Stop interfering! She shouted into the void. And even though she was getting more and more exhausted, and a part of her just wanted to sleep and throw in the towel, she didnt give up, and kept trying for another two hours. [The passive ability Mental defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been leveled up to level 70.] A loud noise, as of something breaking, echoed in the darkness. And finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kalysto managed to open her eyes again. Blurry patches of color flooded her sight and the saintess breathed in deeply. Rejoicing at being able to feel the cold air rushing in and out of her lungs, as a powerful wave of nausea swept over her. Inventory! -she whispered. And four windows, two blue and two violet, opened in front of her, obstructing her vision. [Warning: the user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any ability again or your health will be severely affected]. With trembling hands she ignored the countless amount of windows she hadn''t closed before and pulled out the last remaining bottle of holy water from the ones she had looted from the soldiers when she arrived in this world four days ago, with her right hand. Noticing how she still had one of the handcuffs on, though it had one side completely broken. The problem was that there was no way her wrist could fit through the now missing piece. Deciding to leave that problem for another time, she pulled out the small bottle of holy water and took a sip. It was when she began to close the windows of her inventory that she noticed that this was the second time since she had arrived in this world that she had woken up in the middle of a sea of corpses. Chapter 74 “The smell of death.” Part 5 Chapter 74 The smell of death. Part 5 It was the second time since she had arrived in this world that she had woken up amidst a sea of the dead. What the hell was going on here? She thought, but silence was her only answer as she stared at the thick black glass walls that she was sure had never been there before. And in the midst of them, over sixty bodies of half-humans and elves with heavy armor, swords, shields and spears lay on the floor on both sides of the corridor. Kalysto bent down, touching the neck of the corpse closest to her. Noticing that the body was still warm, though it had no pulse. She grimaced, not wanting to think about what that meant. I killed all these people? She panicked. Well, to be exact it wasnt properly me, but still. But that didnt erase the guilt she began to feel. Besides, they not only kidnapped me but tried to kill me, so it doesnt count as murder but self-defense, right? She tried to convince herself, and after a few minutes of watching them in silence, she nodded her head. Yes, it was only self-defense. She said to herself, remembering the libidinous hands of the boss these perverts worked for. And the guilt she had begun to feel disappeared, transforming into a cold rage. Time to loot! She whispered coldly. Observing the bodies with a different perspective, noticing the small brown leather bags tied around their waists. And as she took a quick glance around, she noticed a small brown bag resting right next to where she had woken up. Next to another one, a couple of centimeters larger, filled with potions. Kalysto arched an eyebrow at the sight. And she looked through them. Taking out the potions that were in the small bag and putting them in the larger one. Though she doesnt seem to be the most sane person on the planet, Persephone can be quite considerate. She thought, being aware that a part of her actually wanted to justify her, and that the status quo they had maintained for years would not be broken. But she quickly dismissed that illusion. She was surely saving them for herself. And Kalysto spent the next half hour stripping the bodies of as many things of value, except for their heavy armor, as she could gather. From their swords, which she was able to stuff almost all of them into one of the brown bags, plus potions, two hundred gold coins, one hundred and fifty silver coins and three hundred bronze coins. Along with a ring that changed her hair color to ash blonde. All right, time to go get the books! she said, taking one last look at the corpses. Wishing she could pick up her spears as well, but apparently they took up too much space and the enchanted bags wouldnt take them. Besides, she didnt have that much free space in her inventory, so she could only get hold of two of them, the ones that had the most stats and seemed the most expensive, along with a shield. Unfortunately, none of them had arrows that she could add to her collection. So she started walking among the bodies, almost stumbling to avoid stepping on the toes of one of the bodies, when her right hand accidentally touched the wall made of black crystal. And a violet-colored window opened before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this dark crystal?] [YES/NO] Those words immediately aroused her curiosity, and she pressed on the yes button. And the huge wall covering the entire opposite end of the corridor, which was previously made of solid black crystal, began to transform into ashes and smoke. As the ashes fell to the ground, the smoke transformed into dark energy that entered her body. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 200 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 300 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 500 DMP!] [Congratulations! User has purchased 800 DMP!] [Congratulations, the user has purchased 1000 DMP!] [Warning: the user has acquired too many DMPs and has exceeded her bodys capacity to hold them! It is recommended that a Dark Mana circle be created to increase its capacity.] And before she could finish reading the warnings, she fainted. By the time Kalysto opened her eyes again, it was night. And a violet-colored window was in front of her. [The Absorb skill has been leveled up to level 4!] [The Absorb skill has leveled up to level 5!] Yeah, good for it. She thought with some irony. Then she closed the notifications. The light of the two moons shone in the sky and she groaned at the severe headache that invaded her. And when she tried to move, her whole body ached as if she had been hit by a truck. Okay, no more dark mana overdose, for me," she groaned. Inventory! -she whispered, even so in the face of the intoxicating silence that flooded the place, her voice seemed to echo against the walls. And as soon as the two windows opened before her, she pulled out the last bottle of holy water her boss had given her upon accepting the new mission, and took a swig. I definitely need to level up Blessing before I run out of holy water reserves," she whispered. And while she tried to be alert against any noise that might indicate that she was no longer alone, she walked towards the room where the merchants body lay. As she felt the particular itch of the holy water healing her body. The room was much worse than she remembered. And although she felt that it had been an eternity since she had been there, she was aware that it had only been a couple of hours. The lights from some of the lamps that had fallen to the floor were still working thanks to the glowing white crystals. Kalysto didnt hesitate to pick up a couple and put them in one of the many enchanted brown bags before starting to collect all the books. She ignored all the ones that dealt with history and politics. And while there were a few about economic that caught her attention, she tried to concentrate on the ones that dealt with magic or ancient languages. Though there werent many. So she went on to look for valuables and the strongbox. It took her more than fifteen minutes to find it behind a painting, and she wanted to bang her head against the wall for having wasted so much time looking in the hidden drawers of his desk, when it was the typical place where in almost every movie they hid the safe deposit box. Although in the desk she found another two hundred gold coins, so she didnt consider it a complete waste of time. She spent another ten minutes looking for the key to open the safe deposit box, which was inside the locked drawer in the desk of the perverted elf, whose key was hanging against his neck. And she took the opportunity to remove his rings, one of which had room to hold up to ten items in the enchanted jewel with which its center was decorated. By the time she finally opened the strongbox, her jaw nearly dropped off her face. Not only did she find a couple of books on magic in there, along with a bag full of emeralds and another with another type of gemstones that she didnt recognize and that she was sure she would spend some time later on identifying them and take advantage of to raise her skill level, along with a couple of mithril bars and another bag with a thousand gold coins. But inside were 3 small bottles of holy water along with a good collection of high quality potions and a skill crystal. And in the middle of it all, a solitary ring. Kalysto stuffed everything into one of the leather pouches enchanted with semi-infinite space and then stuffed them into her violet inventory. Inspection! she whispered, realizing that she had spent too much time looting her kidnappers, and it was best to get out of there before she was discovered. But she was too curious about this ring, and the obvious way it had been kept, indicating its importance over the other objects around it. A pair of windows opened before her. [Shapeshifter Ring. Class: Epic. Changes the wearers gender and appearance when activated. This item will bind to a new owner only after the previous owner has died. The new owner can assign a new keyword for activation along with the desired appearance. Spends 20 MP for every hour of use, and 100 MP when activated for the first time and the desired characteristics are assigned. You can only choose the appearance of the selected shape once, before the first activation. ] Kalysto blinked in surprise when she read that, as she imagined how many perverted things its previous owner had done with this ring. She then purified it several times while smiling, then put it away in her inventory. The amount of things I can do thanks to this! She was excited at the idea. And after she finished emptying the strongbox, leaving only the documents about contracts that didnt interest her at all, she took a last look around the room. She picked up a couple of black crystals, and put them in one of the brown bags along with another white crystal that emitted light and then took the homestone out of her inventory as she approached the destroyed window to admire the scenery for the one last time before leaving. But what she saw chilled her blood. The entire city had been destroyed. Chapter 75 “The smell of death.” Part 6. Chapter 75 The smell of death. Part 6. The entire city had been destroyed. Kalysto felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins when she saw the hundreds of houses and small buildings that had been reduced to rubble while gigantic black crystal spikes, as tall as half a skyscraper, protruded from the ground, splitting and destroying everything around them. Her hands began to shake and the home stone she had been holding fell to the ground, completely forgotten. What...the hell? But she couldnt even finish the sentence as she saw that nothing, absolutely nothing, as far as her sight could see, had managed to save itself from such massive destruction. Her knees trembled, no longer able to support her weight as her eyes filled with tears and she knelt on the ground. I am a monster..." she whispered, but only the wind heard her. Kalysto looked at the remains of the wall in front of her unable to believe what she had seen, her heart clenching as she remembered the mutilated bodies of the people in the streets or those who had been left, as if frozen, inside the crystal. No one had been spared. Only her. Bile rose in her throat as she struggled to silence her pitiful sobs that escaped her lips, but in vain. She felt as if hours had passed as she writhed in horror and guilt at what she had done. Of what she had allowed to happen. I should never have let her out," she whispered through her tears. But then she remembered that hand on her face. While the other had begun to brush against her thigh and then tried to lift her skirt. And she simply panicked at the thought of what might happen to her, so she gave in and let Persephone take control. And thats why all those people died. It was several minutes before she could finish crying and think a little. Then she immediately rushed out of the room. Running through the corridors and searching like mad for a staircase that could take her to the highest point of the building she was in. And when she finally found it, she ran up the stairs, almost running out of air, for four flights, until she reached a rooftop that looked more like a small garden for tea under a pretty green canopy. Kalysto ignored the expensive decorations. As well as the beautiful sculpture of a scantily clad sensual elf carved in stone that decorated the place. On her shoulders rested two small birds from whose mouths spouted a thin stream of water. Who the hell would even think of putting a fountain on a rooftop? The thought escaped her mind before she realized it, but she ignored it and walked to a corner. Silently praying to whatever god it was that would listen to her, that only a small piece had been damaged. Then she ran desperately from corner to corner, trying to deny what her eyes were seeing. But her hopes died when she saw that to the north, south, east and west of the building, everything her eyes could see was exactly the same chaos. Spikes of black crystal piercing the streets. Shattered buildings and people trapped inside the thick crystals, or pierced by them. No... no, no, no, no, it couldnt be. The city had been completely devastated... and it had only taken Persephone a couple of hours to do it. I cant let this happen again," she said quietly to herself. Or even worse for the boss to find out. She thought, and as soon as she was aware of that thought, terror filled her insides. Her stomach churned, and she threw up what little she had eaten so far. It will kill me, she thought. Feeling her hands cold and sweaty, watching them shake as she lay kneeling on the floor finishing emptying her stomach. Shell kill me when she finds out! And as if a switch had flipped inside her, she immediately got up, ran to the fountain where the beautiful carved elf lay, and washed her hands, then her mouth. She wont let someone so dangerous near her precious fairies! I need to get out of here and get Tsuki! Map! she shouted, as an afterthought. Rushing to zoom in on it, just as she had wanted to do since she had the conversation with Artemis. And as she looked at it, she noticed that it was quite far from the forest where she had been before. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. How far away can these people teleport...? Because surely it would do me a lot of good to learn how to do it. There was only one other point besides hers, hundreds of miles around her. Or at least she hoped it was miles, after she discovered that all she needed to do to zoom in was to do it the same way she did it on her cell phone. The problem was that, whoever it was, it seemed to be running at a surprising speed as it approached where she was. Kalysto immediately ran down the stairs, cursing herself for not picking up the home stone before she went up to the roof and left it lying there. Good thing I have my sneakers on! She tried to console herself as she ran down the stairs and through the long corridor, or what was left of it, and hurried to the study, where she immediately crouched by the window and desperately searched for the fallen stone, while out of the corner of her eye she noticed that the approaching red dot was not the only one. Another one had joined the search, and it seemed to be moving at a much faster speed than the other dot. What? Can they fly too? She panicked. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! Ive got to find that stone before those guys find me! Immediately, the familiar coolness that heralded her skill descended upon her, making all anxiety and fear disappear in that instant. Allowing her to think clearly. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated]. And as if by magic, she stood up. Suddenly remembering that she had been a little further to the right when she dropped the stone. Once in the right place, she crouched down again and five seconds later she was able to find the home stone. As soon as she activated it, she reappeared in her room. Tsuki started barking at her, running into her arms while licking her still tear-stained face. Champion? By all the old gods, what in the world happened to you? Alynn asked with her round face full of genuine concern. I... her voice cracked and tears flooded her face as she remembered all those people who were slaughtered, just because she lost control of herself and it took her too long to regain it. I... she tried again, and had to clear her throat several times before she could continue. An elf kidnapped me," she deflected the subject. Oh! Those savages, tree worshippers! How dare they torture our champion? Youll see whats waiting for you! Just wait until I tell the queen! She then tried to reach out to her and caress her face, but immediately Kalysto recoiled back, frightened at her touch. Alynn lowered her hand, her gaze filled with sadness at her rejection, causing Kalysto to get a knot in her chest as she noticed it. But other than Tsuki, she didnt think she could stand contact with anyone else right now. Did they torture you? She asked in a low whisper, as if she feared her words might hurt her. ... Kalysto looked at her in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to answer to that. She didnt want to stay here too long and give the boss time to find out what she had done. Fear seemed to show on her face, because Alynn immediately changed her question. Is there anything I can do to help you? Run you a hot bath? Maybe a cup of a nice soothing tea to help you sleep? She spoke in a soft, motherly voice. I... I havent eaten anything but breakfast all day. I was really hungry, but then I threw up and... her eyes traveled from one side of the room to the other. Noticing the hot food on the night table next to the delicious bread Alynn was preparing, next to another plate full of theles, cheese and more fruit. And in Alynns hands was a bowl that Kalysto assumed was for Tsukis food. Which she was holding like a baby, while he whimpered softly as if he could feel all the chaos inside her and was trying to comfort her, as he rubbed his head against her neck and cheeks. I think a bath would be nice. Ill take care of that. I also brought you your clothes. They were already properly washed, and I sewed one of the holes in them myself," Alynn informed her, pointing to her black sweatpants and Hellas favorite t-shirt. Kalysto wanted to cry at the obvious care with which the older woman took care of her. Thank you, Alynn. I really appreciate it. Im here to serve you, champion. Take off those dirty, bloody clothes. Ill take care of burning them personally," she assured her. Ill be back in a few minutes with something hot for you to drink. As soon as Alynn left the room, Tsuki started licking her face and whimpering. Im glad to see you too, but stop licking my face. Youre going to stick your tongue in my eye again! She scolded him as she hugged him. Enjoying the softness of his fur for a few seconds as she tried to calm down. And as soon as she did, she realized that no matter where she ran, her boss would find her. Ill need an excuse to get away from here. But I have to be convincing. She frowned, as she pondered what was the best way to go while continuing to pet Tsuki, whose tail was now wagging back and forth. Happy to have her back. Come on Kalysto think! Focus! She scolded herself. And immediately a pair of windows appeared before her. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] But along with them, there was another one she hadnt expected. And that if she hadnt activated her skill beforehand, she was sure she would have been scared out of her wits. [I have been informed of what has happened.] [Touch the screen and show me.] What? she whispered, the cold terror running through her veins again, deactivating her skill. Show you? How? [Touch the screen. Now!] Tsuki immediately jumped out of her arms, her hair standing on end and began to growl as she looked towards the door. Kalysto turned, wanting to know what was happening. Less than a second later, Galatea entered her room without knocking, with her armor on and one hand on her sword. Chapter 76 “The smell of death.” Part 7 Chapter 76 The smell of death. Part 7 Kalysto stepped back, startled as soon as Galatea threw the door wide open. Small sparks of electricity surrounded Tsukis body, who began to growl at the intruder. [What are you waiting for, Kalysto?] [Touch the screen, now and show me what happened!] The former waitress swallowed saliva, feeling it thick and heavy all of a sudden. But... I dont know how to do such a thing," she replied fearfully as from the corner of her eye she followed Galateas every move, wishing she could delay the moment when she would be discovered. The fairy took a step back, staying under the frame, while she checked the room with her eyes, making sure that only they, besides Tsuki, were there. However, her hand did not leave the handle of her sword. [Just touch the damn screen, Kalysto! Now!] Her heart pounded wildly as she brought her hand closer to the screen, feeling like she was walking straight towards her own death. And as soon as she did, she felt a strange, invisible weight on her, pressing down on her head. Immediately, the face of the elf who threw white powder in her face appeared before her as the other elf covered her mouth with a handkerchief from behind and everything went dark. Then she was back on the soft carpet of the blond merchants elegant office as she listened to them talk. Kalysto felt a bead of sweat run down her back as her heart raced, knowing full well what was to come. Wishing she had a way to be able to avoid it. And when finally the demi-human guard, whom she hadnt noticed when she woke up, grabbed her from behind, the elfs hands began to move closer to her as he whispered sadistically to her. Disgust and fear gripped her again as she felt the elfs filthy hands on her skin again, one on her face and the other trying to sneak under her skirt. A cold terror enveloped her, fearing what would come next. What she didnt want her boss to see. Stop it, get out of my head, now! she screamed in fright. Her hands began to tremble. Feeling anxious and terrified at the same time at having to see herself in such a weakened state. Embarrassed that someone else witnessed it. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And even worse... all the destruction that followed. A part of her was horrified at the thought of what this queen might do to her as soon as she found out about all the chaos, death and destruction she had caused. And she feared she would be killed on the spot. She supposed that was why Galatea had come running up to her room without deigning to knock on the door. But as the passive skill took effect, her mind began to unclutter, allowing her to think clearly. Then a series of doubts arose. Was Galatea one of the dots she saw approaching where she had been before? Because now that she thought about it, just as she had a dot on her map that told her where her boss was at all times and how much distance there was between them, surely on her bosss map she should also appear. And seeing her in a place where she was not supposed to be, it was obvious that he would send one of her warriors to investigate. Besides, if we take into account that Galatea had been guarding Artemis the first time we met, doesnt this imply that she is either very strong or has the queens full confidence to put her in charge of her sick daughter and the champion she chose? Then, Kalysto observed the fairy, with beads of sweat running down her face, and her breathing still agitated. Its obvious she ran here, but from how far away? ...Inspection! She thought, wanting to check how feasible her theory was. A violet window appeared to her left. [Name: Galatea Race: Fairy Level: 85 Class: Warrior HP: 790.000/800.000 MP: 3,200/5,000] Holy crap!...how did she get that much HP and MP?...whatever she feeds on to get to those stats, I want it too! If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And just as quickly as that doubt popped into her mind, another one formed. A much more important one. If the boss sent Galatea to the city I was taken to by force and saw all the damage Persephone caused, why did she want to know my side of the story instead of judging me right away and allowing me entry into her territory? Which raised another question. Did she know? Kalysto felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her. And her body froze. Had she known from the beginning of Persephones existence? Kalysto had no idea how the theory of multiple personalities worked when mixed with magic, but seeing the ease with which the queen had just entered her mind, when not even her physical body was in contact with hers, that spoke not only of how powerful and capable her boss was. But also of how cautious she was. Is that why she wont let me heal myself? To have a way to get rid of me in case I ever lose control?... And though the idea bothered and scared her, at the same time. She could see the logic in that. She would have done the same if she also had to use a time bomb that could literally crash into her face at any moment. But to be honest, I wouldnt have risked it... unless I had no other options. Which raised more questions. By what criteria was I chosen as a saintess? Did they have other candidates? And even more important, if she could enter my mind so easily, could she also sense Persephones presence? Or worse, does she see us as the same person? Or can she tell the difference between me and her? And if so, since when? And while the thought of it was terrifying, it also explained why, despite being in her territory, they were still communicating through a screen instead of face to face. She doesnt plan to take risks...not too many, at least... She realized. If I were in place, I wouldnt meet with a guy like that either... Besides, for now Im needed and Ive proven to be efficient, so I might be safe for a while... But that doesnt mean shes stupid. At least Kalysto didnt think she was. As long as I dont give her a reason to kill me, she might not. She tried to get her hopes up, but immediately struggled not to get her hopes up, preferring to refocus on what she had been thinking earlier about Galatea. That also explains why she assigned a level 85 warrior to take care of me when I arrived, even though I was only level 1. And for some reason, she resented the idea. Galatea wasnt taking care of me, she was watching me.... She wanted to growl. Although she had already assumed that she was doing it to make sure she was doing her job right. Kalysto never imagined that the fairys kindness and willingness to help her was because they wanted to keep her under control. Could she sense Persephone too, and was she faking it all this time to gain my trust? She worried for a moment, but then dismissed the thought. Even she herself wasnt capable of sensing Persephone most of the time. At least not until her life was in danger. Does the same thing happen with Alynn? But for some reason that thought didnt feel right. Alynn seemed too sincere and motherly for that. No, she doesnt know. Not yet, at least. And as Kalysto debated on how long the fairies had been watching her to choose her as their champion or how long they knew of Persephones existence when she had only told Alice, the violet window began to tremble. [...] And another window, much larger than the previous ones, appeared before her. [Those damned fucking elves dared to touch you?] A powerful surge of magic, much stronger than anything she had experienced so far, came from somewhere else. Crashing into them and causing Kalysto to stumble and fall against her bed, and Tsuki tucked his tail between his hind legs and began to whimper in fright. The earth shook beneath their feet. And the walls, along with everything around them, began to shake. [To my chosen one?] [How dare they?] [Do they dare to defy me?] Tsuki ran to her masters side and hid under the bed between Kalystos legs. Who wished she could do the same as her pet and have a place to hide. The air began to sputter in her lungs as another wave of magic spread. Despite not being in the same room as the queen, the terrifying pressure she felt that was crushing her lungs and everything inside her was something she had never felt before in her twenty-one years. And that she hoped she would never experience again if she ever left this room alive. My lady, please calm down! The champion seems to be drowning due to the strong magical pressure! Galatea, who also seemed frightened by her queens outburst, began to shout. The surges of fury that Kalysto could feel coming from the violet window stopped for an instant and seemed to focus on Galatea. Who suddenly lowered her gaze, looking duly scolded. So she has a system too, then. She noted. Kalysto gasped for air, felt as if she had been about to drown, though she was only lying on her comfortable bed and had to turn halfway on her side as she coughed several times until she could calm down. Shit, if thats how overwhelming her presence felt without even being in front of her, I dont even want to imagine what it would be like having her in front of me! And at that moment, Kalysto swore to herself never to do anything that could anger her boss. The problem is how long will it take for the queen to discover the city that I destroyed, if she doesnt already know. And out of the corner of her eye, she looked at Galatea, who was apparently still being scolded. I dont think she had time to inform her yet. Then she mentally opened her inventory, taking advantage of the distraction of both women. She didnt have time to think of a plan to keep Galatea from giving her away, but even if she escaped using the stone that would take her to the elven city, her new boss would have no problem summoning her back, just as she had when she had been on Earth. She had no escape. No, wait! Thats not necessarily true. Maybe Im just making hasty guesses. So she decided first to check her map and zoom in. And the next second, she closed her eyes as she watched all her hopes die. One of the two dots, the gray one that had advanced at breakneck speed towards the place where she had been, was now glowing on her map just a few steps away from where Tsuki and she were. Galatea had indeed been there. Chapter 77 “The smell of death.” Part 8 Chapter 77 The smell of death. Part 8 A cold sweat ran down her back as she realized that Galatea had been there. And for an instant, she wished she could believe in the gods of that world to beg the fairy to say nothing. Unfortunately, the queens distraction was brief, as her attention turned back to Kalysto. [And you! What the hell were you doing outside the elves territory?] I... I... she stammered, and her face paled at the thought that she was referring to what happened in that other city. [It wasnt necessary for you to go to that stupid camp to cure their sick! They should have brought them to where you were! Not the other way around, you silly girl!] I thought they would be part of the deal," she excused herself quickly, taking advantage of the opportunity given. [But they were out of the territory, so they werent part of the deal! This is why its good that you learn some geography! I even gave you a map! I thought you were smarter than this, Kalysto!] Sorry..." she muttered as she lowered her head, letting her long, light brown hair, hide her face. That way, none of them would notice her enormous relief. But how am I supposed to know that if the map is opaque in the areas I havent explored yet? She wanted to defend herself, but chose to keep quiet. It was better to keep the subject as far away from the devastated city as possible. [Didnt you check the map?] And Kalysto blinked in confusion. Raising her head again. To be honest, it didnt even occur to me. [...] [You didnt...? Agg!] [...] [ I havent finished talking to you yet! But well talk later. Right now I need to go interrogate those damn elves and show them what happens to those who dare defy me! Go take a bath and rest in the meantime]]. Uh... yeah, sure," she answered, not knowing what else to say, but for some reason she got the impression that even though her screen was still open, there was no one on the other side anymore. And the next second, on her map still open, the queens purple dot was already in the elves territory. Hundreds of miles away. A sigh of relief escaped her lips but was interrupted halfway through when a surge of magic, not as powerful as the one she had felt minutes before, hit her. An annoying pressure seized her, and she had to strain to get some air into her lungs. A second later, a huge violet window opened in front of her. The text highlighted in bold. [You damned elves! I will hunt down and exterminate each and every one of you who was involved with the kidnapping and torture of my chosen one! ] [Dont even think of escaping, because I will find you!] And although Kalysto knew that those messages were not for her, her knees trembled and her face lost all color as she realized that the last one could also apply to her case. But Im not stupid enough to run away and make her even more angry. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she watched Galatea, who seemed to be closing her own window. Did the boss forget to send the message only to the elves... Does that mean that now all the users of the violet system know what happened to me? Embarrassment seized her at the thought of it. Well... this... uh..." Galatea stammered uncomfortably. Yes... Kalysto agreed, thinking that she too had received the same warnings and not wanting to talk about it. Are you all right? The fairy worried. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Yes," she answered automatically and then thought better of it. Not really... I think Ill go take a bath and rest. But I think after I talk to the queen if I survive that talk, she wanted to clarify. Id like to get away for a few days and spend time with my friends in the human kingdom. Although it feels strange to say that Edward and Koden are my friends. She let out a long sigh. And I still have to find a way to help those idiots escape, otherwise who knows what trouble Edward will get into. Not to mention that it would be nice to find a way to get them home, that would help me confirm if Alice really isnt on Earth... Ill ask Caranthir next time I see him, in case he knows anything about traveling between worlds. And although she felt a great weight on her shoulders, she was exhausted and just wanted to rest. Of course. I will inform Alynn and the queen. I will also tell Mistress Artemis not to expect you for tomorrows session. Oh crap, I completely forgot about that! Kalysto closed her eyes and sat down on the bed. The magical pressure of the queens power began to fade. Surely she had already found someone to focus her anger on. Dont worry about that. For the moment, focus on resting. The queen ordered me to bring someone who can remove those handcuffs. Ill go get him now. Kalysto blinked. She didnt even remember she had them on. Thank you, she said, and the warrior nodded her head and went out silently. After taking a long bath in which she took advantage of the silence and solitude to cry a little and commiserate with herself for everything she had been through in the last few hours while looking at the marks the handcuffs had left on her skin, Kalysto began to draw a plan of action. Then, after eating some of the meat broth Alynn brought her with some bread and putting the rest of the food away in her inventory, she lay down to sleep, hugging Tsuki. But a couple of hours later, she woke up bathed in sweat with the feeling of those nasty hands on her body and was unable to go back to sleep. After tossing and turning in bed for more than half an hour, she started to get dressed. Putting on her favorite black Hela t-shirt, along with her black sneakers and sport pants. It was still more than five hours before sunrise. And her stomach growled with hunger, so she ate the lunch that Alynn had left for her yesterday on top of the nightstand and that she had put away in her inventory. As soon as she was done, she left the dirty dishes on the nightstand, took out a thel and a revitalization potion from her inventory. Unfortunately, after drinking the potion, her fatigue was only reduced by 40 points. She then bit into the thel and woke up her pet. Come on, Tsuki! Get up! Lets go eliminate slimes! The little fenrir looked at her as if she was crazy for trying to wake him up at such an early hour of the morning. I need a way to make sure they cant get rid of me so easily," she excused herself in a low voice, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, I dont know how much we can trust the fairies, she explained. Besides, while I was kidnapped there was something I had to do in order to survive, but I doubt the queen is very understanding about that... And although I can heal you, she blocked my system so that I cant heal myself, which is too strange, dont you think? Tsuki nodded, agreeing. He suddenly seemed much more awake and alert than a few seconds ago. So I need those slimes cores, to at least have an ability that can help me survive the three missions she gave me. After that, she gave Tsuki a loaf of bread to eat and they both went out into the forest surrounding the queens huge castle. Ezhil Purification! She whispered, and for a strange reason, it seemed like an eternity had passed since the last time she had been in those woods. Alright Tsuki, you know what to do. I need you to find me as many slimes as possible. I need those cores. And after sniffing the ground a couple of times, Tsuki did exactly as he was ordered. Less than ten minutes later, they had already found the first group of five slimes. And after drawing her bow, she conjured: Ice arrows! Three arrows were launched towards the little slime, but one of them missed. Damn, this thing of adjusting your aim with three arrows at the same time is not so easy! -she complained. Immediately, a pair of windows appeared in front of her. [You have gained 1 experience point.] Really? Just one point? Annoyed, she went over to pick up the core. [Does the user wish to absorb the remains of these slime cores?] [YES/NO] She selected yes. [The user has acquired 0.005% of the regeneration skill]. I had forgotten how slow this was -sighed and then absorbed the four cores of the slimes Tsuki killed. She then opened her status window, as she went even deeper into the forest in search of another group of other slimes. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: -- Level: 20 Fatigue: 59 Class: saintess (Heroic). Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1120/1120 MP: 1100/1146 DMP: 2800 Strength: 54 Vitality: 59+10 Agility: 63 Resistance: 61 +40 Intelligence: 67 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 State: With insomnia. Available points: 42] And she frowned. Why am I still at level 20...? She muttered without understanding-. If all those people died because of me, why didnt the system recognize the experience points? Then she folded her arms. I understand that the blue system doesnt recognize them, but the violet one is a soul pact, which means it must have recognized Persephone? Why didnt it? Where did all those points go? Chapter 78 “Back to the human kingdom.” Part 1. Chapter 78 Back to the human kingdom. Part 1. Another ten minutes passed as she continued to purify the forest and bless every tree in her path to raise the skill and illuminate the route Tsuki was tracing. [The Dispel Ezhil skill has leveled up to level 11!] Great, nine more levels and I can start making holy water! She enthused. Tsukis growl alerted her that they were no longer alone and as soon as Kalysto rounded the tree that separated them, he could observe him attacking with lightning a slime almost two meters tall that was surrounded by twenty other slimes just like him, except for one, whose left side had black spots. And as soon as Tsuki attacked one of them, the twenty-one slimes doubled, becoming forty-two. Tsuki bristled as he saw that the circumstances were not in his favor. But Kalysto soon joined the party. Blessing! she said, pointing to herself, Purification Ezhil! -She said, attentive to the two who had black spots on their bodies, but instead of being exterminated, the spots disappeared from their bodies. Was that the plague? Then she drew her bow. Ice arrows! three ice arrows shot out. One hit the target, another bounced off the stomach of the slime she had shot at, and the third landed near him. How the hell does Caranthir launch multiple spears at the same time? she complained, and as Tsuki continued attacking them, and they multiplied again, Kalysto ducked- Ice creation! Ice manipulation! Lets see if these things breathe. And she spread the ice to cover half of the bodies of fourteen of them. Damn it! The problem with this attack is that I need to be closer, she muttered when she saw that she couldnt finish freezing them while Tsuki was finally able to eliminate one of them after electrocuting it several times. Kalysto was about to start attacking them again when ten of them launched themselves at her at the same time. She could barely dodge the first hit, for the second one she tried to use her bow, but it was absorbed by one of the slimes, so she took out a couple of daggers and was able to dodge in time the next punch of another slime and cut its arm quickly. And she did the same with the next five punches. Although the slimes were not strong creatures, they were very fast and flexible. Tsuki, I need you to cover me! shouted Kalysto, putting away the daggers and taking out a light sword, and after cutting another two slimes in half, whose parts then rejoined and continued attacking, Tsuki arrived at her side, positioning himself in front of her and sending electric shocks to all those who approached. Water creation! She shouted and a large puddle of water shot out of her hands, drenching the slimes and soaking their feet. Tsuki, now! Make it as powerful as you can! she shouted. And as her pet electrocuted half of the slimes, she ran to the other half, where the one she suspected was the original slime was. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She shouted, freezing the small puddles of water that had formed near them and freezing her feet. But soon, she discovered the problem with this attack, for even though their lower bodies were frozen and could no longer reproduce, they could still attack her from a distance, and Kalysto had to stop freezing them and concentrate on creating an ice barrier over two meters high in front of her, as soon as she received the third hit against her arms. [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated]. [The skill Ice creation has been raised to level 3!] [The Ice Manipulation skill has been raised to level 5!] Im going to have to start practicing with the ice thats far away from me. She realized. The problem was that her skill wasnt yet developed enough to be able to do it yet. And as she finished freezing them, she noticed a slight glow behind her back and as she turned around, she saw Tsuki sticking out his chest and raising his snout, absolutely believing in himself as he stopped glowing. Kalysto frowned as she saw the slight change in him. She could have sworn he looked a little taller and stronger. Did you just level up? Arff! He barked in agreement and then let out a prolonged howl towards the two moons shining high in the sky. Stop that! Do you want to yell our location to everyone in the forest? Tsuki whimpered sadly. After a few minutes, Kalysto got up from the ground and walked around the thawing wall and looked at her latest work of art. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I hope they finish suffocating soon," she commented quietly, earning a strange look from Tsuki, What? If I could throw fire instead of ice, Id kill them in a heartbeat! I have to do the best I can with what little I have! If it bothers you so much that I suffocate them, then electrocute them faster for the next time, and thats it! Tsuki raised his nose with dignity, as if he was telling her that he would do just that. Kalysto was about to answer back but the notifications of their deaths finally started to reach her. [You have gained 0 experience points.] [You have gained 2 experience points. ] [You have gained 1 experience point. ] [You have gained 3 experience points. ] [You have gained 0 experience points. ] What kind of fucking joke is this? Another twenty-five similar signs accompanied the previous ones and Kalysto wanted to growl, full of frustration. Good thing I wasnt here for the experience - she tried to calm herself down as she began to unfreeze the bodies and pull out their cores. [Does the user wish to absorb this core?] [YES/NO] She selected yes. [Warning! This core is a replica, and it duplicated all the physical characteristics of the original, but not its magical ability! In order to use the absorption skill, you must find the original core.] Kalysto blinked several times, and a slow smile broke out on her face. Come on Tsuki, bring me the cores of the slimes you killed! - she ordered him and hurried to unfreeze the rest of the slimes, and take out their cores. It was after trying to absorb number twenty-two, that she finally found the original. [Does the user wish to absorb this core?] [YES/NO] Again, she selected yes. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Replica. Level 1!] [Replica: Duplicate the characteristics of any object, even if it is magical. Up to 12 MP peruse. Reuse time: 1 minute. By raising this skill in level, the amount of duplicate items can be increased and every ten levels, the reuse time and MP expenditure is reduced by half.] Another skill Im going to have to level up fast," she got excited. And when they found the next group of slimes, she let Tsuki do all the work. While she sat under a tree, she just blessed and picks up several leaves from the ground. Blessing! replica! blessing! She said, shifting from one leaf to another. Ezhil Purification! She added as she saw that the golden glow had been extinguished and only the soft golden glow of the blessing could be seen on the leaves and Tsuki. [The Blessing skill has been raised to level 12!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ezhil Blessing. Level 1!] Thats curious. I learned the others at level 10. Why only this one took so long?.... Not that it would be useful for now, lest I end up blessing monsters by mistake. She thought as she remembered how she had healed that carnivorous flower instead of herself when she discovered she had the healing ability and was just learning how to use it. Replica! Blessing! [The Replica skill has been raised to level 2!] Several minutes later, Tsuki brought her five slimes cores. Water creation! she said, putting her hands on them to clean them from the saliva of her pet who had left them on the ground beside her. [Does the user wish to absorb this core?] [YES/NO] She selected yes. [The user has acquired 0.02% of the regeneration ability.] It was exactly the same with the other four cores. Ezhil Purification! She said as she got up from the floor- All right Tsuki, two more rounds and we go to bed! Do you agree? -Her puppy barked in agreement. Champion? Interrupted a female voice behind her back and both she and Tsuki turned to face her. What are you doing out of bed at this hour? ...Youre Galateas friend, Hanna, right? Kalysto asked when she saw the particular shade of pink in the fairys hair. Yes, maam. Im honored that you remember my name, but its not safe for you to wander around here at this hour without an escort," she commented, looking around for an unseen threat. Even if there are no elves around here, its not entirely safe, not with the barrier as weakened as this is. Is there a barrier around the castle? She asked with curiosity. Who created it? Lady Artemis, of course," she assured the fairy with conviction. So thats why she was assigned as my tutor, thought the saint. May I ask why you were so far away from the castle at this hour? We saw a slime with black spots, similar to the plague a while ago, so I took the opportunity to purify the surroundings and Tsuki hunted them down and leveled up. Oh! Youre right, he looks bigger as soon as he heard the fairys words, the puppy puffed out his chest and stood up straighter, knowing shes talking about him. Both women tried to hide their smile when they saw him act that way. But is the lady sure the slimes she saw had the plague? Maybe it was too dark, and she mistook his freckles for something else. Ezhil Purification! answered Kalysto and immediately the golden light that came out of her body illuminated twenty meters around her, leaving a golden backing around the trees and every living thing around her, including the rocks, I think that gives me enough light dont you think? Seeing that the fairy nodded, she continued- Curiously, it was purified the second time I used the skill. So yes, it seems to me that he behaved just like someone who has just been infected with the plague. Immediately, the fairys attitude changed and her kind face became serious. In that case, I would be grateful if you would go back to your room and tell me where you saw that slime. Slimes, there were two of them, although after I purified them, Tsuki killed them. And they did that. By the time Tsuki and Kalysto returned to their room after taking Hanna to the place where they had fought the slime duplicators where the fairy tried to get information out with her remains, a violet window opened before the saintess. [I have been informed of what happened.] Chapter 79 “Back to the human kingdom.” Part 2. Chapter 79 Back to the human kingdom. Part 2. [I have been informed of what happened.] Kalysto swallowed saliva and her knees trembled as she read those words. And as she felt her stomach knot up, she sat up in bed. If Im going to die, at least Ill be sitting up. [...] The young former waitress swallowed saliva with difficulty and rubbed her hands together nervously, as her heart wanted to jump out of her throat. However, several minutes of oppressive silence passed before the queen spoke again and, finally, another violet window appeared. [I have taken care of the two elves who kidnapped you. You will never have to worry about them again, just as you will never have to go near anyone from that kingdom again.] ... Thank ... Kalysto cleared her throat several times before answering. Thank you. [I have taken the audacity to break the deal you made with Ettokalr son of Arandh.] Shit! How did she find out? Her hands began to sweat as she read those words and her heart beat wildly. [Since you had already healed all the elves in the city before you joined the battlefield, and you even healed people from outside the kingdom, Ill consider your mission accomplished.] Another violet window opened in front of her. [Mission: travel to the kingdom of Elenium and heal the elves who have been contaminated with the black plague living there. Rewards: *Three homestones and three return stones. (One of the homestones will take the user back to her current room , while the return stone will take her back to the place marked as return, or where she was before using the homestone). * 5 strength crystals * 5 vitality crystals * 5 stamina crystals *10 intelligence crystals * The ability to have more professions will be increased by two. * A bag of emeralds.] And just as she was about to feel relieved, another window opened before her. [Warning! The user doesnt have enough space in the inventory!] [What the heck do you have in there thats already out of space?] Sorry, Kalysto gasped and immediately pulled out six of the swords she had looted upon arriving in this world and laid them on the bed, and was relieved to see the now empty spaces fill up with the long-awaited rewards. These are some of the things I got as soon as I got here, thinking they might come in handy in the future if I ever needed some money. [...] Kalysto kept silent. [As I was saying, you dont have to worry about the elves anymore. Ill get rid of them.] This seemed a bit extreme to Kalysto, but he kept silent, knowing that it would be too hypocritical of her to criticize the queen after what she did. [Not only did they never warn us that they were under attack, putting your life at risk, but they didnt even treat you as we had agreed! They took advantage of your naivety and neglected your safety! How dare they despise me and my people in such a way, Ill kill them for that!] Kalysto could feel the rage emanating from the screen. And suddenly her eyes widened wildly, and she shouted without thinking, remembering Caranthirs power. Wait, dont kill them! [... What?] ... And Kalysto began to rack her brain as she thought of a way to convince her and not to be left without a magic instructor. Isnt it better to demand a compensation? [Isnt it far better to exterminate them and nip the problem in the bud?] And Kalystos heart trembled as she realized how easily this woman would get rid of her if she ceased to be useful. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I understand your discomfort, but as the one primarily affected, I can assure you that even if they die, it wont change anything about what happened. On the other hand, if they are pushed hard enough to not only give us something that is of value but that will remind them for the rest of theirs lives of their offense, it would be more useful. Isnt there something the boss wants from them? [...] [ ...Continued] In my case, I know that they not only have crystals to help me increase my stats, but I know that they have a sacred tree that gives them a fruit that can increase my mana capacity by 500 MP. What if we demand that they give us all the fruits they have to compensate us for and teach me how to create a magic circle so that my body can maintain such an amount of mana? ..." noticing that she didnt seem entirely convinced, she continued- And also compensate you for the offense done to your race by giving you the sacred tree of their kind... wouldnt that be a better way to hurt their pride, make it hurt them for life and make them never forget the offense they have done to you? Besides, wouldnt it be very useful for the fairies to have a tree whose fruits increase their mana? [...] [I like the way you think... But how do you know we need mana?] Sensing her distrust, Kalysto hastened to answer. Professor Artemis mentioned that maintaining that form consumes a lot of mana. Plus, I imagine there are many more things for which it is required. Plague, for example, eats up MP and Im sure many of your guards could use a boost to their stats. Not to mention if my mana capacity increases I can heal them faster without doing as much damage to my body. I think there are enough advantages with this plan, plus it would serve us well against the monsters that infected the fairies... she argued and her voice faded as she reached the end of her sentence. [I agree that its a good plan... But why do I feel like youre hiding something from me?] Kalysto became nervous. A bead of sweat trickled down her back as she tried to think of an answer that would get her out of that mess and keep the topic of conversation as far away from the city she destroyed as possible. Although a part of her was dying to ask her why she didnt gain any experience points after such a massacre? The thing is... well, while I was in the Elven kingdom, I noticed a pattern. The monsters that attacked them seemed too organized... as if someone had sent them there, so I was wondering if... uh, this same... entity? It was the one that attacked the fairies. [...] [...No, its not. And although Mhiralla, my enemy, can also create monsters, the large amount of dark energies I felt inside the Elven kingdom and another one a little later, dont belong to her. But he will sooner or later also try to attack us, although his lackeys will most likely leave us for last. So we still have some time before we have to hide... I hope you will have finished all your missions by the time that happens. Although youve proven to be quite efficient so far.] How powerful is this guy for even someone as strong as her to be afraid of him... And why does that thing youre telling me sound so familiar? ...Thank you," she answered with some hesitation. Suddenly remembering that according to the book: The Fall of the Hero, the group of fairies that had survived the destruction of the Tanish continent was because they had fled. Kalysto felt her heart drop to her gut as it skipped a couple of beats. And closed her eyes as a sinister feeling of heaviness settled in her stomach. And she whispered. Map. And though she didnt want to see it, she opened her eyes, and there in front of her, underneath the bold title with the name of the world : Elinor, was the name of the continent she was on. Continent of Tanish. With the two bright dots of her and her boss inside the huge forest that belonged to the fairy kingdom, Bahram. How the hell was it that I forgot something as important as this? She reproached herself. How could I have forgotten that this whole place was destroyed after Thomas killed the demon king, all because the idiot had killed the wrong one? Her eyes slid from right to left rapidly as she forced herself to remember more details of the book, but other than remembering complaining to Alice for hours about the shitty ending shed made her read when all shed wanted was a light, enjoyable read, nothing came to her mind. How many years do I have before Thomas mistakenly thinks he won and is killed? Was it three years? Or was it two? She bit her lip. I think he was training for a couple of months before he was sent off to war, when several dungeons started sprouting up left and right sinisterly... didnt a tower in an allied kingdom sprout up as well? What I need is a copy of the damn book, or Alice, for that matter. The problem was, she didnt even know if Alice was in this world or not. And the closest I had to a return trip was uploading enchantments in less than a month. Either that or finish the three quests before the agreed time. [For the next two weeks, youll only have to come in for a couple of hours a day. Mainly to heal my fairies. The next two weeks I want you to focus on raising your profession.] Of course," Kalysto replied, straining to quickly read everything her boss had said. But does that include Artemis case?.... Im not sure if I can cure her completely in just two weeks. [Then make it happen.] In that case, please include more mana and revitalization potions in the compensation. I didnt have mana until four days ago and honestly I get very tired while using it. [...Is that why you have a fascination with the theles?] Is she aware of everything I do? And a shiver ran down her spine at the increasingly real possibility that she also knew what happened in that city. They are very useful and they are sweet," she answered sincerely. [Hahahaha!] [Alright girl, Ill take care of that. And Ill order Alynn to keep you supplied with theles for the duration of our contract.] Thank you," she whispered, beginning to feel safer and safer, And could you please make sure it was a Wizard by the name of Caranthir who teaches me how to make the mana circles? [...Why him?] I heard he was the best wizard in his kingdom, she replied with a frown. [...If thats your opinion.] Kalysto frowned even more. Was there anyone better? And just as Kalysto was about to say something, another violet screen appeared in front of her. At the same time, the summoning circle began to draw under her feet. [And by the way, Kalysto. I understand why you had to defend yourself and destroy that city. But if something like that happens again, or worse, you dare to do something like that within my kingdom, I will take the necessary measures.] Then Kalysto suddenly appeared inside a cell. Chapter 80 “The human kingdom.” Part 1. Chapter 80 The human kingdom. Part 1. She knows. Her blood turned to ice in her veins at the terrifying news. The musty, putrid smell of Balsacs human kingdom cell hit her nose. And it turned her stomach as the pallor of her skin increased and her hands began to tremble at everything the fairy queen could do to her. She can even torture me and then give me holy water to heal me. And then keep torturing me. Kalysto trembled at the number of possibilities her overactive imagination began to give her. Enough! She scolded herself and inhaled sharply. And she began to cough uncontrollably as a little of dust got up her nose and down her throat. Id forgotten how bad this place smells. She thought. Kalysto? Kodens confused voice questioned as he saw her appear out of nowhere in the cell in front of him. Where the hell were you and how come...? But Kalysto was quick to shut him up. Shhhh..." and she wanted to shout at him, as she thought of a way to shut his mouth, and seeing his pale, haggard face and parched lips it occurred to her that while she had been fighting for her life, but being well fed by the fairies, neither Koden nor Edward had eaten anything in the last few days. She held up a hand, signaling him to stop. So she turned around and sat down on her bed, and pulled her black backpack out of inventory. She pulled out a bottle of water she had just started and drank a third of it and took out the package of sliced bread she had bought. And turned around to show them to Koden, whose eyes glittered hungrily at the sight of the loot. Then Kalysto raised a finger to her lips in a universal gesture for silence. I will keep all your secrets as we had agreed, he replied in broken Spanish. Kalysto nodded, pointed to her own eye and then in the direction of the entrance to the cells. Koden, understanding what she meant, moved to the far end of his cell, facing the exit and leaning as close as he could against the wall, trying to get a better view. Now," he whispered after a little more than a minute. And Kalysto stepped to the edge of her cell and reached out through the thick bars and threw the bottle with water. Koden, who had already put his arms outside his cell, rushed to catch it and immediately turned around and standing in the middle of his cell uncorked the bottle and drank all the water in less than five seconds. Kalysto felt bad for him, but then she stopped to think how she would throw just a couple of slices of bread at him without them falling on the floor and getting dirty. Before Koden turned around and looked at her with hope shining in his eyes at her throwing the whole bag of bread at him, Kalystos old fear of running out of anything to eat and going hungry again surfaced. Enough, you still have the breads that Alynn gave you! And those taste so much better! But still, her hand trembled. And she turned around to make sure she still had another package left inside her backpack, as soon as she did so, she approached the opposite side of her cell, as she felt the tug of the promise she had made to Amanda to take care of her nephew like a weight on her heart, and whispered. Hey, Edward, are you awake? .. Mmm, Kalysto? Youre finally awake? I was worried about you. Are you all right? Yeah, just a little tired from too much work. Im aching all over. But hey, get closer to the wall at the entrance of your cell. And Kalysto heard him move. Done. Keep your voice down! she scolded him. Sorry," he whispered back. Take your hand out as far as you can and try to bring it as close to me as you can," she said and as soon as he did she took a little less than half of the bread out of the bag and passed it to him. Where did you get it? the young man got excited. Shhhhh she scolded him again, keep quiet. Do you want them to catch us and take it away? And put your hand out again. This is all I have to give you, so manage it well. Then she tied a knot in the bag, seeing that she had left half of the loaves in it and that they would not come out so she walked to the other side of her cell and threw them to Koden, who caught them without making much noise and immediately went to the bottom of his cell and ate them silently but quickly. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Thank you," said Edward, who immediately began to eat them without paying attention to his surroundings. At least hide, lest the guard come and take it away from you," she whispered in Japanese, but the young man seemed too focused on eating to pay attention to her. So Kalysto turned around and sat down on the straw mattress, wrapped in an old white cloth. She had far more important things to concentrate on than acting as his babysitter. And after giving a long sigh, she put her backpack back in her inventory and lay down, wrapping the thin sheet that didnt do much to protect her from the cold. She covered her eyes with her forearm, thinking about what the queen had told her before sending her back. It was too much to hope that Galatea would not tell her. Still, she would have preferred that she didnt. And as if that wasnt enough, now staying in this world after I finish working for the queen is no longer an option... not when in less than three years this entire continent will be destroyed... And where does that leave me? To go back to Earth, which is also being invaded by monsters? She turned around, trying to get comfortable on the mattress. At least theres no demon king or shady figures lurking from the shadows there... As long as I get stronger maybe I can survive, maybe we all can. She thought, remembering that Koden and Edward were also in the same situation. Now its not only left to find a way for all of us to get back and find out if its safe to live on Earth... Fortunately part of the reward for quickly leveling up enchantments was a week on Earth... She bit her lip. If time runs the same there as it does here, then I have seven days to find Alice, cure Amanda, buy all of that authors books, and see if the city hasnt been destroyed by monsters. Maybe Artemis or Caranthir know something about traveling to other worlds? The boss sure knows... but what do I have that she wants for her to give me that information? I dont think shell give it to me for free... and even less after what happened. She stared silently for a few seconds at the stones on the ceiling. If I can get them to take me with them... maybe.... She thought, but after what she told her, it was obvious that the queen didnt trust her enough to risk it. I need to gain her trust before Thomas fails. Its the surest way to get it... but I still need to look for more options. Is that food? Where did you get it? Gabriels soft voice echoed in the cell, the hunger and longing clear in his tone. What, they have food? Where did they get it? I want it too! his twin joined in. Kalysto gave them to me, answered Edward with total naturalness. Hey, Kalysto! Couldnt you also give them a piece of bread? asked Edward. If you want to share so much, why dont you give them yours? replied Kalysto annoyed, seeing that none of them bothered to keep their voices down. But... If you want to give something, stop counting on things that arent yours to give away. If you want to play the hero, go do it with whats in your hands. But keep in mind that every action has a consequence, and if you decide to share, keep in mind that the guard may discover them and that would bring trouble to all of us. Thats not fair! Were hungry too! You have no right to keep it all for yourself! complained one of them. What are you talking about? interjected a voice Kalysto didnt recognize. Does anyone have any food? Hey, I want some too! Give me some too! What the hell is going on over there? Whats all the fuss about? Here, take some and hide it, quick! Edward whispered, but even she could hear his words perfectly. I It didnt reach, you threw it too far, grunted Gabriel as he seemed to be straining to reach it through the bars. Where the hell did they get that bread? growled the guard, who had already reached them. The king said there would be no food for any of you for a week! And that will be done! Growled the man, the sound of several kicks filled the air as Gabriels groan filled the void. The sound of a metal object clanging against the bars of the grates echoed for several minutes as the guard seemed to check on them. Then the noise was heard over her grille and continued to Edwards. where it opened. After giving them both a beating and searching them, the guard relocked both cells before leaving. You better not have any more food hidden, if you dont want me to take it from you the hard way. And as the guard left, Kalysto wanted to punch the pair of idiots for getting caught, and the guard for what he had done to them. But after seeing how easily the others gave themselves away, she realized it wasnt safe for her to reveal to them that she could heal them. Who knows what those people will be able to do to me when they find out? Annoyed, with herself for thinking that way, she fell asleep. Taking advantage of the sudden stillness to finally rest. Her rest did not last long. Three hours later, guards came and dragged them all out of the cells and into a large hall where a plump king sat comfortably in a majestic chair. I am King Medhas of Balsac. And you, my heroes, have been summoned from another world to save my kingdom from the claws of the evil demon king and his fearsome monsters who want to ravage this continent, drag us into darkness and destroy mankind. Edwards mouth almost dropped with emotion at the mans words, seeing all his otaku fantasies fulfilled, while Koden was more focused on the table full of food that had been set up to one side, but which was blocked by a group of armed guards. And tell me, Mr. Medhas, why should we risk our lives for the people who kidnapped us and dragged us to another world against our will, and then locked us in a prison for five days without water and food? The powerful voice of a bearded man, in his mid-forties with his muscular arms crossed as he stood in front of his teenage daughter, was heard loudly throughout the kings hall. Because I will kill all of you if you dont," replied the king, all traces of false kindness had been wiped from his face. Chapter 81 “The human kingdom.” Part 2. Chapter 81 The human kingdom. Part 2. An army of monsters has destroyed the cities of Godos and Iatas. Apparently, they are traveling towards the Kingdom of Bhallys, reported Milo Riva, chief court magician, early that morning. Monsters dont raise an army, mocked the king. Well, these seem to, your majesty. They even seem to be commanded and instead of traveling to the capital, as one might expect, if we follow their route, they seem to have come from it. I suspect they are part of the monsters that were summoned along with the heroes. This caught the attention of the king, who had been ignoring the wizard while he finished eating his breakfast. What? His face paled, making the set of freckles that adorned his broad nose stand out sharply. If the others find out its our fault, it wont be long before the other kingdoms turn their backs on us and wipe us out! And thats not all. A new dungeon has appeared, continued the handsome wizard. A loud bang resounded against the kings table. Can you stop giving me bad news so early in the morning, Milo? Ive had enough with the Duke of Brincy breathing on my neck! I apologize, your majesty. But it is something that had better be dealt with promptly, before word gets out and the duke or the rebels find out, the wizard objected. Send the wizards from the tower to deal with them! growled the king in response. Im afraid that wont be possible. Why is that? he shouted, feeling an incipient headache begin to pound against his temples. No one responded when I tried to contact them last night when I wanted to ask for information about the squadron that had left five days ago, to capture the black dragon. The king tapped the table impatiently. Milo was quite right to worry about the lack of news. Even the few knights he had sent had not reported back, which was strange. Then send someone from the temple. After the saintess was imprisoned, I doubt they are willing to help us. Word has spread among the aristocracy, it seems that several nobles heard her scream while she was dragged to the dungeon and the priests of the temple are not happy with the humiliation suffered the kings face turned red when he heard the report, however Milo did not change his expression. He looked as serious and bored as ever. Then send the damned heroes. Thats what we have them for, isnt it? However, this time, Milos face darkened for a second. His lips tightened in annoyance, but he hurried to neutralize his expression before answering. Theyre not ready yet. I doubt they even know how to use a sword. Then make them so! exploded the king, annoyed because that morning nothing seemed to be going right for him since he woke up. If I may, your majesty. The ideal would be to send some guards while the heroes are being educated. It takes at least two months of preparation for a warrior to learn... but Milos soft voice was interrupted by the kings growl. You have two weeks to prepare them! And send one group of my best soldiers to the dungeon and another to eliminate those monsters that are roaming around my kingdom as if it were their own damn playground! Four and a half hours after the kings fateful meeting with the heroes, most of them had vomited up the breakfast they had eaten. However, Goliath, the commander of the royal guard, did not allow them to stop running, even though some of them had fainted. A group of healers, along with a potions master, were stationed at the side of the training grounds. Making sure to give them potions and the necessary healing for the heroes to continue under the arduous training the king had ordered for them. Is the king in his right mind? How can he think of ordering this kind of training when it is more than obvious that these children have never exercised once in their lives? Not even the knights of the royal guard would be able to endure it! whispered one of the healers, but Milo could still hear her. Shhh! Keep quiet, or youll get us beheaded! The other healer reprimanded her. This is outrageous! How does the king expect me to finish making all the potion orders while Im here taking care of these children? I didnt take this job to become a nanny! I have enough to do with my useless assistant! complained the seventy-year-old potionist. I apologize for that, Master Erlhas. But please be patient. If the correct dose of revitalizing potion is not administered, we could run the risk of poisoning them, and no one better than you to prevent the accidental death of the heroes," Milo tried to appease him, letting him understand that he recognized his talent far above that of the kings personal potionist, Roghes, who had been Erlhas student until he awakened the system. Although just as had happened to the rest of them after the goddess Mhirallas punishment, he could no longer level up. But Erlhas never had a system, which is why his skills never stopped developing, despite his advanced age. That was why the king still kept him around. No matter how many potions we have wasted on them, these heroes seem on the verge of collapse," the old man criticized as he watched them faint as they tried to keep running around the training ground. In my day, the youngsters didnt complain so much and were more resilient. A couple of years plowing the countryside always helped build character," the old man commented as he stroked his long gray beard. Except for two. The girl with the faulty system and the young tank. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Ah yes...you are right, young Milo. But youre wasting a good magical talent, trying to force her to train with the rest," the old man pointed out, catching Milos attention. Although the girl seems to have good stamina. If I had the time, I would train her myself. What? But her system is atrophied, how could she...? HAHA! Thats the problem with those who rely too much on the system! Erlhas scoffed. You should come to me one of these days and continue your classes. But the system... Before the system existed, there were mages and wizards all over the continent too, Milo. As well as rogues, warriors, and assassins. The goddess didnt give away anything new, she just used as a base something that was already there. You dont need a system to learn magic. The system simply makes it easier. Then she pointed to several young men. Youd do better to train them in how to develop their magical talents instead of having them waste time developing their bodies and learning to use weapons, especially since the king wants quick results," he whispered in a complicit voice. Milo was silent for the next two hours as he tried to observe the young men Erlhas had pointed out. Soon after, Goliath gave them an hour break for potions and lunch, then spent the next few hours futilely trying to teach them how to use what he considered basic weapons. At least some of them seemed to be halfway decent with a bow. Meanwhile, the two wizards continued to watch them. If you can help me get rid of my useless apprentice and give him to Roghes," Erlhas whispered mischievously, Ill help you train the girl, Milo wanted to smile at seeing the old man so animated, he almost looked like a child in front of a new toy. Although what he was asking was not something easy to achieve, Milo didnt want it to be discovered that he could train someone without a system and if the girl suddenly started to learn magic under his tutelage, that could start to raise suspicions. But if Erlhas did it, no one would suspect him. Besides, he knew the old man was too observant for his own good and the marquis had a strong suspicion that the older wizard had known about his relationship with the queen for some time. Better to have him as an ally. Milo thought. And even though he suspected he was falling for Erlhas plan, he decided to cooperate. Give me a week to convince Roghes how convenient it would be for him to have a barons son as his student. Ha! A smelly old shoe has more talent than that boy! the old man scoffed, but still nodded his head. After the heroes had lunch and trained with weapons for another two hours, Milo called them together and they were taken to his research workshop. Dont touch anything," he told them as soon as he opened the door and ushered them into a large room filled with books and rolled-up scrolls, along with a variety of objects scattered haphazardly on the table in front of three rows of ten wooden chairs facing a long table. My name is Milo Rivas and I am the first wizard of the royal court," he said, looking each of them in the eye. Now each of you will step forward and touch this sphere," seeing the uneasiness on most of their faces, he hastened to clarify. It will not cause you any pain, but it will give us information about your abilities. Any volunteers? But none volunteered. So he called one of the guards stationed at the door and asked him to touch the clear crystal sphere he placed on the table. As soon as he did so, his information was projected into a large blue hologram that was visible to all. [Status window] [Name: Grenar Age: 32 years old Race: human Level: 22 Fatigue: 5 Class: warrior. Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: Kingdom of Balsac HP: 440/440 MP: 308/308 Strength: 30 Vitality: 29 Agility: 26 Endurance: 36 Intelligence: 25 Charisma: 0 Luck: 0 Status: Normal Available points: 0] As you can see, this does not cause any harm. It just gives us basic information about you. Now, who wants to go first? Edward raised his hand. Go ahead," said Milo. And just as the guard before him did, Edward placed both hands on the crystal sphere, which projected a blue light, similar to that of the system, allowing everyone to see their data. [Status window] [Name: Edward Grant Age: 19 years old Race: human Level: 2 Fatigue: 90 Class: Warrior (Heroic) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: Kingdom of Balsac HP: 120/120 MP: 114/114 Strength: 8 Vitality: 9 Agility: 6 Endurance: 6 Intelligence: 9 Charisma: 0 Luck: 6 Status: Exhausted Available points: 1] I consider it prudent, Mr. Grant, that you allocate the point you have available to the strength. You will need it. But Edward, instead of doing as Milo told him, turned to Kalysto, trusting her opinion rather than that of the unknown mage. Although it is not my intention to disprove what he told you, your stamina is at rock bottom. If it stays this low, you wont be able to withstand much in training and youll fall behind. Try to have a balance between the two, it would be wiser. But as soon as you have more points available, try to allocate some to agility from time to time. As you could see in the forest, some of those monsters are too fast, and it wont do you any good to have a lot of strength if you cant evade their attacks. This is about survival, not about becoming the strongest warrior. It is not a video game and you are not a character. A miscalculation could be fatal. Besides, if you want to increase your strength, you can always do weights, like Koden Edward seemed to perk up with this last and looked at his friend before looking back at her. So endurance? He asked, wanting to be sure. It would be best for now. Milo was surprised by what had just happened, but Erlhas was amazed at the situation. Milo cleared his throat. Next the wizard said and was surprised to see another friend of the trio step forward, when he was waiting for the girl to pass. [Status window] Name: Koden Scott Age: 20 years old Race: human Level: 2 Fatigue: 12 Class: Tank (Heroic) Profession: N/A. Title: N/A Affiliation: Kingdom of Balsac HP: 120/120 MP: 114/114 Strength: 19 Vitality: 13 Agility: 16 Endurance: 16 Intelligence: 13 Charisma: 0 Luck: 1 Status: Curious Available points: 1] Like Edward, Koden turned to look at Kalysto, expecting her to give him some opinion, but seeing that she only watched him silently, he frowned. You give him advice, but not me? he complained, and Kalysto rolled her eyes at his childish attitude. So I choose resistance as well? While I know youd love to surpass me, I dont think its the best thing to do in your case. Youre a tank, which means these people will use you as cannon fodder and put you on the front lines in case of a confrontation or war. Raise your vitality for now. At least then you will have a better chance of survival. You, like Edward, already know how to raise your strength. And if you continue to have training like today, your endurance will go up, anyway. Your agility, however, needs attention. You survived that orcs attacks just barely, but if he had been a bit stronger, or you had faced both of them at the same time, you wouldnt have survived. Koden swallowed hard, knowing full well that without her help he would not be alive. And without a word, he raised vitality, as she had advised. Then it was Kalystos turn to pass, but when she placed her hands on the crystal, a series of symbols, asterisks and question marks appeared on the projected screen, instead of her data. Chapter 82 “The human kingdom.” Part 3. Chapter 82 The human kingdom. Part 3. Kalysto smiled sideways, satisfied to see that what her boss had taught her really worked. Meanwhile, Erlhas laughter could be heard throughout the room. However, the rest of the heroes began to whisper, confused at what was happening. I thought the error in your system had been fixed, Milo commented. Well, it seems it hasnt done yet, Kalysto responded, trying hard to hide the satisfied smile from her face. Out of the corner of her eye she observed the strange reaction of the old man, who from the way he was looking at her seemed to know what she had done, but curiously, he did not give her away. After the rest of the heroes were examined, Milo asked them to take a seat, and Kalysto sat at one of the desks in the front and right wing, near the exit. Open your skills screen. To do this, you just have to say status window and at the top you will see a section with the title skills, touch it to show you the skills that the goddess Mhiralla system has granted you according to your class everyone did it as he indicated. Kalysto instead frowned, remembering that she had opened the map without invoking the status window while she was talking to the queen. Skills window! She thought. And the two windows opened before her. She concentrated on the violet one. Hang on a minute! Did you say gods? How in plural? Are they the same as Greek culture? Edward objected. I have no idea what kind of gods exist in the world you come from, but all the races in this world... Milo couldnt finish his sentence, as Edward interrupted him again. Are there several intelligent races or are you referring to different species? Like sharks and elephants and stuff? Stop interrupting my class! And if you want to know more about the seven ancient gods or their descendants, go to the library! I will inform the guards that all of you have permission to go there in your free time, he growled in annoyance, sensing that this young man could try out the little patience he had. For her part, Kalysto smiled excitedly at the news that they had free access to their library. Excellent! She thought, remembering that she was to study the geography of the continent and compare it with the map she had. Milo cleared his throat several times, drawing the heroes attention. As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, Milo commented, glaring daggers at Edward, who was too distracted by his system window to notice it. Since most of you are warriors, archers or mages, you should have a skill called Mana Manipulation, which is probably at level 1 and is what allows you to imbue your mana into an item. We will not enter into the discussion about what manna is, but we will take the definition of the magicians of antiquity, who assured that manna was the unfolding of a part of the vital energy of every living being. This ability to have mana and be able to use it for warriors will become their aura, allowing them to become sword masters when they can create an aura sword. For archers, it will allow them to make their arrows much stronger and can pierce the skin of the toughest monsters. For mages and Wizards, things vary a little since we can not only harden our weapon, but we can go further in the use of our mana, which makes it easier for us to create spells. I don''t have that ability! complained Koden, who looked to his companions for support, but none of them said anything. " That''s because you''re a tank, not a warrior," Milo replied. You''ll have to learn it on your own. " That''s not fair! Aren''t tanks also a type of warrior? " Anyone would think so, but apparently this goddess doesn''t," muttered Kalysto, noticing another flaw in the copy that the goddess Mhiralla had made in her attempt to steal the fairy system. I find more and more flaws in the blue system. Another reason not to keep anything important in it. Then she remembered that Caranthir was already a wizard before he got the violet system. That means I can learn the same skills or elemental magic as him on my own, will I also be able to learn skills from other classes? She found the idea interesting and glanced sideways at Katia and Gabriel, who had awakened as archers. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! " Don''t insult the goddess! "Milo scolded her. " And what''s she going to do? Come down from the heavens and give me a reprimand?" Kalysto scoffed. Making the rest of the heroes laugh with her. "And this goddess Mireya, is she pretty? Is she hot?" Gabriel''s twin asked curiously. Milo looked like he was about to throw the book he was holding at him. But before he could rebuke him, the others began to speak. " First they kidnap us, then they force us to fight in a war that is not ours, and now it turns out that we must also worship their gods? the blond bearded hero muttered, crossing his muscular arms in annoyance at such audacity. " But I''m an atheist," muttered a young man dressed in black who turned out to be a mage. "My family is Catholic. If they find out that I prayed to another god, they''ll kill me," muttered a young blonde girl, whose class was also a mage. "But I''m a Christian!" complained Katia''s mother, the only one of them who woke up a system but didn''t get a class. Then she turned to her daughter and scolded her, "And don''t you dare start praying to false gods, young lady, or I''ll tell your father! And how are you supposed to get in touch with your ex-husband when we are in another world and because of you everyone else''s cell phones were taken away? Kalysto thought. She understood why the woman had joined the other father in the group in her attempt to pull out their cell phones and call the police after the king threatened them, but it was obvious that these people weren''t going to stand idly by after seeing them pull out something that could have been an otherworldly weapon. Worst of all, she had to be requisitioned. Thank goodness I have my cell phone and purse in my inventory. But strangest of all was the silence of Persephone. Although she was touched against her will during the search, she did not even utter a derogatory comment. In fact, after the destruction of that city, Kalysto had never felt her presence or heard her again. And something inside her told her that wasn''t a good sign. And although she didn''t consider herself the most intuitive person on the planet, when she had a hunch, she was never wrong. The insistent noise her index fingernail made as it tapped the wooden table while she thought went unnoticed by her. What is the reason for this discomfort? she wondered. " Do we have to pray to them?" Another hero was indignant, "I am not going to stop believing in the Virgin of Guadalupe! "Silence! Milo shouted, using magic to reinforce the power of his voice. "I don''t care what gods were in your world or which ones you believe in and which ones you don''t! But while you are here you would do well not to insult ours or the people of the temple will rise up against you and I won''t be able to protect you," they all kept silent when they heard that, remembering very well that it was thanks to this man''s intervention that the king allowed them to eat something before sending them to that hellish training. He had even assured them that if they cooperated, he himself would see to it that they could each have their own room instead of being sent back to the cold prison. Not wanting to have to go hungry and cold again, the others watched in silence. "Continuing with today''s class..." he looked each of them in the eye, making sure no one else interrupted him. Those of you who are mages will also have another ability called ''Mana Control''. Thanks to which you will be able to control the flow of your inner mana and it is indispensable for the creation of mana circles. Normally when a hero arrives from another world, he or she acquires 100 MP, even if they are not a mage," and to the anxious look of the only mother inside the group, he added: "or if they don''t have a class. But thanks to this skill, a mage can absorb a part of the mana that is in the air and join it to the one inside his own body thanks to meditation and breathing exercises. Once a mage harbors 1,000 MP, he reaches the limit that every human body has to store mana. So it is recommended that from now on you start to familiarize yourselves with the breathing and meditation techniques needed to store a greater amount of mana, which will give all of you an extra advantage during any fight. Even for those who are not mages, knowing these techniques will help you to more easily convert your mana into aura and increase the duration of your aura sword, or in the case of archers, how many arrows you can imbue with mana. But I warn you now that it will not be easy. Kalysto immediately checked her statistics, noting that her MP was 1.146. She swallowed. "What happens in the event that a person exceeds 1,000 MP? And how can you tell if someone has a circle of mana? " Kalysto asked and could feel the attentive gaze of the old man staring at her, almost as if he knew beforehand that she had more mana than the rest of the heroes, and wondered how she was still alive. "There is no such thing as a person with more than 1,000 MP without a mana circle, Miss Luna," Milo objected, and Kalysto was about to refute when he continued. "Should a human being reach such an amount of MP without a mana circle around his heart, his body would begin to reject the excess mana and this would cause great damage to his internal organs, leading to certain death. Chapter 83 “The human kingdom.” Part 4. Chapter 83 The human kingdom. Part 4. Kalystos face paled as she heard those words from her new magic instructor. Is it because Ive been drinking holy water for the past few days that I havent had any problems so far? She couldnt help but wonder. There was no way she could trust these people and ask them about it without arousing suspicion. But that left her with very few options. Could I ask Artemis? But she would ask for something in return for the information and Kalysto wasnt too keen on increasing her training load just now that she finally had a break from the fairies. Maybe going to the library and researching more on the subject as soon as class was over would be best. Another basic skill for any mage, warrior or archer is mana sense," Milo continued. Is it because Ive been constantly spending mana like crazy and rarely go long without spending it?... Or is it because my basic stats have gone up enough that my body can handle it? Then she frowned. Technically, my body hurts, especially my legs and arms. But that might be because of todays exaggerated training, especially since I was the only one who only took one potion to recover, and the others took more than ten. It was at that moment that she realized the mistake she had made. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the old man watching her, again. Is that why this old man is paying so much attention to me? This skill will allow you to sense not only the mana around you but also the presence of everyone, friend or foe you may encounter on a battlefield. Monsters included," Milo continued to explain. Maybe I should talk to Caranthir and start our training. Although she didnt like the idea of going back to the elves territory. Maybe we could meet somewhere else? Throughout this week we will be working on developing these skills, then we will go to a small dungeon where we will help you to level up. I hope that those of you who are mages will do your best to defend yourselves from the monsters you will encounter and level up quickly. Because despite having one of the most powerful classes that exist, you need to reach level 10 to be able to access elemental magic and choose wisely the element with which you will develop your magic. Id better take some holy water and finish absorbing the stat crystals the queen gave me as a reward as soon as I get to my room... that and hurry to raise the blessing level... Im going to need a lot of holy water to make sure I dont die while my body gets used to the excess mana... She continued worrying. Goodbye to my hours of sleep. She thought wistfully. The list of elements they can choose from are: fire, the most common and the most used in combat due to its great power, as the best defense is the attack. Water, chosen by those who wish to dedicate themselves to healing or work in one of the temples that serve the gods throughout the continent. Earth, chosen mainly by those who want to work in construction, on very rare occasions its used during war. It is an element chosen mainly by potionists, as it allows them to grow all kinds of plants more easily. Formerly, it was believed that only earth mages could awaken a special kind of magic called plant magic. These mages can grow any kind of plants anywhere and literally end the famine of a region. But several studies have shown that this is nothing more than a myth. It is currently unknown why the system offers this option to a very few chosen ones. A plant wizard has not been heard from again in over one hundred and fifty years and they are in themselves a very rare class. I definitely want that one! Kalysto got excited. As someone who had known how hard it was to starve during her childhood after her fathers disappearance, it was almost impossible for such magic not to catch her attention. What will I have to do to get the queen to grant it to me?..... I need to score points with her before I make such a request... Come to think of it, although I gave her the idea of not killing the elves and keeping their sacred tree, she never said she would share the loot with me. She frowned. How foolish! I was so focused on preventing Caranthirs death that I forgot something so important! Light is an element that I forbid you to choose, since it has no use for war and is only used to create illumination stones. Shadow is a choice that rarely comes up, but if you get it, take it. Unless it comes up for more than one of you, as I would prefer you to be useful in other areas," however, he gave no explanation for it and Kalysto noticed. Like plant magic, electricity or lightning magic is a choice that is almost never encountered and very little is known about it. Air, on the other hand, is an element that is rarely chosen, as its greatest advantage is that it allows the mage to fly, but because of how difficult it is to wield, it is rarely used in combat. This is another option that I forbid you to choose," he said, looking at them all before continuing. Another element that is almost never chosen because it requires great willpower and tenacity due to its great difficulty to control, is ice. Although again, this one is part of the options that the system will rarely give to you. And while the latter caught Kalystos attention, there were two other things she found interesting. Why did he talk about light as an element, not mentioning darkness but shadows? But there was something even more important, almost as important as plant magic, but for a very different reason. What about teleportation? Milo frowned at Kalystos question. Space magic is something only a very powerful mage can learn, and it requires years of training. Its not something you learn because of the system, unless youre a wizard. And yet Caranthir uses it as easily as breathing. She recalled. Is that another difference between the blue system and the violet system? Or does the goddess Mhiralla have something against wizards and thats why she makes it so difficult for the magical classes to learn magic? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. And yet its impossible to get such an option if youre below level 25. Then I only have to go up five more levels! She cheered up, however, she made sure not to show it. Now, everyone, close your eyes. The goal of this exercise is for you to concentrate on feeling the surrounding mana. This will help you to raise your mana sense to a higher level," the heroes reluctantly complied, with Kalysto being the last to do as she was asked. It wasnt long before she felt a wave of heat passing from her left to her right, curious to know what it was about, she opened one eye, only to observe Milo arguing with the old man while the former seemed to direct a ball of fire around the others. However, she could not hear their conversation, only see their lips moving without a sound. Then the old man snapped his fingers, and immediately his voice could be heard. You wont get those children to learn if you do it that way," Erlhas complained. Let me show you a better way." he immediately brought his palms together and in the middle of them a sphere of white energy formed. So thats mana? Kalysto was impressed, hurrying to close her eyes, unaware that Erlhas had already discovered her. Less than a second later, a tingling sensation began to spread down the right side of her face, down her shoulder, then down her arms, then back up to her face. Kalysto frowned. The sensation was slightly similar to when she felt the mana Caranthir had injected into her body, but at the same time, it felt different. She had to throw her head back as the sensation grew stronger. And she opened her eyes in annoyance, only to discover a pair of signs in front of her, and the arrogant smile on Erlhas face. [The skill Mana Sense level up to level 2!] I knew youd be the first to achieve it, argued the old man, then set about continuing to help the rest while Milo did the same with those sitting in the back. That was all they did for the next half hour, but then they placed a black crystal sphere in front of them. Now you will learn how to inject a mana object, said Milo, and began a long, very detailed explanation of the process. You will know you have achieved your goal when the crystal sphere turns colored. As soon as Kalysto touched the crystal, a purple sign appeared before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this crystal?] [YES/NO] No! she whispered softly as she pretended to be hiding a yawn with her hand. After trying to inject mana into the crystal for half an hour with no results, Kalysto began to get frustrated. It is better to inject the mana when you exhale, not when you inhale," Erlhas explained gently, in a low voice. Those who have a system tend to forget the basic steps in their eagerness to learn the facilities the system gives them," he muttered, giving Milo a slight glance. She wasnt sure why his sudden kindness, but still she was annoyed enough to try to take his advice. Less than ten minutes later, her sphere was tinged with a white light with a slight violet-blue tinge. Kalysto smiled in satisfaction at the sight. At last Ill be able to create arrows with my quiver! She thought. Ah, how interesting! She immediately stepped aside, uncomfortable at his sudden proximity. What is the meaning of that color? She asked him instead. I have no idea, but its still very interesting, dont you think? She frowned at the old mans open interest in her. She felt like an ant under the magnifying glass of a small child who had discovered an anthill for the first time in his life. So she stopped injecting manna into her crystal. And she waited patiently for the others to finish. She only tried again when she was sure the old man wasnt looking, and for small spaces of time. Just to make sure she had understood how to do it properly. [The skill Mana Manipulation leveled up to level 2!] As soon as the class was over, they were taken to another room where they were served food and then led into a long corridor with a series of doors on either side. These will be your rooms before Milo had finished speaking, Kalysto and Koden went to the end of the corridor, each of them taking over a room. Kalysto on the right and Koden on the left. Immediately, Kalysto closed the door to her room without allowing anyone else to enter, and she heard Koden do the same. Neither of them planned to share a room with anyone else. Curiously, just as had happened when they were in prison, the back wall connecting their rooms also had a window in the middle, although this one was much wider than the one in the prison. A spacious room, much larger than the one she rented from Mrs. Tanner when she still lived on Earth, welcomed her. A double bed was set in the middle of two bedside tables, opposite which was a comfortable sofa and what she suspected was a tea table on which rested a small arrangement of flowers. Next to the sofa was a door painted in pastel shades, almost the same pale yellow as the walls. It looks like a guest room," she whispered, frowning. If theyre going to treat us like mere pawns, why give us nice rooms? Even to say that it was all thanks to Milos intervention felt strange. How is it that a mere mage has so much authority? If it were up to the king, they would still be in prison. Anyway, thats not the most important thing right now. A wide window bordering the leafy branches of a tree that cried out to be pruned greeted her and when she looked out the window, she saw that they were on the third floor. It wont be hard to escape. She thought as she looked at the pile of thick branches on the old tree. With my skill level, it should be easy, but it wont be so easy for the others. Then she closed the window, making sure no one could get in through it. She opened the closet and pulled out one of the sheets inside. After rolling it up, she put it between the thin space under the door and the floor, to keep the light from her room from filtering in. Then she moved the couch and placed it against the door, thus preventing anyone from entering while she slept. She admired her handiwork, and went to the inconspicuous door next to where the couch had been at first and opened it. Inside a small windowless room, a crude imitation of a toilet made of stone rested next to a bathtub. Curiously, despite the toiletries inside, there was no faucet, no place for her to get water. How are people supposed to bathe here? She asked quietly before entering, noticing an empty bucket next to the tub- Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Water Creation! As soon as the water level was high enough for her to take a shower, she stopped filling the tub. Ezhil Purification! Blessing! Identification! [Purified water. Class: Rare.] A long sigh escaped her lips. I still have a long way to go. She muttered and took a bath, washing off all the sweat of the day. As soon as she was done, she pulled another sheet out of the closet and dried herself with it and, after spreading it out on the couch, she pulled out her waitress uniform shirt and sat down on the bed. Well, if the problem is an excess of mana, what I have are a lot of skills I need to level up. So she opened her inventory and, after taking a sip from one of the three bottles of holy water she had looted from the merchant, she took out 167 arrows from the ones Caranthir had given her and left out a potion of revitalizing. This is going to be a long night. And she blessed herself before she began. Replica! she said, holding the first arrow in her hands and leaving the rest arranged in several rows on the bed. Blessing! Ice creation! Health enchantment! Immediately, the arrow disintegrated. Shit! And Kalysto started again. Chapter 84 “The human kingdom.” Part 5. Chapter 84 The human kingdom. Part 5. The arrow number one hundred and sixty-five also disintegrated. As did the one hundred and sixty-sixth. Now I understand why almost no one chooses or advances in this profession..." she let out a long sigh before drinking a revitalization potion after three hours of hard work. If it wasnt for the information given by the system and what Artemis said along with the huge amount of items I was given beforehand to practice with, I would have been discouraged too, then she took out a thel and ate it, while leaving out one of the mana potions given to her by Caranthir during the battle. That and the sheer amount of potions and damaged stuff it takes to level it up. [Enchantments. Level 1. Allows enchanting items to add basic stats or ?????. The chance that the enchanted item will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment is 70%. The success rate is 30%. It is required to raise at least 3 skills of this profession to the next level for the profession to go up a level.] It is really too much work and the chances of success are very low, even with all the aids. The only good thing is that the other skills have leveled up," she muttered, as she read and closed the windows that had opened in the last few hours. [The skill Replica has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Replication has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Replica has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Ice Creation has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Ice creation has leveled up to level 5!] [The Ice Creation skill has leveled up to level 6!] [Blessing skill has leveled up to level 13!] Then, she blessed herself before continuing. Replica! she said, holding the last arrow of this group in her hands and put the original arrow back into the inventory as she had done with the previous ones, leaving out the replica. Blessing! Ice creation! Health enchantment! This time, the arrow did not disintegrate. And a smile broke out on Kalystos face as a series of windows opened to her left. [The skill Blessing has leveled to level 14!] [The skill Health Enchantment has leveled up to level 2!] Finally! she whispered, full of excitement. She immediately opened her skill window to check the new information about this level. [Health Enchantment. Level: 2. Allows the user to enchant objects that will increase the HP of the wearer of the object by 2 points. Chances that the enchanted object will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment are 70%. The success rate is 30%. Spends 10 MP per-use. (This skill must be raised to level 5 in order to unlock the next skill.) (Enchanted items needed to raise to the next level: 100.)] What? A hundred items? Are you out of your mind? She complained. But as she reviewed the information on enchantments, she noted with discouragement that nothing had changed. Thats why there are no specialists in this profession. Its too demanding! And she immediately began to do the math. If my probability of success is only thirty percent... thats three hundred and thirty-three point thirty-three, isnt it? She took out her backpack from her violet inventory, then her cell phone, then she did the calculations. Yes, thats right. I need three hundred and thirty-four arrows this time. No wonder they gave me twenty thousand stones to practice with! She raised her hands and stretched her body. Then she got up from the bed, feeling the numbness in her legs from sitting for hours in the same position. I need a break," she muttered and ate another thel, remaining seated on the edge of the bed, enjoying the feel of the cold floor under her bare feet as the discomfort in her legs passed. Status window! Two windows appeared before her, but Kalysto concentrated on the violet one. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: - Level: 20 Fatigue: 59 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1120/1120 MP: 550/1146 DMP: 2800 Strength: 54 Vitality: 59+10 Agility: 63 Resistance: 61 +40 Intelligence: 67 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. State: tired, curious. Available points: 42] Isnt it strangely ironic that I have more dark mana than mana when I dont have any skills I can use it with? She thought with some annoyance. Now that I remember, I got a warning from the system that I needed to create myself a circle of dark mana before I passed out. And she bit her lip as she thought. Is two thousand eight hundred my limit? And if it is for dark mana is it also for normal mana? Or are they different limits? Too many questions and too few answers," she muttered reluctantly. Then she pulled out the skill crystals the queen gave her as a reward for the mission with the elves, along with the rewards the elf king gave her in advance. And she felt uncomfortable having the latter. Technically, he swindled me. She reminded herself, trying to mitigate her discomfort. If what the queen said is true, and what I heard from the guards, creating a barrier to protect a city is something not only difficult to achieve but very expensive as well. She recalled. And seeing how little profit she got from that deal, she agreed. Good thing I added the clause as a precaution in the contract with Caranthir that he would teach me potions as well as magic. And though she was relieved about it, there was still a weight on her heart at the thought of keeping the four stat crystals and the four mana fruits without paying a price for them. The fifth was a last-minute gift, so that one doesnt count. And after looking at the rewards again, she sighed. Ill give him a small bottle of holy water as payment. She decided. Pulling out an empty bottle from the ones she had looted from the invading army. But I wont give it to him personally. Ill ask Caranthir to deliver it to him. Immediately, the pressure on her chest disappeared. Good! Then she took the first strength crystal and a violet sign appeared before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this stats crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes. She thought, wanting to practice the mental use of the system, but nothing happened. So it only lets me use basic commands for now... Is it because its an innate skill that even the blue system isnt able to register? Is it because I lack practice, or is it also something that is level up? But again, she had no way to get an answer to that, not without asking the queen. And thats not an option at the moment. Yes," she said and immediately the crystal in her hands turned to dust. She did the same procedure with the rest of the strength crystals. And as soon as she finished, she also absorbed the four crystals given to her by the king of the elves. Excited that her vitality and stamina had increased by seventy points, her fingertips began to itch at the desire to absorb at least one of the fruits of the sacred tree, but she restrained herself. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: - Level: 20 Fatigue: 49 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1120/2520 MP: 800/1146 DMP: 2800 Strength: 54+50 Vitality: 59+80 Agility: 63 Resistance: 61 +110 Intelligence: 67 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 State: tired, curious. Available points: 42] Maybe now I can finally spend a couple of points on luck or maybe charisma, to see what it does. She thought, however, she picked up one of the intelligence crystals. [Does the user wish to absorb this stat crystal?] [YES/NO] Curious, why does it not allow to absorb them per quantity but per unit? Yes," she whispered. And less than a second later, the beautiful crystal turned to dust in the palm of her hand. She then performed the same process with the other nine after taking out a bottle of holy water from the ones she had looted from the merchant. Nervous about the possibility of something happening, as Milo had said. So each time she absorbed a crystal, she waited a minute or two with one hand on the holy water bottle, ready in case something happened. But contrary to her fears, nothing happened. A long sigh of relief left her lips as soon as the whole process was over. State window! she thought. And both windows appeared before her. [Status Window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 20 Fatigue: 49 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? from ?????) (?????? from ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1120/2520 MP: 800/2546 DMP: 2800 Strength: 54+50 Vitality: 59+80 Agility: 63 Resistance: 61 +110 Intelligence: 67 +100 Charisma: 2 Luck: 3 ???: 50 State: tired, curious. Available points: 42] Excited to see how much her mana capacity had increased without anything bad happening, she was tempted to absorb one of the fruits. Id better wait a couple of days, and if all goes well, Ill eat just one. Depending on what happens, Ill try another... but for now Im too close to the limit set by the dark mana. She sighed in defeat. Its not worth the risk when I dont have enough holy water on hand. And to make sure all was well, she raised her luck to ten, as well as her charisma. Then she bit her lower lip. Should I raise my luck even higher? She questioned herself, but now she only had twenty-seven points available. Better not to spend them for now, I might need them later... I shouldnt have spent so many points on charisma. She then drank a grade II revitalizing potion, seeing her fatigue reduce to zero instead of showing minus one, as the potion reduced fifty points of fatigue. How curious. She thought, and pulled out the quiver Ardrach gave her. Curiously, as she positioned the quiver between her thighs and her hands on the sides of the cylindrical object, she was reminded of the feeling of having her hands and feet bound. And her skin began to itch. She had to leave the quiver on the bed, and walk barefoot around the room for about ten minutes until she could shake off the unpleasant feeling of being trapped and helpless again. I need to find a way to prevent something like this from happening again. She thought. If someone puts those handcuffs on me again, Ill have no way to protect myself... but how can I avoid it? It was when her little toe bumped against one of the legs of the two chairs in her small living room that an idea occurred to her. After cursing a couple of times because of the pain and running over the chairs and table where the couch had been before, she sat down on the bed with her legs crossed and the quiver between her thighs. She took several deep breaths and began injecting mana into it. Lets see if this idea really works. Chapter 85 “The human kingdom.” Part 6. Chapter 85 The human kingdom. Part 6. [The skill Mana manipulation has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Mana manipulation has leveled up to level 4!] Kalysto uncrossed her legs and placed the soles of her feet on the bed. She bent her knees and emptied the quiver full of arrows, then put them into the inventory, which indicated that she had created one hundred and two so far. A couple of beads of sweat slid down her forehead, and she hurried to wipe them away. It had only been a little over half an hour since she had started practicing with the quiver, but she was already feeling tired. So she ate another thel. So now I can create four arrows per minute and although she was very curious about that fact, the next round she dedicated herself to create them more slowly while she focused on feeling how the mana came out of the palm of her hands and the tips of her fingers until it impregnated the quiver. The skin on the inside of her hands began to prickle, almost as if it was pressing her to stop doing it that way and hurry up. She had to stop several times and take a deep breath before continuing again, this time with her eyes closed so as not to lose concentration. The stinging sensation returned, but this time it was not as unpleasant. And despite keeping her eyes closed, she could feel the mana slightly warming her palms and fingertips and then see small dots of light coming out of those places and soaking into the quiver. Then she tried to force the mana to come out not only through those places but through the rest of the skin of her fingers that were touching the quiver. She couldnt get it on the first few attempts, but fifteen minutes later, not only had she succeeded, but she could also feel the pair of system notification windows opening up before her. [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Mana Sense has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 2!] Soon Ill be able to test not only my new theory but all my ice skills as well," she got excited as she imagined what her ice daggers would look like when she could finally conjure them. It wasnt until an hour and a half later that she finally managed to get her mana down to the soles of her feet while still filling her quiver with arrows. [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 6!] [The skill Mana manipulation has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 8!] [Mana Sense skill has leveled up to level 4!] [Mana Sense skill has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 5!] All of her forehead was bathed in sweat and she had to take another grade II revitalizing potion to reduce her fatigue level, which again had reached ninety-nine. Then she put away the last batch of newly created arrows and saved them in the inventory, whose box now indicated that she had created eight hundred and thirteen arrows. I wanted to get to a thousand, she muttered, but she figured she had leveled up enough to the skills of mana control and manipulation to begin her experiment. Then she pulled out one of the stones she had been given to raise enchantments and held it in her hands as she stood on the cold ground. Ice creation! She muttered, concentrating on bringing the mana not only to her hands but also to the soles of her feet. But a layer of ice began to form on the stone long before she could finish visualizing the mana reaching south of her body. She tried again and again, getting the same result before she put the stone down on one of the bedside tables and pulled out another. Ice creation! She thought, feeling how it cost her not only more effort but a greater expenditure of mana to use a skill mentally, and as the mana flowed out of the palms of her hands and the tips of her fingers, she struggled to get it to the soles of her feet. After another ten more attempts, the usual notification appeared before her again. [Warning: user has only 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected.] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 6!] [The skill Mana control has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Ice Manipulation has leveled up to level 6!] She pulled one of Caranthirs potions out of her inventory and took a sip, enjoying watching her MP increase by two thousand points. I cant believe Ive been wasting this potion until now. Then she touched the ground beneath her feet with the back of her hand. And although it was cold, the floor she hadnt touched was cold too, so she couldnt tell if her experiment had been a success or a failure. So she sat back down on her bed. Purification! Purification! She whispered, touching the soles of her feet. And she stood up on the bed, putting her feet where her bottom had previously been warming the sheets. And she concentrated this time, with another stone in her hand, on using the skill. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Ice creation! She thought, concentrating by feeling every little change that happened inside her body as the skill manifested and trying to recreate it afterwards, without invoking it. It was an hour and twenty minutes later, when she began to feel the fingers of her hands going numb and the coldness in her feet increased. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. When she opened her eyes, not only were the stone on her hands and her fingertips covered in ice, almost half an inch of the sheet around her feet was as well. She immediately closed the collection of notifications in front of her that prevented her from seeing clearly. [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 8!] [The skill Mana control has leveled up to level 9!] [The skill Mana control has leveled up to level 10!] [Mana Manipulation skill has leveled up to level 9!] [Mana Manipulation skill has leveled up to level 10!] [The skill Ice Manipulation has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Ice Manipulation has leveled up to level 8!] [The skill Ice Manipulation has leveled up to level 9!] [The skill Ice creation has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Ice creation has leveled up to level 8!] [The skill Ice Creation has leveled up to level 9!] Yes!" she shouted excitedly after closing the windows. Ice manipulation! She said, concentrating on melting the ice on her hands and touching her forearm to the ice around her feet, needing to check that what her eyes were seeing was true. I did it! I really did it! She then thawed the ice on her feet as her lips began to shiver with cold. She ran to put on her underwear along with the clothes she had taken off before bathing, the pair of socks and her trusty pair of black tennis shoes. She pulled another of the blankets out of the closet and pulled it over her, then walked over to one of the few candles in the room, which was still burning and brought her hands close to the small fire, wishing it was even bigger and that the crystals on the walls that lit the room could also produce warmth as well as light. In the meantime, her frozen hands slowly acquired some heat again. Then Kalysto took out one of the small bottles of holy water she had and took a sip, feeling the characteristic healing itch spread throughout her body. I definitely need more holy water," she concluded. Ten minutes later, as her hands regained their body temperature, it was that she realized that half of her bed was completely soaked. Damn! she grunted, realizing that she would no longer be able to sleep there, at least not for that night. And after letting out a long sigh, she removed the sheets from the mattress, and spread them out on the couch to dry faster. Then she took out the unbound home stone her boss had given her as a reward. Home stone! She whispered, standing in the empty space between the bathroom door and the stone toilet. A violet-colored window appeared before her. [Warning: the user has attempted to use a home stone that has no information engraved on it. Do you wish to set this location as the destination point?] [YES/NO] Yes. [The users current coordinates have been engraved on the home stone. Then say out loud the activation phrase for this home stone.] Kalysto blinked, feeling confused at the systems request. Since she didnt want to get confused in the future or change the keyword, the queen had set with the other two stones, she decided not to change it. Home stone," she said. And a new window opened before her. [The activation phrase has been set - are you sure you want to use the phrase Home Stone as the activation command?] [YES/NO] Yes. [The user can now use the homestone. The return coordinates of the respective return stone have been updated. If the user wishes to change the destination point, the reset destination point coordinates command must be used.] She immediately took out the home stone that would take her back to her room in the fairy kingdom and activated it. A couple of seconds later, the soft glow of the magical barrier protecting the food Alynn had left on her bedside table allowed her to see Tsukis silhouette asleep on her pillow. Her heart was softened by the sight of him, and though she couldnt wait to join him and sleep beside him. She picked up the loaves of bread Alynn had left for her and put them in her inventory, along with the cheese and collection of theles she left for her on a tray. Then she lay down on the soft, cushioned bed next to Tsuki, whose ears twitched alertly. In the next instant, the little one sniffed the air and his body relaxed as he recognized her. Tsuki, lets go hunt more slimes! Level you up and try out my new skill! She whispered excitedly as she petted him. But her pet didnt seem too happy with the idea. And after he gave her a drowsy look, he laid his head back against the pillow. Ill give you half of one of my cupcakes if you come with me and help me she tried to bargain, and the little guy frowned. Apparently, he didnt understand what I said. Kalysto thought. So she took out her black backpack and then one of the cupcakes inside. After breaking it in half, she put one of the two parts under Tsukis nose. Who woke up immediately at the delicious smell. As soon as her little fenrir was about to take a bite, Kalysto withdrew her hand. No, no. We are making a deal here, my dear Tsuki. You accompany me to kill slimes and get more of their cores until the sun comes up, and I give you the cupcake. Tsuki gave her a sharp look before turning to where Alynns collection of delicious breads had been, protected by the magical barrier that kept Tsuki from eating them or from deteriorating and losing the warmth of freshly baked bread. A pitiful whimper came from Tsukis throat as he saw the delicious treat he had been waiting for disappeared. Then he pointed a paw at the empty space. Arff? he demanded with a bark. Kalysto, on the other hand, blinked, confused and surprised at her pets great intelligence. I definitely have to stop comparing him to a dog! She thought. Youre pretty smart, arent you? she commented with a smile. Tsuki then sat up on his hind legs and stuck out his chest, completely proud of himself as he wagged his tail full of happiness at the praise he was receiving. Kalysto hugged him. All right! Ill give you just half of one of Alynns bread as soon as the sun rises if you help me, and half this muffin as soon as we get to the forest. Do we have a deal? And as Tsuki barked in acceptance of the deal, a violet window appeared before Kalysto. [Does the user wish to make a soul binding contract with the sacred beast, Tsuki?] [YES/NO] They both blinked in surprise at the pair of violet windows that appeared before them, while Tsuki tilted his head in confusion. Arff? He asked her. Dont touch anything and dont do anything until I tell you! Kalysto ordered him and she immediately rejected the systems offer. What the hell is wrong with this thing? Dont show me that again when I deal with Tsuki! She thought with annoyance. Tsuki... are you a sacred beast? The fenrir nodded his head. I cant believe he actually understands everything I say, except the meaning of a cupcake! she thought. And what the heck are holy beasts? How many types are there? What do they do? Are they immortal or indestructible? What advantages does it give me to have one? As a casual reader of the fantasy genre, there were many things she didnt know, but the question was whether that phrase had the same meaning in this world as it did on Earth. Inspect! she said. And her pet immediately curled up against the pillow, curling into a ball while tucking his tail between his hind legs and hiding his genitals from her. Stop doing that! However, Tsuki didnt stop in his attempt to hide his personal information from her. Now I dont know if he has a natural ability to block me, or if my skill level is too low compared to his. She thought with annoyance. Lets go to the forest before the sun rises, Tsuki, she said as she got up from the bed and headed for the door. Only then, Tsuki decided to follow her. The next morning, the training in the kingdom of Balsac went almost the same as the day before, only this time Kalysto, Katia and Gabriel were put to practice archery with the other soldiers, instead of making them waste their time training with the sword. And while Kalysto helped Katia correct her position before shooting an arrow and ignored Gabriels constant stares, Milo arrived at the training center with his dark hair tied with a ribbon behind his neck and an elegant navy blue tunic. He looks like a nobleman. Kalysto thought. All those who have the wizard class come with me. Miss Luna, please come forward! Kalysto was surprised at the sudden call, yet he approached the handsome court mage without dropping her bow or abandoning the arrows that were in the quiver she had been given for training. Whats the matter? she asked as soon as she reached the small group. Of the seventeen heroes, only four others had magical skill, apart from her. Your training will be different from the rest. So today we will go to a dungeon. Chapter 86. “The human kingdom.” Part 7. Chapter 86. The human kingdom. Part 7. The entrance to the dungeon was not as she had imagined it. The stone archway surrounding the cave entrance looked like any other cave she had seen on the internet. But the interior was a different story. The initial darkness which they were only able to pass through thanks to the two orbs of light that Milo and one of the two mages accompanying him brought with them, gave way to a light show as several elongated shaped crystals in a light shade of brilliant blue illuminated the interior of the cave. Allowing them to clearly see the rocks, fungi, and mosses within. Inspection!" whispered Kalysto, peering at one of the glowing stones. [Mana crystal. Class: rare. A mineral that has absorbed the surrounding mana for years. Used by mages and some professions to perform experiments. Can be absorbed by the user.] Wait! Can I absorb this? She got excited. Then she bent down and began to pick some up while pretending to stuff it into the pants pocket of the training clothes all the heroes had been given before breakfast. It was timely that she had been given new clothes and two pairs of boots as her tennis shoes were soaked through after her failed attempt in the early morning to freeze the ground under her feet while she had them on. And although she preferred to wear wide, long t-shirts that hid her figure, to her complete annoyance, the clothes she had been given were a bit tight. After taking off her shirt in an attempt to hide her pockets, and her butt, as she always used to do, she touched one of the crystals and a violet window appeared before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] She selected no and immediately changed the setting to battle mode, just as Galatea had taught her. Id better not change the setting again for now. Or it will be too obvious if Im closing windows all the time. She thought as she absentmindedly put away another crystal in the inventory. Milos voice interrupted her thoughts. Unlike warriors, its much harder and slower for a mage to level up, his voice echoed in the cave as the young mages exploded inside. Kalysto was the one who had moved the farthest away from them in order to collect some stones in peace and quiet. So we will be coming here over the next few days so that you will have a chance to level up without the interruption of the rest. Eric, Sandra, Madha, Rita and Kalysto approached the court magician. While Rita arranged her clothes, trying to look pretty in front of Milo. But with the black boots, brown pants and simple beige shirt they were all given as a uniform, there was no way her flat figure could stand out. Instead, Kalystos developed body made it easily, which made Madhas and the silent Erics gazes travel to her from time to time. This dungeon is small compared to others, but it is divided into four parts, the first being filled with slimes and the second with horned rabbits. We will focus on these two areas for the time being from a ring with storage capacity he was wearing. He took out three bats and a sword and handed them to them. Since Miss Luna owns a bow, I imagine she will be fine like this Kalysto nodded as she casually ran her fingers against one of the arrows in the quiver she had been given, replicating it without the others noticing. Then move forward. We have four days to use this dungeon before the soldiers come to close it. At the mention of slimes, Kalysto got excited and took the lead, only to be met with a huge portal up ahead. So, this is a dungeon? whispered Eric with his black hair and blue eyes, who suddenly appeared beside her soundlessly and with a sword in his hand. Kalysto arched an eyebrow. Is it like in those video games? Madha added, her black braided hair and gray eyes attentive to the smooth movements of the portals mana. Inspection! Kalysto thought as she watched them. [Name: Madha Stir Race: Human Level: 1 Class: Mage (Heroic) HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100] [Name: Eric Black Race: Human Level: 1 Class: Mage (Heroic) HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100] Dont be confident and dont let your guard down in there, the slimes may be weak creatures but they are fast and can easily choke you, hit the small stones inside them as fast as you can she informed them, wishing someone had explained that to her before. Thank you they both said. And if you can give me their cores, those stones I told you about before, Ill consider it a good payment for my advice Eric nodded, but Madha frowned. I agree with that, but what do you need them for? Madha asked curiously. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Kalysto shrugged her shoulders. I like collecting things," she answered noncommittally, but for some reason that made Eric blush and look away. As soon as they entered the portal, Kalysto smiled at the sight of over fifty slimes playing and jumping in the wide meadow that opened up before her eyes. She nestled the bow in her hand and shot the first arrow. Then she turned to Eric and, unable to believe she missed Kodens competitiveness, with a smile she said to them. Whoever catches the fewest slimes will give the winner his dinner. What?" replied the surprised young man. Im in! Rita got excited, who entered after them and, with her club in hand, tried to crush the first slime. Me too! added Madha, imitating Rita. Eric looked at them in surprise before awkwardly trying to imitate them. By the time Milo and the rest came in, Kalysto had already killed more than half of the slimes and was busy picking up their cores while the rest had killed the others and now the three young lads were struggling to kill the last one, which was hopping around like a rabbit full of energy. What the hell? Sandra growled, who had stayed behind asking questions while trying to get Milos attention, but only got the attention of the mage holding the orb of light. Ha! I beat him! Rita got excited. Oh! And now Im level three! Yes! No way! I want to be level three too! Youve already moved up a level! Sandra complained. I see youll be able to advance much faster than I thought," congratulated Milo, noticing the pile of arrows next to the remains of the slimes. Many more arrows than should fit in a simple quiver. Wed better move on if we want to get to the next level before nightfall. Four hours later, Kalysto was bored. Were it not for the wager, and the large collection of slime cores she now possessed, which she was dying to absorb as soon as she reached her room, and which she was taking advantage of to expand her senses and learn how to sense monsters and mana placement, she wouldnt even make the effort to keep up appearances. [The skill Mana Sense skill has leveled up to level 6!] [The skill Mana Sense has leveled up to level 7!] Kalysto bent down to pick up another small mana crystal and store it in her inventory as Milo approached her while the others continued to fight more slimes. So not only did you kill enough monsters as soon as you arrived in this world and managed to have a much higher level than your peers, but even though your system is broken, it allows you to multiply arrows and save inert items? How many cores have you collected so far? Seventy? Milo whispered to her with a sly smile on his lips, while Kalysto froze for a moment before frowning. A sidelong glance at her inventory window told her that she had collected six hundred and twelve. But instead of answering him, she shrugged. She didnt see a valid reason to hide it. In fact, this will make things easier in the future, when I have to explain where I get so many arrows from. She thought. In fact, its only two boxes. In one I can store the stones and in the other only arrows. This time it was Milos turn to frown. I never heard of a system whose inventory had such restrictions. Its like you said. Its broken," she replied with a shrug. Have you tried entering other materials before? Kalysto nodded, Did you happen to practice archery before you came to this world? he asked curiously. And Kalysto, seeing that he was drawing the attention of the other heroes, if Sandras frown was any indication, folded her arms and took a step away from him. And why should I answer the questions of one of my kidnappers just because hes being nice to me? Milo was surprised at her words and noticing the change in her attitude, he stepped back. My apologies Miss Luna. I didnt stop to think that although for us summoning heroes from another world is an ancient custom, from your point of view, such a thing might not be well seen. What would you think, if one day a group of strangers took you to another world and forced you to fight in a war you dont care about just because they are too cowardly to take care of their own affairs and dont want to get their hands dirty? Miss Luna, theres no need to be rude! Were just...! But Kalysto didnt let him finish. By any chance, do you at least know the spell that would take us back to our world? Or are you not capable of doing such a thing either? Tell me, she said loudly, drawing the attention of the other heroes immediately. Milo noticed this and became nervous at the intense gaze of the woman in front of him. He almost felt something inside him compelling him to answer her. Theres no need to get ahead of ourselves." he cleared his throat uncomfortably as he saw the other heroes frowning and looked for a way to avoid answering. There is still plenty of time for us to find... but again he was interrupted, only this time it wasnt by Kalysto. Does that mean that the king lied to us and you really dont know how to get us home? asked Madha. My dad was right, we shouldnt trust these people!Rita muttered, crossing her arms. And before the Milo could answer and get back in charge of the situation, two guards came running in and approached them. Marquis de Riva! Sir! The king is looking for you urgently! Another city has been invaded by monsters, and the mages in the tower have disappeared! Have they already dispatched a squadron to help the survivors? What about the healers from the temple? Milos attitude changed immediately when he heard that. No... I dont know, sir. Im just the messenger. I came as fast as I could," replied the young man, his face bathed in sweat as he tried to catch his breath. You two protect the heroes and only advance as far as the rabbit chamber, then return immediately to the castle! Sorgen and Hernan, come with me! We must return immediately to the palace! He said, knowing that to keep up appearances, he would need the help of the other two wizards to cast the spell that would take them back. The rest of you had better behave yourselves! Ill be back as soon as I finish solving this problem! And dont even think about escaping, or Ill find you myself right away! But two hours later, neither Milo nor the other mages had returned. And while the others struggled to kill the horned rabbits and move up a level, Kalysto helped them from time to time by shooting an arrow at the rabbits backs, so that Eric and the other two girls could finish killing them and move up a level. Thats not fair! Why are you only helping them? Sandra complained. Because I dont like you, answered Kalysto in a neutral tone and without changing her bored expression, despite the annoying voice of the pretty young girl. Meanwhile, from time to time, while no one was looking at her, the former waitress kept the body of a rabbit and kept collecting more mana crystals to put them into her inventory. Ill save some bodies and give them to Tsuki as a gift. She thought. But just when she saw that Sandra, who was barely seventeen, was about to throw a tantrum, the ground beneath them shook. Its an earthquake! Run! shouted one of the two guards, who had come to inform Milo. Watching the way the ground began to break in several directions, opening up the earth and swallowing one of the guards, Kalysto extended her mana to probe the ground. Its not a tremor! Theyre monsters! Kalysto warned them and at that instant, three gigantic worms sprang from the earth. Two of them blocked the path leading to the exit while the third blocked the other side of the corridor of the cave they were in. With their huge jaws the size of their face wide open, revealing two sets of sharp teeth the size of a grown mans forearm. Finally, some action! Kalysto was thrilled. Chapter 87 “The Dungeon.” Chapter 87 The Dungeon. Run! Kalysto shouted to the other heroes as the only guard who could help them drew his sword in his trembling hands and stood right in the middle of the two giant earthworms guarding the path to the stone corridor that led to the exit of the cave. But Kalysto needed them to leave so she could use her magic freely. And as she tried to think of a solution, Sandras annoying screams pierced her ears, echoing in the spacious section of the cave, they were in. What the hell are those things? Please, someone tell me Im hallucinating," Rita muttered. Were going to die! Somebody save us! Sandra started shouting again. But Kalysto had no time to scold them or to think of a plan as the third earthworm blocking the other exit pounced on her. She barely had time to dive aside to avoid the sudden attack. They are much faster than I thought. She noticed with surprise. But what struck her most was the ease with which they manipulated the ground. Although the earth felt a little soft under his feet, that wasnt enough to explain the ease with which at times these monsters would come out and re-punch the ground as if it were just sand in the desert or splitting it at others as if it were made of dry clay. Can they even use earth magic? She wondered as she launched a couple of arrows at the worms long tail, but her arrows bounced off its tough skin. Inspection! She thought. [Earthworm. Level: 25 HP: 24990/25000 MP: 70/100] Yeah, its definitely using magic. As soon as Kalysto confirmed her suspicions, another one of the earthworms lunged at her. Kalysto ran to the side, evading the frontal attack and jumped against a nearby mana rock to gain momentum as the second worms body slammed into the spot she had been before. Quickly, she put her bow away and just before landing on top of the huge creatures back, taking advantage of the fact that the others couldnt see her from that height, she whispered: Water-blades! Ice-blades! Ice daggers! The monster roared in pain as it shook its body violently, making her fall to the ground when she tried to re-bury the ice daggers against its hard skin as soon as she landed on top of it. But before falling, Kalysto caught a glimpse of a beautiful crystal embedded in the back of the second worm. Youll definitely be mine. She, she got excited. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Inspection! she thought. And a pair of windows opened to her left. [Earthworm (Elite) Level: 20 HP: 20690/21000 MP: 50/100] As soon as Kalysto saw that they both had the same level, an idea came to her mind and before the second worm finished burying itself in the ground, she took out her bow again and shot a couple of arrows. And this time, unlike the previous one, her arrows penetrated the worms skin. Everyone stay behind me! shouted the soldier as he attacked the worm that was still blocking the exit while the soldier dodged his blows with difficulty as he tried to land a couple of blows with his sword. Then, while he had the worms full attention, the soldier ran to the left, and the worm followed him, clearing the path to the exit as the soldier dodged its bite, only to be hit by a heavy blow from its long tail, sending him crashing into the hard stone wall and knocking all the air out of his lungs. To Kalystos annoyance, the other heroes, instead of taking advantage of the fact that the exit had been cleared, stood frozen, watching the newly fallen soldier. Run while the way is clear! she shouted at them. Or are you waiting for an invitation and die in the meantime? That seemed to make them react. But we cant leave you here! Eric refused while the other two heroines ran towards the exit without hesitation, leaving them all behind. Kalysto was about to yell at him about the stupidity of his statement when Sandras scream interrupted them. My... my legs! I cant move them! The seventeen-year-old screamed at the same time as the first earthworm Kalysto had ever faced sprouted from the ground and, as if guided by the teenagers screams, headed straight for Sandra with its gaping mouth open and its sharp teeth ready to rip her in two. Aahhhhh! the young girl screamed, unable to move. Her eyes opened wide as all color disappeared from her face and her hands began to tremble as she remained kneeling on the ground. Kalysto instead pulled out one of the precious mana stones she had been collecting and hurled it with all her might at the worms head, deflecting its trajectory. Then she ran towards Sandra, and although she wanted to shake her for being foolish enough to expose herself like that as soon as she reached her she touched the back of her neck and whispered: Sleep well! Sleep well! Immediately, the young womans body relaxed, her eyes closed and her body fell as if she had fainted against the ground. Immediately, Kalysto grabbed her by her clothes and pulled her towards the thin stone passage, away from danger. Sandras body hit the hard rock and bounced several times, gaining small cuts on her arms, legs, and face. But at least she was still alive. At that moment, Sandra opened her eyes and began to moan from the pain. Run, now! Kalysto shouted at them as she ran towards the stunned monster and pulled out two of the daggers with penetration stats she had looted from the goblins. And leapt at the stunned creature, burying them in what she assumed was the back of its head. What happened? She heard Sandra ask as Eric rushed to her aid and Kalysto pulled a sword from her inventory and buried it in the worm, which shook hard and buried itself back in the earth. I think you fainted, the young man answered her as he helped her up and they advanced as fast as they could towards the forest that was waiting for them outside the cave. And while the others escaped, Kalysto took the opportunity to retrieve the mana stone she had thrown earlier as the soldier got up with difficulty and tried to attack half of the body of the other worm that just came out of the ground, only to be attacked by surprise from behind by the third one. Move aside! Kalysto shouted at him as she shot a couple of arrows into the worms open mouth just before it tried to swallow him whole. But despite Kalystos warning, it was too late, and although the soldier jumped to the side, the monster bit off one of his legs, swallowing it in one bite. The soldiers moans of pain rippled through the cave as the other two worms emerged from their hiding places and pounced on Kalysto. Meanwhile, behind her, a small, silent lump of earth approached her, like a shark about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. Chapter 88. “The Dungeon.” Part 2 Chapter 88. The Dungeon. Part 2 Kalysto didnt even give a second glance to the fallen soldier, who like the other two level twenty soldiers who stood outside the cave guarding the carriage in which they had been brought here, were only there to see to it that they didnt escape. Inspection! she whispered as she jumped to the side, evading the bite of the level twenty-five worm. [Earthworm Level: 19 HP: 19000/19000 MP: 40/100] Kalysto smiled as soon as she discovered that the third one was not only a bit smaller than the other two, but also one level below hers. And after evading another attack from the level twenty-five worm, she pulled a sword from her inventory and buried it in the worms tail as he locked back into the earth, sliding into it like water. Kalysto spread her legs apart in an attempt to stand her ground and hold the position of the sword as she slashed at the enemys skin, taking advantage of the strength of the monsters movements, while he finished burying himself completely in the earth. But she couldnt do as much damage as she wanted as the third worm, the level 19 one, lunged at her. Forcing her to take a couple of jumps backwards, away from its path, but putting her right on top of the point where the second worm sprang out of the ground, with its huge mouth open, ready to eat her alive. Ice blades! Water blades! Ice arrows! She counterattacked and began to shoot arrows into his open mouth, into his wide tongue and palate. The next one she launched between a small gap between its sharp fangs Just in time, the worm partially closed its mouth to prevent the next group of arrows from burying themselves against its throat and Kalysto took the small opportunity given to her when her feet collided against the monsters lower lip and jumped away from it. As soon as she hit solid ground, she pulled out a pair of arrows with penetration stats and launched them at the third worm, wounding it in the side. At this rate Im going to run out of arrows with penetration stats and swords! she worried. So she began to shoot the arrows she had created with the quiver the elves had given her. Unlike the ones she had been given for training, these at least seemed to be tougher and can penetrate the thick skin of the three worms. Glad with her new discovery, she continued to shoot the arrows until the two of them returned to attack her from the sides. Burying themselves first in the ground and then launching at her at the last moment, as if they were sharks. Kalysto, annoyed with sneak attacks waited until the last moment, before she jumped backwards, moving away from their range, so that as soon as they touched the ground again, while she kept throwing arrows at them so much that she could feel a small pulse of mana when they used their magic, she whispered: Dispel Ezhil! And unlike the previous times, the earth under her feet did not respond to them, preventing them from burying themselves, and they both hit the ground full of stones. Kalysto took advantage of that instant to pounce against the third worm that was still dazed by the surprise blow. Ice daggers! She whispered, concentrating her mana in her hands. In each of them, a dagger made of ice materialized. Then Kalysto jumped onto the creatures back. Ice manipulation! She muttered, lengthening the shape of her dagger sleeves as she buried them in the worm, piercing it through and through. Water blades! Ice blades! The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The earthworm jerked and groaned in pain at the attack as it desperately tried to shake it off, but Kalysto did not let go. Instead, as she held on tightly to one of the daggers, with her free hand she pulled out one of the many arrows she had frozen earlier to raise her control over the ice to a higher level, and buried it next to the daggers. Ice manipulation! She whispered, causing the ice around the arrow to spread like a sharp knife towards the inside of the worm. And she performed the same strategy with three more arrows before the first worm hit them with its tail, hurting the third worm in the process and knocking her to the ground, knocking all the air out of her lungs. Cough... Cough! Cough...Cough," Kalysto coughed several times as she tried to catch her breath, but immediately the second worm pounced on her without giving her time to rest. Ice creation! She screamed, freezing the ground in front of her feet and then manipulating it into thick, elongated spikes of ice that buried themselves in the second monster. And as she tried to catch her breath and try to buy some time while her skills cooled down, she began to shoot arrows at them taking turns between the three monsters in a desperate attempt to keep them away from her. The first worm, annoyed at not being able to approach its prey again, buried itself in the ground bordering the layer of ice that Kalysto had created in front of it and with the intention of attacking it from the right, advanced in that direction. Kalysto, suspecting what the monster was up to, whispered. Dispel Ezhil! And immediately, the mound of earth that had been advancing in her direction stopped, as well as vanished the ice she had conjured earlier. Allowing her to run in the direction of the second wounded monster. Ice blades! Water blades! She shot at it as she leapt onto the back of the massive creature and pulled out one of the enemy armys swords and buried it on the monsters back, followed by two others. And as the elite worm twitched in pain, Kalysto jumped on the third one, and after pulling out two frozen arrows, she whispered: Ice manipulation! As she buried them into the creatures skin and transformed its ice into elongated, sword-like blades. Then she drew another sword and began to cut into its flesh, burying the sharp blade every now and then. As the third worm jerked in pain, knocking her back to the ground. But as soon as he did, Kalysto recovered quickly and attacked him viciously again. Until finally, the expected notification windows came to her. [You have gained 4,900 experience points! ] For all I suffered while killing him, the prize seems little to me. She thought. Still, she wasted no time and launched herself at the elite worm, before the first worm came out of the ground again. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She conjured, freezing not only the ground beneath her boots as she bent down and touched the ground but turning it into thick spikes of ice that buried themselves viciously into the creatures skin, lifting it off the ground, and the harder the earthworm shook, the more gravity and its weight buried it between the thick spikes of ice. And this time, despite how tired she was, as soon as the notification windows reached her, Kalysto was quick to leap onto the body, pull out a dagger and extract the crystal lying on its back. [You have gained 15,000 experience points!] [Does the user wish to absorb this earthworm core?] [YES/NO] She immediately selected yes. But while she was excited at the prospect of learning a new skill, Kalysto didnt notice the huge tail of the third worm that swooped towards her, throwing her against the hard rocks of the wall. The pain spread throughout her body as the air was again forced out of her lungs and she began to cough vehemently. She barely had time to breathe and look at her attacker, only to see the creature already lunging at her again with its mouth wide open. Ice blades! Water blades! Cogh... Water arrows! Ice arrows! Create...! Cogh...cogh...cogh... Water creation! A powerful jet of water shot out of her hands as the creature was forced to close its mouth and Kalysto pushed all her mana into increasing the force of the jet, changing the monsters trajectory. Ice creation! Absorb! She said, drying a small mana crystal from her inventory, while absorbing it with her left hand and continuing to create ice with her right hand. Ice manipulation! She then concentrated on pushing all the ice she had created and spreading it all over the mouth, and what she assumed was the monsters head and neck, trying to suffocate it as the strength was gradually leaving her body. And as black dots began to obscure her vision, notification signs caught her attention. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Earth Creation. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Earth Manipulation. Level 1!] [You have gained 25,000 experience points!] [Congratulations! The user has leveled up to level 21!] [The user has reached level 21! You now have the level needed to learn the following water elemental magic skill: Basic Healing. Level 1.] [Congratulations, the user has leveled up to level 22!] Then her world was tinged with shadows, devouring everything around her. Chapter 89 “Waking up somewhere else.” Chapter 89 Waking up somewhere else. Pain engulfed her as thick shadows devoured her world. Her consciousness seemed to come and go as the fear of being unprotected in the middle of a dungeon where at any moment other monsters could come and devour her as they saw her helpless grew. But beyond the pain, dizziness and weakness, Kalysto could not even move a finger. She didnt know how long she was like this, though it seemed like hours. Until finally she could open her eyes, but all she could see was nothing but blurry, formless blobs. A pitiful moan escaped her throat as soon as she tried to move to shield her eyes from the strong ambient light. Where am I?" Its too bright for it to be the inside of the dungeon...Did the guards come in to take us out? Her thoughts jumped back and forth as she closed her eyes again. At least now I can feel and move my fingers. She assured herself. And a pitiful moan escaped her throat. Seeing that she was having difficulty moving she extended her mana, trying to mimic what she had done to sense the monsters in the cave, but unlike before, she could only feel two presences near her, and one of them was getting closer and closer. Frightened at the thought that it was one of the two guards guarding the entrance wanting revenge for her not taking care of the other guard, she tried to get up, causing a wave of pain to shoot through her torso, leaving her breathless. Wait! Please dont move! said a soft, feminine voice, which Kalysto was sure she had never heard before. Who are you? Where am I? she murmured, feeling her throat rasp as a sky blue light flooded her blurred vision, but the pain remained. Why cant I see properly? Im sorry, Miss Luna. You are now inside the royal palace infirmary. The guards brought you next to a badly wounded soldier. Because his wounds are much more serious, I have been given priority to him. Even though I am an intermediate level water mage, the rest of the mages were dispatched to tend to the survivors of the last city that was invaded by monsters. For the moment, I am the only one in charge. Whats wrong with my eyes? Due to the large collection of wounds, your broken ribs and the severe blow to your head, I have been using water magic and some ointments to heal you. Please dont try to open your eyes until I remove the medicine," the feeling of a wet cloth passed over her eyes, forehead and eyebrows before the unknown woman spoke again. Ready. You can open them again! As soon as she did, Kalysto could see the white walls of the infirmary along with the collection of empty stretchers, except for hers and the guards, whose leg was now bandaged. His case is rather sad, isnt it? whispered the woman, who looked to be in her thirties. Thank goodness there is a new saintess in the temple. We are waiting for her to arrive at the palace since I could not stabilize him enough for him to be transported. I hope the new saintess can also check on your condition. I am concerned about your head injury. Although I was able to patch you up as best I could, Im sure the new saintess can do a better job. Besides, I cant repair broken bones, only speed up the bodys natural healing," continued the sympathetic woman, who looked tired. The temple? whispered Kalysto, wanting more information as she feigned ignorance and began to cough. Here, drink this pain potion," said the healer as she handed her a green vial and helped her drink it while a pair of notification windows appeared to her left. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] My apologies. I completely forgot that you are not from this world. The main temple of the capital belongs to the goddess of light, but since the old gods went to sleep centuries ago, it has been the goddess Mhiralla the only one who stayed to watch over humanity then she lowered her voice, as if she was telling her a secret, although she is actually the daughter of Arharella, the goddess of light and Fieal, god of ether. And not a main goddess, but a minor goddess. Wasnt Mhiralla the name of the fairy queens enemy? Kalysto worried, remembering that it was Mhiralla who had attacked them and brought plague to her people. How is it that a goddess, or daughter of gods, can bring plague and create monsters? Recently, the goddess Mhiralla chose a new saintess," she added excitedly. Which is great, considering that the previous one is an arrogant woman who thinks shes a big shot and only dedicates herself to heal the nobility from time to time, without fulfilling almost any of her duties as a saintess. Besides, there have been several problems with her, she whispered. And well, everyone knows she is the kings mistress as soon as the words left her lips, she covered her mouth. I shouldnt have said that! she said, looking around as if the walls could tell her secret- You must not repeat that! Its something everyone knows, but you dont say it out loud! she urged her. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dont worry about it. I wont tell any person about it, she said with a smile, wanting to calm the brunette woman down. By the way, how is it that you can heal someone with your magic? The surprise shone again in the brunettes eyes, so Kalysto hastened to explain. Its just that in my world neither magic nor mana exist, so for me this whole process is supremely strange. Oh, I see! Of course I can explain." The woman was thrilled to be able to move on to a much safer topic. The element I chose years ago when I was barely into my teens when I awakened the system, was water. With my two older brothers being one a knight and the other an adventurer, I thought it would be the most useful thing to be able to help them. Besides, in Thuzar, the small village where we were born, there were no healers. And I had heard from one of my brothers that water healers could heal people. Which made me think that it was an excellent option back then to earn money since we lived in a very poor village," she commented sadly. Unfortunately, back then I didnt know that it was so difficult to level up the mage class, let alone that I had to go all the way to level 21 in order to awaken the first healing skill. If it wasnt for my brothers, I would never have made it. It took years before I could level up, until I finally awakened my skill and dedicated myself to healing everyone in town, especially my brothers. It was after I leveled up water and mana manipulation to level 10 that I was finally able to unlock the second level of the healing skill. Another skill I need to level up! She thought. There are several levels? How many are there? Kalysto interrupted her. There are three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced healing. There are very few healers with an advanced level of healing, as far as I understand they can heal serious internal wounds, but even if we can close wounds and accelerate the healing of tissues, we cannot make a leg grow back, that is something only a saintess can do," she said, giving a sad look to the young soldier. Still, while there is much a healer can do with their magic and the aid of potions, it can never compare to the great healing power of holy water, with which even broken bones can be healed in a matter of minutes. It is because there has been a shortage of it for years that water mages like me have been able to get work, but with the arrival of the new saintess that will change in a few years when she can up her skill," she added grimly. If it werent for my hometown being destroyed by a monster invasion a few weeks ago, I would be planning to return there. My condolences. Both for the loss of your village and the future loss of your job," Kalysto sympathized, remembering all that she had suffered for lack of money. Thank you, she whispered, lowering her dark black eyes to her clasped hands. And what do you plan to do when that happens? the mage looked at her blankly. Its always good to be prepared in those cases. Ive been without a job before too. Its horrible and sometimes it takes months to get a new one, she added with genuine concern. Well, in my case, my older brothers are both in the capital, but Jhon, the one who is part of the adventurers guild, told me the other day that it would be better for us to travel to the kingdom of Bhallys. There, wizards are well received and there are no prohibitions for potionists like me, so I could live with peace of mind. Just as many other wizards have done after fleeing from here, she added the last in a low voice. Bhallys? Kalysto asked, recognizing the name of the kingdom that performed the summoning in the book of Heros Fall. Thats where Thomas is! It is a good place to live, but the south has been invaded by monsters. Even so, the capital is safe since they have a better military power than ours. And its much safer there than here," she commented, giving a sidelong glance at the sleeping soldier, who was deeply asleep. Why is it no longer safe for a wizard to live here? she asked curiously, lowering her voice. Well, its not that its not safe per se, its just that the king has issued so many bans in recent years in his attempt to monopolize the potions business that many wizards have fled to other realms in order to continue their business," then she leaned closer to her, as if she were telling a secret, and whispered. The potions business used to be the domain of the mage tower, but after the large number of monsters and the dangerous dragon that came with the hero summoning and the king wanted to force all the registered mages in the kingdom to go after him, all the mages in the tower fled. For the moment I am safe as I am only a healer, but my brothers are very worried about my well being. After a couple more hours of chatting, in which she explained in great detail how she raised her healing skill to the intermediate level, the kind brunette had explained the geography of the continent and Kalysto paid special attention to the villages near the capital. She also discovered with joy that the kingdom of Bhallys was right next to Balsac. After giving her more pain potions, and a watery, tasteless soup made of milk and soaked bread. A knight from the temple came, carrying the wounded soldier to the temple, announcing that the saintess could not travel all the way to the palace just to heal a mere soldier of minor rank. And despite the brunette water mages insistence, the knight refused to take Kalysto. After assuring Jhuliana, the kind healer, that she just needed to rest. Kalysto was taken to her room. Are you sure youll be all right? She asked her for the tenth time, after unlacing her boots, putting them next to the bed and helping her to cover herself. As if Kalysto was a little girl who needed all her help and care. Of course I do. A couple of hours of rest will do wonders for me. Ill still talk to the marquis so they dont force you to train tomorrow. Ill come check on you in the morning," she said, before depositing a collection of health, revitalizing and pain-relieving potions on the bedside table. As soon as the woman left, Kalysto sighed in relief and pulled the bottle of high quality holy water from her inventory and took a long swallow, feeling the itch on her head and torso as it healed. She then took the opportunity to use a skill she had been ignoring until now. Mana detection! She whispered as she watched the vision of her body change, acquiring dark spots that began to diminish as the holy water healed her injured internal organs and broken ribs. As soon as the pain subsided and she felt better, she got out of bed and took one of the revitalizing potions Jhuliana had given her, and move the couch to make sure no one entered the room without her consent. Then she turned around and observed her room. All right! Ive got a lot to do! She whispered excitedly. Chapter 90 “A lot of work to do.” Chapter 90 A lot of work to do. All right! Its time to focus and prioritize! She said and took out the plate of food that Alynn had left for her on the nightstand in her room in the fairy territory. As soon as she finished eating, she put away the dirty dishes, went into the bathroom, filled the bathtub with water and, after washing off all the sweat and blood crusts, then used Ezhil purification to clean her clothes. As soon as she got out of the bathroom, she dressed in another change of the clothes she had been given, which kept the same colors and design as the one she had taken off before. I need to get that book or find Alice. There were too many variables she couldnt remember. And while she couldnt wait to experiment with her new healing skill, if she followed Jhulianas advice, it meant she didnt need to waste her time leveling up to basic healing. She just needed to focus on raising water and mana manipulation to level 10, and she would awaken the intermediate healing skill, which was much better. The problem is that even with it, holy water is still a better resource. And Im too close to reaching level 20 in blessing to stop now... Its better to leave the regeneration skill as a second choice and then the healing skill as a backup. Once the decision was made, she pulled out five thousand of the river rocks she had been given to enchant and placed them in rectangular clusters, leaving a wide enough space for her to walk between them. She even put some rocks on the bathroom floor and on top of her bed. Ezhil Purification! Then she blessed herself before sitting down on the floor and touching the first stone. Blessing! Enchantment of health! As expected, the first stone disintegrated, as did the second and third. Good thing Im not doing this in my clothes. She thought. But as soon as I manage to level it up without the enchanted objects disintegrating, Im sure Ill cast it even on my underwear. And she spent the next hour repeating the same process while eating a thel every now and then and freezing a stone and replicating it every couple of minutes. [The skill Blessing has been leveled up to 15!] [The skill Blessing has been leveled to level 16!] [The skill Replica has leveled up to level 6!] [The skill Health Enchantment has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Health Enchantment has leveled up to level 4!] As expected, seventy percent of the first thousand rocks disintegrated, and only three hundred survived. What a waste of materials," she whispered, glad that she hadnt wasted anything of value, like the precious stones she had been given. It was then that she remembered that within the loot she had looted from the merchant was a skill crystal. So, she pulled the crystal out of her inventory as she took a bite of another thel. And she was tempted to also absorb the core she took from the two-headed monster, but restrained herself when she saw its size, remembering that she had fainted after absorbing the elves holy fruit. That one Id better leave for later. [Does the user wish to absorb this skill crystal?] [YES/NO] She selected yes. And a violet window appeared to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Duplication. Level 1!] Kalysto frowned. Isnt that the same as Replica? Then she opened the skill window. [Skills.] Active skills: Inspect: level 4. Mana detection: level 1 Mana sense: level 7 Mana Control: level 10 Mana manipulation: level 10 Dispel: level 11 Ezhil Dispel: level 6 Sleep well: level 5 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 13 Jhil: level 10 Jhil Ezhil: level 11 Blessing: level 16 Ezhil Blessing. Level 1 Water manipulation. Level 1 Water creation. Level 1 Ice manipulation. Level 9 Ice creation. Level 9 Water blades. Level 1 Ice blades. Level 1 Ice daggers. Level 1 Water arrows. Level 1 Ice arrows. Level 1 Eagle eyes. Level 1 Replica. Level 6 Earth creation. Level 1 Earth manipulation. Level 1 Basic healing. Level 1 Duplication. Level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ? Level 70/131 Languages: : legendary level (User can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in Elinors world. This is a bonus given by admin.) (The skill has been upgraded by admin so that the user can also understand the native fairy language). Regeneration: 0.614% of the skill acquired. (Incomplete). This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Profession skills: Health enchantment: level 4. Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental Defense: level 70 Pain resistance: level 30 Absorb: level 6] She selected Duplication. And a violet window opened. [Duplication: Duplicate all characteristics of an item, including magic and additional stats. Spends 10 MP per-use] Kalysto blinked in surprise as she realized that like her saintess skills, this new skill had no reuse time. Just to be sure, she decided to check the Replica one to compare them. [Replica: Duplicate the physical characteristics of any object, even if it is magical. Spends 12 MP per-use. Reuse time: 1 minute. As you raise this skill in level, you can increase the amount of duplicate items and every ten levels you reduce the reuse time and MP expenditure by half.] And just to be sure, she took one of the rocks on which the enchantment had worked well. Duplication! Inspection! [River rock. Class: common. Health +3.] Ill stop wasting my time with Replica. Its a pity there isnt a way to get rid of skills I dont want to use again then she selected the one she was most interested in at the moment. [Health Enchantment. Level: 4. Allows the user to enchant objects that will increase the HP of the wearer of the object by 4 points. Chances of the enchanted object being destroyed during the casting of the enchantment are 70%. The success rate is 30%. Spends 10 MP per-use. (This skill must be leveled up to level 5 in order to unlock the next skill.) (Enchanted items needed to raise to the next level: 300.)] This is going to be much slower than I thought. After letting out a long sigh, she took a drink of holy water, feeling her head begin to itch, as did her chest, due to the damage to her body caused by excessive mana usage. And she spent the next hour blessing, duplicating and enchanting the next thousand river stones. And after drinking one of the revitalizing potions left for her by Jhuliana, she checked the notification windows she had received. [The skill Blessing has been leveled to level 17!] [The skill Blessing has been leveled up to level 18!] Yes! Just two more levels and I can start creating holy water! She got excited. [The skill Duplication has leveled up to level 2!].... [The skill Duplication has leveled up to level 10!] [The skill Duplication has leveled to level 11!] [The skill Health Enchantment has been leveled up to level 5!] [Congratulations, the user has unlocked a new skill: Mana Enchantment. Level 1!] Another one Ill need to level up to enchant even my underwear! She sighed, but upon checking, her enchantment profession didnt go up a level. [Health Enchantment. Level: 5. Allows the user to enchant objects that will increase the HP of the wearer of the object by 5 points. The chance that the enchanted object will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment is 70%. The success rate is 30%. Spends 10 MP per-use. (Enchanted items needed to go to the next level: 500.)] And its because of things like this that almost no one chooses you as a profession," she reproached it as if it could answer her. So, trying to cheer herself up, she checked her new skills. [Mana Enchantment. Level: 1. Allows the user to enchant objects that will increase the MP of the wearer of the object by 1 point. The chance that the enchanted object will be destroyed during the casting of the enchantment is 70%. The success rate is 30%. Spends 10 MP per-use. (You must raise this skill to level 5 to unlock the next skill.) (Enchanted items needed to raise to the next level: 50.)] Then she took another look at the Sajhuns core. Very well, as soon as I level up this one up to level five, Ill celebrate by absorbing you! She assured it. If I need 50 items to go up to level two, 100 to get to level 3, 200 for level 4, and 300 for level 5, thats 650 items in total, with a 30% success rate, that would be about 2167 rocks? Then she set out to save 833 of the 3000 she had left from the ones she had taken out at the start. She took one of Caranthirs potions, recovering almost three thousand MP from less than a minute and immediately blessed herself, and started the whole process all over again, this time intending to level up the mana enchantment. Two and a half hours later, she had succeeded. [The skill Blessing has been leveled up to level 19!] [The skill Blessing has been leveled up to level 20!] Yes!" She got excited and immediately took out a liter bottle of water she had bought when she was still on Earth and uncorked it. Purification! But she was disappointed to see that only the bottle, and not the water, glowed with the characteristic golden hue of the skill. She immediately locked herself in the bathroom and conjured again. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Blessing! Inspection! [Plastic bottle blessed and purified. Class: rare. It is the only plastic bottle in all of Elinor that has been blessed and purified, plus it contains purified water.] Kalysto frowned in annoyance. I hate you," she said, then stuck the tip of her finger into the mouth of the bottle and conjured: Blessing! Blessing! Blessing! Inspection! Youd better get it right this time! She thought. Almost ready to throw the bottle out the window. [Plastic bottle blessed and purified. Class: rare. Its the only plastic bottle in all of Elinor that has been blessed and purified, plus it contains low-level holy water.] Yes! Yes! she celebrated and drank half of it right away, feeling the itch in her body that warned her that she had done a job well done as the holy water took effect. Yes! I can finally create holy water! After taking out her empty potion bottles and purifying them, she summoned water, washed and filled them, then purified them again and blessed the water. And a smile came to her face as she saw the six small bottles of blessed water, along with the first one her boss had given her and the other two-liter bottle of mana that had already run out. Not bad, she congratulated herself. Only then did she set about checking the rest of the notifications. [The skill Duplication has leveled up to level 12!].... [The skill Duplication has been leveled up to level 15!] [The skill Mana Enchantment has leveled to level 2!] [The skill Mana enchantment has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Mana enchantment skill has leveled up to level 4!] [The skill Mana Enchantment has leveled up to level 5!] [Congratulations, the user has unlocked a new skill: Strength Enchantment. Level 1!] But Kalysto was too excited about finally being able to create holy water to continue worrying about raising enchantments. So as soon as she turned around and saw the empty bathtub, a crazy idea crossed her mind. Ezhil purification, water creation! She squeezed, filling the bathtub completely. A pair of notifications, one blue and one violet, opened to her right, taking her by surprise. [The skill Water Creation has leveled up to level 2!] Kalysto ignored the notifications, concentrating on the bathtub. Blessing, blessing, blessing! she said, touching the water. Inspection! [Low-level holy water.] Yes! It was after the excitement over her successful experiment subsided a bit that she realized she didnt dare drink water from a bathtub. And she grimaced. Its too unhygienic, even after using Ezhil purification. She complained. I need a container where I can keep it," she sighed. And then she remembered what she had told herself and pulled out the core. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this core from Sajhun?] [YES/NO] Kalysto selected yes. [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Fire breath. Level 1!] She remembered seeing one of the heads using it, and seeing the bathtub ready and full of water. She thought it was as good a time as any to enjoy a nice bath with hot water. And with a shrug of her shoulders, she decided to experiment. Wishing she could feel the warm water on her skin and release some pent-up tension. Fire breath! She exclaimed but immediately regretted it. Her chest heated up and a fire pile formed in her throat, burning her from the inside as it advanced all the way to the inside of her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears that fell freely on her cheeks as she felt the suffocating heat gnawing at her from within. Shit! Shit! Cancel ability! Cancel summon! She thought in desperation, but nothing seemed to stop it. [The passive ability Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 31!] A couple of knocks echoed at the door, but she ignored them. Kalysto began to cough as with one hand, she pulled out a bottle of holy water, the first she had ever created, and drank half of the contents. The smell of burning plastic flooded her nose, but she ignored it as she inwardly prayed that the ten minutes between potions would pass quickly. The pounding against the door increased in intensity, driving her out of her mind. And she almost sighed with relief when the ability was finally canceled. And she stuffed the remains of the bottle, half melted, into her inventory and exited the bathroom. Wait a minute! She growled hoarsely at the insistent unwanted guest as she coughed, as the itching of the holy water concentrated on her burning lips and in her throat. She pulled the couch away from the door and took a deep breath once, taking her time before finally opening the door to find Jhuliana holding the tray with her dinner. Miss Luna, what in Gods name had happened to you? And just then, Kalysto fainted. Chapter 91 “The warning of the wolves.” Chapter 91 The warning of the wolves. The next time Kalysto opened her eyes, it was already daylight. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had skipped dinner the night before. The pale tones of the castle infirmary greeted her as the former waitress sat up on the stretcher she had been sleeping on for the past few hours. Her movement caught the attention of a red-haired woman dressed in a blue robe, who was quick to approach her. Miss Luna, how are you feeling? ...Fine," she replied, looking around looking for more people. But they were the only two in the room, full of empty stretchers. Where is Jhuliana? How did I end up here? Oh! Shes resting today. Last night, when Jhuliana went to bring your dinner and check on you, she found you delirious and with a high fever, so the guards brought you here. We suspect you had an allergic reaction. Do you remember eating something that might have made you sick? As soon as the woman said that, an idea came to Kalystos mind. To tell you the truth, the soup they gave me yesterday at the infirmary didnt agree with me, but then when I got to my room there was this little flower arrangement that as soon as I got close to smell it just... everything got worse, she lied, trying to sound as pitiful as she could while she found a way to make sure they wouldnt put flowers in her room again and so she wouldnt have to worry again about when they would use the famous flowers with which summoners killed the summoned heroes. After that, Im not sure what happened next." She lowered her head and looked down at her hands in an effort to sound more convincing while trying to look as confused as she could. The redhead seemed to believe her. I will inform the maid who attends the heroes not to put flowers in your room again, as a precautionary measure. And I ask you to be very attentive to your diet from now on. I imagine that being in another world, allergies are not something strange to develop. Although this is the first time Ive heard of a hero who gets sick to their stomachs with our food. For now, it would be best to concentrate on eating only fruits and gradually try other dishes. Stay away from soups for the time being. After a couple more advices she was allowed to return to her room, accompanied by a servant girl who shortly after brought her a tray full of fruits. Kalysto looked at the fruits with distrust for several seconds, and after assuring the servant that she would go to sleep after eating, she put the fruits away in the inventory, entered the bathroom and after locking the door from the inside, took out the home stone. Appearing back in her room in the fairy kingdom, where Tsuki greeted her by jumping on top of her while wagging her tail back and forth. Kalysto laughed at her antics. I missed you too! She commented as she hugged him and stroked his soft fur. But lets get something to eat first, then well check on those sick fairies and then take a little walk in the forest, shall we? Tsuki barked excitedly, and immediately turned to the bedside table where a tray full of food lay, filled with bread, theles, cheese, juice and several sweet fruits that he had not been able to touch thanks to the protective barrier that Alynn always left activated through a magic stone that Tsuki had not been able to deactivate. Kalysto took the dirty tray out of her inventory and sat down to eat, breaking a couple of breads in half for Tsuki to eat and as soon as she finished eating, she put away the rest of the food in her inventory, then they both left towards the room where the sick fairies were. But unlike last time, Kalysto wanted to make a small change before she started healing them. Mana detection! Said Kalysto, approaching the first patient, observing for the first time how the internal organs of those who were infected with the plague looked like, and being surprised to see that many of them already had some organs that had begun to petrify. Blessing! she said, pointing to herself and feeling a slight increase in her power. Suddenly, the vision of the diseased organs was much clearer and sharper. Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Mana manipulation! She added, concentrating her mana on healing the organs she saw in the worst shape, thus speeding up their healing. And thats what she did for the next hour. [The skill Mana Detection has leveled up to level 2!...]... [The skill Mana Detection has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled to level 11!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 12!] The higher she leveled up her Mana Detection skill, the easier and quicker it became for her to determine where she should concentrate her mana to speed up the healing of each of her patients. And her efforts were rewarded when, after a little more than an hour of hard work, ten of them were completely healed. As soon as she finished, she took a revitalizing potion to minimize her fatigue, feeling satisfied with all the progress she had made. Had I known earlier how useful it was to combine detection with mana manipulation and Jhil Ezhil, I would have finished healing the fairies long ago, she whispered, surprised at how well those skills worked together despite being of different classes. Good morning, champion. Galatea greeted her. I thought you would be resting in the human kingdom instead of healing the sick," she frowned, curious about the unexpected encounter. Kalysto grimaced as she remembered what happened with the two-headed monsters core. I ate something there that went bad. So I preferred to eat here and check on the progress of the patients Im missing. Now Ill go to the forest with Tsuki to see if he finds more slimes to level up and Ill take the opportunity to purify the surroundings Galatea nodded her head. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hanna told me about the infected monsters you two encountered the other day. For your safety, dont stray too far. Although weve been checking the perimeter and everything seems fine, its best not to take any risks. Of course," she replied before she said goodbye and left towards the forest with Tsuki, while she purified everything around her as a way to practice the skill and keep up appearances. Tsuki, on the other hand, was happy to be able to run around freely instead of being locked up in the lonely room. Dont go so far, Tsuki! Remember what Galatea said! Arff! answer the excited puppy, who took the opportunity to relieve himself behind a tree and mark his territory. I hope the fairies wont be upset about that," she whispered, And I hope you bury it well, Tsuki, because Im not going to clean that up! She scolded him. Ezhil Purification! she conjured several times. She wasnt sure if it would do any good, but at least she could get rid of the bad smell. After Tsuki finished marking a couple more trees, they went a little further into the forest as the puppy sniffed the ground. Arff! Tsuki suddenly got excited. Did you find something? Arff! All right, come here! And as soon as he did, she knelt down beside him and placed a hand on the puppys furry head. Blessing! The golden glow surrounded him completely. Ready! You can go and finish them off now! Ezhil Purification! She commented before following him to find a group of thirty slimes around a small cave surrounded by trees. At least this time none of them seem to be contaminated," she reassured herself. And she sat down under a leafy tree while letting Tsuki do all the work. As if she had all the time in the world, she bundled several dozen leaves. Blessing! she said, pointing to the first one. Strength enchantment! The leaf immediately disintegrated. As soon as I can conjure it safely, Ill use it on Tsuki," she muttered. Although on second thought, it might be better to put a necklace on him that has all the possible enchantments to help him in combat.... Yes, that might be more useful. Excited at the thought of a new project, she continued practicing with another hundred and sixty-six of more leaves, until the change in the tone of Tsukis barking alerted her that something was wrong. [The skill Strength Enchantment has been leveled up to level 2!] Kalysto ignored the notification window, tossed the leaf aside, jumped up and ran to where her pet was being cornered by a group of fifteen wolves half her size slowly advancing towards Tsukis small, furry figure. And where did these come from? She worried. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of over fifteen slime cores on the ground as the surviving slimes fled to their cave or the surrounding area to hide. The wolves growled as they continued to approach the cub with the intention of intimidating him, and small bolts of electricity erupted from Tsukis body in response. One of the wolves stopped keeping its attention on Tsuki and watched Kalysto and as soon as it noticed her presence, it raised its head and let out a prolonged howl, calling for reinforcements. Shit! Ice blades! Kalysto shouted, slashing the skin of the wild animals freshly exposed neck and silencing the howl. Water blades! She continued, casting the spell into the eyes of another wolf as she continued to run towards them and drew one of her bows. Ice arrows! She launched the three arrows at the head of a third wolf that was next to the other two. At that moment, the body of the first wolf fell to the ground and the rest of the pack rushed towards them. Kalysto stopped three meters away from Tsuki and began to shoot the arrows she had conjured before, to the eyes, chest and paws of the wolves, making them stumble and fall to the ground. Ice creation! She added, creating a sharp ice arrow and launching it right in the middle of the eyes of a wolf that was getting too close to her. Killing it on the spot. Several notifications appeared to her left, but she ignored them. [Youve gained 5,000 experience points!] [Youve gained 7,000 experience points!] And as Tsuki discharged thin bolts of electricity at anyone who came near him, Kalysto noticed with concern that four wolves were watching them from a distance. Two of which had paws and snouts completely dyed a brilliant shade of black that stood out against their thick, light gray fur. Ezhil Purification! she shouted immediately, recognizing the meaning of those shiny black spots. But they were too far away and the bright golden glow of her skills could not reach them. Damn! she complained. Then she put her bow back in her inventory. Ice daggers! Two beautiful daggers appeared in her hands. Ice manipulation! She added as she ran towards the six wolves that had rushed at Tsuki, who kept electrocuting them in an attempt to defeat them, but although her puppy could keep them at bay, it wasnt strong enough to kill them. Kalysto lengthened the daggers, turning them into thin and very sharp swords, while with her characteristic agility, she ran towards the wolves and cut the first one in half with both weapons, piercing its stomach. [Youve gained 5,000 experience points!] Tsuki, stop attacking them and get away! The puppy obeyed her immediately as she slit the throat of another wolf. And two others rushed at her with their sharp fangs exposed. [Youve gained 5,000 experience points!] [Youve leveled up to level 23!] Kalysto had to jump backwards and then sideways to evade them, falling just less than an inch from the outstretched claws of another wolf. She barely managed to evade the claw in time and cut off the wolfs paw when several gusts of wind appeared out of nowhere and cut the wolves bodies to pieces. Immediately, Kalysto turned around, alarmed that she had been turning her back on a possible enemy far more powerful than the wolf pack, only to meet Hannas worried gaze, with her bright pink sun-kissed hair and pretty violet eyes. But before the fairy warrior, who seemed to have run up there as if her life was at stake, and opened her mouth, Kalysto turned to see the pair of wolves spreading the plague. Whose bodies began to regenerate, thanks to the dark liquid coating their paws and snouts. Impossible! How could they get through Lady Artemis barrier if they were infected? But instead of answering the surprised and kind fairy, Kalysto ran towards them and before they finished regenerating completely, shouted. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! And as she did so, the magical wind produced by the fairy, who Kalysto had sworn was a warrior like Galatea and not a mage, continued to cut their bodies into small pieces. Until the thick black liquid was disintegrated and purified by the golden light of Kalystos skill. Causing the wolves to stop regenerating. [You have gained 1,000 experience points!] [Youve gained 500 experience points!] Both women continued to watch them in complete silence for a few more seconds. Whats really strange, is that although they can infect other species, they dont seem to infect each other.... Are they intelligent enough to choose who they infect? Kalysto worried, as Hanna approached the bodies and examined them. Tsuki barked, reminding her mistress about the slime cores he had obtained earlier and immediately Kalysto went over to pick them up and began to put them away in her inventory, but before she could finish doing so, Hanna interrupted her. Theres no time for that, Champion! You must return to your room immediately! Were under attack! Chapter 92 “The warning of the wolves” Part 2. Chapter 92 The warning of the wolves Part 2. Though she found it curious that instead of acting as the elves who had asked for her help, the fairies had asked her to stay out of danger. So as soon as she got to her room after activating the home stone, she made sure she had both the door and the windows tightly shut. It was only when she was sure that she was in no danger, despite the howls of wolves she could hear in the distance, and the nagging feeling that there was something out there watching her, that she took Tsuki out of her inventory. The little pups fur bristled as he growled towards the window, so Kalysto immediately peeked out, expecting to find some enemy nearby. But apart from the pretty scenery, the beautiful flowers and the forest surrounding the fairy queens palace, she saw no one. Mana sense! She whispered, spreading her mana in the surroundings, as far as she was able, but she barely managed to extend it a couple of meters outside the window. So she turned and looked at the only source of information she had nearby. Tsuki, are there any enemies nearby? The pup shook his head, but kept growling at the window, as if something out there was keeping all his senses on alert. Let me know if anything approaches. Arff! He gave as an answer, keeping his attention on the thick vegetation outside. Uneasy at what could be going on out there despite how strong the fairies were, she pulled back the curtains, leaving only a small space for Tsuki to continue watching outside and took out half of the six hundred and twelve cores she had collected in the dungeon with the other heroes. I doubt Ill be able to get the regeneration skill for now, but it doesnt hurt to have one more option to help ensure my survival... Absorb! The familiar violet sign appeared to her left. [Does the user wish to absorb the remains of these slime cores?] [YES/NO] Yes," she answered with conviction. And she repeated the same process with the rest, as well as with the twelve that Tsuki had just collected. [The user has acquired 33% of the skill regeneration]. [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 7!].... [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 10!] Damn!... Im going to need a lot more than I thought. And without wasting any time, she pulled out the rest and absorbed them as well. [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 11!] [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 12!] [The user has acquired 22% of the skill regeneration!] As soon as she finished, she felt restless again. Tsuki didnt seem in a better mood as he continued to stare out the window, although he had already stopped growling and the howling of more wolves had not been heard again. However, the feeling that there was something lurking out there, did not leave her. Annoyed with herself for not being able to calm down, she poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher Alynn had left on the table, but before she drank it she stopped. She poured the water she had poured into the glass back into the pitcher and whispered. Blessing! she said, pointing to herself. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Blessing! Blessing! She added as she touched the water, watching the golden glow linger for several seconds. Inspection! Two windows opened this time, one blue and one violet. Knowing beforehand that the violet one tended to give much more information and was more reliable, she ignored the blue one. [Purified and blessed pitcher, made of semi-transparent crystal. Contains low quality holy water. Quantity: 1 liter and a half] Its a pity I cant sell it. It would make me rich for sure if I were on Earth. She poured water into a glass and filled Tsukis cup as well. When she was finally about to drink her glass, a couple of knocks resounded at the door of her room. Who is it? She asked. Mana sense! She whispered, discovering that there was only one person behind the door, but she couldnt get any other information beyond that. Two heartbeats later, a soft voice answered from the other side. Champion? Is everything all right in there? Im Hanna. I just wanted to check if you had arrived safely Kalysto opened the door, still holding the glass in her hand, observing the kind pink-haired fairy. Who didnt take long to search her room with her eyes, noticing Tsuki at the window. Has he seen any enemy? She was immediately worried. Not yet, but even though there is no one around, we both have this feeling of something out there lurking. I will inform Galatea and the rest immediately. We will send someone to check. I assure you that we have taken care of all the wolves that were nearby, however if Mr. Tsuki still detects something, we should check. Even though it is small, the senses of a sacred beast are quite acute. And they can perceive things that other races cannot. Well check the perimeter again, more carefully this time. Maybe we missed something or they have very good camouflage. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Thank you for your explanation," said Kalysto, full of sincerity. Not only for having informed her of the danger, but because she knew very little about Tsuki, who was still determined not to allow her to see his status window. You had better stay inside your room until we are sure we have eliminated all intruders. I will get a guard to guard your door. If you are going out, please keep us informed and do not return to the forest for the time being. I will keep that in mind," Just before Hanna withdrew, her gaze froze on the pitcher filled with holy water. Surprise shone in her pretty violet eyes. That...thats holy water? Kalysto blinked, not understanding what the warrior mages unusual reaction was about. But she recognized the greed and longing shining in her eyes. It is, though it is of low quality," she explained, but she could tell from her expression that this fact was of little importance to the fairy. Who seemed to have found a very well hidden treasure. ...It would be possible that... would you be willing... Is there anything the champion wants in exchange? She asked, after clearing her throat a couple of times and trying to control the desire in her expression. She really wants it. Kalysto thought. And remembered Caranthir saying that there would be those who would spend half their fortunes to get a bottle. Kalysto looked at the jar and then back at the expectant fairy. Get me another one of those jars, since that one itself is not mine, so I cannot give it to you, though I can give you what is inside. But I would like you to get me a large pot of at least ten liters and another jar for me. Plus six hundred cores of slimes. No, wait! She said as she saw Hanna was about to speak, lets make it seven hundred instead. Id better have some left over and not some left short. Deal! Hanna answered immediately, full of emotion, and a violet window opened in front of Kalysto. [Does the user wish to accept the trade contract offered by the fairy Hanna?] [YES/NO] Kalysto looked over the terms of the contract in detail, but it was pretty much the same as she had said. Hanna had simply added that she would have a weeks time to complete her order. Kalysto thought she was giving her too little holy water for all the work it meant to hunt those slimes. Keep in mind that I need the cores in the best possible condition, or the quantity will have to be doubled," before she could agree, Hanna immediately changed the quantity to one thousand. So Kalysto agreed to the terms. Please place the holy water in this container and insert it at the bottom of the contract window. Once I do, the same after getting all the objects you asked for, the system will send you a notification and add them to your inventory. -surprised, Kalysto just nodded and did as the excited fairy had indicated. And she watched with curiosity as the pot of dried clay Hanna had given her disappeared inside the contract window. Thank you for doing business with me! Hanna said with a huge smile before leaving. Ok...that went much better than I expected," she whispered after closing the door. Less than five minutes after she finished drinking her glass of water, another knock sounded at her door. Champion? Im Pernet. Hanna sent me to escort you in case you need to leave. Just a moment! Kalysto closed the curtains, so that no one could see anything of what was going on from the outside, and opened the door, Thank you for coming, Pernet. I need to go check on Artemis, she commented, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Lets go Tsuki! she added, watching carefully to see if her pet was on guard with the tall warrior whose skin was the same color as chocolate. But Tsuki ignored him completely after sniffing him twice, as if he was saving his scent for future reference. The guards gray eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him, but he said nothing about it as he escorted them to their destination. Both Tsuki and Pernet stood outside Artemis room, guarding the door while Kalysto healed her. Mother suspects that Mhiralla may have learned of your existence. I think it is better for you to return to the human kingdom for a few days. Mother thinks it will be safer for you that way. She said Mhiralla wont even think of looking for you in a kingdom where she is worshipped," the fairy whispered to her. Ill leave in twenty minutes. Dont you think its better to leave sooner? she questioned her, suspicious of her sanity. I think I found a way to speed up the healing process of the black plague. I had success with a few patients earlier. But since your case is the worst of all..." she said, inadvertently stopping talking as she concentrated her mana on healing the inside of Artemis arms and her lungs, which had begun to petrify from the bottom up. Are you experimenting on me? She replied a bit alarmed, as her breathing became heavier. Lately it was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. And Kalysto noticed it. Yes," she answered with honesty. Now be quiet. Youre distracting me and I need to stay very focused for this," she scolded her, before blessing herself again and casting another of her usual rounds of healing spells. If its Artemis whos in charge of maintaining the magical barrier protecting this place, Id better hurry and finish healing her as soon as possible. She thought. Almost half an hour later, her efforts were rewarded when she was able to completely heal Artemis lungs and arms. And although she still needed to be unpetrified from the waist down, she was happy for the progress she had made. All right, thats all for today. Ill be back tomorrow night," said Kalysto. Thank you," replied Artemis with her eyes full of unshed tears as relief invaded her gaze, which a few minutes ago seemed resigned to meet certain death. Im just doing my job," answered the former waitress with total sincerity, not knowing what to do when she saw the deep gratitude and pure relief shining in the fairys eyes. Well, I... I have to go then she opened the door and after purifying Tsuki, Pernet and Artemis room, she put her pet in the violet inventory and took out the home stone that took her back to the small bathroom in the room that had been assigned to her in the kingdom of Balsac. The next morning, over one hundred and fifty horned rabbits welcomed her into the new dungeon where the small group of mages were now training under the tutelage of the court mages who replaced Milo while he continued to help the king solve various problems. Well, I hope Alynn knows how to cook rabbit meat. Kalysto thought, as she conjured the skill of ice creation and manipulation and created a lone arrow, which pierced the body of a white, furry animal. And though she made sure to keep a low profile to dispel the initial excitement of the mages when they learned that she was the first to awaken an element, she kept a couple of the rabbit bodies she had hunted inside her inventory, saving one to give to Alynn as a thank you for all the care and attention she had taken with both her and Tsuki. Three days later, Kalysto had already finished healing the rest of the fairies including those who had been injured and contaminated with the plague during the furtive attempt of invasion and espionage. The only one missing was Artemis. And while all seemed to be well in the fairy kingdom, in the human kingdom things were completely different. One of the summoned heroes had died. Chapter 93 “The Fall of the First Hero” Chapter 93 The Fall of the First Hero Rita was completely devastated after her fathers death. Her eyes were swollen from crying so much, the dark circles under them and her lack of appetite were a palpable sign of it. That and the anger in her eyes as she looked at the guards that guarded the warriors during the training sessions that had been taking place outside in the forest or in some dungeon to help them level up faster, as if she wanted to kill them right on the spot. And not just with her eyes. Stop doing that! Kalysto scolded her in a low whisper as she approached her after dinner, feigning a closeness and familiarity that didnt really exist between them, but that helped to keep up appearances as they were escorted by a group of guards to the corridor where their rooms were, on the third floor of the north wing of the castle. And what else do you want me to do? Celebrate with joy because those damned kidnappers didnt even bother to bring the remains of my fathers body and left him there to be eaten by monsters? Rita snarled at her, and the fire burning in his eyes only served to reaffirm what the former waitresss instincts had already warned her. Kalysto let out a long sigh, realizing that this girl could unknowingly ruin her plans to help them escape from there alive. Youre just making it easier for them to choose who their next victim will be and make it look like another accident," she answered her in a low whisper, making sure not to draw the attention of the others, especially the guards who were far enough away not to hear their conversations and too interested in the one they themselves were having. Ritas face paled for a moment before she frowned. Do you really think...? But before she could finish, Koden had approached them. We need to talk. As soon as Im done with her, Koden," Kalysto replied, but as usual, Koden ignored her. Do you really think it wasnt an accident like the others said? Ha," she mocked, Are you really so na?ve as not to realize that coincidentally, the first of us to die was the only one who openly opposed the king from the beginning? This time it was Kodens face that lost all trace of color. But they cant kill us... They need us! They need someone to get their hands dirty for them. And as long as they have others willing to do the dirty work, what does it matter if they get rid of some they consider rotten seeds in the process? Both young fellows looked at her in silence. Alarmed at the coldness in her words. Now stop being so obvious, you two, and come in! She said, before opening the door to her room and letting them in, closing it immediately and heading into the small bathroom. Come in," she ordered, and seeing that neither of them followed her, she went in and waited for them inside. Why is it necessary for us to lock ourselves in a small bathroom when you have a comfortable couch out there? Koden questioned. Shh! Keep your voice down! We dont know how much they can hear us from outside or if they have some kind of spying device," Kalysto scolded him. Oh! Youre right, I didnt think of that," he replied with flushed cheeks. But Kalysto, if this goes on like this, we cant stay here. We need to escape! she added with conviction after a few minutes of silence. Thats more than obvious," Kalysto replied, rolling her eyes. I want the two guards who let my father die dead! interrupted Rita. Youre not ready yet. What? - The young woman shouted, Do you really think you can just come and tell me...? You want to face Enho and Jack, dont you? Enho is level 13, but Jack is level 17. They would kill you long before you could draw your sword. And you havent even reached level 10. Get there, learn to wield your magic and then youll have a chance against them. Before that, it would be suicide, she explained. There was no emotion on her face as she did so. Just pure practicality. And I doubt very much that your father would want his beloved daughters life to be wasted because of a bad decision made in haste, when you know there are smarter ways to achieve it," her voice took on a deeper tone as she said this last, her cold green eyes boring into Ritas warm, pained gaze. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ... Doubt shone in the mages eyes for a few seconds as she debated with herself and pressed her lips together before making a decision. So, you really want to wait? Kalysto nodded her head. I think its the wisest thing to do for now. There are stronger monsters out there than weve seen so far. And if most of us dont have the basics to defend ourselves, we will have no way to survive. Plus, if youve been paying attention to the guards conversations, several cities have been destroyed by monsters in the last few days. And we dont want to get caught up in that," she added, looking at both of them. We need to be strong enough to survive something like that, and find a safe place to travel to while we find a way home. Do you really think there is a way back? Rita asked, full of longing. There must be... The problem will be finding it. But its better if we escape before the first ball. Didnt you hear what the king said at dinner? The guy is planning to have a ball to celebrate the arrival of the heroes in less than two weeks! Koden interrupted. We were all there Koden, theres no way I would have missed it," replied Kalysto with some irony. But unlike Koden, what caught her attention was the look of hatred that the queen had given the king after making that announcement, without bothering to first offer their condolences for the death of the fallen hero. At least someone has a little conscience in this place. Kalysto thought, however, she had no illusions about it. So well find a way to escape after the first ball and in the meantime we should focus on getting as strong as we can? Rita questioned. Although its important that we get stronger, I think its ideal to wait for the second ball. What? But thats too long! Koden complained. Did you hear what the king said? She questioned him, and he frowned, trying to remember everything he had said. They will bring the heroes of Bhallys who were summoned at the same time as us. And what does that have to do with our business? That Thomas is among the heroes summoned, and Alice was with him that day. Gave as an answer. Rita, seeing that they both looked at each other in silence, asked: Who is Alice? My best friend," Kalysto replied. Then she turned to Koden. Look, I have no problem helping you escape, but Im not leaving here until Im sure if Alice came with Thomas or not. But its too much time. You have two options. If you wait until I can confirm it, you can count on my help to escape from here. If not, then youre on your own Koden opened his mouth to protest, but Kalysto interrupted him. And Im going to give you a piece of advice. Dont talk about this in front of Sandra. You can tell the rest if you think you can trust them, but she seems too delusional about seducing Milo that she doesnt mind betraying us and using any information she gets from us to get his attention. And hes smart and observant enough to use that to his advantage. Dont forget that we are in enemy territory, and no matter how friendly these people appear, they are still the ones who kidnapped us, or those who follow and serve those who kidnapped us. They will not hesitate to turn their backs on us and use us for their ends. Do not be so foolish as to trust them. No one would be so foolish as to do such a thing! Koden complained, but Kalysto looked at him reproachfully, arching an eyebrow as they both looked at each other in silence. Dont look at me like that, I would never... I didnt mean you," she interrupted him in a neutral tone. He would never...! He was annoyed, but then he stopped. Shit! He paled as the possibility dawned on him. He would, wouldnt he? We both know hes na?ve enough to trust the wrong person. Remember what happened with Karen? Dont remind me of that self-serving bitch! As soon as she found out his fathers company went bankrupt, she was quick to dump him like a flea-ridden stray dog! I know, it was me who had to clean up the mess, she complained quietly after letting out a long sigh. And I was the one who had to take care of a young man who had just lost his mother, and whose father had tried to commit suicide while his son seemed to follow suit while drunk and high. So...will you help me with my revenge? Rita questioned her. After waiting for the strange silence between them to end, but decided to interrupt when she saw that they seemed too locked in their own memories. No problem she answered with total tranquility, to Ritas great surprise, but you will have to level up first Rita nodded her head, totally willing to accept such a level of commitment, and start taking care of your food, if you starve yourself you wont have the strength to fight and they are already far enough ahead of you. Its not smart of you to give them even more. Rita clenched her fists tightly. And though Kalystos words hurt, they were able to pierce through the thick fog of grief and anger that had been ruling her since the loss of her beloved father. Ill do whatever I have to do to get rid of those bastards who only mocked after letting my father die! In that case, start practicing mana manipulation. It will come in useful later," she replied softly, and Rita nodded her head. And after believing that the conversation was over and that it was best to leave before continuing to raise the suspicions of the guards, she nodded her head in farewell. And Rita? Yes? answered the young woman as she opened the bathroom door, before leaving. Do yourself a favor, and choose fire as your element," Rita blinked in surprise before giving her a dark smile full of promises of revenge. Of course, Kalysto, I will do that. Chapter 94 “In the middle of the forest.” Part 1 Chapter 94 In the middle of the forest. Part 1 An arrow split the air in two and buried itself viciously in the tender fur of the fierce wolf. Then another clouded the animals vision, and soon after, one more arrow pierced its neck. Followed by a sharp knife and a whispering voice. Sleep well! Kalysto muttered just before tearing the neck of the huge brown-furred wolf. The next instant, a pair of notifications, one blue and one violet, opened to her left. [Youve gained 700 experience points!] This would be the fourth wolf she had killed since they were unexpectedly surrounded by thirty-six more in the meadow near the large-horned rabbit warren that the palace guards had led all the heroes into. Including the wizards. Who, left without the vigilance of the court mages who had been sent to investigate the destruction of several villages and small towns in the south of the kingdom that had been overrun by monsters or ravaged by the demon king and his army, had no choice but to join the rest of the heroes for training. Which had greatly slowed down their advancement, much to the annoyance of Rita, Eric and Madha who had devoted themselves body and soul to leveling up rapidly during the last week and a half, after the latter two had approached Kalysto as soon as Rita told them about the idea of escaping. And now all three of them had been level 9 for 4 days. And they were desperate to get to level 10 and choose their element. Although Kalysto had a strong suspicion that Eric had already chosen it, he just hadnt informed them. Three more wolves began to surround her while Kalysto could hear the clash of the swords of the seven soldiers who came with them to keep them safe and the screams of the rest of the heroes as they found themselves surrounded, along with Sandras thunderous scream as soon as the first soldier perished at the hands of three wolves. Shit! Kalysto growled, but not because she was worried about the fallen soldier. But for the three five-foot-tall wolves that had rushed at her. But it was not them she was most worried about, but the large white wolf with small brown spots on his paws that watched them all with great attention from atop a large rock, as if they were nothing more than his future dinner and he was selecting the best meat from an appetizing buffet. But most interesting of all, was the pretty, pale crystal that seemed to sparkle on his plush fur. Right in the middle of his forehead. I want it. She thought, wishing it could give her some skill that wouldnt end up like the disaster of the two-headed Sajhun. But barely had the thought danced through her head when the gaping mouth of a wolf clouded her vision. Kalysto punched her hard in the jaw, changing her trajectory as she leapt to the left, trying to gain some advantage. She immediately reached out to draw an ice arrow from her violet inventory, but the sharp teeth of another wolf buried themselves viciously against her forearm before she could string the arrow into her bow. Kalysto immediately swung her bow, driving the point into one of the eyes of the huge beast that snarled at her, but the beast did not let go of her right forearm, quite the opposite, it buried its teeth even harder, causing pain to spread through the saintesss body. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] All traces of pain disappeared on the spot and Kalysto dropped her bow and threw a punch on the wounded eye of the beast, followed by another and another and another. Until the wolf finally groaned and then growled, annoyed at its prey for the continued blows, and finally released the wounded arm to pounce on the other that had been assaulting him. Kalysto could barely avoid the bite and threw a powerful kick at her attacker, sending him a couple of feet away from her. Then she took advantage and ducked down to retrieve her bow, just in time to avoid being devoured by the third wolf that knocked her to the ground. Kalysto could barely lift her bow and use it as a shield while doing her best to keep the beasts muzzle away from her face as she felt a small rock digging uncomfortably against her back. But the wood of the bow began to give way before the strong jaws of the animal that held her prisoner against the ground and its huge body, soon after a crunching sound resounded in her ears. Shit! she growled, knowing that the flimsy wood of the bow the palace soldiers had given her would not last much longer. I should have taken out the other one! She reproached herself with annoyance. Then, with the toes of her boots, she kicked the crotch of the wolf above her, at the same time, the bow snapped in two. And as the wolf howled in pain with its muzzle too close to her, Kalysto buried the two halves of the bow against the animals thick neck. Sleep well, she whispered, tossing it aside and walking quickly away. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. But the stubborn animal instead of falling asleep shook its head, even though its eyes were trying to close and obey her command. Couldnt you just be easy to kill? Kalysto reproached him with annoyance and then kicked him in the snout from below, pulled out an ice arrow from her inventory and stuck it in his other eye. Ice manipulation! She snarled, spreading the layer of ice that covered the arrow so that it covered the wolfs nose and huge snout. Leaving behind the wet arrow firmly buried. The enormous animal shuddered and twitched, trying to break away from her, but by the time it did, it was too late. Much of its face was already completely covered with ice. And as the third wolf struggled to get rid of the ice that prevented it from breathing, the first one pounced on Kalysto again. Water blades! she whispered, throwing them at the animals eyes, which, despite being wounded, jumped at her. Ice blades! she shouted, firing them at her enemys neck two seconds before he fell on her. Ice daggers! She continued, as she jumped backwards. And two beautiful daggers appeared in her palms at the same time as the wolfs claws extended against her face. Ice manipulation! She continued, lengthening the blades of the daggers as the coldness of the ice handle kissed her skin. But she ignored all the discomfort and faced her enemy. The wolfs first paw failed to catch her, but not the second. It crashed into the edge of one of her daggers, which severed the toes of one of its paws. The wolfs loud growl echoed in her ears as the second wolf joined its mate. Kalysto, I need a little help here! Rita shouted. Yeah, me too, she said in reply, as she watched out of the corner of her eye the only rogue in the group of heroes go to the aid of the future fire mage. Knowing that would buy her some time, she returned to watch the two wolves in front of her, only to notice the huge claws of one of them just inches from her eyes. Kalysto jumped to the left, trying to avoid it, but found herself up against the fangs of the other wolf. Dont you people ever get tired of teasing? she growled at them. And she turned around, running as fast as her legs and her new stats would allow her to run and then jumped against the trunk of a tree and bounced against another, gaining some height, reaching a thick branch on which she climbed. Ice arrows! She called out, piercing the head of one of the wolves, which soon reached her and jumped on her. But her arrows hit the target, and the wolfs body fell lifelessly to the ground. [Youve gained 500 experience points!] For all the annoying work I have to do to kill them, they give very little experience," she was annoyed, longingly remembering the large amount of experience she gained from the horde of monsters that attacked the elves. She immediately pulled an arrow from her quiver and shot it at the remaining wolf, right in the middle of its forehead, followed by five more arrows in its eyes, neck, and torso. Until finally the animal stopped and a pair of signs appeared to her left. [Youve gained 800 experience points!] Good, now I only have thirty-three more to go," she murmured as she pulled out a small bottle of low-quality holy water and sipped it. And standing behind the fallen body, she pulled out another arrow, this time one of the ones Caranthir had given her. Eagle eye! -She said and began to shoot arrows at the three wolves that were attacking Rita, the two surrounding Eric and Madha, and shot another batch of arrows at the group of wolves that were prowling around Koden and Edward. Helping them weaken their enemies enough for them to have a chance of survival against the wolves. And it was when she sent an arrow against the small hole in the eardrum of the wolf that jumped on Rita, whose arrow pierced its skull from side to side, that she noticed out of the corner of her eye little Katia wounded and on the ground, struggling against one of the wolves while her mother fled in fear and ran into the forest, abandoning her young daughter. [You have gained 600 experience points!] I hope the wolves eat her! She thought spitefully as she shot a series of arrows at the wolf that held the defenseless young girl to the ground. Then she pulled out the last arrow with penetration stats she had left in her inventory. Duplication! she whispered, and after saving the copy in her inventory, she launched the arrow against the head of the huge wolf, whose body fell lifelessly against the little girl who began to scream in fright. Drawing the attention of one of the soldiers. [Youve gained 1000 experience points!] The same soldier who had been staring morbidly at the little blonde since they had left the castle. Katia, run! Kalysto shouted as the slender young woman pulled her flimsy body out from under the beast, only for her face to lose all trace of color as soon as she saw the soldier licking his lips as he looked at her, approaching her. Katia screamed, and her hands shook. But her screams were lost amidst the battle and the growls of the wolves as the little girl ran in the same direction her mother had fled before, into the thick forest. While the soldier pursued her with a malicious grin stamped on his filthy lips. There was no way Kalysto wouldnt recognize that nasty look. Not when it was the same one her stepfather gave her before sneaking into her room in the middle of the night, behind her mothers back. Kalystos blood boiled at the unpleasant memory as her body was bathed in a numbing chill. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Then she ran with all her might in their direction, dodging the bodies of the other wolves, and the trees that got in her way. She crossed the wide clearing in a matter of seconds until she finally reached where the fallen body of the wolf that had almost crushed the young blonde was lying and turned in the same direction they had taken. Kalysto was completely focused on her target. So much so that it took her mind a couple of seconds to process the heavy blow she received against her side as another wolf charged at her, causing her to crash and bounce off the thick trunk of a nearby tree. A snarl escaped her lips as she watched the annoying creature that was interfering with her hunt. And as the wolf lunged at her again, from a distance Kalysto could clearly hear Katias screams and pleas ringing in her ears. Chapter 95 “In the middle of the forest” Part 2 Chapter 95 In the middle of the forest Part 2 Ice creation! She whispered as she touched the earth with her right hand. Ice spread out under her open palm at the same time as the wolf growled and jumped on the fallen prey. A huge spike of ice formed in front of her, piercing the wolfs stomach as it fell. And as the huge animal struggled to try to use its paws to brace itself against the ice and flee, Kalysto got up and ran away, as she had always done every time her stepfather tripped over every single thing she carefully left lying on the floor every night, making sure the noise woke her up every time he came in and she had the time to flee out the window. Even if it meant shed get beaten up the next morning before she left for school, again. But that always seemed so much better to her than the other alternative. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead and it didnt take Kalysto long to catch up with them. Although she saw no trace of Katias mother she could see the girl being shaken by the soldier whose age was around thirty. Wanting to escape? said the man, but the expression on his face and the way his dark eyes roamed the soft curves of Katias body said otherwise. Ice arrows! Whispered Kalysto, drawing her bow and three arrows materialized in it, to then be launched against the mans neck. The former waitress watched the body fall as the man struggled for breath, but she just watched him silently as he died, no emotion reflected on her cold face. Come on! She ordered, turning to the trembling, pale girl, who could not believe the ease with which the woman who had saved her three times had killed another human in front of her. Unless youd rather stay here with him and wait to see if someone can cure or revive him. No, maam! The girl immediately followed her as they both went through the thick foliage until they found a path that would have led through the middle of the forest, and not far from there was Katias mother, behind a muscular man who was fighting against five huge wolves, trying to protect the carriage of a small merchant. Whose other guard had already been killed. Mom! cried the young girl, unaware of the danger she was exposing them to by revealing their location. Duplication! Duplication! Whispered Kalysto as she shot two arrows with penetration stats into the heads of two wolves. [You have gained 700 experience points!] [You have earned 1800 experience points!] [You have earned 300 experience points!] [Youve gained 400 experience points!] Katia started running towards her mother while Kalysto kept doubling up and shooting arrows at the rest of the wolves, saving the life of the merchant and the knight guarding him. [Youve gained 300 experience points!] [You have gained 400 experience points!] [You have gained 400 experience points!] But before the little girl rejoined her mother, Kalysto stopped her for a moment. What is it, Mrs. Kalysto? Then the girl looked at the caravan with distrust. Are they bad people? I have no way of knowing that at that moment, to the saintess surprise, it was the girls mother who ran up to them, hugging the little girl with her eyes full of tears. But dont tell them that you come from the castle, or from another world. Tell them that you and your mother come from a village called Thuzar, which was destroyed by monsters a few weeks ago. If they ask, say that you were barely able to escape and have been wandering from place to place in search of shelter and work," then she knelt down in front of the little girl, and handed her a small dagger that the guards had given her before they left. Sell it and go to the adventurers guild and get your guild member ID. It will be much easier for you to escape later if you have an ID. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Thank you whispered the little girl, as she received the dagger. Try to level up as much as you can by doing easy quests. As soon as I can, Ill come and get you. Wont you come with us? asked the girl. Not for now. There are those I cant leave for the moment the little girl nodded, thinking it was Edward and Koden. I understand. And thank you for helping my mother and me all this time," the little girl whispered before the merchant and the guard approached them. Thank the gods for your help. Are you an adventurer? Are you by any chance traveling to the capital as well? A plump man asked her, his eyes traveling from the bow of his saviors hands to the bodies of the fallen wolves. I dont think I can travel with you, our group was attacked by another pack of wolves and I must return to help them. Damn monsters! With the times we live in, not even the capital is safe anymore! What on earth is the king doing with our taxes if he is not able to protect us? No idea," Kalysto sighed as she pretended to agree with the unknown man. Thuzar, the town we lived in was destroyed a few weeks ago, also by monsters. We had heard that the capital was much safer but..." they all looked at the corpses of the monsters. And the merchant nodded his head. I understand your point perfectly, young archer. May I know your name? I am Kal," said Kalysto. How do you do, Miss Kal, I am Mephisto, I am a merchant," the mans gaze turned back to the fallen wolves. I dont want to sound ungrateful, because I really appreciate that you saved my life and my escorts life. But if the young lady is willing to sell me these wolves, I would be more than willing to buy their flesh and fur," added Mephisto. Kalysto folded her arms. Pondering the offer. How much are you willing to offer? -She said trying to sound confident, but other than what she had read in Kassandras books, the saintess had no idea how much these creatures could be worth. Fourteen silver coins," the man answered immediately. And Kalysto arched an eyebrow, keeping silent. Mephisto, nervous at her lack of response, added quickly, Twenty, make it twenty! But I cant do more than that since my escort would be the one to cut your flesh and preserve the fur. Please understand. despite the change in the offer, Kalysto kept silent before letting out a long sigh. Ill take sixteen coins right now if you agree to take care of and give shelter and food to my cousin and her mother for a week while I return," she said, resting a hand on Katias shoulder, who looked at her with surprise, but did not disown her. Little Kat dreams of becoming an adventurer as well. Of course," the man encouraged, Im sure she wants to follow in her cousins footsteps. Dont worry, while you go back for the rest of your group, Ill send my assistant to take her to the guild and help her sign up. And if you wish to stay in town, I would be happy to extend an offer for you to escort me on my future travels. Heres my card. I have a small store on Brooks Street, almost in the heart of the capital. I travel constantly, so I would like to have your services in the future if possible, the man was excited, motioning to his bodyguard to put the wolf carcasses inside his travel cart as he handed the silver coins to Kalysto, and then began to yell at his bodyguard to be more careful with the precious merchandise. Be careful," said Kalysto, bending down to embrace Katia and place a silver coin in her hands behind her mothers back, Dont trust anyone and try to find a cheap place to live, and get a job, the last words were said looking at the girls mother, whose pale face still had not been able to recover its color. By the time Mephisto returned to talk to them, Kalysto had already left. The young former waitress did not take long to undo her steps and get to where the fallen guard with the ice arrows on his back was standing. Ice manipulation! She said, melting the arrows so they couldnt frame her for the murder. She then did the same to the wolf, pulling a sword from her inventory and cleaving the body in two. She then headed towards the clearing where her companions were only to find the brown-footed white wolf throwing bolts of electricity at the rest of the heroes, but especially at the four guards still left alive. Duplication! Duplication! She whispered. Rita! Edward! Get down! Edward, as always, was the first one to obey, so Kalysto launched the first two arrows towards the two wolves that were surrounding him in an attempt to lower his guard from both sides. [Youve gained 600 experience points!] [Youve gained 400 experience points!] What? Rita shouted, but seeing what happened to Edward, she quickly imitated him. Ice arrows! Kalysto launched immediately while hiding behind a thick tree trunk, away from the white wolfs sight. Rita, finish him off! She shouted, launching an arrow with penetrating stats into the beasts back, and another four of the ones Caranthir had given her into the paws of the huge animal. Chapter 96 “In the middle of the forest” Part 3 Chapter 96 In the middle of the forest Part 3 Rita immediately took advantage and thrust her sword into the animals back, backing away in time to evade its claws. Meanwhile, Kalysto launched two more arrows on the wolfs back, intercepting its next attack, and then one more arrow in its left eye. Rita, taking advantage of the moment, slashed part of its neck, but despite her effort, the cut was not deep enough to kill it. Although that was enough for Kalysto to stop paying attention to her and after shooting a couple more arrows with penetration stats at the pair of wolves surrounding Edward, she focused on Madha, the only one of the heroes who was far away from the others and unlike the rest only had a single wolf as an enemy. From time to time the bolts of lightning that the big white wolf threw towards the guards, landed near Edwards feet but did not reach where Madha was, but prevented her from joining the rest of the group, leaving her at the mercy of the other predator. From where Kalysto stood, she could see another body lying on the ground, apart from the one of the first guard who died, and several wolves, devouring the corpses. I hope its not Eric. She worried, but if her calculations were correct, two more heroes were missing. Putting those thoughts aside, she focused on Madha. Eagle eyes! She whispered, focusing her gaze on the wolf attacking the young mage. Duplication! Then she shot the arrow with penetrating statistics into the wolfs side. Then she sent three more arrows, making sure not to kill it, so she could help it reach level ten and choose its element. I think we should take the opportunity to escape," Eric whispered behind her. Kalystos first instinct was to turn, drop her bow, and draw a dagger from her inventory. Taking by surprise the unsuspecting young man who did not expect such a reaction. Its...its me. Eric. The blue-eyed young man muttered nervously as he felt the tip of the sharp knife on his neck. How did you do that? She replied instead as she very slowly moved away from him. I chose shadows. Immediately his physical form blurred, transforming into a shadow that lost all form, melting and merging with the surrounding shadows and then reappearing a couple of meters away. With his hands in the air. I didnt mean to scare you," Kalysto observed him silently, turned her head to one side as she examined him and then spoke again. Can you go to Madha and tell her to kill the wolf and choose her element? Although she didnt say it out loud, Kalysto was sure that Madha would also choose shadows if the system gave her the option. If necessary tell her to run and go into the forest, Ill watch her back," he nodded silently. And Eric? dont let anyone see you. And while he turned into shadows and disappeared, Kalysto moved a little further away from the big white wolf that would lead the attack, and concentrated on eliminating some wolves from the periphery while launching every now and then an arrow or two at the back of the wolf Madha was fighting against and kept doubling the arrows with penetration stats. Making sure to always keep at least one inside her inventory. [Youve gained 500 experience points!] [You have gained 600 experience points!] [You have gained 400 experience points!] Just as she just duplicated another arrow, and put it away in her inventory, she saw out of the corner of her eye Madha running into the forest, with a wounded brown wolf chasing after her, followed by another completely unharmed one that decided to join the hunt at the last minute. Kalysto ran, cutting through the forest and the thin beams that the big brown wolf sent towards her as soon as she entered the meadow. However, he was too busy with Koden, the twins, Sandra, the other four guards and two more heroes whose names Kalysto couldnt remember, to go after her. Ice arrows! She whispered, aiming for the head of the last wolf as soon as she had it in her sights. Then she launched two more arrows with penetration stats. Ice blades! Water blades! She added, trying to follow the zigzagging movements of the elusive wolf, and missing her last attack, so she drew her bow again, but before she could shoot another arrow at him, the wolf turned around and pounced on her. Kalysto, watch out! Eric shouted, causing Madha to turn back, full of worry, and the first wolf eventually caught up with her. Kalysto hit the second wolf with the bow the elves had given her, deflecting his attack. And to her surprise, the wood not only withstood the blow, but remained intact. Still, she put it away in her inventory. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! And she launched herself against the ferocious animal that, despite its wounds, did not hesitate to attack her. And while Kalysto fought the wolf, Eric and Madha did their best to keep the other at bay. Kalysto jumped to the right evading the wolfs strong bite and burying one of her long daggers in the side of her enemy, and with the other, she made a cut in one of his back paws, immediately pulled out a sword from her inventory, to replace the one she had lost. And walked away from the wounded wolf. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. But he was unwilling to give ground and allow her to walk away. And as she evaded each of the swipes, he sent and tried to find a better angle to attack, the cooldown time of her abilities reached zero. And she threw the sword in his face, forcing him to keep some distance. Water blades, ice blades, ice arrows! She summoned, launching all her attacks right between the eyes. The wolfs heavy body finally fell to the ground and two notifications appeared to her left. [Youve gained 500 experience points!] How high is the resistance of these things? What the hell is their fur made of? Kalysto whispered in annoyance. Immediately she ran towards the other wolf, which although it had wounded the other two heroes, it had not been able to defeat them, since every time it was about to reach them Eric transformed into shadows and changed places, or mobilized Madha with him. Kalysto ran towards them, cutting the wolfs back paws with a single slash. Making him fall to the ground. I suggest cutting its throat, as soon as possible. We must not waste any more time and as they did so, Kalysto drew a map on the ground. Suddenly, a pair of windows appeared to her left, indicating that the boys had finished their work. But Madha stood staring at the air in front of her with her face full of excitement. It was after a while that Kalysto saw her turn into shadows, and then both young men returned to form in front of her. [Youve gained 100 experience points!] What is that? -asked Madha, full of curiosity. This," she said, pointing to the small elongated figure she had drawn, is Balsac, the kingdom we are in, and this is Bhallys. For now, it is much safer to head there as their military power is much better than Balsacs then she took out twenty copper coins from her inventory and five silver ones. What are these? How did you get them? asked the young woman. If you want answers, you will have to sign a binding magical contract with me that assures me that you will keep all my secrets, said Kalysto half jokingly as she finished drawing a very basic map, but both young fellows looked at each other and nodded their heads. We agree with that," answered Eric. And Kalysto looked at them with surprise. As long as you do not betray us, nor lie to us, we agree to swear the same and keep your secrets. To the surprise of both young fellows, Kalysto took the offer literally, and a window appeared in front of them. [Does the user wish to enter into a soul binding contract with Kalysto Luna?] [YES/NO] Both of them selected yes, and to Kalystos surprise, two new dark gray dots appeared on her map. Indicating the location of the three of them. This will definitely make things easier. She thought. Those are the currencies used in this world, though Im not sure if all the kingdoms use the same currency. If they dont, they must have exchange houses in some cities where travelers can exchange them. And I got them because I stole them from someone," she explained, The silver ones keep them inside your boots and dont let anyone see them. According to what I have heard from the talks of the guards, there are two prophecies given by the previous priestess. I have no idea what the first one says, but I know that the second one indicates that a huge tower full of monsters will rise in the west. And they fear that the darkness will devour them if the tower is not destroyed. Ive heard it too, said Eric, gaining the attention of the other two women. What, you thought you were the only one with access to classified information? He said to Kalysto with a half-flirtatious smile plastered on his face. The tower will come out in the Duchy of Brincy. There are those who claim that the maid who tried to kill the queen inside her chambers a few weeks ago was one of the kings spies and mistresses. So he is now seeking to gain the favor of the duke, sending the heroes there to protect his duchy and eliminate the doubts that fall on him since there are those who believe that it was the king himself who planned the death of the queen, who is the daughter of the Duke of Brincy. How do you know all this? Kalysto questioned, full of curiosity. Before the king sent the court magicians on some missions, one of them sent me to spy on the king. if the court magicians work for the king, how did they send you to spy on him?" Eric shrugged. How should I know? Well, that doesnt matter," added Kalysto. Now, if after the ball in which the heroes of the kingdom of Bhallys will join us, more than two weeks pass and I have not communicated with you, get out of there and travel to the kingdom of Thaluz she added, knowing that it was the closest human kingdom to the fairy kingdom, Bahram. And stay near the adventurers guild there. Try to level up as much as you can and get information on how to create a portal. She said, making sure to look them in the eye. Dont travel through any nearby cities or towns to the south. The demon kings lands are to the south, as are the monsters that have been destroying several cities. Stay safe. Both young people looked at each other, fear reflected in their eyes. Youre not coming with us, are you? Madha questioned nervously. No. I still need to know whether or not Alice came with the summoned heroes of Bhallys. As soon as I can confirm it at the ball, well look for a way to escape. Koden and Rita want to leave as soon as possible. So as soon as they send us to a dungeon, or training like today, well take the opportunity to do so, they both nodded. And Kalysto handed Madha one of the bows she had taken from the goblins, along with the quiver she stole from the elf that was among the sea of corpses she came across the first day she arrived in this world. And to Eric, the dagger with which she almost cut his throat when he surprised her in the forest. Arrows will appear in it if you imbue it with mana Madha nodded her head and began to do so at that very moment. And another thing, dont say youre a mage. Not everyone in this world has a system, and you dont need one to be an adventurer. For the time being, travel as a rogue and an archer. Practice as much as you can. I will contact you as soon as I can. And how are you going to find us? The contracts we just made, it shows me your locations on my system map," Eric laughed as soon as he heard her say that. Whats going on? she asked him with a frown. The old wizard was right, then," Kalysto frowned even more, not understanding. Be careful with him. Hes been watching you. And the other day, I heard him say that he was sure you could access your system, but that you just didnt want others to see it. Ill keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning," she said. Now youd better leave before someone else comes along and discovers us," she added. Pointing them in the direction of the path she had found earlier that morning. Six and a half hours later, the small group of survivors returned to the castle on foot, their clothes torn, full of dirt and dried blood. Some of them could barely walk on their own, while the rest looked like they had survived a living hell. What the hell happened? Where are the other heroes? The Duke of Brincy, near the entrance of the palace, growled as he saw them returning in such a bad state while holding a group of papers in his hands for an important meeting he had just finished. Its... theyre dead... theyre all dead," murmured Sandra with a pale face, trembling hands and eyes full of tears. Chapter 97 “In the middle of the forest” Part 4 Chapter 97 In the middle of the forest Part 4 Four hours earlier. Eric and Madha refused to leave immediately and leave her surrounded by so many wolves when the guards could barely keep them at bay. Theres something you should know," Eric insisted, refusing to leave without telling her. I think they have a way to track us. What, and youre just telling me now? growled Kalysto, worried about little Katia. But at that moment, the screams of Edward, whose leg had just been bitten by a wolf, caught her attention. Ice arrows! She shot, hitting the wolf in the neck, which, full of fury, ran to where she was hidden by the thick foliage, together with two other wolves. Can you distract those two while I get rid of this one and set a trap for them? Yes," said Eric, before blurring back into the shadows. Madha followed him shortly after. And although Kalysto at first thought that both young fellows would get in her way, she quickly realized that this would not be the case. Ice daggers, ice manipulation! She whispered as she put away her bow and ran towards the wolf, swerving towards the thick trunk of a tree against which she jumped to spin in mid-air and land on top of its back, burying both daggers. Sleep well! Sleep well! She whispered before leaping away from the enraged beast. But just as it had happened last time, it didnt have the effect she expected. [Warning: the skill level is too low to be used on this target!] Damn! She growled, as the wolf pounced at her with its snout wide open and its sharp fangs bared. Water blades! Ice blades! Immediately, Kalysto pulled another pair of daggers from her inventory and, after dodging the wolfs attack, she counterattacked, burying the left dagger against its furry neck and slashing the beasts side with the one on the right. The beasts blood splattered against her shirt and face, but she didnt flinch. Why on earth is he still standing? Inspection!! she whispered. Not being able to believe the resistance of these wolves. [Name: N/A Race: Mountain wolf Level: 19 HP: 4,810/25,000 MP: 0/0] What the hell do these things eat to have so much health? She complained, this time pulling out a sword from her inventory and thrusting it against the beasts back, then dodging another couple of attacks from its side and finally pulling out another sword with which she was able to cut its neck with a single blow. [You have gained 400 experience points!] Then she bent down and touched the ground with the palms of her hands on the blood-spattered earth. Ice creation! She whispered, creating two thin paths that made their way through the grass until they reached the hind legs of the wolves, freezing them on the spot. Both beasts began to struggle as they felt their hind parts stuck to the ground, but it was too late. ice manipulation! -She whispered, quickly spreading the ice across their stomachs until it reached their forelegs, freezing them and sticking them to the ground. Now you can kill them," she said to Eric and Madha, who soon obeyed her. It was after they had killed ten of them, following a similar strategy, that the great white wolf attacked them. A rain of lightning rained down on them as the huge creature extended its claws towards Kalysto, who could barely evade the blow. One of the bolts struck Eric in the chest, throwing him several meters away and sending him crashing into a tree. Madhas arms were scorched, while only Kalystos left arm was damaged. The saintess immediately took out two small vials of holy water and threw them at Madha. Drink one and give the other to Eric," she shouted, then ran to the other side, away from the two youngsters, to give them time to recover. Ice blades! Water blades! Water arrows! Ice arrows! It was strange to shoot the arrows without a bow, yet she could not afford to dawdle and get distracted. The wolf ran after her, and just as her body began to charge with electricity, Kalysto incanted: Water creation! A strong jet of water shot out of her hands, hitting the creatures snout and body, causing it to electrocute itself. Its a pity its lightning isnt as powerful," Kalysto muttered. It was more damage per quantity than per unit. Earth manipulation! A huge zigzagging line formed from where Kalysto stood to where her prey was and the earth beneath the wolf opened up, devouring the unsuspecting animal. But the wily wolf was soon out of its sudden prison and pounced on its prey, believing it to be unawares. But Kalysto was already waiting for him with the ground frozen beneath her feet. Ice manipulation! she shouted, at the same time as several bolts of lightning discharged into her body. Kalysto gritted her teeth in pain for a few seconds as she ended up skewering the wolf into a huge ice spike that pierced her stomach. Immediately, the intensity of the lightning decreased, and the wolf, wounded and tired, tried to escape. With trembling hands Kalysto pulled out a small bottle of holy water and drank it, feeling the itch that always came with healing, even so her hands didnt stop shaking as she pulled a sword from her inventory and buried it in the beasts neck after failing in her attempt to cut it. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Shit, I bet someone would be happy to create a suit of armor out of your skin! She growled, as the wolf opened its jaws and tried to bite her. Idiot, give up at once!" And although he tried to electrocute her again, his rays were getting weaker and weaker. Youre probably running out of mana, said Kalysto. Considering all the lightning you sent before coming here and your spectacular entrance, its no wonder," she muttered, and pulled out another sword from her inventory and buried it in his neck. Then she pulled out two frozen arrows, ice manipulation! She whispered, burying them in the creatures snout and elongating the ice on them so that it went through its snout to the other side, then she buried another two in its eyes, and pulled out a dagger. It was just as she touched it, seconds before the creature died, that a violet-colored sign which she did not expect, popped out in front of her. [Does the user wish to absorb the skills of this mountain wolf (elite)?] [YES/NO] Kalysto blinked in disbelief. What? [Warning: if the user wishes to absorb the stats or skills of this beast, it must be done within the next three seconds. Does the user wish to absorb the skills of this mountain wolf (elite)?] [YES/NO] ...Yes," she said, but nothing happened. Absorb! -she said again, touching the wolfs fur. But no sign appeared again. It wasnt until she tried touching the crystal she had wanted to remove from the wolfs head that a purple sign appeared again. [Does the user wish to absorb this mountain wolf crystal (elite)?] [YES/NO] ... Yes," she whispered with dejection, wishing she had been quicker to answer earlier, too curious to know what would have happened if she had. [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Lightning. Level 1!] Immediately, the creatures body was transformed into stone and reduced to ashes, in the same way as the crystals she had previously absorbed. Still confused by what had just happened, it was the screams of Koden, Rita, and Edward that reminded her of the danger the others were in. Youd better leave Kalysto said to Eric and Madha as she picked up the swords she had used earlier and put them back in her inventory, then ran to meet the others. Chaos greeted her. Two more guards had died, along with another hero. Sandras arm looked broken, while Edwards was wounded and covered in blood, as were Kodens chest and Ritas cheeks. Seeing the state they were still in, while two guards, one level twenty-five and one level twenty-three were still fighting the wolves, Kalysto immediately took off her boots and stockings and after feeling the cold ground under her feet, she conjured: Mana control! Mana manipulation! Mana manipulation! Ice creation! And as she drew her bow again, she directed her mana towards her feet, creating a path of ice that reached one of the five wolves surrounding Edward and Koden, then forked and froze the paws of all five wolves. She immediately launched the first arrow. Ice manipulation! She said, as her feet touched the ice on the ground and manipulated the ice that had covered the paws of the five beasts, engulfing them up to their necks. A slight dizziness enveloped her for a few seconds, however, she did not stop and continued to shoot a couple more arrows as a trickle of blood ran down her nose. [The Ice Creation skill has leveled up to level 10!] [Ice Manipulation skill has leveled up to level 10!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ice Resistance. Level 1!] Ice Resistance! he whispered, and immediately the frost he had been feeling in his feet and legs disappeared, Rita, cut off their heads, and choose fire! She said after launching a couple of arrows with penetration stats at the wolf that had been attacking Rita. As soon as Rita was able to get rid of the furry beast, she cut the neck of the first wolf. [You have gained 100 experience points!] It was after Rita cut the throat of the second, that her gaze was lost in space in front of her for a few minutes before a small flare of fire shot out of her hands, burning the head of the third wolf. [Youve gained 100 experience points!] [Youve gained 100 experience points!] And while Kalysto launched a rain of arrows at any wolf that moved, the guards fought against five other wolves. [You have gained 500 experience points!] [You have gained 400 experience points!] [You have gained 600 experience points!] [You have gained 100 experience points!] [You have gained 100 experience points!] [You have gained 100 experience points!] [The user has leveled up to level 24!] And while Kalysto picked up her boots, after refreezing the bodies of five other wolves, the new fire mage took it upon herself to bathe the rest of the monsters and the surrounding forest in flames, while Kalysto opened a small path of ice, through which they were able to escape. It was while they were taking a break after fleeing the flames, that a group of soldiers passing by after conducting an inspection found them, and were able to take them back to the castle, where the new saintess was immediately summoned and came to heal them. Later that night, when they were finally given permission to return to the safety of their rooms, Kalysto again brought out the crystal that the elven king had given her to communicate with Caranthir. Caranthir? Kalysto whispered, but just like the night before, and the night before that, no one answered. Annoyed, she pulled out a bottle of holy water and took a drink. She felt the usual itching all over her body, especially in her head and chest. I used too much mana today," she whispered, annoyed as she realized that her body had not yet gotten used to the constant consumption of mana. After letting out a big sigh, she decided to try one more time before giving up. Caranthir? Saintess? The sleepy voice that answered from the other side of the crystal took her by surprise. We need to talk," she said, letting out all the temper she had bottled up. Of course," replied the elf. Im on my way! And without giving him time to refuse her, she put the crystal in her inventory and went into the bathroom, taking out the home stone that would take her back to the elves castle. As soon as she got there, her feet slipped and her body was turned at a forty-five degree angle, just before a pair of arms caught her. Careful, there!" muttered Caranthir. Helping her regain her balance as Kalysto looked in utter shock at what had once been a beautiful city, was now completely in ruins, including the palace. What the hell happened here? The fairy queen, thats what happened," the elf explained in a low whisper. Kalysto frowned in disbelief that her employer would cause such a level of mass destruction just because the elves had not kept their end of the deal. Her confusion must have been visible on her face, because Caranthir broke the silence that had gripped her as she examined the remains of what had once been houses. Why are you surprised? I didnt think she would do something like this, she answered with complete honesty. What surprises me is that she hasnt hunted us down and exterminated all of my race," he replied quietly. Isnt that a bit of an exaggerated statement? Kalysto turned to look into the dark-circled eyes of the elf, whose haggard face screamed something beyond exhaustion. Saintess, no god likes it when someone touches their avatar. Chapter 98 “Small Changes” Chapter 98 Small Changes What the hell? I didnt think youd ever talk to me again after what happened. I thought you broke the deal. What? Kalysto frowned. Youre the one who didnt keep the deal, and its me youre accusing? But before she could plead, Caranthir knelt down in front of her. To her great surprise. I apologize. It was because I was too busy eliminating the monsters and trying to save my soldiers, that I neglected you and because of that error of judgment on my part, because of that little moment of carelessness in which I sent someone else to protect you thinking they were totally trustworthy, the saintess was kidnapped and tortured. ... Kalysto froze when she heard that. How did you find out about that? She asked, confused at the annoyance she felt that word had gotten out, surprised that he had knelt before her, as if he were confessing to a priest, and the slight emotion that ran through her as she saw him kneeling before her looking down at the ground. What the hell is wrong with me? She scolded herself. Because the queen came, tortured my brother, and destroyed the palace. Even the monsters that were nearby fled in terror as soon as they sensed her, Kalysto kept silent before answering. And she took the opportunity to take another small look at the ruins surrounding the rubble of what was left of the palace. What happened to those two? she asked, suddenly filled with distrust. Looking to the sides, realizing that there was no trace of any survivors, Where are the rest of your people? Id rather not have to meet any more elves. I dont think the saintess should worry about those two, they have been tortured and killed by the queen. ...And the rest? Caranthir stirred uncomfortably at the insistent question. ... What happened to the rest of your people? ... After another moment of hesitation, he raised his face and looked her in the eyes. May I speak freely with the peace of mind of knowing that nothing I confess to you will be brought to the queens ears? Kalysto looked at him coldly. ... That means the others escaped before she arrived, doesnt it? How did they know when to escape? Kalysto could see his Adams apple bobbing up and down nervously. Im afraid that was my fault. As soon as I noticed that you were gone I returned to the castle thinking that you had returned to this place of summoning, but when I realized that it was not so I continued searching, it was then that I noticed the disappearance of Roedhoj and Ather. And I began to suspect what was happening. So I alerted my brother, but instead of informing the queen of what had happened, he gave the order to evacuate. We argued, and I learned that apparently they were not the only ones who had planned to attempt against you, but Jaesia had discovered that Xaermn and Lakyat had also recently disappeared after she began investigating why the food my younger brother ordered for you was never sent. Also, we believe they were behind the monster invasion. Apparently, it was a political move to discredit my brothers power and his right to the throne. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ... In that case, wouldnt you be another suspect? she asked, crossing her arms. I was never interested in the throne in the first place, plus Im a half-breed, so the high elves would never allow someone like me to rule. ... And while everyone is gone, why are you still here? My cottage is on the outskirts, deep in the forest. And while it is not protected from monsters, it is protected from the interruption of other elves. And that alone says a lot about the kind of life youve led so far, doesnt it? Having to protect yourself from the very people you fought so hard to protect. She thought with a bit of sympathy. Then wed better continue this conversation there then. I wouldnt want to meet someone unwanted," she said, looking him in the eyes. If you mean my brother, I assure you that he is in no condition to even get out of bed. Why? What happened to him? she asked. If Caranthir still hasn''t been able to heal him after what happened with the queen, that could give me an advantage. She thought. But if the reason he hasnt recovered yet is because after what happened with my boss, hes been fighting to stay on the throne Your queen, thats what happened to him," he said, extending a hand towards Kalysto, which she took with some caution. Then, they both appeared in front of a cozy hut surrounded by trees. I dont get many visitors, so I apologize for the mess," he commented somewhat shyly as he opened the door. Leaving her to see a small living room followed by a dining room that was filled with books and behind which was a nice kitchen. Three closed doors caught her attention, but she ignored them as she took a seat in the dining room chair he pulled out for her. I doubt you will accept anything to eat that I offer you, but I still feel compelled to ask. Its fine like this for now," she forced herself to say despite the delicious smell of cooked meat coming from the kitchen. The two sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Kalysto dared to break it. If youre thinking of asking me to cure him, the answer is no. ...I figured it would be," he replied with his eyes closed as he let out a long sigh. But that doesnt mean I didnt have hope. You broke your promise," she accused him. I know," he replied in a soft voice. And I am willing to pay any price you wish," he assured her in a solemn voice, but the sadness in his eyes did not disappear. Quite the contrary. To the point that Kalysto began to feel some compassion for him, despite all that had happened. But I would like you not to break the deal, although you would have every right to do so. If it is necessary for me to kneel..." he began to say as he rose from his chair, but Kalysto was quick to stop him. That is not necessary," she assured him. Though to a part, deep within her, she was filled with satisfaction at seeing him on his knees. Instead, she opened her status window, but nowhere did she see any indication of where she could find the contract they had made. Map. she thought. How the hell can I change our contract? And she pressed on the dot that showed Caranthirs location. A purple window appeared in front of her. [User wishes to delete/modify the soul binding contract with Caranthir, son of Arandh?] [Delete/Modify] Several hours later, it was almost dawn when Kalysto was finally able to return to the small bathroom in her room in the human kingdom. Exhausted after all that had happened that busy day, she threw herself on the bed without changing her clothes. Only to wake up what seemed like seconds later, in the middle of a lonely corridor with the loud sound of footsteps approaching her. Chapter 99 “Small Changes” Part 2 Chapter 99 Small Changes Part 2 A couple of hours earlier. Kalysto clenched her fists under the table, making sure no emotion showed on her face. I would love not to have to resort to an elf. The problem was, she didnt have much choice, and she wasnt sure who she could trust. But after what happened with Persephone and the bosss warning, I dont think the boss would be willing to make a new deal with me... better to look elsewhere for help. Which left her with no alternative but the wizard sitting in front of her. If it wasnt because I need a way to make sure I can make it out of the third mission alive, find Alice, create a Dark mana magic circle and at least one mana circle, plus find a safe way to get back to Earth, I wouldnt seek his help. But that was not all. Although much had happened in the past few days, the loud silence in her own mind was disturbing. Not only because she hadnt heard a single sarcastic comment from Persephone again, even when she saw Edward doing stupid things, but because she had been keeping herself busy leveling up her abilities so as not to think about how hard it had been to regain control of her own body, and how much she was terrified of the possibility that next time, she wouldnt be able to regain it. And Kalysto had no plans to go through that again. Ever. The problem is, Im not sure how I can fix that. So she continued to watch Caranthir silently as she thought, and he grew increasingly nervous. First, I need to get stronger, and make sure Im never again in such a disadvantageous situation where I have no choice but to cede control to Persephone. As had happened with the merchant. The only thing that helped me at the time was that my mental defense level up, although it wasnt enough at the beginning. And she was frightened by the thought of being trapped again in the middle of that void of absolute darkness. Ill have to find another, safer way to level it up. And she turned her attention back to the figure of the man sitting across from her, remembering how well others spoke about his power. But I also need to make sure he cant lie to me... The contract will have to be modified. It was then that she remembered some comments she heard from the elves about how dangerous it could be to make a contract with a fairy, and the deal Hanna had offered her. A thin smile tugged at her lips, one that she hurried to wipe off her face without a trace. I would like to apologize again for my fault, and if the saintess so deems I would like you to accept a couple of gifts as a token of good faith," he said, looking at her in the eyes. Kalysto arched an eyebrow in response but did not reply, so he rose and after walking through what she would have sworn was a simple wall, Caranthirs figure disappeared. Mana sense. She thought immediately, alarmed at the possibility of being ambushed and spread her mana throughout the cottage. But there was no one there but the two of them. She managed to let out a sigh full of relief before Caranthir returned to the room with a small chest in his hands. He placed it on the table, pushing a couple of books aside to make some space and opened it in front of her. Right now, this is one of my most prized possessions," he said hoarsely, the pain of parting with it palpable in his voice. I spent months searching for it from kingdom to kingdom. This crystal will allow you to learn the skill to grow any plant." Kalystos interest was piqued when she heard that, yet she did her best to cover it up. Its something I had been keeping to myself, but I hadnt had all the time it takes to learn such a skill. ...Even if you give me this, I already told you that I have no intention of healing your brother. In fact, as part of the punishment, I will change the entire contract, completely removing the part where I agreed to heal your people for a few hours in exchange for learning magic and potions with you on a month-to-month basis. ... Even if you dont use your magic to heal my brother, you could give me enough holy water to cure him," he whispered with misty eyes and a look of desperation on his face. Even with all my knowledge of potions, there are certain types of damage that only holy water can heal. Broken bones. Kalysto thought, remembering how bad her feet were when she first came into this world. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ...And you think with that alone you could tempt me to make a deal again with someone who broke his word before? Ill give you anything you want in return, everything in my power to get," the elf hastened to reply, the desperation palpable in his voice. Then his face lit up for an instant. I remember that you were interested in my multiple ice spear throwing skills, but that you yourself were not able to hit all three ice arrows. ...Are you trying to humiliate me? She questioned him, her voice full of harshness as she arched an eyebrow. Not at all. But I do have a couple of skill crystals that could help you correct that problem. It will take a while to assimilate them, but I can teach you a type of meditation that will help you acquire the skills imbued in a crystal in less than three days, rather than a week. It normally takes a week to absorb a crystal? She was surprised. No wonder I faint every time I absorb a big one. My people are known for being good archers, but its not just because we train for years to achieve such a level of skill, but because we tend to seek out the skills that help us supplement archery. Are you telling me there are skill crystals for that? They are hard to come by, but yes, there are. If the saintess waits for me for a moment, I can go for a skill that will allow you to manipulate different objects at the same time and an active one that will allow you to shoot at different targets. I can add another one that will make it no matter how many arrows the saintess shoots, you will always hit the target. You have quite an interesting arsenal of tricks. I had heard that you were already a wizard before acquiring the violet system. But I never imagined you had so many tricks up your sleeve," Caranthirs gaze filled with sadness again and Kalysto frowned, not understanding what she had said that could cause such a reaction. Whats wrong? ... Caranthir avoided her gaze for a few seconds before answering in a low voice. As part of my punishment, the queen took away my system. And announced that she would not allow any of our people to have it ever again. Oh," Kalysto whispered, not knowing what else to say. Caranthir, on the other hand, grimaced. The gods are capricious and volatile creatures of great power, saintess. I am aware that I should feel grateful to be able to stay alive after my fault. Besides, I am sure that the reason my people were saved and that my brother Ettokalr is still alive is because the saintess intervened. Why are you so sure of that? She questioned him and a faint smile appeared on the elfs lips. Apart from the fact that the city was destroyed, something that had already begun thanks to the invasion made by the monsters, the only loss we had was our sacred tree. A tree that we have had for centuries and that the queen had never shown any interest in before. But suddenly the saintess is very interested in getting its fruits, which can help you to increase the amount of mana you have. Seeing that Kalysto did not show any reaction, he continued explaining. There are records that when the ancient gods still traveled between the worlds, entire civilizations were destroyed when someone dared to do them a disservice. And yet the queen chooses to punish us by not killing us all. In fact, I doubt very much that she did not realize that my people had escaped just before she came and yet she did not decide to hunt us down like animals and simply settled for destroying the city and torturing some people. What happened to you was reason enough to justify her anger. In fact, Im glad the god of the ether is asleep right now, because then we would have had to bear his wrath as well, for touching his most precious creation. Arent you exaggerating a bit? Saintess, what happened is more than enough reason to start a war between the two races, Kalysto gave her a condescending look. Its the saintess who has no idea who shes dealing with... Another reason why people are very hesitant to mess with fairies is not just because the fairy queen is powerful, but because she is the avatar of the god of ether. She was even his lover. And he turned her into a goddess as a parting gift before ending their relationship and marrying the goddess of light. Fieal, did this as a kind of warning towards the followers of the goddess of light, so that they would not dare to touch his avatar, nor harm her. So at this moment, the only living goddess in this world is the queen of the fairies. And one of our race, after my brother had agreed to protect you, dared to hurt the chosen one of the fairy queen goddess. And even knowing this, you all behaved as you did? I cannot speak for my brother. I can only apologize for my own behavior in the midst of the chaos of battle, again an awkward silence spread between them. Go and bring me those crystals you told me about as soon as Caranthir returned, he put the crystals on the table. Kalysto took them and put them in her inventory, then opened her status window. [User wishes to delete/modify the soul binding contract with Caranthir, son of Arandh?] [Delete/Modify] Then, to Caranthirs great horror, she selected to delete. But I thought that...? the wizard complained, but Kalysto raised her hand, asking him to stop. There are some terms we need to establish:
  1. You will answer truthfully to everything I ask you and you will never lie to me or share with others what we talk about. If you break this rule, your heart will stop beating.
  2. You will not betray me, and you will not tell anyone else about me or my secrets. If you do, you will die.
  3. From this moment on and for the next year, you will work only for me. You will be available any time I call you and you will get me anything I ask for.
...Dont you think youre exaggerating? He exclaimed in alarm, his eyes wide open and his face pale. Not at all. You have gone back on your word before and your people have not proven to be trustworthy, at least not with me, even when I have helped them several times. Id rather not take chances again," seeing that he was still reluctant, she added in a soft, convincing voice. Besides, not only are you indebted to me, but I am the only person willing to give you something that will help you save your dear brothers life," she added, taking out one of the bottles he had previously given her with mana potion, but which she had now filled with holy water. I think you recognize this. Caranthir, seeing what she had placed on the dining table, rushed to pick it up, but Kalysto beat him to it and put it back in her inventory. Now, are you willing to make a new deal with me? Chapter 100 “Unexpected Re-encounters”. Chapter 100 Unexpected Re-encounters. Caranthirs hand shook, and the elf hurried to cover it with his other hand. He sat back down in the chair across from Kalysto and placed his hands on his thick tunic under the table. Wishing inwardly that she could not notice how affected he was. And after taking a deep breath, as if to give himself courage, he nodded his head, his face suddenly full of determination. What do you need me to do? he asked, his deep voice permeating the air, as he feigned a calmness he was far from feeling. But Kalysto didnt even flinch at his predicament. These are my terms:
  1. You will answer truthfully to everything I ask you and you will never lie to me or share with others what we talk about. If you break this rule, your heart will stop beating.
  2. You will not betray me, and you will not tell anyone else about me or my secrets. If you do, you will die.
  3. From this moment on and for the next year, you will work only for me. You will be available any time I call you and you will get me everything I ask for. You will also accommodate your schedule to mine.
  4. You will teach me everything I ask of you, from how to create a magic circle, including all types of magic, to potions. What you dont know, you will have to research on your own and be ready for my questions.
  5. In exchange for working for me, I will give you two liters of holy water per month, which you can resell or do with them as you wish.
  6. I will assign you some independent missions, which I will pay for with additional holy water. Among them will be to help me find my friend Alice and to help me discover the spell and all that is required to be able to return to my world and take other people with me. The latter will be your first task and you will have one month to complete it.
  7. You will give priority to me and the work you do for me, even above any work, service or activity you do for your race. This way I can be sure that you will never again abandon me or leave me behind to do something else for them.
  8. You will give me all the potions I need per month, plus all the potion materials I ask you for, from cauldrons, empty bottles and so on. I will give you half a liter of holy water per month to cover these expenses.
  9. This contract will be valid for one year and will be valid from the moment you accept it. In case we both want to continue working together, a new contract will be formed and the terms will be updated.
And as Kalysto spoke, everything she said was being written inside the purple window of the contract. So, do you accept the terms? Although the elfs face lost what little color it had, Caranthir nodded his head, but doubt still shone in his eyes. I think a month to research how to travel to other worlds is too short a time. Even my former master, the only person I have ever known with the ability to do such a thing, took her over forty years to research such a feat," the man replied. I knew there had to be a reason he became a wizard before he got the system! She thought, making sure that it didnt show on her face how much she was interested in hearing that story. Besides, the amount of mana needed for it is gigantic. It is practically impossible to possess such an amount of mana, no body could..." Kalystos voice interrupted him. Then youd better hurry to find your old master and bring me results, Caranthir, because I need that information. Its impossible... She died decades ago," he answered with a frown and confusion stamped on his face. Then bring me the notes of your old master... Kalysto got up from the chair and stood next to him. And in a soft voice, she whispered in his ear. That is, if you really want to save your brothers life..." she added, allowing the idea to embed itself in his mind. How do five liters of holy water sound in exchange for giving me information about it, notebooks, books, texts, notes, anything you can get your hands on? Kalysto hid her smile when she saw the greed shining in the elfs eyes. He probably knows where at least some of the information is, but he doesnt know how to use it or doesnt know all the conditions necessary to get the result I want. She thought, remembering all of Artemis warnings about not touching any other profession before she had leveled up enchantments to level forty, or she would never be able to meet the conditions necessary to be able to acquire glyph inscription, the other profession the queen demanded of her to be able to create the protective barriers she needed. And the ancient languages, like the runic language, could only be learned if the glyph inscription was studied in a certain special way. And both were fundamental requirements for the creation of barriers. Maybe something similar will happen with this. She thought with a bit of hope. Even if he didnt have all the information, it would give me a basis with which to start investigating, or at least I would have an idea of what I could ask Artemis or exchange with her to get information about it. They both watched each other in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. By the time I raise enchantments to level forty, Ill most likely have to be around Artemis studying all the time... Which means I have to hurry and make sure everything goes smoothly during the boys escape, or the boss might get annoyed that my attention is elsewhere. Unlike what she had originally thought, healing the plague had turned out to be much easier than she thought. The only case she still had left to finish was Artemis herself, and it was only because the damage to her legs was too advanced. Im going to need to increase my mana points in order to finish healing her, but to increase my mana reserves, I need to create at least my first mana circle. Which again led her to the man sitting in front of her. So do we have a deal? She asked with a smile full of confidence as she stretched out her hand towards the elf, who this time did not hesitate to take it. A couple of hours earlier. Kingdom of Balsac. Throne room. I dont understand why the king thinks it is the temples responsibility to escort the heroes during their training trip," answered Alim Berkeley in a calm voice, despite the late hour in which the king had summoned him to the royal palace. Only two guards, trusted by the king, guarded the entrance to the large enclosure where the former great cardinal of the temple of light, and now appointed supreme pontiff, stood in front of the king. Who lay seated in his comfortable chair with a majestic red cloak over his shoulders, and a crown of gold and rubies decorating his head. With his dark gaze full of greed, completely focused on the new pontiff, the only other soul in the spacious room. I think it is the high pontiff who does not understand," King Medhas argued. I doubt very much that with all the losses the temple of light has suffered in the last month, it is appropriate to let the world know that it is our dear Darlas fault that the former duke of Lanish was poisoned," he commented as if talking about the weather. As he enjoyed watching the apparent calmness in the face of the newly promoted priest darken. Especially since not even the temple has the resources to create holy water anymore," he added, letting him know that what they believed was a well-kept secret about Darlas lack of skills in blessing water, a secret they had kept hidden thanks to the fact that the previous pontiffs secretary was also a saint. But the old man had died years ago due to old age. And with the few resources you have left, being forced to defend yourself against the great military power that is the Duchy of Lanish once they learn the truth... it wont be an easy task, will it? Is the king threatening the temple? Grunted the forty-five-year-old man, the same age as the king in front of him. However, it was the king who looked much older and more worn out than he really was. I think the word threat sounds too harsh," Medhas voice was full of false condescension. I prefer to call it a mutual agreement," he continued, giving him a smile. I understand that as the new bishop, there are many skeletons inside the temple closets that are best not allowed to come to light," the man continued. I am not even asking for Darlas release, but for the help of the new saintess. I have heard that in the city of Cifha, which has been filled with refugees from the other cities that have been destroyed after the invasion of the monsters or the demon king, the health and economy of many families have been affected... is it not the duty of the temple to go and heal them? To heal their aching souls and give them some rest so that they can reaffirm their faith? he added brazenly. And what better than to do it while accompanying the heroes on their training journey as they go to close a new dungeon nearby? Wouldnt that help improve the temples image after the great failure you had in subjugating the black dragon? A dragon that came to our world thanks to the work of the previous saintess. The new pontiffs fists clenched inside his tunic as he clenched his jaw. Berkeley could not believe the brazenness and cynicism of the man in front of him. But, although he detested the king to the point where being in his presence turned his insides, he could not deny that it was true that since the death of the previous pope, donations from the aristocrats had stopped, and with them most of the profits of the temple, who had had to compensate the families of all the soldiers they had lost during the failed subjugation, while they tried to find a new main headquarters, far from the ruins of the destroyed kingdom of Vatha. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. And even if he wanted to, the new pontiff was in no position to refute. Not in the current chaotic state the temple of light was in. Not with the demon kings army ascending from the southern continent. Least of all, with the monsters annihilating entire cities left and right without any apparent pattern, only to evaporate without a trace, as if made of shadows. And then reappear in some other kingdom of Tanish, and begin again to destroy everything in their path. In a terrible cycle, which many were beginning to fear, had no end. And everyone in my kingdom expects the temple and the saintess to help the heroes face the demon king and his army of monsters," concluded the king, oblivious to the fact that he had lost the pontiffs attention several minutes before. Berkeley took a deep breath as his chest burned with rage at being forced to play by the stupid kings rules, but he had no other choice for the moment, not until it was decided where the new central temple would be established. And in the meantime, he would have to play along with this man, although the only thing he could give him was the security that came from the powerful military force of the armies of the Lanish and Brincy duchies. A couple of hours later. Kalysto blinked, unable to understand what was happening. She was sure that she had lain down only seconds ago on the bed inside the room that the king of Balsac and his people had prepared for them. And yet there she was, in the middle of a dimly lit hallway, in the middle of the night. How the hell did I get here? She questioned herself, feeling her heart gallop like a runaway horse against her chest. Sense the mana! She commanded, as she felt the flow of her mana leave her body and surround the perimeter by barely a couple of meters, assuring her that she was the only soul in the vicinity. Map! She thought, needing to be sure. But the enlarged map returned the same information her senses had already told her. There was no one else there with her. So there was only one possible explanation for what was happening to her. One that she was afraid to delve into. Alice had told her about it some time ago. About the blank spaces one personality had when the other took control. Kalysto breathed in sharply as a shiver ran through her body at the thought. I need to calm down. She said to herself. However, contrary to her expectations, her breathing quickened even though she hadnt moved an inch as the implications of what she was experiencing flashed through her mind. What the hell am I going to do from now on if Persephone starts stealing spaces of my time? And what was even more terrifying for the saintess... What did she do this time? Did she kill someone? Why did she go out without me noticing?... What triggered it?... How come I regained control without even realizing it?... I just went to sleep a moment ago!... And as her mind traveled in a spiral of unanswered questions, she began to hyperventilate. The worst thing is that since I have my cell phone in my backpack, I didnt even notice what time it was before I went to bed! And I dont have the slightest idea how long I was without control of my body! Her face turned pale at the possibilities. Thats it! Im not going to sleep again!... She decided. Ill ask Caranthir to help me strengthen my mental defenses and Ill live on revitalization potions from now on!... Confident that this was the best plan she had for the moment, she continued. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And though she felt the familiar coldness that came with the skill, she forced herself to activate it about ten more times before she finally felt safe enough. I need more information on this!... Its a pity theres no internet in this world!... If only I had Alice around!.... But it didnt mean that libraries didnt exist. At the very instant the thought struck her, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the silence of the dark night. And trusting her instinct and the map that wasnt quite revealed, she escaped. In search of the library. It was almost an hour later that she found it. And for the next three hours until the sun came up, she devoted herself to duplicating all the books on magic in general and mental magic that the royal library had. She had even snuck inside the forbidden section and duplicated all the books she thought might be of use to her. Using her new skill to manipulate the earth and use it against the rocks in the walls that kept the books confined, just as those giant earthworms had done to the floor. She arrived at her room a little after the sun had risen. She immediately took a revitalization potion to get rid of the accumulated fatigue and took out one of the many books she had duplicated and stuffed into one of the bags imbued with space magic she had obtained from the blond merchant. And as she desperately searched for information that would be of use to her, a knock at the door startled her. Miss Luna, the king has summoned the heroes," one of the servants told her. And despite her reluctance, she had to organize herself to start the day. My dear heroes, good morning! The king greeted them in the small dining room he had organized for them, several minutes after Kalysto and the rest of the summoned heroes came to meet him. Today, I have wonderful news for you. After you finish your breakfast, you will accompany the new saintess and the knights of the temple to the city of Cifha, then you will take a small detour to a new and small dungeon where you will find level 10 monsters, with which you will finally be able to advance on your journey. I understand that it is difficult to level up and that you have been stuck in your ascent since you have only been training with level 3 to 5 rabbits, and that this has been difficult for you. But we have tried to do things in the safest way for everyone. So from now on you have nothing to worry about. Several of my best men will accompany you on your journey and I assure you that those who return alive will do so bring much stronger than you are now. It is ironic how this guy really does not realize that with his attitude, he is only earning the enmity of all of us. Kalysto thought as she saw the looks of annoyance on most of the faces of the other summoned heroes. The only ones excited about the idea were Sandra and Edward. And that was for very different reasons. The next six hours were one of the most tedious experiences Kalysto had ever had, not only because it was annoying to have to share a small cubicle with the other heroes, but the carriage they were riding in barely had enough room to stretch their legs without bumping into each others legs. Fortunately she had managed to sit in front of one of the windows while she took the opportunity to read one of the books Caranthir had given her to study so she could understand the basics of magic and the creation of a magic circle. And while the others complained about the sweltering heat, she pretended to take out her reading material, along with her notebook and pencil, from the backpack Milo had given all the wizards to keep their clothes in. As she occasionally wrote down notes on the most important points and wrote them in Spanish, making sure that no one else could understand what she had written in her Portuguese notebook. A small caravan consisting of three carriages was traveling towards the city of Cifha. Milo and some of the court magicians rode in the first one, leading the way, followed by the carriage in which the heroes were traveling. In the last, and most elegant of them, traveled the saintess together with a small congregation of priests, all surrounded by the kings army and some knights of the temple. But before reaching their destination, they had to take a detour due to the destruction of the bridge that crossed the great river, several hours before reaching the city. And they had to first pass through what was left of the town of Exhos. A small ruined town that had been ravaged by famine for a year and monsters for a month. The cadaverous figures of the few people scattered in the streets welcomed them in the middle of a dirty half-destroyed city that almost seemed abandoned. The gazes of some of its inhabitants were filled with fear at the sight of them crossing its streets. Those of others, on the other hand, glowed with greed. The horses neighed nervously, almost refusing to advance along the path the soldiers were forcing them to travel in order to get out of there quickly and get through the city swiftly. But their strange behavior served to increase the uneasiness that already reigned in the hearts of all the soldiers. This is horrible! muttered Edward, as he opened the window curtain, looking with compassion at the people dressed in filthy rags, along with malnourished children with annoying flies buzzing around them. Cant we do something to help them? asked the young man, looking at Kalysto with hopeful eyes. You expect us to go out and hunt a monster so they can cook it and eat it? Uh...well," he said, avoiding her gaze. Maybe you could..." Kalysto frowned, annoyed at the insinuation. In case youve forgotten, were here against our will. Besides, feeding them once wont solve their problems. If its so hard for them to live here, they could learn to hunt for themselves or move to another city, as other inhabitants surely have. Even you have been able to hunt at least one rabbit and you are not even used to living in a world like this. But... Edward, its not our job to save the world. And even if it were, it wouldnt be this world that we would have to be responsible for. Instead of thinking about the welfare of those who support our captors, shouldnt you be more concerned about how things are on Earth? How do you think your father feels about not being able to find you? Not even knowing if youre alive or dead? Or even worse, without you knowing if hes even still alive? What? The surprise on her na?ve face when he heard that annoyed her. What the hell is wrong with him? Does he think this is all a video game? Did it never even occur to you to think about the safety of your family? Kalysto asked him, not believing what she was seeing. But before she could continue speaking, they were both interrupted when one of the guards scolded them when he saw that they had the window curtain open. Keep it closed, lest you give these poor godforsaken people ideas and they think theres something here for them to steal! The guard growled, and Edward hurried to close the window and the curtain despite the heat. Hurry up! shouted another guard. We must reach Cifha before nightfall. And as if it were a signal, as soon as the words finished coming out of the guards mouth, a loud explosion was heard in the distance, followed by the noise of hundreds of beasts that rushed into the middle of the dirty streets while a few passersby began to run and scream in terror at the sight of the monsters that began to invade the city. What... what the hell is that? Sandra stammered, her face losing all color. Quickly, the rest of the heroes peered out the window, only to be met with the bright bluish light of a ten foot high portal at the end of the long, steep street in front of the other window of the carriage. And beside the portal from which a horde of monsters emerged and began to run down the street, a huge green-colored orc with a scar across his eye stood firm, his palms close to each other and in between them a thin azure light from a small circle of mana stood active. His cheeks tinged with red lines announced his readiness for battle and his muscular body was adorned with an armor that Kalysto recognized on the spot. Just as he recognized the scar on his eye, one that she herself had caused with an arrow the very day she arrived in this world, as revenge for the monster that had broken the bones in her feet while she was still on Earth. Shit, what the hell is he doing here? Chapter 101 “Unexpected Re-encounters” Part 2. Chapter 101 Unexpected Re-encounters Part 2. The problem with living in a world that seemed to still be stuck in the Middle Ages was not only the lack of the internet to find information, but she found absolutely no books about psychology in the huge royal library. Although she did find a couple about mental magic in the restricted section. Among them, the most useful was the oldest of them all. She had even duplicated it several times from the original, fearing that it would be damaged by turning the old pages of what she assumed was a strange and very distorted version of parchment paper. On it was a quote describing a much faster way to learn the complex art of mind magic. Mental magic is an old art that very few today are likely to learn. Yet there is great value in it, for it not only helps the magician to know his own mind and that of his enemies, but also to defend against both external and internal enemy mental attacks, protects the magician from the dark magics of the night elves, from demonic possession (and if one is strong enough, one can even block that of the mysterious and elusive outer gods), as well as to distinguish illusions (even those of the fairies). It also helps to know ones own mana flow perfectly. I always thought the latter was a result of constant and disciplined study of the mind. But over time, and through one of my students, my own firstborn, I have discovered a much faster path to what used to take decades to learn... If the disciple who is entering the arts of the mind, first educates himself in knowing his own mana flow and in creating his first magic circle, it will be much faster for him to progress in the mental arts. And if he then learns to raise his defenses, learning the art of telepathy will make it much safer for him to enter other minds, and investigate even into his own memories without running any risk... And it was the latter that drove her to concentrate on that book. Not only could she find a way to safely defend herself from Persephone, but she could also finally recover the memories of those lost years of her childhood that, until now, had been a mystery to her. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she searched, she could not find any more books written by Donndubhin D. So she had decided to focus on the books Caranthir had given her to study everything she needed to know about creating mana circles. But as soon as Kalysto saw the orc that had nearly killed her a couple of days ago standing as if nothing at the top of the steep street, something in her was awakened. And in a way that was unusual for her, seeing him alive bothered her to the point where she felt her blood boil and she completely forgot about her other problems. Kalysto growled. Everything in her was focused on the pressing need to kill him. And taking advantage of the fact that the rest of the heroes attention was on the horde of monsters descending from several blocks above, the former language student quickly pulled out three of the four skill crystals Caranthir had given her as an apology, and stowed the book she had been reading in the inventory. [Does the user wish to absorb these three skill crystals?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought and three violet windows opened to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Perfect Shot. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Multiple Targets. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Telekinesis. Level 1!] A slight dizziness seized her, and she took out a small vial of holy water, drank it, and put it away again, then pushed the others away from the carriage door, kicked the door at the same time she took out the bow from her inventory and stood under the frame. Hawkeye! Perfect shot! She thought as she felt the sting of holy water on her chest, but mostly in her head. Ice arrows! She shouted, focusing on the orcs chest, but even though she hit the target, her arrows didnt penetrate. Instead, they bounced off his heavy armor. What the hell do you think youre doing? Koden questioned her, almost shouting in her ear, as he tried to stop her. Thats what Im asking myself... Kalysto turned to look at him with a blank stare. Why the hell did I do that?... And since when do I shoot my first arrow at the chest and not at the eyes or the neck, which are easier?.... That startled her, and she blinked a couple of times, trying to compose herself. Strange, I could have sworn your eyes were lighter," Koden muttered with a frown. Are you okay? He asked with confusion, while Kalystos face lost all color as she realized the implication of what he was saying and a shiver ran through her blood. Come on Kalysto, focus! This is no moment to be wasting time! She scolded herself, glancing sideways at the guards who were fighting, some still mounted on their sleek horses, against the monsters that had just come upon them. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [The passive skill ''Mental Defense'' has been activated.] And as soon as the usual coldness and emotional numbness she always felt when the skill was activated, helping her to think more clearly, immediately, the fervent anger that had seized her at the sight of the orc dissipated. Hes here! She clarified, still surprised at how impulsive she had been, and this time instead of attacking a distant target, she began to shoot at the necks of the monsters that were beginning to break through the protection that the knights of the king and the temple were giving them, as she finished exiting the carriage. [Youve gained 10 experience points!] [You have gained 5 experience points!] [Youve gained 7 experience points!] Who? Koden asked, pulling out the sword and the large mithril shield he had been given for this mission. The orc that almost killed us in the forest is here! Kalysto growled as she pierced the necks of two blue goblins with the same arrow. Edwards face and Kodens face paled at his words and immediately they both raised their gazes to where Kalysto had pointed an arrow at them, looking fearfully at the huge and intimidating orc. Shit! Koden complained. How did he find us? Edward asked in a trembling voice as he struggled to draw his sword from its sheath. I dont think hes been looking for us! Kalysto replied, this time firing at a two-headed blue panther. [Youve gained 15 experience points!] Rita, get out of the carriage at once! Youre an easy target in there! Koden, come with me! Rita, you too! Edward, you and the rest head for the saintesss carriage. That way, if you get hurt, she or the other priests can heal you right away! The temple guards wont hesitate to protect her, so youll be much safer there than here! Move! she ordered as she watched hundreds of creatures of different colors, much larger than she was and that she had never seen before, descend the steep street. While another three hundred monsters blocked the road in front of them and Milo, along with the court mages, fought them, throwing fireballs in turns while taking mana potions to recover and passing the cooldown time of their skills. What are you waiting for? And after duplicating an arrow with penetration stats, she shot it to her left, piercing the neck of two monsters and the chest of another with a single shot, clearing the way to the third carriage. Go, now! [Youve gained 7 experience points!] [You have gained 5 experience points!] [Youve gained 10 experience points!] Edward obeyed immediately, followed by two other heroes and a reluctant but very scared Sandra. Im staying with you! Oscar, the hero whom Rita had flirted with a couple of times, up to the day of her fathers death and with no response from him. Oscar was a tall, dark-skinned man with beautiful green eyes of twenty-four years old, but the most eye-catching thing about him was the melodious tone of his deep voice. The rogue drew his daggers and positioned himself at Ritas side, worried that something might happen to the extroverted young woman who had lost her spark after her unfortunate loss. Wasting no time, Oscar slashed the throat of a blue goblin that approached the unsuspecting fire mage from behind. Rita, pay more attention to whats going on around you. If necessary, use your mana sense! And get ready to throw fire like crazy as soon as I tell you to! Okay! replied the fire mage. Oscar, good job! What did you say you were doing while you were on Earth? She asked with sudden curiosity when she saw how neither his hand nor his determination trembled when it came to killing a monster, nor did the expression on his face change. I never told you," he replied, and Kalysto smiled at the enigmatic answer. Ice blades! said Kalysto, throwing them at the three eyes of a muscular, dark blue creature about three feet tall that approached them, causing one of the horses pulling the carriage in which they had been traveling to whinny and try to run away, despite the coachmans efforts to keep the two horses under control. [You have gained 12 experience points!] I want to help too! Gabriel suddenly insisted. And his hands shook awkwardly as he tried to pull an arrow from his quiver, dropping it on the ground. At the same instant that Kalysto turned to see him blushing with embarrassment, four monsters launched themselves at one of the three knights who had been protecting them, knocking him off his beautiful white horse and cutting his throat before his body hit the ground. The horse, now riderless, neighed in fright at being surrounded by enemies, and as soon as it received the first wound it began kicking everyone near it, then galloped away from there, crashing into two other soldiers, knocking one of them off his horse and injuring one of the priests during its flight. Multiple targets! Perfect shot! Ice arrows! Kalysto whispered, shooting three of the four blue goblins that jumped on top of the new fallen soldier. [You have gained 9 experience points!] [You have gained 7 experience points!] [Youve gained 5 experience points!] Rita, open fire! Now! Said Kalysto, pointing to the space that the two soldiers, now absent, had been protecting. Fire creation! Rita shouted, launching a flare of fire that burned five of the ten monsters that approached them through the new opening between the broken formation of soldiers. Immediately Kalysto launched an arrow at the fourth goblin, but it had already stabbed the fallen knights side once, and launched another against his shoulder. Then the former waitress launched another five arrows at the monsters that were able to escape the fire. [Youve gained 4 experience points!] [You have gained 5 experience points!] (x3) [You have gained 10 experience points!] [Youve gained 7 experience points!] And while the soldier still on his horse was fighting another monster, Kalysto noticed that behind the group of burned monsters, a batch of about twenty blue goblins was coming towards them, followed by another round of at least forty red orcs, fifteen huge dark blue panthers of five feet tall, and ten cyclopes. And there, up the street, more than forty meters away from them and where the portal was located, three gigantic two-headed cyclops emerged. Followed by a huge dark red-skinned demon with two huge black horns decorating its forehead, and more than five meters tall. Shit! Kalysto cursed. And the demons mighty roar paralyzed them all. Chapter 102 “Unexpected Re-encounters” Part 3. Chapter 102 Unexpected Re-encounters Part 3. [Warning: an unknown entity has attempted to disable the passive skill Mental Defense!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has resisted the attack: Demonic Fear and is still activated]. Shit! Kalysto cursed at the sight of them. Gabriel take the wounded soldier to the santeisss carriage! Gideon, protect the coachman or go with your brother! She said, wanting to get rid of them so she could concentrate on the horde of monsters running down the street towards them. Hoping that they would both do as she had asked as soon as the attack stopped affecting them. Kalysto advanced amidst the remains of monsters that Rita had incinerated. The smell of burning flesh hit her nose and turned her stomach. However, she didnt stop, instead, she put her bow in her inventory and crouched down so that the palms of her hands touched the ground and became dirty with the ashes. Ice creation! She concentrated, sending a good portion of her mana into freezing the bodies of the blue goblins, who had also succumbed to the demons paralyzing attack. She froze the first ten from the tips of their toes to the base of their necks, and the next ten to the middle of their chests. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! She whispered, advancing between the bodies until she reached the remaining five goblins while manipulating the ice on the daggers, lengthening them into thin, sharp, pointed blades. Koden, Rita! Come here and cut their heads off! Koden, any stats you get split it between strength and stamina! She said and cut off the head of the first goblin that lunged at her. [Youve gained 7 experience points!] Rita, send everything to mana! If you find any crystal, its mine! And both young folks rushed to cut off the heads of the twenty monsters that Kalysto had frozen as soon as the minute-long attack was over. At the same time, Kalysto decapitated two more goblins. [Youve gained 8 experience points!] [You have gained 9 experience points!] Why should I give you any crystal I find? Koden questioned as he cut off two heads with his sword. [You have gained 1 experience point!] [Youve gained 0 experience points!] Because she likes to collect them! Rita replied as she cut off the first head. Besides, its like a form of payment for helping us to level up faster, protect us, and give us advice. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] Oh! Okay!" agreed Koden, running with his shield in one hand and sword in another towards the next frozen goblin. It has nothing to do with that. Kalysto thought with a frown, but seeing that there was nothing to be gained by denying it, she decided to leave it at that for the moment and concentrated on killing the two remaining goblins. [Youve gained 6 experience points!] [You have gained 7 experience points!] [You have gained 1 experience point!] x3 Kalysto didnt even have time to turn and look at how the boys were doing after receiving notification of those three extra kills, because as soon as she decapitated the last goblin, an orcs fist smashed into her face. Didnt your parents teach you not to hit a woman? The fairy champion growled as the metallic taste of blood spread against her palate and she turned to face her foe, who already had his fist up, ready for the second blow. Kalysto jumped back, being immediately followed by the intimidating, muscular creature, then dropped the modified dagger she held in her right hand. Blades of water! Blades of ice! She whispered, attacking the orcs eyes, blinding it. And as the orcs vino tint-colored blood spilled down to the orcs strong jaw, Kalysto sent a thin thread of mana toward the fallen dagger. "Telekinesis!" And just as Caranthir had explained to her during the hours they had been training together, during which time he had insisted that she learn the basic movements that the novice elves did to learn the skill of Perfect Shot, and as he had done before developing the skill of telekinesis. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As expected, the modified dagger leaped into her right hand, and while that result was to be expected, it was a far different thing than what had happened during her training before absorbing the crystals. Maybe Rita is right, and Id better start collecting crystals. Kalysto got excited. [You have gained 1 experience point!] x2 The fairy champion took a step towards the orc and slashed half of one of his arms as he tried to bring it to his injured eyes, but before she could land another blow, a panther leaped at her, its sharp teeth burying into her left forearm, making her bleed. [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Ice modification! Whispered Kalysto as she viciously buried the modified dagger in the panthers eye, causing the ice to spread like a thick needle, piercing its skull and burying itself in the chest of that beast until it touched the ground. Blood for blood! she said, satisfied with the result. [You have gained 20 experience points!] Or at least thats how it was until another panther pounced on her, knocking her to the ground, its claws digging from her right shoulder to her collarbone. At the same time, another orc raised its massive foot and aimed it at Kalystos head. She kicked at the panther, throwing it against the orcs leg as it struggled to get up off the ground as a small goblin lunged at her back with a wooden stick. Kalystos brain barely registered a hit, and she immediately spun around, decapitating the small blue creature with the modified dagger in her left hand. [Youve gained 5 experience points!] [You have gained 1 experience point!!!] x2 [Youve gained 0 experience points!] x2 Then she extended her right hand. Multiple targets! Perfect shot! Ice arrows! She conjured, and three arrows shot out towards the panther that had just attacked her. One arrow buried itself in each of the eyes, while the third one buried itself in the animals throat. [The skill Arrows of Ice has leveled up to level 2!] [You have gained 20 experience points!] [Youve gained 1 experience point!] x2 Perfect shot! Whispered Kalysto, passing the modified ice dagger to her right hand, then throwing it at another panther that came running towards her. Then, she ran towards the orc, jumping over the head of the other panthers corpse to gain momentum, staying right in front of the surprised monster. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! She conjured in midair, and buried her two modified daggers in the middle of the orcs eyes, piercing its skull. The orcs heavy body fell to the ground, and she landed on his muscular chest. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] x2 [Youve gained 1 experience point!] x3 [The skill Ice Manipulation has been raised to level 11!] [The skill Ice Daggers has risen to level 2!] Im already level nine! Koden shouted with excitement, interrupting Kalystos concentration, who frowned at the news. I thought you already were! she shouted back. Hey, were not all like you, splitting monsters left and right like theyre made of butter! Koden defended himself. But Rita is already level ten, and shes a mage! Kalysto exclaimed as she watched the rest of the orcs running in her direction, then she concentrated her mana, sending it to her right foot, under the sole of her boot and as soon as she kicked the ground she whispered: Ice creation! A path of ice was drawn on the ground reaching where the first orc was and spreading quickly on the ground until it became five ice spikes that pierced the bodies of five of them, killing them on the spot. [You have gained 20 experience points!] x5 [The skill Ice Creation has been raised to level 11!] [Congratulations! The user has unlocked a new skill: Ice Stakes. Level 1!] At last, a new ice skill! She thought, summoning it immediately. Perfect shot! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! She whispered quickly, sending the new three stakes towards the three closest orcs. [You have gained 20 experience points!] x3 And before the rest of the monsters finished descending on her, she took out a bottle of holy water from the ones she had made herself and drank it. The usual itching from the healing of the holy water spread all over her wounds and into her head. Still a problem with the excessive expenditure of mana. She thought with a hint of annoyance. When will it stop being a problem? Im already level twelve! Rita arrived after decapitating another goblin. What? Koden spat, annoyed. I wont be beaten by two mages! Koden growled, cutting off the heads of two more goblins while Rita incinerated a panther. [You have gained 1 experience point!] x3 Im starting to miss the amount of experience points I was earning so easily with the elves. Kalysto thought with regret as she saw how little experience she was gaining now, despite all the effort she was putting in. As she recovered, Koden and Rita ran up to where she was, watching the group of orcs, panthers, and cyclopes descending the street. I dont think the court mages will arrive in time to help us," Rita whispered. And the knights of the temple are literally surrounded," reported Koden whose Adams apple dropped noisily as he saw the huge demon begin to advance down the street with his gaze still on where the court mages were, just before launching a powerful attack. Chapter 103 “Unexpected Encounters” Part 4 Chapter 103 Unexpected Encounters Part 4 My main skill is on cooldown," Kalysto whispered, her voice tinged with annoyance. Rita, hows yours? I just used it," the fire mage clarified. Fire creation or fireball? Fire creation," Kalysto nodded. And Im about to run out of mana again," the young mage commented with concern as the three of them watched the huge demon crushing houses and everything in his path as he descended towards the carriage next to which the court mages were fighting. With each step he took, he moved a little further away from them, much to their relief. But the fear that he would change direction at any moment was reflected in their faces. Out of the corner of her eye, Kalysto watched the next wave of monsters coming down the street and frowned, then turned her attention to the purple notification to her left. [Warning! The skill Ice Creation cannot be used at this time. User must wait 1:30 minutes before being able to use it again!]] Shit! she whispered, realizing that there was no way she could use her skill before the next wave of monsters reached them. Kalysto ran backwards immediately, drawing the attention of the other two heroes, who in alarm immediately followed her. What are you doing? Koden asked. The anxiety was palpable in his tone of voice. I already told you. My main skill is still on cooldown, so I must use the other one, and for that I need ice," added Kalysto, turning back to where the orcs she had frozen a few minutes ago were standing. Rita, a mage without mana, is a dead mage! Here, and drink it! She said loudly, pulling from her inventory one of the mana vials she had looted from the enemy army the first day she arrived in Elinor, and tossing it to the fire mage who was quick to catch it as it bounced into her hands. Pay for it as soon as you can! Thank you! Rita hurried to say, her gaze full of gratitude as she watched the wave of monsters running towards them getting closer and closer. I assure you Ill pay you back as soon as I get the chance!.... But please next time dont throw it at me. Im not very good at grabbing things and I almost dropped it! Kalysto, instead of answering her, smiled half-sideways and bent down, so that her palms touched the frozen street. Koden, protect the front and make sure none of them get to me! The young tank nodded his head and stood in front of Kalysto, protecting them both with his huge shield as several beads of sweat trickled down his neck. Rita, throw fireballs at anyone who gets past my ice, but try to save the creation skill, and let me know when youre ready to use it! Consider it done! Rita replied, turning to face the enemy army with the dagger she never returned after the wolf attack, and which Kalysto had advised her to always carry hidden inside her boots. Along with the sword she took from the fallen soldier. Tension invaded Rita and Koden as the seconds ticked by and the enemy was now only a few meters away at the same time as the sound of the demons footsteps and the destruction it caused as it walked echoed in their ears. Meanwhile, Kalysto pulled a super-concentrated mana potion from her inventory, one of the ones Caranthir had given her during the invasion, and took a sip. Then she touched the ice again. Ice manipulation! she whispered, focusing on deflecting much of the ice she had created earlier and with which she had pierced the bodies of her enemies. The bodies of the orcs and panthers fell to the ground, their blood staining the street red and blue as the ice pooled around them and a shiver ran down Kodens back as he felt the temperature around him drop. Suddenly, the demon stopped its advance. And instead of finishing down the streets, he needed to reach the carriage that the court mages were defending. He stretched out his hand. A thin magic circle spread out in front of his open palm and a gigantic fireball erupted from his circle, destroying the carriage and killing some of the unsuspecting wizards who had been too busy fighting the orcs and panthers to escape the unexpected attack in time. And while the huge demon smiled at his current feat, the smile died quickly as soon as he felt a stream of mana changing almost close to where he stood. And immediately turned towards the strange source of cold air. I think it saw us already! Rita announced fearfully as Kalysto impaled fifteen monsters with a single blow. But another twenty were coming behind. And as Kalysto prepared to execute the next group of monsters, the demon expelled a breath of fire in their direction. Shit! Rita and Koden shouted at the same time, drawing Kalystos attention. Ice creation! Conjured Kalysto quickly, erecting a large wall in front of them, protecting them from the worst of the attack. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But the great amount of fire that kept pouring out of the demons mouth melted the edges of the wall protecting them, and burned most of the monsters that came to attack them. Not to be negative or ungrateful, but are you sure this wall can really protect us? Koden asked with his face as pale as a hospital sheet. Shut up and let me concentrate! Kalysto answered while she was running out of mana as the fire kept pounding against her ice wall. How powerful are the lungs of that thing? She complained, at the same time she pulled out a small mana stone with her right hand, keeping the ice creation spell with her left hand. Absorb! she whispered. And despite her efforts not to be heard, Koden seemed to do so, although this time he kept silent. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought, on the spot. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 MP!] [The user has received a message from the fairy Hanna! Do you wish to open it now?] [YES/NO] Can I receive messages? She thought, filling herself with surprise. But all thought of that was erased from her mind as she received the following notification. [Warning! The user has acquired too many MPs and has exceeded their bodys capacity to hold them! Creation of a Mana circle is recommended to increase your capacity!]] Recalling with dread what happened the last time she received that notification, Kalysto immediately channeled much of her mana and sent it towards her palms, expelling it in the form of ice, reinforcing the wall that was getting thinner and thinner, to the point where for a few seconds it had allowed them to clearly see the fire on the other side of the wall. Okay," Rita whispered. Now I understand why you curse so much," she muttered as she bit her lip and her chest rose and fell along with the accelerated rhythm of her breathing. That was too close for my liking," she muttered and her voice cracked at the end of the sentence. A loud cough alerted the other two young people, causing them to turn their heads to look at Kalysto, watching in terror as blood trickled from their protectors lips. Whats wrong? Koden was alarmed as Rita knelt down beside the former waitress. How can I help you? said Rita at the same time. With trembling hands, Kalysto took out the bottle of holy water her boss had given her. Rita immediately picked it up, preventing it from falling from her hands, and tried to give it to her. But Kalysto turned her face away, coughing again and spilling even more blood against the floor as she continued to hold the ice creation spell with her trembling left hand. One minute! Cough! We have to wait one minute! Cough! Cough! You must wait ten minutes between potions or they will lose their effect! Cough! Kalysto warned her and Rita immediately nodded her head, checking her wristwatch to count the time. What, who thought of such a stupid rule? Koden complained, as the flames finally ceased. [Warning! The user has acquired too many MPs and has exceeded their bodys capacity to hold them! Creation of a Mana circle to increase your capacity is recommended!]] If it were that easy to do Id have more than one by now! She thought with annoyance. And the noise of battle increased, listening closer this time. The amount of mana fluctuating in the air made the hairs on Kalystos and Ritas arms stand up. What do you think that is? Koden whispered fearfully. Surely the court wizards cough! They finally decided they had to get rid of it, Cough! Cough! growled Kalystoy. Just before the sound of heavy footsteps began to sound closer and closer. The three young fellows turned their heads at the same time only to see about a hundred monsters finish descending the street in their direction and a gentle breeze carried the smell of burning flesh to their noses, reminding them of how close they were to having been the ones who ended up completely charred just a few meters away. Shit! Kalysto complained, at the same time Rita shouted. Its about time! The fire mage immediately brought the uncorked bottle close to Kalystos face, who managed to take three big sips before she started coughing again. Shit," Kalysto growled through gritted teeth as she felt the stabbing of thousands of needles piercing her entire body. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Even with her skills activated, she managed to feel a slight discomfort in her head. I need to spend some mana before I end up fainting again! She thought with some fear. I need to remember that I can only absorb small stones for a next time! Immediately, she touched the ice with both hands. Koden, step aside! She ordered him, and the young man, surprised by her sudden change, obeyed her immediately. Kalysto, are you sure youre all right? You look very pale," Rita questioned, worried about her new friends health. Too much mana use," summed up the fairy champion, downplaying the matter. Ice manipulation! She conjured, causing the wall to lose its shape and slide along the ground until it reached the feet of the monsters approaching them, freezing their lower limbs and then their trunks in a matter of mere seconds. Wanting to speed up the process, she invested more mana in it. Covering even the bases of their necks of the shorter ones, and up to half of the chest of the taller ones, in ice. Stopping the advance of at least forty monsters in a matter of seconds. Koden, cut off their heads! And Rita, please count another ten minutes. If I pass out, be sure to let Koden know so we can escape to where the saintess is. At least there our wounds will be healed. Wouldnt it be better to escape while the others are distracted? She questioned, not understanding why they were staying. Excessive use of mana is harmful to our bodies. Until a few weeks ago, we had no such thing. The saintess can heal the internal damage that its excessive use causes us. Why the hell didnt they explain something as important as that to us? she replied annoyed. [You have gained 2 experience points!] x2 Because our welfare is not important to them. They just need us to do their dirty work and then they will most likely get rid of us, she clarified. Why, it doesnt make sense for them to do such a thing after all the work it took them to bring us in! Besides, isnt it easier to just send us back? Would you let someone who is stronger than you and has no loyalty to you stay in your kingdom? she asked her instead. And when we came to this world, did you see the army of corpses near the entrance? Rita nodded her head. I suspect they used them as a sacrifice so they could summon all of us," Rita wanted to plead with her. But then her brow furrowed and she closed her mouth again. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] x3 Youre right in believing that they dont shake their hand in getting rid of someone...just look at what they did with my father," she whispered. And the fire in her eyes promised revenge. Chapter 104 “Unexpected Re-encounters” Part 5 Chapter 104 Unexpected Re-encounters Part 5 Im already level ten! Celebrated the young tank. [You have gained 1 experience point!] x2 ... Eh... good for you..." replied Kalysto, not knowing what else to say as Rita slipped an arm under her armpit and helped her up. They both looked at each other in silence for a moment and smiled at Kodens competitive attitude, even under the situation they were in. Rita, I need you to time the next ten minutes. Could you do that for me, please? Of course. Now, lets run to where the enemy is. Burn everyone from the middle to the far right. Ill take care of the rest. ... Are you sure youre up to that? She asked her with concern stamped on her face. Do we have any other choice? She answered instead, still feeling the holy water working to heal the damage the excess mana had done to her body. She looked up, turning her attention back to the large orc warrior with the scar on his face. Who still seemed to be holding something in his hands, but his skin was paler than hers. Eagle eyes! She thought and looked curiously at a crystal sphere between the orcs hands, similar to the one a gypsy would use to read fortunes at a fair. The center of the crystal seemed to glow, but its light grew dimmer and smaller. So it wasnt a spell he was casting... Is that what allows him to open a portal? She was filled with yearning. And immediately she wanted to get it for herself. Encouraged by the possibility, she ran towards the wave of monsters that had already begun to break through the empty spaces between the ones she had frozen before. She left behind Koden, who was still running from one figure to another as he decapitated them, trying to move up a level faster. When she was two meters away, she began to conjure. Ice creation! She stopped and kicked the ground. A layer of ice formed around her boot, and Kalysto concentrated on sending more mana towards her foot, rapidly spreading the ice and freezing everyone in her path. A thick layer of ice completely covered forty monsters in an instant. Then Kalytso started running again, going around the thick wall of frozen bodies so she could continue attacking the rest that were still missing and used all the skill her body and stats allowed her to jump from one body to another. [You have gained 20 experience points!] x40 And as she did so, the huge figure of a wyvern flew towards the orc. No, not that! Dont think youre going to get away that easily! Kalysto muttered, increasing her speed. With annoyance she watched the wyvern descend, one of its hind legs grabbed the weak body of the orc, who now seemed unable to support himself, but still did not drop the crystal sphere that glowed faintly in his hands as very slowly the portal began to close. Ice stakes! Telekinesis! Three ice stakes were suspended in the air just in front of the summoning circles that were drawn in front of Kalystos right hand. Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Multiple targets! Perfect shot! Then she threw them, two at the hobgoblin, piloting the wyvern, one at the winged animals chest, and the rest at the orc. But things did not go as she thought. The hobgoblin extended his magical staff, erecting a shield that protected him and the wings of the wyvern, who immediately took flight, several meters beyond what Kalystos skill could cover, deflecting its initial targets. But still, all was not lost. One of the stakes pierced the wyverns hip, another one of the legs, while another pierced the orcs thigh, and another, his hand. Unfortunately, that did not cause the orc to drop the summoning crystal. Instead, it caused it to raise its eyes in fury, stare at her and summon one last creature by way of farewell. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A demon just over five meters tall with blue skin emerged from the portal, which vanished soon after, as if it had lost all its strength after vomiting up the last monster. And as the demon, with two black horns and a crystal on its forehead, set its two feet on solid ground, the hobgoblin swung its staff twice. The first time, nothing happened, but the second time, a soft gust of wind drifted to where Kalysto stood. Until we meet again next time and then the same voice whispered close to her ear, just for her, champion of the fairies... If you and your party manage to survive this encounter, of course a mischievous smile spread on the old hobgoblins face before the wyverns figure was lost in the thick clouds, taking them far away from there. How on earth...? Kalysto worried and her face lost all color. But a moment later, a loud growl escaped from her throat. That doesnt matter now! Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! She roared, slitting the throat of an orc that lunged at her, followed by another. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] x2 And as she did so, in the distance, she could hear the shouts of soldiers. The monsters are reviving! The saintess has betrayed us and is reviving the enemy! shouted one. Dont be an idiot! Thats an army of undead! And it means theres a necromancer nearby! Kalysto jumped, dodging the spear of another orc, and took advantage of his new position to cut a panther in half. And though she wanted to turn to look at what those two were shouting about, she was too busy to worry about that. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] She leapt over the creatures corpse, gaining a bit of height and bouncing off the head of another orc before leaping over another and snapping it in half. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] The orc whose head she had stepped on kept running down the street, and she let him pass. Ill let the boys take care of him! Kalysto thought, cutting off the heads of two more panthers. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] x2 But before she could kill another monster and get even closer towards the blue demon, it growled something unintelligible and a wave of ice spread across the ground freezing monsters, buildings and everything in a five meter radius around it. Damn, I definitely want that skill! And hoping that it would also have a waiting period before activating again, just like she was having it happen to her. She forgot about the rest of the monsters and ran with all her might to where the demon that a sphere of fire had just smashed into its ugly face was. Get back! Thats mine! Kalysto shouted at whoever the fire mage was who was trying to snatch her prey away from her. The blue demon growled, focusing on the group of mages fighting the fire demon, ignoring Kalystos approach as he prepared another attack on his new foe. Kalysto leapt over the ice spikes the blue demon had created and when she was within three meters of her prey, she stood in the middle of two ice spikes. Inventory! She thought and pulled out a mana stone, a bit smaller than the one she had absorbed a few minutes ago and after letting out a deep breath, to give herself courage, she exclaimed: Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3000 MP!] She immediately stretched out her arms, touching a different peak with each hand. [Warning! The user has acquired too many MP and has exceeded your bodys capacity to hold them! Creation of a Mana circle is recommended to increase your capacity!]] Ignoring the notification, she sent most of her mana to each palm and conjured. Ice Manipulation! While the blue demon was busy throwing ice spears at the court mages fighting the other demon, Kalysto transformed all the ice she had created earlier, turning it into two huge spikes, one that pierced through the demons stomach from the front, and another that pierced half of its chest from behind. The demon roared and turned its head to meet Kalystos green gaze. [Warning: an unknown entity has attempted to disable the passive skill Mental Defense!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has withstood the attack: Demonic Fear and is still activated] What the hell are these monsters made of that they can survive almost anything? She thought with annoyance as she watched the blue blood flow down her enemys wounded body. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! She squealed, and leapt over an ice spike, then jumped to another and another until she quickly reached the one she had created to pierce his chest from behind. She ran and jumped again until she reached the back of the demons neck, who launched another mental attack towards her. [Warning: an unknown entity has attempted to disable the passive skill Mental Defense!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has resisted the attack: Demonic Fear and is still activated] The notifications stopped as soon as Kalysto cut his neck. [You have gained 10000 experience points!] [Youve leveled up to level 24!] Chapter 105 “Unexpected Re-encounters” Part 6 Chapter 105 Unexpected Re-encounters Part 6 Immediately, Kalysto descended to where the monsters head was and without bothering to remove the crystal from its face, she placed the entire palm of her hand on the demons forehead, encompassing much more than the crystal. Absorb! She thought, wanting to save herself the process of the initial annoying question. Fortunately, it worked. [There are two skills for the user to absorb which one do you wish to absorb?] [Ice spears. Level 1 Tundra. Level 1] All of them! She thought and at that very instant, the demons body stretched out its hand and conjured an ice stake aimed at Kalystos back. The former waitress barely had time to dodge the attack without losing the connection to the demons head. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Ice Spear. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Tundra. Level 1!] And just as the ice stake reached out to create a cut on the skin of her arm, the demons head turned to ashes. Immediately, the headless bodys arm descended and stopped moving. Kalysto watched it silently for a few seconds, making sure it didnt move, and then smiled at the new skills it had gained. She immediately took out a small bottle of holy water she had created from her inventory, as she watched the group of fire mages still fighting the red demon. Havent they realized that the demons fire resistance is superior to its attacks? She thought, although considering that Milo was among those who were attacking, surely they had already done so, but they were keeping him busy and preventing him from advancing, while they found a way to exterminate him. A couple of meters behind that group, there was another mage conjuring a spell, whose magical symbol was a pale shade of brown. Which very slowly grew darker and darker. Ignoring whatever it was they were up to, but suspecting that he was an earth mage, Kalysto put the vial to her lips as she felt her blood pouring from the open wound on her arm and looked down, where she noticed that part of the large group of corpses that the mages had burned at first were splitting up, most of them heading towards where the saintess and Edwards carriage was, the rest going up the street to where the court mages were fighting. And as she realized this, suddenly a strong pressure in her chest robbed her of air. Forcing her to go and protect Edward. Not this again! She complained. Agg! What kind of voodoo magic is this? Then her fathers words came to her mind. We always pay our debts. And though whatever it was that clutched her heart like a noose to a stuffed turkey kept insisting that she go to help him, Kalysto tried to ignore it. Even as the memory of her fathers words weighed on her conscience. But her hesitation didnt last long. Damn! she muttered. I should never have promised Amanda that I would take care of him, just because I felt indebted to her!... This is too much! Kalysto dont drink the potion yet. Theres still half a minute left! Rita shouted at her as she cut off the head of one of the monsters that she herself had burned earlier, but which had come back to life. Kalysto frowned, just before the precious liquid went down her throat, so she had to leave it in her mouth. Are you serious? She thought with annoyance. At the same time, she ran to where Rita was and froze the bodies of the undead that were about to attack her. However, she noticed that the ones she had frozen earlier were still imprisoned inside her ice. [You have gained 15 experience points! x15 Thanks for that," Rita commented as she checked her watch. You can take the potion now! Sorry, I missed the time and didnt realize it. Hey, that was mine! -complained Koden. Well, it isnt anymore, answered Kalysto after drinking the potion and putting it in her inventory. And maybe I shouldnt leave it to Rita to tell me when I can take a potion or not. Come on, theres an army of undead down the street thats about to wipe out the others! She informed them and they immediately turned to see the place she had indicated. Edward! Koden shouted, his face losing all color as he saw the wave of revived monsters surrounding the few knights of the temple who had come with them and who were divided into two groups, one surrounding the elegant white carriage with golden borders where the saintess was, and the other, a little further away fighting against the rest of the monsters that were still alive. Koden ran as fast as his legs would allow, dodging the large collection of frozen bodies and taking care not to be bitten by the revived heads that decorated the cold dirt floor in the long narrow street, with his shield and sword clenched in his clenched fists. Willing to sacrifice whatever it took to save his clueless friend. Rita followed him, worried because she could no longer see Oscar anywhere, even though he was the only one of the heroes with dark skin and the tallest of them all. Kalysto, on the other hand, was upset with the promise she had made to her friend more than a year ago. How long am I supposed to babysit him? She questioned herself and ran down the street to help, then stopped for a second. Multiple targets! Perfect shot! Ice stakes! Telekinesis! she conjured, sending one stake towards the shoulder of the fire demon against which the court mages were still fighting, another towards his palm and the third against his eye. Kalysto immediately kept running, and the demon roared as soon as the ice stakes buried themselves in his skin, but she, Rita and Koden were too far away to be affected by his demonic attack. Move aside! Kalysto ordered as soon as she approached the wave of undead and one who was away from the rest of the group was already fighting Koden. Ice creation! But by the time the rest of them started moving in her direction, it was too late, and more than twenty undead were frozen to their shoulders. Koden, Rita, you know what to do! Kalysto ordered and began to run away from them. Slashing several bodies to make her way through. [You have gained 1 experience point!] x5 Seeing that despite her efforts she didnt seem to be making any progress, she jumped over the edge of the group after slashing at another pair of undead that seemed oblivious to the fact that they had just lost their limbs as their grotesque mutilated bodies continued to move. [You have gained 15 experience points!] x2 [Youve gained 0 experience points!] x5 Kalysto began to leap over their heads, darting through the crowd. And after making sure she was only surrounded by undead, she jumped in the middle of a small space between two undead, cut a three of them in half to make room for herself and whispered: [Youve gained 15 experience points!] x3 Tundra! Completely freezing all the monsters that were within a five meter radius. Kalysto smiled in delight at her new ability as a dizziness overtook her. Making her lose her balance. [Warning: the user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any ability again or your health will be severely affected.] Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. She staggered, and would have fallen to the ground had she not been surrounded by frozen monsters that served as support. [You have gained 15 experience points!] x60 [You have gained 1 experience point!] x5 The coldness of the corpses comforted her as her breathing normalized slightly until she was finally able to raise her hand, and after opening her skill window, she pressed on the new skill, wishing to get information about it. [Tundra. Level 1. Allows the user to freeze the ground and any object or living thing in contact with it within a radius of 5 meters around the summoner. Reuse time 2 minutes. Spends 500 MP per-use. By leveling up this skill, the affected radius can be increased and every ten levels the reuse time and MP expenditure is reduced.] That explains why I almost ran out of mana," she whispered, feeling the dizziness slowly dissipating and allowing her to move more freely with each second that passed. Or at least it was, until Edwards scream rose above the noise of the battle and immediately the pressure in her chest increased, forcing her to come to his aid despite her condition. Her body reacted on its own, throwing herself into danger without thinking, running towards him with desperation in her quest to prevent Edward, who lay frozen in terror in the middle of the fray just a couple of steps away from the new saintess, from perishing at the hands of the corpulent undead orc who was about to split him in half with a sharp axe. Her first instinct was to conjure some spell, but immediately a violet window opened to her left. [Warning: the user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Shit! She grunted as she struggled to get there as fast as her legs would let her despite the fact that every second that passed she felt the air getting scarcer in her lungs and it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. She barely managed to push Edward with her left hand against his shoulder as soon as she reached him, pushing him out of the way of the sharp weapon by barely a couple of centimeters. The axe slid down violently, mercilessly, and with one clean cut severed Edwards hand and half of Kalystos arm in a single slash. The pain spread throughout the fairy champions body, making her scream. [The passive ability Pain Resistance has been activated.] Her confused mind could barely make out the words that were written in white text on the pair of notices, one blue and one violet, that appeared to her left as her body fell limply against the cold stone floor and her blood stained the earth. The new saintess screamed. Her face contorted in terror at the bloody scene she was witnessing less than two meters from where she stood surrounded by two other temple knights struggling to keep her safe from the horde of monsters and undead intent on devouring her. Soon Edwards screams accompanied her as Kalysto remained silent and watched full of consternation along with a deathly pallor, the new empty space that now lay beneath her elbow. The undead orc raised the axe again, this time focusing on Kalysto. Saintess, do something! One of the guards scolded her, but the young womans screams continued to be heard for what seemed like an eternity to Kalysto. Her mind felt enveloped in cotton clouds and her body felt heavier and heavier as time seemed to drag on unusually long. Inventory! She thought somewhat dazedly, and with difficulty managed to extract a small mana crystal with her trembling right hand.Absorb! It was after she gave the command that she noticed that the crystal was bigger than she had first thought. But it was too late to change it. Her heavy body stopped responding to her commands, and she barely had enough strength to shake a single finger as weakness and dizziness assaulted her with force. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as a pitiful moan escaped her throat and the screams of the new saintess finally ceased. [Congrats! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] Pu... purification! shouted the frightened young woman as her weak light barely lasted less than a second, disintegrating half of the body of the orc whose axe was descending towards Kalysto. The undead staggered to the right, carrying his weapon with him. Purification! Purification! Purification! Purification! The young woman roared in desperation, but her dim light barely illuminated a couple of meters around her and lasted only a few seconds. PURIFICATION! she shouted with all her might. Purification Ezhil! Kalysto thought, coordinating her efforts with those of the inexperienced saintess, and a powerful golden light enveloped them all. [You have gained 15 experience points!] x300 And as Edward screamed in pain from his missing hand, the red demon roared loudly and the earth shook beneath Kalysto as her entire vision was tinged with golden light. Then she lost consciousness. Two days later, the soft sound of crying flooded her ears long before Kalysto could open her eyes. Will you stop crying for once? Shes not dead," Rita growled. But ...its my fault shes like this," the sound of snot blowing his nose flooded the small room in the branch of the Temple of Light in the city of Cifhaen where they were staying. A delicate moan escaped Kalystos throat as she moved her trembling fingers and raised her hand, wanting to scratch the itch on her face. You shouldnt move! Rita interrupted her immediately, holding her bandaged arm very carefully so as not to hurt her. Kalysto opened her eyes only to observe that half of her left arm was not there and her face darkened at the memory. She covered her face with her right hand to prevent others from seeing her tear-filled eyes at the unpleasant sight. If only I could heal myself, this would never have happened! She reproached herself. Ill go get the saintess and ask them to bring you some water and something light to eat! Rita announced before leaving the room as Edwards sobs seemed to get louder and louder. True, all is not lost! But remembering how the new saintess wasnt even able to cast an Ezhil purification spell, what little hope had been born in her, died immediately. Thank you...thank you for saving me! Edward sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks as his swollen, tired eyes fixed on her. And though the young mans figure inspired pity, she didnt want to look at him at that moment, much less waste her time comforting him. This will be the last time I do such a thing," she informed him in a firm voice, despite the extreme pallor of her face. Never expect anything like that from me again. From now on, I will consider my promise to your aunt as paid. What? -Edward muttered, confusion stamped on his youthful face. Say it! Kalysto insisted. Needing to get rid of that little thread that still remained inside her, that pushed her to comfort him and take care of him when it was she who was in a much worse condition. What do you want me to say? He questioned, wiping his face and blowing his snot with a handkerchief. Say that my debt to you and your family is paid," she insisted. Edward looked at her as if she had betrayed him. What? He frowned. Are you telling me you helped me just for that? Say it, now! Kalysto insisted, needing confirmation that whatever debt there was between them would cease to exist from that moment on. Whatever I owed Amanda is paid off with what I had to sacrifice to save Edwards life! From this instant, I consider null and void any vow I have made to Amanda, Edward, or any member of their families! I have already done more than enough to help them! She said to herself.instant, She needed to be sure that she would no longer be bound to anything but the deals she had made since coming into this world. Edwards face became serious. He sat up straight in the old wooden chair, squared his back and stuck out his chest. I, Edward Grant, release you Kalysto Luna from any debt you owe or think you owe me or any member of my family or clan! Whatever you owe or owed us in the past, from this moment on, I consider it paid! ...Thank you, she whispered, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders, and the lasso that had oppressed her heart vanish completely. ...Why...? he asked as he saw her give him a small smile. You sure felt like an old samurai a moment ago, didnt you?" Kalysto joked, wanting to undo the strange tension in the air. And a shy half-smile came to Edwards face, much to his regret. ...I dont know what youre talking about," he replied with red-tinged cheeks. And it wasnt a samurai... it was a ninja. I saw something similar in an old movie a while back. Oh, my God! At least tell me you were sober when you saw it. Hey!" He reproached her, I havent had any more alcohol and...! -Edwards voice dropped a couple of notches before he finished the sentence.... You know...the other thing since...well...you know, he finished sheepishly. I know. I just wanted to make sure. You know," she joked again. Wanting him to forget about the whole awkward thing. Fortunately, Edward had always been somewhat absent-minded and forgetful. ... Thank you, by the way. For sacrificing my arm to protect you from that demonic axe? Yeah well, that too..." then he ducked his head and his voice became a soft whisper. I was referring to everything that happened when you know... my mother and my supposed ex... Ah!... The one who shall not be named? She scoffed, needing to focus on something other than how angry she was at him, the new saintess and herself. I better end this conversation quickly. And he wont leave until he sits down and sees me a little better. She thought, trying hard not to let her emotions show on her face. If only I had a way to communicate with the boss and convince her to let me use Jhil on myself even for a few minutes...then I could get my arm back. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a blood-tinged clump, and from the lump within it, deduced that it was the missing limb. Her eyes again misted over with unshed tears. I need him to leave quickly. Shes not so...well..." Edward grimaced, unable to continue the sentence. I think youre kind of right, and if she can get that nickname. Well, you can take advantage of our time in this world to be able to say her name without fear of running into any corners. And Edward? Yes? He answered, lifting his gaze. Full of renewed hope. I need to be alone, and for you to give me space for a while. The young mans face was filled with pain and just when he opened his mouth to plead and refuse her request, at that moment the new saintess of the temple arrived to heal her. But despite the young womans efforts, she could not make Kalystos arm grow, much to the dismay of all present. Chapter 106 "Before the Escape" Part 1 Chapter 106 "Before the Escape" Part 1 Note: at the beginning of this chapter there will be a bit of a depressing moment on the part of the protagonist, but she will quickly recover. If you dont want to read it, skip to the paragraph where the skill Pain Resistance is activated. It was nighttime when everyone finally left and left her alone. Kalysto not only had to endure the pity-filled stares from all of them, but also the collection of apologies and crying from both the very exhausted and haggard new saintess, Clarissa Bor. Who was level two and barely had any mana. Also, those of Edward, who refused to be healed before her. Although considering how little the new saintess had developed her skill, not much could be expected in this regard. On the fourth day of becoming a saintess I would have already been able to heal Edward and grow his hand, how could she not be able to do the same when she had already been able to do so for several weeks since she got her class? She had been shocked and disappointed at the young womans lack of diligence. Or are the standards in this world just that low? However, considering that the king wanted to force them to forcibly raise their level and force them to fight monsters and the demon kings army almost as soon as they arrived, it didnt quite add up. There is an abysmal difference in how much they demand results from their own people and what they demand from the heroes of another world. And that bothered her. At least the fairies take better care of me.Alynn, Though she wasnt entirely sure how much she could trust them and her new boss. Alynn, at least, seemed trustworthy. Despite that, she still didnt know if her kindness was real or just a way to gain her trust and have more information to inform the queen about what she was doing. And that was one of the reasons why she left Tsuki guarding the room she had been given in the fairy kingdom. Though she always made sure not to leave anything there that could compromise her in any way. Besides, Im sure Galatea informs both Artemis and the boss of my movements. The silence of the night overwhelmed her senses. But it was there, in the midst of that apparent peace, that the mask of friendliness she always wore when she had to work with clients or force herself to be sociable to get out of a situation, finally fell away. And she was able to allow a couple of instants to herself, without having to worry about hurting anyones feelings or more importantly, the possible triggers that would be brought on by her speaking her mind without restraint. She didnt want them to try to get rid of her as happened with Ritas father, or to punish others for something she did. And Kalysto feared that if the latter happened, the guilt would eat her up inside. Just as it had with her mothers death. Her eyes filled with tears, the pressure in her throat burst, and she finally allowed herself to cry without restraint. Venting over the loss of half her arm, over being in a place she didnt even want to be only because she hadnt dared earlier to break the promise she had made to Amanda and leave a young man she felt sorry for to his fate. But whom she now felt tired of caring for and was beginning to see as an annoying burden. To hell with everything! As soon as I get back, Ill cure Amanda as a last favor, but Ill never help Edward again out of consideration for her... And although Kalysto had tried to maintain a sincere friendship with him, she knew that deep down she only saw it as something she had to do, not as something she really wanted. To tell the truth, I dont even like his attitude of a spoiled rich kid who expects someone else to be the one to solve all his problems. She complained. And although she never meant to begrudge him, a part of her resented the ease with which he got things, especially the love of his family. To her mind came the memory of Amanda, of the loving way she watched over her ungrateful son and clueless nephew, and she unwittingly compared it to her own mothers coldness. Whose face was beginning to fade from her memory. Another lost memory. She thought with sadness. And she raised her arm to cover her weeping face only to feel the tug of the bandages on what was left of it. A loud moan escaped her lips as she felt the pain spread through almost her entire body, and more tears of helplessness covered her face. Shit! she growled, unable to believe that she had forgotten about the wound for a few seconds. If only I had something I could negotiate with the boss, maybe I could convince her to let me heal, even if only for a few minutes! [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Then she began to get annoyed with herself at such a show of weakness. Enough! This is of no use to me! What I need now is to find a solution, not to start crying like a baby! Come on Kalysto, focus! We dont have time for this! [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And when the familiar coldness of the skill descended upon her, she was able to stop feeling sorry for herself and focus on what was really important. With her good hand, she arranged the pillow under her head in a more comfortable position and sat up. She looked at the scraps of bloody cloth they wrapped around her wound with noting small traces of gunk here and there. This could get infected at any moment. She worried. Purification! she whispered, but the light coming from her hand did not fully encompass the bandages. Worried that she might be discovered, she got out of bed, closed the curtains of the only window in the small room she was in, and walked to the wooden door that protected her from the outside. But when she peeked her head out, she found no one in the vicinity of the lonely, dark hallway. There wasnt even a guard outside guarding her. I could escape. She thought, but remembered Koden and Rita, who unlike Edward had gone out of their way to earn her respect and had reluctantly agreed to wait until she could meet Thomas and find out some clue as to Alices whereabouts before they escaped from the kingdom of Balsac. Sense of mana! But even then, she didnt sense anyones active presence nearby. She carefully closed the door and, after putting the latch back in, she sat back down on the hard bed and removed the dirty bandage, letting it fall on her thighs. Mana detection! Her sight changed as soon as the skill was activated, allowing her to see the black spot that stretched from her wound until it almost reached her shoulder, showing the exact point to which the infection had spread. How is it possible that she didnt even think about disinfecting it? Mana manipulation! Ezhil purification! The first time she used it, the golden light of her skill spread throughout the room. Fuck! she cursed, concentrating on narrowing the field of action of her skill so that it only worked around where her body was. It took her several attempts to achieve this, as several beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. She then spent the next ten minutes purifying her wound and bandages. When she was finally satisfied with the results, she took out a bottle of holy water and removed the cork with her teeth. But as she was about to drink it, she stopped. What if instead of making my arm grow back, it closes the wound as it always does when I drink it? She worried and silently watched for a whole minute what was left of her arm, whose wound had been smeared with a green paste to help it heal. Regardless of whether I drink it or apply it to the wound, the most likely result is that it will close it and speed healing. Then it would be impossible for the other saintess to grow my arm back like I did with the elves. She bit her lip as she thought. If only I had a way to communicate with the boss, perhaps.... It was then that she remembered the message that had come to her earlier from Hanna. And she immediately started going through her notifications, closing them one by one until she got to the one she really wanted. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. [User has received a message from fairy Hanna! Do you wish to open it now?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. And another window opened. Good afternoon, fairy champion. I thank you for agreeing to extend the deadline for our contract. You and your sacred beast were right. There was a small group of strange birds spying on our territory. We eliminated most of them, but two of them managed to escape despite being seriously injured. I was able to track down one of them, but the other one, even with Galateas help, was impossible to find. Still, I was finally able to finish gathering the thousand slime cores you wanted. If you need anything else, please let me know. I would be happy to help. With all my respect, Hanna. As she read the last part, a light of hope shone in her chest. Immediately, she closed the window and looked at her inventory with a frown as she saw that she didnt have the slimes cores anywhere. Two seconds later, a second window opened. [The trade contract offered by fairy Hanna has been fulfilled. Does the user wish to receive the benefits now? If you choose yes, you must make sure you have the space available to finalize the trade.] [YES/NO] She immediately took out the wizards staff she had looted from the corpse of a wizard she encountered the same day she arrived in Elinor and put it in the blue inventory, thus leaving an empty box. Only then did she select yes. [Congratulations! The user has completed the transaction and 1,000 slimes cores have been added to your inventory.] With her hand still good, she began to pull out the first hundred, noticing that some of them were red, and without paying attention to that, she began to absorb them. [Does the user wish to absorb these slime cores?] [YES/NO] To all of them, she said yes. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 9.4% of the passive skill: Regeneration!] [The skill Absorb has been raised to level 13!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 0.6% of the passive skill: Fire Resistance]! [The skill Absorb has been raised to level 14!] Mana Manipulation! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Skill window! The blood that had begun to ooze out of the wound disappeared, but unlike how it had happened with the elves, her arm didnt regenerate. So I cant use Jhil Ezhil on myself either. [Skills] Active skills: Inspect: level 4. Mana detection: level 7 Mana Sense: level 7 Mana Control: level 10 Mana manipulation: level 12 Dispel: level 11 Ezhil Dispel: level 6 Sleep well: level 5 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 13 Jhil: level 10 Jhil Ezhil: level 11 Blessing: level 20 Ezhil Blessing. Level 1 Water manipulation. Level 1 Water creation. Level 2 Ice manipulation. Level 11 Ice creation. Level 11 Water blades. Level 1 Ice blades. Level 1 Ice daggers. Level 2 Water arrows. Level 1 Ice arrows. Level 2 Eagle eyes. Level 1 Replica. Level 6 Earth creation. Level 1 Earth manipulation. Level 1 Basic healing. Level 1 Duplication. Level 15 Fire puff. Level 1 Resistance to ice . Level 1 Lightning. Level 1 Ice stakes. Level 1 Tundra. Level 1 Ice spear. Level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ? Level 70/131 Languages: : legendary level Regeneration: 70,014% of the acquired skill (Incomplete) Fire Resistance: 0.6% of acquired skill (Incomplete) Profession skills: Health enchantment: level 5. Mana Enchantment. Level 5 Strength Enchantment. Level 2 Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 70 Pain resistance: level 31 Absorb: level 12] Well, at least Im pretty close to reaching 100%! And unlike the ones Tsuki and I gathered these cores are almost in perfect condition. She thought, and continued absorbing the rest of the nine hundred cores she was missing. [The skill Absorb has been raised to level 15!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 40.4% of the passive skill: Fire Resistance!] [The skill Absorb has raised to level 16!].... [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 20!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 50% of the passive skill: Regeneration!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the passive skill: Regeneration. Level 1!] [Warning! Due to the excess percentage of the skill absorbed, it will be transformed into experience!] [Calculating...!] [The passive skill Regeneration has been raised to level 3!] [The passive skill Regeneration has been activated!] Kalysto closed her eyes, let out the air she had been holding in as a smile tugged at her lips and her eyes flooded with tears of happiness. At last! She whispered, feeling like she could finally breathe easily as she began to feel an itch all over her body, a much milder version than the one she felt when she drank holy water. And although she was dying to take a sip of holy water to get rid of the powerful headache she now had, she restrained herself. And she let her new skill take effect, hoping it would be enough to heal her arm. And as she lay back down again, after purifying the bed, she continued to close her notification windows until she reached the skill one again and noticed something she had overlooked earlier in her eagerness to finish absorbing the cores. ???????? From the ??? Level 70/131 Wait a minute... why the hell did both numbers change? -She was sure that days ago those levels were completely different. But try as she might, she couldnt find an answer to it. After a couple of hours, she had completely forgotten about it when she saw that her arm had regenerated half a centimeter. So instead of sleeping, she started to do the meditation exercises that Caranthir had explained to her in a superficial way, but that in the notes he had passed her everything was explained in detail. Only instead of concentrating to create a circle of mana as his explanations indicated, she used it to send her energy into her arm and try to find a way to speed up her healing process. She didnt know at what point she fell asleep, but the next morning when the new saintess came to change her wounds and try to heal her again, Kalysto could swear that her arm had regenerated by almost two centimeters. What skills and how many mana points do you have? Kalysto asked curiously to the young red-haired girl, whose pretty and delicate braid was done to one side. Clarissa Bors face turned red, being herself well aware of her shortcomings as a saintess, having been forced to dedicate herself to it when what she really wanted was to enjoy her life as a newlywed woman together with her husband. Clarissa lowered her gaze before answering. I only have two, hero from another world. Purification and Jhil, that took Kalysto by surprise, who for the first time was very aware of all the advantages she had by having accepted the deal with the fairy queen. Even if she wouldnt let her heal herself. And I barely have 50 mana points," whispered the embarrassed young woman. That explains a lot," muttered Kalysto. What things? Clarissa questioned, raising her innocent gaze with curiosity as she took a short break, waiting for her mana to regenerate. Tell me, isnt there another saintess in the temple of light? Hasnt she explained anything to you about your skills? she asked instead. ...No...I dont think Lady Darla likes me... And the high priest just gave me a bunch of old books to study, plus he meets with me from time to time and explains some things to me. But mostly its just a bunch of boring stories about the past, the gods and the temple and even though it was just the two of them in the room after the court mages took the rest of the heroes away to the dungeon to train that morning, leaving her and Edward to be healed under the watchful eye of the temple knights, Clarissa whispered as if anyone could hear their conversation, even though there were only two temple knights guarding the door from outside. And neither of them was a mage. Kalysto knew that because she inspected them as soon as the saintess entered. Here among us, the high pontiff had to lock up Lady Darla after she made a fuss about my coming to the temple... And if Im honest, she looks at me as if she wants to kill me. Im terrified at the thought of being alone with that woman," she confided. Your accent is quite peculiar, arent you from this kingdom? Kalysto asked her. The redhead cheered up immediately and began to speak. Of course not! I am from the kingdom of Vatha. Northeast of Balsac. Although our capital was recently destroyed by a wave of monsters... Even the temple couldnt do anything to stop them. Thats partly why both my husband and I fled from there. That, and my father wanted to sell me to an ugly old nobleman. She grunted the last. And she continued talking as if the two were lifelong friends who had recently met again after many years without seeing each other. Even if the handsome Duke of Lanish had not rejected the proposal sent to him by my father, who was only interested in the mine of mana crystals that were discovered in that duchy, I would have eloped with Batian, anyway! Kalysto blinked, while silently observing the energetic young woman. I didnt know that the saintesses of the Temple of Light were allowed to marry. The redheads face paled as she realized the mistake she had just made. They cant...uh...I...I...I think...Id better go, yes," she mumbled nervously as she abruptly stood up from the chair she had been sitting in. But Kalysto stopped her with her good hand. Since you have been so kind as to tell me your secret," she whispered, and they both looked toward the closed door of the room, let me tell you one that might be beneficial to both of us, then Kalysto pulled out a bottle of mana from the ones she had looted. If you take small sips of this potion, your mana will rise much faster, and if you spend it right away healing me, your skill Jhil will rise more easily. And when you reach level 10, and another skill called Jhil Ezhil will unlock. That one will allow you to heal much better and regenerate wounds faster. How do you know all that and where did you get that potion? She asked in surprise, looking at the small enchanted glass bottle and marveling at the pretty blue color of the liquid inside. Well, youll have to promise not to tell anyone. Whats more, why dont we make a contract? If you agree not to tell a single soul about what I show, deliver or say to you now, in the past or in the future, then I might tell you a little more and give you a couple of mana potions with which you can heal me and raise your skill level a little. What do you say? She offered with a kind smile. Of course! The redhead replied, delighted with the story. A violet window opened before her. [Does the user wish to enter into a binding soul contract with Clarissa Bor?] [YES/NO] Chapter 107 "Before the Escape" Part 2 Chapter 107 "Before the Escape" Part 2 Befriending Clarissa Bor was excessively easy. After the young girl had helped her speed up the regeneration process of her arm while they chatted, Kalysto had helped her finish healing Edward after putting them both to sleep when she saw how exhausted the poor girl was. She even left her two bottles of mana potions and one of revitalizing potion, as well as giving her a couple of tips and several warnings about trusting the people at the temple too much. But now, two weeks after that incident, Kalysto could see Thomas a couple of meters from where she was standing while wearing an elegant party dress that the queen had prepared for the heroes presentation to the allied kingdom of Bhallys. And any thought or sympathy for the situation of the young woman who just wanted to get away from the temple and form a nice home with her husband, completely vanished from her mind. Prince Dantel Ivon of Bhallys! and Hero Thomas Granthy of the kingdom of Bhallys, make their entrance! announced the guard stationed at the entrance, after opening the gates for the prince, Thomas and a small group of companions to enter behind them. Kalysto examined each face from a corner of the podium, where she stood with the rest of the heroes, as if they were a painting on display for those present. Her stomach turned when she realized that Alice was not part of the group of guests who came from the other realm. Your friend came? Rita whispered to her left, leaning close to her ear as she hooked her arm through hers. The friendship between the two had blossomed quickly since they had fought the horde of monsters together on their way to the city of Cifha. Koden was on her right. ...No," she replied with a frown, her gaze fixed on Thomas, who was watching everything with his mouth open, admiring the elegant decorations and the nobles in gala dresses with expensive jewels adorning their bodies. I hope that doesnt delay our plans," Koden whispered, leaning close to her other ear. And although her relationship with him had also improved in recent weeks, she still felt a little strange about his closeness. Dont worry about that. I can still do something," she replied, just as the entrance of the king and the royal family was announced. And they all bowed. King Medhas walked in the midst of all the aristocrats of the kingdom, or at least one representative for each noble family, dressed elegantly. His reddish, broad nose stood out against his pale skin and matched the huge red cloak that weighed on his shoulders and matched the crown made of gold and rubies that decorated his head. At his side, stood the beautiful queen Tathiana, and at the other the crown princess, their only daughter. All three were dressed to match. A little further back was the kings consort, who, unlike the queen, was dressed entirely in black. The royal family walked to where the king and queens chair was at the back of the hall and on a small podium a couple of steps higher than the rest of the marble floor. In the corner of which were the court magicians, and in the other corner were the summoned heroes from another world. The king stood and surveyed his subjects before raising his voice in the silent hall. I thank all the noble people present for attending tonight despite all the misfortunes that have struck the kingdom in recent days, the kings gaze swept over the huge banquet hall inside the royal palace, the tables decorated with beautiful floral arrangements, the vast amount of food displayed untouched and the servants keeping the nobles glasses full. And he completely ignored the heroes standing in front of the audience. I ask for a moment of silence in respect for the memory of the second princess. The nobles were silent as they watched the royal family intently. Their pitying gazes fell on the sad figure of the concubine, whose eyes were still swollen from crying over her recent loss. The king, however, did not seem so affected by the death of his second daughter. However, I can assure you we will not stand idly by. And although the demon king and his army of evildoers are trying to steal our peace, sow chaos, destroy our cities and are responsible for the wave of monsters that are destroying our cities... besides murdering my dear Teresh, at that moment the king lowered his gaze, almost as if it pained him to speak of the death of his daughter, immediately gaining the sympathy of those present. But he raised his face again too quickly and continued his energetic speech. I assure you, we will not stand idly by without a fight! That is why we will maintain a powerful alliance with the kingdom of Bhallys. Not only will we send our heroes to fight alongside the hero of our neighboring kingdom, but I will also reinforce this alliance by giving my only remaining daughter in holy matrimony to Prince Dantel, announced the king and the face of the now only princess of the kingdom lost all color as she heard her fathers words. What? -The princesss shriek was lost amidst the bustle of aristocrats wondering what would happen to the heirs position. It must be awful to suddenly be forced to marry your younger sisters fianc. Kalysto thought. And it must be even worse to see the position you wanted so badly slip away. Medhas shot a look of disgust at his daughter, shutting her up on the spot. While Prince Dantel, who was one place behind his older sister to inherit the throne, accompanied by two guards in blue cloaks, approached the king, leaving Thomas alone with a female guard. The guards knelt before the king and the prince bowed. Prince Dantel Ivon of Bhallys greets His Majesty the King of Balsac," the king nodded his head in acknowledgement. I offer my sincere condolences for your recent loss," then the young prince raised his hand and one of the servants who accompanied him brought a chest full of precious gems and mana crystals. I regret that we could not hear the news sooner, but my father sends you this gift as a token of appreciation for the union between our kingdoms," other servants began to advance, bringing more chests filled with beautiful fabrics and gold. I, Medhas Antha of Balsac King of Balsac, humbly accept your condolences, Prince Dante, as well as your gifts and those of your father. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to make our union fruitful and lasting," he murmured, greed shining in his eyes at the sight of the costly gifts as he pointed to his daughter, beckoning her to come closer. But she didnt. And as the prince walked over to where the princess stood to greet her while she stood frozen in place looking to her mother for help, the king took the opportunity to make one last announcement. And since we are celebrating good news, I bring you one more. My new concubine Lethicia, daughter of the Marquis of Tehro, will give birth in a few months to Carley, the next prince of the crown," the king announced, who turned to look at the queen after finishing his speech. For although he suspected that the queen had not only been having clandestine meetings with the Duke of Lanish in the middle of the night for the past two weeks, and although he had no proof, he was sure that she was behind the landslide that buried his second daughters carriage, which occurred only a couple of hours before the banquet at which he presented not only the heroes but also his new concubine. He was sure that she had found out what he planned to do and wanted to ruin his plans in advance. But now, the superior look in Medhass eyes made it very clear what message he was hiding for her. I am always above you. And while all the nobles exploded in applause at the news of a new heir, along with whispers full of uncertainty that they dared not express aloud, Kalytso stepped away from the podium and approached Thomas stealthily. Hey, Thomas! The dark-haired, black-eyed young man was filled with surprise at the sight of her, recognizing her immediately as Alices best friend. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The female knight at his side became guarded, but seeing the friendly response from Thomas, she calmed down. Hey, hi! What are you doing here? He greeted, approaching her. I was summoned along with Edward," she said, pointing to where the other heroes were. Is Edward here too? He asked as he turned to look at him. Thats right, apparently you two were spared the final exam and the last Japanese assignment," Thomas kind face immediately paled. Please dont tell the teacher, I know you two are friends! Kalysto rolled her eyes at the young mans nonsense, and instead put her hands on his shoulders, almost hugging him. Taking him by surprise. Then she brought her body close to his and whispered in his ear, making him blush. Where is Alice? Thomas body froze, before he could clumsily try to return her embrace as she whispered. She came with me and Sara, but since her system was flawed like her grandparents, she asked to be allowed to leave the castle and get a job and a room to live in. Then Alice joined the adventurers guild right there in the capital and did well in the first couple of days, I even went to greet her once at a sort of tavern-hotel where they were staying, called Toms place," he hastened to tell. But then she disappeared and apparently her grandparents vanished soon after while trying to find her. The guards have been trying to locate all three of them, but nothing has been heard from them. I fear something has happened to them." the sadness in his voice was evident as he delivered the bad news. However, Kalysto doubted that was what had really happened. Knowing Alice well enough to know that she would do whatever it took to get her grandparents to safety, Kalysto suspected that the failure of her systems was related to what she had been muttering about the last day they had seen each other. And how come her grandparents are here too? I was sure they were at the farm. She frowned, and before Thomas walked away, she asked him. Did she say anything to you before she left? She questioned, knowing Alice was noble enough to help the guy who rejected her, especially if she was planning to escape. No, but she gave me a book," he replied, frowning. Bingo! she thought, and tried hard not to show the joy on her face. Can you give it to me? she asked immediately, suspecting which book it was. Sure, no problem. Its better you have it than me, since youre best friends and all. Although Alice asked me to read it, but its just that... he said and blushed as he stroked the back of his neck, turning away from her, to tell you the truth, Ive never really liked reading novels and stuff. One more reason why it wasnt in Alices best interest to have a relationship with you! She refuted to herself. All right," she replied, to take some of Thomass discomfort away. But could you give it to me now? I dont know if I can later," considering that everyone was still watching the kings pregnant concubine as they gave their congratulations, it was much easier for her to slip away at that moment. All right, but well have to go to the room they assigned me. No problem," answered Kalysto immediately. The female knight guarding him did not leave them alone as they headed towards one of the outer corridors and before leaving, one of the maidservants joined them on Milos orders using the excuse of guiding them while throwing glances from time to time to Kalysto at the same time she was leading them towards the guest corridor. The fairy champion noticed the looks from the maid and hid a smile, then stared into her eyes, making her uncomfortable until the maid stopped being so obvious. Kalysto was well aware of the rumors that had begun to circulate about her, Koden and Rita after they returned from the dungeon, as the three of them used to lock themselves in her room for hours after training while they plotted a way to escape between whispers and compared the information they had obtained during the day. By the time they finally reached the quarters they had given to the group accompanying the prince, Kalysto made sure to hurry to close the door and prevent the other two women from entering the room with them. Thomas turned to see her, completely taken aback by her audacity and with red-tinged cheeks. What... what are you doing? he said as soon as he saw her lock the door. Kalysto put a finger against her lips, indicating silence, and as soon as she was close enough to him to prevent them from being overheard from the door, she whispered. Hurry up and find the book! Thomas nodded, and did as he was asked. As soon as Kalysto received it, he put it in her inventory and took out a small vial of holy water. Keep this in a safe place and only use it if you have been poisoned. Dont use it on anyone else, or allow anyone else to discover it, or it will be stolen from you. What is it, and where did the book go? Where did you get that? He questioned as someone knocked on the door. This is something that will save your life," she commented, handing him the vial. And stop asking so many questions, we dont have much time," she said, trying to hurry him to hide it. Kalysto waited for him to finish putting his things away while smearing some of the lipstick that had been applied before the party against her thumb as the knocking on the door got louder and louder. As soon as Thomas finished, Kalysto approached him and ran her red lipstick smeared finger against Thomas lips, who was surprised on the spot. Why...why do you do that? He asked with a completely red face as Kalysto ruffled his hair a bit and messed up his expensive custom-made suit, loosening his tie. Open the door this instant! ordered the woman knight as she continued to knock insistently on the door. Whats the problem? Kalysto questioned, opening the door wide, allowing them to see a very flushed Thomas and his disheveled appearance. Cant two old acquaintances make themselves comfortable and... have a little chat? She questioned with a flirtatious smile on her lips, and from the way both women looked at them, it was obvious what they thought they had been doing. My apologies. I thought the hero might be in danger. From what, losing his virginity? At Kalystos blunt words, the woman knight recoiled, realizing her mistake. I apologize. Its not what you are thinking! Thomas tried to apologize while adjusting his clothes. Let it be! Kalysto told him, shaking her hand, dismissing it as unimportant. Until the next time we meet," she said, and her tone of voice sounded as if she was saying goodbye to a lover. As she left, Kalysto overheard the maid said to the guard. In their world, they seem to be quite liberal. She has a romantic relationship with two other heroes. By the time they returned to the ballroom, the guards were surrounding the handsome Duke of Lanish. He remained stoic with his piercing gray eyes fixed on the king, despite being surrounded by guards whose swords were pointed at him. The Duke of Lanish is accused of treason! He has been seen having clandestine meetings with rebels! Moreover, the guards have discovered traces of the Lavia flower on the body of the second princess and on the knights who accompanied her! And as everyone knows, the Lavia flower attracts monsters, is hard to come by and abundant in the east, which makes us suspect that the death of the second princess was not an accident, but an act of revenge and rebellion against the crown! Shit! And there goes my escape plan! Kalysto thought as she saw the man with whom she had spoken at the previous party and to whom she had offered a contract. The handsome duke had been so desperate to save his sick fathers life, that he ended up accepting her proposal. And as she walked to where the heroes were under Milos watchful eye, she watched as the wizards face lost a little color when he heard the kings words. Curious, why did he react that way? She wondered as she passed several nobles on her way to the podium. Thats an absurd accusation! Everyone knows that that flower is also easily found in the south and abounds in the west, where the duchy of Brincy is! a noblewoman muttered, hiding her lips behind an open fan as she sent a glance towards where the queen was standing. Besides, isnt saying it was revenge the same as publicly admitting that he was behind the poisoning of the former duke after the old man refused to marry the priestess Darla, his former lover? Its obvious that what he wants is the mine of mana crystals they discovered in the duchy! What a nerve! Refuted the woman next to her. What will come next? The destruction of the nobility? The theft of all our goods? What is the king thinking of accusing the best swordsman and warrior the kingdom has of treason? Handing over the protection of the nobility to Bhallys soldiers? Ha! And then they wonder why the wizards in the tower fled when they should wonder why they held out so long without fleeing after the king banned the free sale of potions and took over the market? I think we should follow their example and start thinking about moving to another kingdom, my dear sister! added one of the two women in a whisper. From this moment on, all the dukes property will be confiscated and he will be stripped of his noble title! The king continued, oblivious to the chaos he was sowing among the nobility. Silence, you two, or youll end up having our heads cut off as well! Refuted the man next to both ladies, as Kalysto finished passing behind them while pretending she had not been listening to them and stopped in the middle of Rita and Koden as soon as she reached them. Where were you? Koden questioned in a low whisper. You know shes not your mother, right? Rita scolded him. Shh, stop it you two! Then she slipped an arm over Ritas as Koden moved closer to them and Kalysto added in a whisper:. Alice is somewhere in the capital Bhallys. Koden gave a half-smile. In that case, we finally have a destination route," he whispered back, happy that at last the eternal arguments between him and Rita about where would be the safest place to hide while they found the spell that would take them back home would be over. Chapter 108 “Before the Escape” Part 3 Chapter 108 Before the Escape Part 3 Kalysto planned to escape before the end of the ball and read the whole book in the quiet of her room before they had to leave the next day for the south and face the demon king with Thomas and the army that came with him. And while she managed to succeed with the first part of her plan, she didnt do so well with the second. Two things happened almost at the same time as soon as she finished reading the second chapter while lying in bed with only a T-shirt on and a warm sheet over her body. Four knocks resounded loudly against her bedroom door a second before a violet window appeared in front of her. [Kalysto, I need you to come immediately. Mhiralla has once again sent a horde of monsters that have spread the plague around our barrier. They even managed to create a rift that Artemis is sealing as we speak. But several fairies have been infected and I need you to come heal them and purify the affected area.] Of course, boss! Please give me five minutes and Ill get dressed," she commented as she put the book on her bed, took her black pants out of her inventory, and hurried to put them on as the knocking against the door grew louder and louder. Kalysto continued to ignore them as she put on her stockings, but the doorknob began to turn and when they tried to open the door, it slammed against the heavy couch she always put against it to prevent anyone from entering while she slept. Kalysto, we know youre in there because you have the couch up against the door," said Rita. And its because of things like this that I dont have many friends! she muttered under her breath. Alice would have taken the hint immediately, Its not a good time! Come back later! I dont think thats possible, Miss Luna. Either you open the door right now or Ill break it down, Kalysto froze at the sound of Milos soft voice. Shit! She thought as she finished tying the laces of one of her tennis shoes. With a frown, she stood up, dragged the couch aside, and opened the door wide. On the other side of the door, Koden, Rita, and Milo were waiting for her. Sorry. He appeared out of nowhere when we were already here," Rita said softly, approaching her. Kalysto stepped aside to let her in, but blocked the way again with her body. What are you doing here? she growled, annoyed to see that her plans had been ruined. I need to finish reading that book and find out how much time I have to do the third mission before this continent goes to shit! Did you have to come and interrupt me just now? I heard voices," Milo commented as he scanned the room with his eyes, looking at the unmade bed and her messy hair. Why put a piece of furniture against the door? To prevent a pervert from entering while I sleep, of course," she replied, annoyingly. I assure you, Miss Luna, that the guards will not let anyone into this area without my authorization," he replied, arching an eyebrow and leaning against the door frame. Despite his serene appearance, the strong smell of alcohol wafted from his breath and Kalysto folded her arms. Uncomfortable at their sudden closeness. And why should I trust them? They both stared at each other in silence for a few seconds as Kalysto belatedly remembered that she had forgotten to put on a bra and that the queen was still waiting for her to go do her job. I see," was all Milo said, and as he watched carefully the closed bathroom door inside the room as he took a step trying to enter uninvited. At that very moment, a powerful lightning bolt struck the gardens of the royal palace, breaking the magical barrier that protected the palace, which had been conjured centuries ago and on which year after year Milo and the rest of the court magicians worked to find a way to strengthen it. And a violet window appeared in front of Kalysto. [How dare that filthy human enter a maidens room uninvited and interrupt my summoning?] Kalysto was also annoyed by the audacity, but frightened by what the queen might get up to, she immediately grabbed Milo by the wrist preventing him from advancing. Sleep well! Sleep well! she thought, pouring a large amount of mana into making him sleep just as a second bolt of lightning struck so that Milos body hit the ground and a bottle of green potion he had been holding spilled on the floor. Help me put himt on the couch! She asked Koden, who came in and did as she asked, while Kalysto peeked outside the door to her room, making sure no one else had seen them, but neither of the two guards watching the hallway were paying attention to her, so she hurried to close the door. And put the couch back against the door. Kalysto, whats going on? I dont have time to explain, but stay here until I get back in a couple of hours, and make sure you read the book on my bed! She approached Milo and checked that he was really asleep. still, she put her hands on each of his cheeks and conjured again in a low whisper: Sleep well! Sleep well! Pouring out her remaining mana. [The Sleep Well skill has been level up to level 6!] [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected!] A violet window appeared before her. [You should have let me get rid of him!] Im sorry, but if you do that, my friends and I would be in trouble, Kalysto quickly backed away and ran to put on the other tennis shoe she was missing. [What the hell are you into, kiddo?] Its a long story, and unless the boss is willing to take my friends back to Earth, its not worth wasting time. [...] [Why would I do such a thing? I already have everything I need from you. And whatever I need, I can easily get it in the nine years of contract that we need.] That took Kalysto by surprise. Nine? Wasnt it three? She questioned as soon as she finished tying her shoes. [Time in our worlds runs differently.... But we dont have time for explanations now. Get ready to be summoned and make sure those pesky, perverted humans dont touch my magic circle!] If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Yes, maam," she murmured, stepping aside, far enough away so that neither Koden nor Milos long legs could reach her. The queens circle began to draw itself on the ground, just below Kalysto. Its violet light flooded the room. Rita, could you please close the curtains? The last thing we want is for someone to come and check while Im gone. And remember that you both signed a contract with me in which you promised to keep my secrets. Well, this is one of them. Thats the same summoning circle that brought us to this world! Koden exclaimed, his face bathed in worry. No, it is not. The ones that brought you were blue. And unlike you, I was not brought here against my will. I signed a contract of employment with a being of this world. And this," she said, pointing to the circle, is my new boss calling me to come to work. I will be back in a few hours. Dont forget to read the book. What will happen to this world is written there, she said, just before the violet light enveloped her completely and disappeared. As soon as the strong light of the summoning circle dissipated, Kalysto opened her eyes and found a beautiful forest surrounded by black smoke. The orange leaves of the trees that had not yet been infected with plague or miasma emitted a soft glow, illuminating the place. Quickly, Kalysto opened her inventory and took out a mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought at the same time as she took out a bottle of holy water. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She immediately exclaimed and took a sip of holy water before putting it back into her inventory. Ezhil Dispel Ezhil Purification! The golden light of her skills spread more than twenty meters around her, and after a couple more rounds, the black smoke of the miasma had completely disappeared. Champion? Galateas unexpected voice made her jump in shock. I apologize. I didnt mean to startle you. Its all right," she said, holding a hand to her heart. And the monsters? Completely exterminated," announced Hanna as she landed near her. Great, now which one of you will take me where I need to go? That would be me, champion," immediately a soft breeze surrounded Hanna, who began to float in the air as she approached her and, after hugging her from behind, they both floated a few meters above the ground. First, we need you to purify the whole contaminated area. Then I will take you to where the sick are. Okay," answered Kalysto. Half an hour later, they had already finished purifying the whole part of the forest that had been affected after the attack. Can we take a short break before going to check on the sick? Of course, champion," answered Hanna, landing near a rock so they could both sit down. Do these kinds of attacks happen all the time? Not that often. But Mhiralla usually attacks from time to time, disappearing almost as soon as she attacks the barrier to allow her monsters or miasma to pass through. Then she always flees quickly, long before the queen can get to the scene of the attack and cut off her head. She sounds like quite the coward. Oh, she definitely is! agreed the fairy. They were both silent for a minute while Kalysto took out a thel and ate it. Hanna imitated her and also took one out of her inventory. By the way, you told me the other day that if I was interested in trading to count on you for it," said Kalytso, seeing that she was running out of vials of holy water. Of course, is there anything you wish to obtain? Would it be possible to get a few of those leather bags that are enchanted to hold hundreds of items in them? Of course! Hanna replied with a friendly smile, I see that the champion likes to collect items as much as I do. Yeah, well, to tell you the truth, Im running out of space in my inventory. Do you think you can also get at least two two-liter jars and a couple of vials? Better make it ten of each and if you can get me some five hundred mana crystals, that would be even better. Mmmm... the fairy turned her head, looking at her carefully under the light of the two moons. I have never heard of anyone collecting holy water, but considering that there are usually periods of time when it is a very difficult item to get, I can see why the champion might be interested in doing so. Lets do this! If the champion agrees to give me four liters of holy water, I will get her the ten jars, ten enchanted bags with a capacity of five hundred items and a thousand mana crystals. They both accepted the trade contract By the way, how come you were able to send me a message the other day? Hanna looked at her in complete surprise at the unexpected question. When the champion has made a deal with someone it will appear as a bright spot on her map. Even if they have terminated the contract, while the person is still alive you only need to touch their dot on the map with the intention of wanting to communicate with that person. And a window will open, allowing you to dictate your message. An hour and a half later, Kalysto was back in her room after having finished healing the fairies. She appeared in the bathroom as she always did every time she returned, happy with her new acquisitions and because she had taken the opportunity to fill the twelve jars with holy water that Hanna had given her, she gave two to her as they had agreed, and managed to keep the precious liquid inside the new vials. Still, she refilled the jars again with water, going back to purified holy water, preferring to have them full and available in case of an emergency. As soon as she left the bathroom, Koden and Rita were waiting for her, the former with her arms folded. The latter, with a pale face after having made progress in the reading. So technically you could have escaped on your own the whole time, but you didnt? he questioned. Exactly," answered Kalysto, approaching Milo again. Sleep well! Sleep well! May I ask why you didnt run away? For several reasons, one of them the debt I owed Amanda. Who is Amanda? Rita interrupted. Edwards aunt," Koden answered. Oh, right! said Rita. And because I needed information about Alices whereabouts and for that I had to talk to Thomas, but I already did that. Why dont you ask your boss to help us escape? Rita asked. Because she doesnt like humans. She signed a binding soul contract with me only because I was about to die. Even now if I dont keep my part of the contract, I will die. Besides, why would I enslave myself for another nine years to free one of you when weve only known each other for such a short time? For Alice? Sure! But I still need to win more points with the boss before I risk bringing up the idea. And after what happened with Persephone I dont think now is the time for that. Kalysto thought. That sounds like a very dangerous job," commented Koden, understanding her point. Kalysto shrugged. It was either accept that or die split in half by the axe of the orc who was summoning the portal the other day. I honestly didnt have much of a choice, and theyre pretty decent to me, plus the food is much better than here. Kalysto even the food in a prison tastes much better than here! Rita complained. Have you figured out how the heck that orc managed to summon a portal? Weve been digging through the books you stole from the library for over a week and we havent found anything to give us a clue! Koden growled. I suspect the crystal he was holding helped him, but I have no idea where I can get one or what kind of crystal it was," Kalysto shrugged. Maybe weve been looking in the wrong library," Rita said suddenly. Why dont we look in his? she commented, pointing to Milo. Rita is right. If not in his study, maybe we could find something in his room. After putting Milo to sleep and how many guards they met on the way, as stealthily as they could, they moved towards the study where Milo had given them the first classes on magic and stole all his books. Magic really is a wonderful thing," sighed Koden after handing the last book to Kalysto, who put it in one of the enchanted bags she had exchanged with Hanna. Dont get too excited, were still missing his room and we have to hurry before the party ends and someone goes to visit him," muttered Hanna, nervous that they might get caught. The next morning, as the coachmen prepared the carriages for the long journey to the Southlands. Darla, sitting in the temple carriage, arrived at the kings palace, only to be greeted by chaos. What the hell happened here? she demanded. The palace library has been burned to the ground and the Duke of Lanish, along with his aide, have escaped from prison without a trace," one of the guards informed her. Darla clicked her tongue in annoyance. That is not important now. Take me to the king at once. Tell him that the second prophecy has been fulfilled and a tower full of monsters has appeared in the west. The heroes must travel there as soon as possible. Chapter 109 “Before the Escape” Part 4 Chapter 109 Before the Escape Part 4 Kalysto was sitting inside the white carriage that had the crest of the royal family of Balsac stamped in red on both doors, watching the crowd of people who came out into the streets to see off the army of knights that would travel south to fight the forces of the demon king. The festive atmosphere outside the vehicle bothered her. The people gathered outside were throwing flowers and shouting as if it was some kind of celebration instead of thinking that many of these people would not return alive. Or even worse, that they were being forced to go against their will. At the head of the parade was the carriage of the second prince of the kingdom of Bhallys, together with the Duke of Brincy, the Marquis Milo de Riva, and Thomas. They were followed by another carriage with the powerful group of magicians who came with the prince. In the third, were the magicians of the court followed by the carriage in which traveled the heroes of the kingdom of Balsac, and finally the carriage of the temple where Darla went along with several priests of high status. All of them were surrounded by the strong knights of the kingdom of Bhallys, the knights of the temple, and a select group of knights from King Medhas and the duchy of Brincy. It will be difficult," Koden muttered, sitting across from her by the window. Giving a glance at the number of guards surrounding them. We will find a way," replied Kalysto, knowing full well that he was referring to their escape plan. Kalysto is right, Koden. We have trained hard to level up. Surely now we can take on those monsters and save these poor people," interrupted Edward, earning several frowns from the rest of the group, except for Sandra and Oscar, but for completely different reasons. Well, speak for yourself! Neither my brother nor I signed up for this madness! Gideon protested. Besides, as the beautiful priestess said in the morning," Edward continued, ignoring him. Someone must do the right thing and save these poor people from the oppression of the enemy. And we as the chosen ones of the goddess Mhiralla have the duty to carry her message and bring peace to these lands," he added, his eyes seeming to glow with barely contained emotion. Please tell me youre not in love with her," Kalysto interrupted him, feeling embarrassed. Worried that Edwards new attitude might ruin her plans. You know shes twenty-seven, right? Edwards face unhinged. Of course shes not that old! He objected immediately. With that angelic face carved by the gods themselves, she couldnt be more than seventeen," he assured her. Even if that were true, you are aware that you are of age, right? Right? Koden questioned. And while they debated about the real age of the priestess and how hot she was, according to Gideons words, Kalysto kept looking out the window. Sandra, however, seemed happy smashing her face against the other window, letting everyone see her face as she waved at them full of enthusiasm. Someone thinks this is a beauty contest," whispered Rita, sitting to her left, followed by Oscar, Gabriel and Sandra. Kalysto returned the complicity smile she had given her, but said nothing. Instead, she began to remember everything that had happened the busy night before. It was after Kalysto had dispelled the thin barrier protecting Milos quarters and they looted his room, where Koden and Rita retrieved the cell phones that had been taken from them the day they first spoke to the king, that Kalysto realized one small detail. Were being too obvious," she said suddenly as she grabbed Milos journal, a book with a blue marker, and several notebooks. Take all the potions you can find," she commented and turned to the cabinet, opening the drawers and taking only the books, notebooks, and potions she found there. And I think we should also pay a visit to the royal library. If we only take these, it will be too obvious that it was a group of magicians who took them and we could be singled out. I didnt think of that. Youre absolutely right! Rita agreed. After putting fifteen more guards to sleep, they finally reached the royal library and entered in silence. [The Sleep Well skill has leveled up to level 10!] Koden, take all the books you think we could use. Rita, put in this bag the ones you think are useful, pack the rest in groups and burn them as soon as I give you the signal," she commented, handing each of them an enchanted bag. Are we going to burn the library? Rita asked, somewhere between frightened, surprised and excited by the idea. It would be too obvious if we just take whats in the other two rooms, so if we take some books and burn the rest, they might think the other two attacks are to cover up whatever it is we did here. What will you do in the meantime? I have another place to look. Hurry, we must not stay here too long, or someone might discover us. See you in fifteen minutes and she ran to the small secret room where they hid the manuscripts and forbidden books that she had not managed to loot the previous time. Hello again, she greeted them with a whisper, excited to be able to meet again with all that amount of knowledge now that she no longer had access to the internet. She immediately pulled out two enchanted bags and began to put away everything she saw. Just as she was emptying the last shelf, a violet window appeared before her eyes. [Kalysto, I have a mission for you! Rescue the current Duke of Lanish in the kingdom of Balsac! He has been taken prisoner under false pretenses by the stupid king of that tiny kingdom and should be in some cold dungeon of that filthy palace.] I think I know where he is," she replied. What will I get in return? She asked, but the next window was a much darker and somewhat redder shade than the ones the queen usually wore. [How can you know where he is?] Are you the queens secretary? Its been a while since Ive read you. [Ive already told you Im not her secretary! And you havent answered my question!] Why should I answer it? My contract doesnt stipulate such a thing. [Enough you two!... And stop bothering the child!] After a few seconds, during which she was sure the two of them were arguing, a new window opened again. This time the color tended more towards black. [Is this the girl you told me about....?] Kalysto could almost feel the new voice, as if it was whispering sweet words in her ear. The usual violet window appeared before her. [What are you supposed to be doing, girl? Are you stealing?] Technically speaking, they kidnapped me first. So taking their books and burning their library could be taken as a way to settle the score," Kalysto excused herself. Feeling like a little girl whos been caught stealing the cookie jar. The gleeful laughter that drew in the darker window warmed her skin. The sensation was completely different from anything shed felt so far. It was alluring, electrifying, and it made her feel...alive. And it scared her. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kalysto swallowed saliva with difficulty. [Why is it that lately almost every time I see you, youve been kidnapped?... I hope this doesnt become a habit! What are you waiting for to escape?] They also have some friends and acquaintances of mine. And dont worry, we plan to escape in a few days, and before she could even try, another window appeared. [I hope youre not even thinking of asking me for help with that, or allowing them into my territory, Kalysto.] And there died all my hopes of getting help looking for Alice. She thought sadly. Of course not, boss and as soon as the lies came out of her mouth, a puff of black smoke came out of nowhere, enveloping the books, and making them disappear. Hey, my books! [Ill give them to you as soon as youre done with your mission, little thief.] And Kalysto could swear that the man, the owner of the purple window that almost looked black, was still smiling when he said those words. Who said I would accept it? She answered instead. [What do you want in return?] The queen asked. Kalysto turned her head to the side as she thought. Considering I have to get Rita and Koden out of the library before they discover us I dont have enough time to negotiate... and shes not interested in helping them escape so the idea of using her to find Alice is out of the question for the time being. She thought. Why negotiate with me when you guys can come and get him? [Because youre already there. And because while I wouldnt normally stop a certain individual from going and destroying them all, the saintess of the goddess Mhiralla is in that kingdom and could inform her.] And why worry about someone who is weaker than she is? She wanted to ask, but considering how powerful the queen was, that could only mean that there was someone much more powerful backing the other goddess. There are actually two saints who belong to the temple of light, not just one. [What?] One was imprisoned shortly after my arrival in this world, and there is a new one. [Why were we not informed of this?] Questioned the window with the reddish touch on it. As far as I understand my contract is with the queen, I dont even know who you are, besides its not like I have a way to contact you when I want to do so, do I? And providing that kind of information is not part of my contract. She replied with a smile. [...You just need to touch your contract tattoo with me and you can dictate your message. Ill answer it as soon as I can. Now lets focus on whats really important. What do you want in return for providing your services?] Remembering the disaster that happened when she tried to use the only fire ability she had, she smiled. I want total immunity to all types of fire. Besides, it will be very difficult for me to go down to the prison and help him escape with all the commotion in the palace today. I will need an ability that will help me do such a thing silently and go unnoticed as soon as she finished speaking two windows appeared before her. One reddish and one almost black. [The user wishes to accept the legendary rank skill: Absolute fire immunity, offered by ???? king of dragons in exchange for accepting the fairy queens mission.] [The user wishes to accept the legendary rank skill: stealth, offered by ???? king of demons in exchange for performing the recent mission given by the fairy queen in less than two hours.] Do skills also have levels? Kalysto thought as soon as she read the first message, but her face paled when she read who was offering her the last skill. Boss... Are we on friendly terms with the demon king? She asked. The saliva felt thick in her mouth as she knew the future that awaited this man. And what her boss might do if he found out she knew beforehand. On the other hand, why should offer this information for free? She thought. [Of course! But only with one of them. My nephew.] Is there more than one demon king? [We dont have time for your collection of questions, Kalysto. And pay more attention to your map, there are two enemies heading your way!] Shit! If you give me the stealth skill right away, Ill accept the mission," she whispered. Map! Indeed, the dots of Koden and Rita were glowing on the map, and approaching where they were, there were two other red dots. And as a last-minute thing she added: I also hope I get my books back! [Oh! It will be a pleasure to have you come to my palace to collect them when you are willing to tell me what it is that you tried so hard to hide from my aunt when you found out that I am the demon king.] One of the wisps of smoke caressed her calf as a farewell, and a shiver ran down her back. Less than a second later, Kalysto had received the new mission. [Mission: rescue the Duke of Lanish in less than two hours. Reward: * Legendary rank skill: Absolute immunity to fire. * Legendary rank skill: stealth.] She immediately accepted the mission and a violet window opened before her. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Stealth. Level 1!] Stealth! She activated it immediately, noticing how her body became transparent, along with her clothes and shoes. And she immediately ran off to where the two guards who were searching the library for intruders were standing. Sleep well, sleep well, sleep well! She whispered, injecting a large amount of mana into her spell in order to counteract the difference in levels. As soon as the guards body fell to the ground, she checked her map, and attacked the second one in the same manner. Then she went to where Koden was. "We should go," she informed him, putting a finger to her lips, letting him know that they should keep their voices down. I think we should escape! he muttered under his breath. Bad idea," she whispered as she led them to where Rita was. Edward is drunker than an alcoholic trying to drown his sorrows. And the rest are still at the party. Itll take too long to find them. And we all know Sandra wouldnt take ten seconds to rat us out if it gets her Milos attention. So, should we wait until were all assembled? Koden questioned just as they got to where Rita was. Should we trust the twins? asked the fire mage. ...I think its best they find out when its all happening, just like Edward," Koden was annoyed to hear her words. He would never betray us! He assured her. "Maybe not, but its too obvious and his nerves would give away that were hiding something," Kalysto replied and passed a mana potion to Rita. Burn this place to the ground. Forty minutes later, Kalysto had already led her new partners in crime back to her room, where she left them to finish reading the book. The Fall of the Hero, and she had wasted her time looking for the Duke in the same jail where she and the rest of the heroes had been imprisoned. How was I to know that they have two separate prisons, one for the nobles and one for the commoners? She thought as she followed a group of guards while using stealth skills. You two go check if the duke has escaped. It looks like someone attacked the royal library. Surely its a strategy to distract us from his escape attempt! Thank heavens! Kalysto got excited following the two guards, who went to the north tower and then descended through a passageway to the prisons. Almost immediately she could recognize the duke sitting on a small but comfortable bed. And as soon as the two guards left to report that the prisoner was still here, she put all the guards to sleep, but was annoyed when, after two minutes of looking for the keys, she couldnt find them anywhere. Fuck that! She got annoyed and walked over to the stone wall surrounding the cell. Duke, get away from the wall. Earth manipulation! And just as it had happened with the earthworms she had fought in the past, the rock first softened and as soon as she touched it began to fall to the ground as if it were dirt. I didnt know you were an earth mage. I am not, and now lets get out of here," Kalysto answered and turned around to get out of there as soon as possible and finish her mission. But contrary to what she thought, the duke did not move from his place. Im not leaving here without my assistant. Thats not what I was hired for. Ill offer you thirty mana stones if you get us both out of here today seeing that she didnt flinch at his offer, he tried again. Ill give you fifty! Kalysto let out a long sigh, full of exhaustion. I dont have time for this. Seventy! Give me a hundred, or Ill put you to sleep, put you in my inventory, and take you out of here by force. Take it or leave it," she said. And fifteen minutes later, the three of them were running through the forest outside the palace while wearing a pair of cloaks they had stolen from the guards while they slept. Thank you! I dont know how I can repay you for the favor youve done us! Pay me in mana or skill crystals when we meet again and hold up your end of our contract. Of course, you and your friends are welcome to live in my duchy when you escape from here," Kalysto nodded at his words and as soon as they were able to get a carriage to take them out of the capital, she pulled her home stone from her inventory and returned to the comfort of her room, where Rita and Koden were waiting for her sound asleep. Stop the carriages! We are under attack! shouted one of the knights near their window, nine hours after they started their journey. Rita, Koden, wake up! Kalysto shouted to them, waking up the rest of the heroes sleeping inside the vehicle. And as she opened the door and got out, she could see thousands of monsters surrounding the entire caravan. Hundreds of ogres, orcs, sajhuns, one- and two-headed cyclopses, hundred-footers over five meters tall, dackets, sokalrs, several jhuns and worst of all, hundreds of dark-Jhuns contaminated with the black plague and over two meters tall, were approaching them. Shit! She thought, recognizing several of the races that had attacked the elves. And she looked back, not entirely sure that this group of youngsters who were barely around level ten could survive an attack on this scale. Fear was written on the faces of most of them as soon as they saw what they would have to face. Koden, Rita! Ready to level up? She challenged them, trying to put on her best face, to give them encouragement. Lets cut heads! replied the fire mage with a smile on her face. But in the distance, on a small mountain, Kalysto could see a huge and thick tower of a hundred floors, while the sun began to descend on the horizon. Chapter 110 “The Ambush.” Chapter 110 The Ambush. There was a great difference in attack power and coordination between the knights of the kingdom of Balsac and Bhallys. While the latter had an organized system of defense and attack that gave them excellent results, the former seemed to have fear tattooed in their eyes, seeing that unlike the other kingdom, the first casualties were among the soldiers serving the king. However, the knights serving the duke, accustomed to fighting monsters and unexpected invasions, responded immediately, organizing their numbers and protecting together with the knights of the allied kingdom the carriage where the duke and the prince were riding. Helping to keep the front of the caravan safe. The Bhallys mages attacked with fire and ice without mercy, destroying monster after monster as they took turns drinking mana potions to maintain the strength of their attacks. But despite the large number of knights surrounding the carriages, several monsters managed to penetrate through their defenses and attack the last ones. Protect the saint! shouted the Duke of Brincy to his men as he stepped down from the carriage, standing right in front of the door while he unsheathed his sword, ready to eliminate anyone who approached the prince of the kingdom of Bhallys. The prince immediately perked up, and called Ans from the opposite window, one of the elite knights his older sister had lent him to ensure the success of this mission. The slender assassin, trained as a knight and dressed in black, approached the prince, who, not wanting to be overheard by the duke on the other side of the carriage, whispered. Take two others with you and make sure you bring me the saint in good condition. She is the only reason my father agreed to help this insignificant kingdom full of stinking weaklings," he muttered and hurried to hide the discomfort he felt for his new allies. Ans nodded her head. And though her loyalty was not to Prince Dantel but to the crown princess, she would pretend to obey the prince until his orders got in the way of the princesss plan. Or until he himself showed signs of betraying her, in which case she as well as the rest of the elite knights of the order of the black rose who had come on the princesss orders would see to it that he was disposed of. Blood dripped from Kalystos ice daggers. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with her agitated breathing as she stared at the body of the monster she had just slain. Unlike the rest of the monsters she had fought while inside the human realm, the skin of these creatures was much tougher and more resilient. Just as it had been when she was in the Elven kingdom. Only this time, she couldnt see the huge portal through which these things had come out. I need more strength! She thought, and where the hell is that portal? However, no matter how hard she looked for it, she couldnt find it. Horses whinnied as their riders charged at the monsters. Several more experienced warriors left their horses behind to take on the hundred or so beasts more freely as beasts made their way through the trees surrounding the rudimentary dirt road along which the carriages had been advancing. It would be a matter of luck if I got out of here and could get the boys out alive. Because while she could simply pull the home-stone out of her inventory and return to fairy territory where she would be safe, they could not. But the thousands of monsters that were attacking them, even without a portal, were not the real problem. One of the problems, or at least the most pressing, was that according to the book The Fall of the Hero which she had finally finished reading just as the sun was rising, she had less than a year and a half before the entire population on the continent would be completely wiped out. And just as had happened in the book, a tower full of monsters sprouted on top of a small mountain within Balsacs territory. But according to the book, that was supposed to happen six months after the arrival of the heroes in this world. Why did it appear five months earlier? She wondered, as she glanced sideways at the tower in the distance. What was it that changed? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. On guard! shouted one of the knights standing near her as an ogre about ten feet tall ran towards them, his head covered with a helmet, a small imitation armor protected his broad chest and a huge axe lay in his hands. And as the young Balsac knights hands trembled, Kalysto looked the ogre up and down before whispering: Perfect shot! Multiple targets! Telekinesis! Ice stakes! Three magic circles formed in front of her and from each of them came an ice stake about half a meter long. One of them buried itself in her enemys stomach, another in his groin, and the last one in his throat. Lets see, how do you survive that? She murmured with a smile on her lips, while the surrounding knights moved away from her discreetly. [Youve gained 3,000 experience points!] Why the hell are these things so hard to kill? Rita growled several meters behind her, while the fire mage and Koden tried to cut off the head of the small orc that had slipped through the defenses and which Kalytso had frozen from the shoulders down so that they could gain some experience and level up without taking any risk. Just burn his head off and thats it! Kalytso shouted. Rita nodded her head and did as her companion had told her. Almost immediately, a smile broke out on her face. [Youve gained 700 experience points!] Yes, one less! And I finally went up to level thirteen! The fire mage celebrated. Hey, thats not fair! Thats cheating! Koden interrupted her. And that counts as a draw. I helped too! And you expect me to always kill a monster with a sword when Im a mage? Rita refuted him as Oscar, along with three soldiers from the allied kingdom, fought an orc. While the fourth of them joined the fight, the rest of the heroes remained inside the carriage. Enough you two, and pay attention! Get ready for the next round! -Kalysto shouted as she saw that the space left by the other knights and the ogre gave way to a pack of twenty-one Dackets. Inspect! [Name: N/A Race: Dacket Level: 17 HP: 17.000/17.000 MP: 100/100 DMP:100/100] The level of most of the dark gray-furred wolves in that pack ranged from level fifteen to seventeen, but one of them, the one who came behind and watched everything with a glint of cunning in his eyes, was level twenty-five. Everyone, stand back and stay out of the way! Ice creation! Conjured Kalysto as she kicked the ground and the pack ran towards them. A path of ice formed on the ground and froze the paws, back and tails of twenty of them. Leaving their necks and heads free to be cut off. Koden, Rita, you know what to do! -Kalysto immediately set about decapitating all the Dackets near her, planning to leave only about four on the periphery so the boys could take advantage and level up. [Youve gained 2,000 experience points!] x5 But as soon as the leader of the pack saw that the others couldnt escape the ice trap Kalysto had set for them, he jumped on it. Preventing her from killing the rest. The Dacket lunged with its jaws open, ready to bite her arm, but Kalysto avoided her attack and made a slash against its back. The Dacket jumped backwards, putting distance between them, and Kalysto clicked her tongue when she saw that the wound she had caused him was not deep. And taking advantage of the distance the Dacket had put between them, she decapitated another member of the pack. [Youve gained 4,000 experience points!] The alpha, furious at her audacity, jumped on her head. Kalysto barely had time to blink when the wolf was already on top of her, knocking her to the ground. With no room to move her elongated daggers, she had to drop them on her own body as the wolf raised one of its paws with its claws extended and threw it against her face. Kalytso kneed him in the abdomen and the sharp claws passed mere millimeters from her face as soon as the wolf lost its balance and fell on its side. Water blades! Ice blades! She conjured, launching her attacks at her enemys eyes. Ice arrows! she added, throwing them at his neck. Two notification windows, one blue and one violet, appeared to her left, announcing the death of another monster at the hands of Koden or Rita. [You have gained 1,000 experience points!] Despite his wounds, the wolf rose from the ground and as he jumped back against her, Edwards shout was heard in the distance. Kalysto, watch out! shouted the young man, throwing himself between the pack of wolf bodies with his sword in hand. Dont come any closer! Kalysto shouted as she evaded another bite from the energetic animal and retrieved her fallen daggers before leaping backwards. But her warning came too late and the unwary young mans piercing scream echoed in her ears as soon as one of the wolves whose head was not frozen bit his arm when Edward passed too close. And though a small part of her wanted to help him and scold him for his stupidity, she didnt take her gaze off the wolf in front of her, which was not long in lunging at her neck again with its muzzle wide open Kalysto threw one of her daggers at his open mouth. Perfect shot, multiple targets, ice stakes! she conjured, throwing two stakes against its neck and another against its head, right between the middle of its eyes. The Dacket fell to the ground as his blood bathed the earth. Kalysto watched him for a second, making sure that the beast was not strong enough to continue fighting, and then looked in Edwards direction, watching Oscar and Koden help him up from the ground. Oscar, could you take Edward to where the saint is so she can heal him? The tall brunette nodded as Kalysto pulled a health potion from her inventory and threw it in his direction. This will help him heal a bit while you get to where the saint is Once she was sure he would be alright, as she saw Koden struggling against the semi-frozen dacket that had bitten his friend, Kalysto raised her other dagger and buried it against the alphas heart. [Youve gained 8,000 experience points!] [Youve leveled up to level 25!] Time to steal experience and allocate points." Chapter 111 “The Ambush.” Part 2. Chapter 111 The Ambush. Part 2. Time to steal experience and assign points," she mumbled with a smile. Then she decapitated the rest of the wolves, leaving only two others for the boys to kill. [Youve gained 3,000 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 2.000 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 900 experience points!] x2 [You have leveled up to level 26!] Needing some time and space to be able to allocate the points, she took advantage of the fact that the soldiers were still fighting the monsters, took out her bow, and jumped up to the roof of the carriage she had ridden in and where the rest of the heroes were still seated. Status window! she whispered. And two windows, one blue and one violet, appeared to her left. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 26 Fatigue: 22 Class: Saint (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (?????? from ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1120/2760 MP: 800/2714 DMP: 2800 Strength: 66+50 Vitality: 71+80 Agility: 75 Stamina: 73 +110 Intelligence: 79 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 10 ???: 50 Status: expectant. Available points: 45] But her hopes of stealing a few seconds to allocate points while the guards and other mages fought died as she saw the situation from above. Everything looked much worse than she had thought it would. The knights were struggling to keep the monsters away from the carriages while forming a barrier with their bodies as they tried to keep the enemy from passing between them fighting members. And although the mages and knights defending the first carriages were doing a very good job, the trouble started from the third. The left side, where Milo commanded the court mages, was doing better. The right was a completely different story. Kalysto pulled a couple of the arrows she had conjured from the quiver given to her by the elves and shot them into the eyes of the monsters near the mages, giving them a little breather while they finished conjuring their spells and she disguised that she was recharging her mana. Why do their spells take so long to activate? She was curious. Could it be that they dont have a system? Any second of doubt she felt died the instant she saw three Cyclops running towards the mages, who were still conjuring their spells, while only two knights protected them. As soon as they fall, the boys will be his next target! She worried. The first of the guards was thrown away thanks to a swipe from one of the Cyclops. The one that was left raised his sword and let out a war cry before he launched himself at the enemy with courage. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Perfect shot! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Six stakes were thrown against the eyes of the three Cyclops who were attacking the court mages in front of the carriage in which they had traveled, and the other three against their thick necks. If I could duplicate more than one object at the same time, it would be perfect! She grumbled. The court mages finally began their attack, allowing her to have a second to concentrate on her goal. What if I raise my luck? She thought, looking at her status window. Vitality, stamina and agility are needed. After seeing how slow the court mages were at casting spells, she decided that continuing to raise her agility must be giving her more advantages than she had realized. The question is how to split the points between strength and luck. She bit her lip as she looked at her boots on the roof of the carriage. Ill definitely need a lot of luck to get the guys out of here alive, but mostly Ill need it to find Alice and the spell to get us back or to convince the boss to help me with that. And as she allocated 10 points to vitality, 5 to strength, another 10 to agility and stamina, a huge flare of fire shot out to her right as Rita defended that side of the carriage against the monsters. A thin smile broke out on Kalystos face. Soon they would no longer need me. The clanging of swords and the shouts of soldiers grew louder, so she stopped assigning points. And as her skills cooled, Kalysto turned to the left side of the carriage, where a small group of soldiers were fighting a group of orcs. Theyre not going to be able to take them all on. She realized as she stood near the edge of the roof. Take the wounded to the rear! Let the healers or the saint heal them! shouted one of Balsacs knights, as two others carried a wounded man to the last carriage. Multiple targets! Perfect shot! Ice daggers! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Kalysto conjured, attacking the right eyes of the six orcs they were fighting. Thank you! -Shouted the knight who had been giving orders, as he continued to fight the monsters, taking advantage of the advantage she had just given them. At least someone knows how to say thank you. She was surprised. Kalysto just nodded by way of reply as she reminded herself to keep up appearances. Then she pulled out her bow, duplicated the arrow she still had with penetration stats several times, saving the original back in her inventory, and launched the other twelve at the orcs left eyes, two arrows for each eye. And as she turned around to watch the mages finish burning the three Cyclops, Ritas shout made her forget about the notification windows announcing their deaths. Kalysto, help! shouted the young woman. [You have gained 1200 experience points!] x3 Kalysto turned around, looking at the three-meter tall Sajhun whose right arm was coated with the thick black liquid that spread the plague. [Youve gained 800 experience points!] Shit! Her face lost all color at the sight of the liquid falling from the sajhun arm. Both for fear of getting infected herself, and for the possibility that one of the boys would catch it and the temple saintess who came with them wouldnt be able to cure them. Perfect shot! Multiple targets! Ice spear! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! She shouted, infusing almost all of her mana into strengthening the spear as much as she could before duplicating it and launching it at the two mouths, neck, and abdomen of the strong creature as she ran to the edge of the carriage roof. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Kalysto immediately pulled a mana stone from her inventory. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 MP!] [You have gained 800 experience points!] Get away from that one! Its mine! She announced as she leapt down from the carriage roof, hoping that Koden and Rita would believe it was about her quest for points, and not the possibility that they would be contaminated by the black plague, or acquire the crystal that the Sajhun might have against his back. Allocate 10 points to luck. Kalysto thought as she ran towards the Sajhun at the same time as it raised its thick arms and threw away with one swipe the knight that was closest to it and then tried to crush another one that barely managed to escape. [Are you sure you want to allocate the remaining 10 points to the luck stat?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. Multiple targets! Ice arrows! Perfect shot! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! she conjured as she ran, dodging other monsters as she charged into the enemy ranks and shot the arrows into the eyes of both of the Sajhuns heads. Everyone move away! Her voice rang out loudly as she approached her prey, who was groaning and clumsily trying to remove the objects that affected his eyes. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! Kalysto did not hesitate to jump against her enemy and bury her daggers in the thighs of the Sajhun, who lost his balance while moaning from the pain. A cloud of dust rose as soon as he fell and the surrounding monsters jumped against Kalysto and the fallen body of the other monster. Kalysto, no!" Rita screamed in despair, terrified at the thought of losing her new friend after she had asked for her help. Guilt and fear gripped her as she watched from afar as more than twenty monsters hurled themselves at the ice mage. And though she tried to run and join the fray, Koden stopped her. Hugging her from behind by the waist. Dont go there! insisted the tank. But...! Shes not stupid enough to jump in there without a plan. A couple of meters away, almost at the same time as the other two heroes were arguing, the former waitress carried out her plan. Dispel Ezhil! Mana manipulation! Ezhil purification! Tundra! Whispered Kalysto, and at the same time that the golden light of her abilities spread across the ground as she struggled to control it from spreading too far so that it would not be visible from too far away, a sea of ice spread five meters around, freezing everything in its path, except for herself. Chapter 112 “The Nameless Shadow.” Chapter 112 The Nameless Shadow. A delicate sculpture of finely carved white marble in the shape of a chalice rested atop the silent dais. Four torches placed at the sides provided little illumination to the vast room. However, the feminine silhouette with her arms outstretched high and wrapped in a dark cloak seemed not to mind. After reciting the lengthy incantation, the cloaked figure drew a ceremonial dagger from her elaborate robes and held it between her two palms extended upward, as if presenting an offering to an ancient god. The slender figure took three steps forward and stepped over the three steps until she was directly in front of the white sculpture whose height reached just below her chest. The bluish liquid released a faint glow as a cluster of long, snaking shadows swirled inside the carved chalice. The feminine figure continued the spell with her face covered by a hood, but her eyes seemed to shine in the glow of the mysterious liquid. Her chanting continued, and she raised the ceremonial dagger in her right hand, then made a slash across the palm of her left hand. A couple of drops of her blood were enough for what, until now had only been black smoke to transform into liquid, merging with the mysterious blue liquid. And as her chanting grew louder and louder and a surge of power began to emerge from her body, the liquid contained within the chalice began to boil. Moving from side to side as if an invisible hand was stirring it. But the dark figure did not stop. And several minutes later, a blackened hand emerged from the chalice. An arm followed soon after. And as the group of hooded men lying on their knees in front of the dais continued the chant, in a collective effort to increase the power of the spell, another hand emerged from the chalice. Followed by half a body. The smell of putrefaction filled the air, yet none of those present seemed to care. And each of the hooded men continued with their task as the new creature crawled from the chalice to the ground. Its half-liquid, half-solid body continued to create itself as it slithered across the clean stone floor as its figure continued to take shape until it reached twenty feet in height. The Sajhuns two heads roared, its eyes barely adjusting to the light for the first time in its short life, as a thick, black liquid dripped from its two arms. On the border of the Duchy of Brincy. Near the second tower. Milo launched a flare of fire at the monster in front of him, keeping his skill active until the creature was completely scorched. Its a pity I cant reap the experience," he muttered after clicking his tongue. If the goddess hadnt decided to punish all those who had the system after several groups of traffickers decided, more than fifteen years ago, to use the inventory to kidnap and steal, the rest of humanity wouldnt have been punished. And most kingdoms wouldnt have as much trouble defending themselves right now. In his opinion, the goddess Mhiralla had made a huge mistake in judgment, stopping the growth of humanity and leaving them forever stuck in a position where they couldnt defend themselves against monsters that were getting stronger and stronger with each passing year. Fortunately, every now and then they were lucky enough to get hold of someone who, in recent years, had acquired the system and was free of most of the restrictions the goddess had imposed on them. Or who could at least level up. As was the case with the new saintess, or the summoned heroes. However for the rest of them, after rigorous training as their ancestors did, it could help the warriors muscles to grow. But it blocked the growth of the mages and the ability of anyone who had a system to acquire more mana. Stolen story; please report. Or to acquire the experience needed to level up or go beyond the limits of a normal human being. And on a continent where there were other races far more powerful than them, it put them at a great disadvantage. Even if the others had a smaller population than they did. Marquis de Riva, dont you think it would be wise to send a couple of us to help the heroes? Asked one of the court mages, as they all took turns attacking the enemy lines with fire and drinking mana potions. I think there are enough guards around them. Theyll be fine for now, he gave as an answer. ... I doubt very much that Miss Luna would allow the death of her companions, he muttered. Even less so if it turned out to be true that she had something to do with the escape of the two shadow mages, as he suspected. Unfortunately, I still have no proof to back up my theory. He thought with annoyance. Stop worrying about unnecessary things," Queen Tathiana had told him a couple of weeks ago when he had told her of his suspicions. We have too many things on our plate right now to worry about a young lady with a broken system," complained the beautiful lady sitting across from him in the comfort of the queens study inside her palace. Not when I have just lost a possible alliance with the Duke of Lanish to join our cause in exchange for helping him save his fathers life," she replied in annoyance. Now the only thing I have to offer him is an agreement for the duchy to be declared an independent territory of the kingdom. If it wasnt for that fool Medhas, we wouldnt have to resort to losing a powerful source of resources and knights, or the possibility of them becoming an enemy we dont want to have! she growled in annoyance. Milo kept silent and looked at the pretty pot whose edges decorated with liquid gold contained the sweet and aromatic tea she had prepared especially for him. I think she knows something..." the mage murmured after a few minutes. The queen let out a long sigh. And I think youre being paranoid," she muttered, annoyed at the fact that when they had finally found some free time in their busy schedules, all Milo wanted to talk about was work. .... How could someone who is not from this world know that the zhalem flower can kill humans from other worlds? Its impossible! she said, looking him in the eye. Im sure its just a coincidence about her allergy. Besides, there are always other ways to administer it, like in a tea or in food. ... Several minutes passed before Milos deep voice broke the silence. Legends say that the first humans were also allergic to them. The queen placed her teacup on the delicate plate that matched its decoration and watched her lover before replying in a soft voice. From time to time, you see cases of children in the outlying villages who must learn to develop their resistance to it. Thats why I ordered all the doctors in the kingdom to report any cases they found about it and alert the kingdom guards to take care of finding the flowers and exterminate them. Just in case some other species decides to plant it on their own and use it against us.... There has only been one case in the last ten years. A child got a terrible fever after coming in contact with the flower. And although he was very sick, he did not die. Have you ever questioned why the ancient gods would create a flower that can kill humans? Weve developed immunity to it centuries ago, so its no longer something we need to actively worry about. Besides, not all gods favor humans, Milo. she added, looking into her lovers pretty eyes. We are very lucky that the goddess Mhiralla is among those who do," she commented before taking a delicate sip of her aromatic tea. ... My mother used to tell me stories when I was little. She told me that her nana was a half-breed, and in her species, it was always said that the favorite creations of the gods were the fairies, fae, and dragons. But that the preference always varied depending on the god they served. You never told me about that before," he commented, the surprise palpable in his voice. Weve always been busy with other things," she replied softly, and a flirtatious smile tugged at her full lips. The mage cleared his throat, trying to keep his composure, knowing full well that Tanya, the woman knight that the Duke of Brincy had sent especially to protect his beloved daughter, was listening to the whole conversation from outside the room. And although he had wanted to cast his usual spell of silence, Tathiana, who had full confidence in her guardian, had prevented him from doing so. Still, I think that girl is hiding something," Milo insisted, his cheeks tinged with pink. When I questioned the Black twins and Mr. Grant, all three said that it was she who explained to them how to use the system. How is it possible that a being from another world knows how to use it? Never in history has there been a record of a hero who knew how to use the system before coming to a human kingdom! Maybe in their world, just like ours, they have a system. According to what those three told me, they dont. Besides, they have other gods, different from ours," Milo replied. Then that would explain why her system fails in this world since we have different gods. Isnt talking about the existence of other gods considered heresy? There is very little information about the gods and the worlds they created," she replied with a smile, it may well have happened that the forgotten old god created other gods, or that the gods of our world never left a record of the others. Whats more, we dont even know if there have been wars between the gods, so all we can do is speculate about them and their true motives, she commented calmly. And if you are so concerned about the situation with this young woman. Then wait until the whole thing with the demon king and the rebels is over. If after all that is over the girl decides not to join us, you and master Erlhas can play all you want with her system, seeing that her lover continued in silence, she added: Or you can simply use mind magic on her. No, Milo thought. Mental magic doesnt work against her. And he knew that because he had already tried it. Chapter 113 "The Ambush." Part 3. Author''s note: since some people have made several comments to me about the name of the kingdom of Balsac, because of its similarity to ball sack, I have decided to change it to Balsahty (so it still retains the original term ''balsa'' in Spanish, and its meaning can still be applied). Chapter 113 "The Ambush." Part 3. A growl charged with annoyance escaped Darla''s throat, who with the appearance of the new saint was well aware that she would very soon lose her title as high priestess, and become a mere attendant to the brat who was the new pontiff''s favorite. But with the death of the previous pope, the kindly man who had adopted her, brought her to the temple and raised her almost as if he were her father, she had lost her most important ally. And with the Berkeley priest now in power, the only one left alive among the other four people who knew the real reason the previous pontiff had been so supportive of her, she had been left without resources. Especially after the failure and the great loss the temple suffered with the annihilation of the entire group that had gone to hunt the black dragon that came to Elinor during the summoning of the heroes. Now, more than ever, I need to get hold of whatever is inside that tower that the demon king wants for himself. She thought. If I succeed, not only could I become more powerful, but I may be able to win back the favor of the goddess Mhiralla and have her remove the blockage from my system. She wished things were that easy, but despite how hard she had worked over the last few years to improve her situation or how much she had prayed and pleaded with the goddess to at least allow her to level up again, she had never received an answer. The only thing she had gotten were two prophecies. A loud bang against the opposite window of her carriage caused her to let out a small scream and jump against her seat as she saw the back of one of the guards blood stain the opposite glass through which she had been watching the knights fight a few feet away from where the carriage was. One of the horses pulling the vehicle whinnied in fright and the carriage jerked for a few seconds with some violence as the coachman took control of the horses again. What the hell are you doing? Kill those things at once so we can get out of here! The longer we delay in getting to that tower the more chances the demon king will have to fulfill the prophecy and his darkness will destroy the world! Jhil Ezhil! Darla growled, the golden light of her ability spread five meters around her, beginning the healing of the knight who had crashed into the window. One of the priests traveling with her opened the door of the carriage with the intention of finishing the healing, but at that moment a group of four knights dressed in black and dark blue, with the coat of arms of the kingdom of Bhallys stamped on the silver plate that tied their cloaks to the right side of their chests, approached them mounted on horses. Greetings, saint of the kingdom of Balsahty and priests of the temple of light. His majesty Prince Dantel Ivon of Bhallys invites you to move to the safety of his carriage. I thank you for your majestys kindness," she answered immediately, getting down from the carriage. The priests coming down with her were indignant at her behavior. Wait a minute! What about us? One of them reproached, bringing his hand to the small leather pouch strapped to his waist, where he kept another small sack full of dried zhalem flower petals and two vials of zhalem flower extract. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His majesty invited only the saint. If you wish to follow us, it will be at your own risk. **** Meanwhile, several meters away, Kalysto was waiting for the cooldown of her skills to pass. [You have gained 2000 experience points!] x10 The former waitress frowned, certain that she had frozen far more monsters than just ten. Sense of mana! She whispered, needing to burn off the excess mana in her body before it began to do more damage to her than her new passive regeneration skill could heal and spreading her mana around. Noticing that there were twenty-five other monsters besides the massive Sajhun that were still alive despite being frozen. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before their systems would alert her to their deaths as soon as they finished suffocating. She drew her bow and placed a knee on the ground hoping that by staying low, her arrows could not be seen by the knights. She watched as some Dark-Jhuns along with a small pack of white wolves began trying to advance in the middle of the frozen monster pond she had created. Taking advantage of the fact that she could use the fallen body of the Sajhun to hide herself she took out a couple of arrows from her inventory, along with a small vial of holy water which she drank immediately and then and as soon as she finished, she whispered: Purification! The soft golden glow surrounded the arrow and Kalysto immediately launched it at the first Dark-Jhuns head, which dissipated in an instant as the usual itch that she felt as the holy water healed her body spread through every pore of her skin. [The passive skill Regeneration has been raised to level 4!] [Youve gained 4000 experience points!] And then she turned around, using the thin spaces between the frozen bodies around her to attack her next target. Purification! she whispered, launching an arrow. Purification! she shot another. Both arrows hit their targets, one disintegrating the head of a Dark-Jhun, while the other managed to move in time, causing the arrow to only vaporize half of his head before burying itself in the huge wolf behind him. [You gained 4000 experience points!] x2 Purification! she continued throwing, taking out the last of them that was stalking her just in time to avoid the bite of one of the white wolves. [Youve gained 4000 experience points!] [You have gained 3000 experience points!] x10 [You have leveled up to level 27!] [You have leveled up to level 28!] Ice daggers! she muttered as soon as she dodged a wolfs bite. But a blue window appeared before her instead. [The skill Ice Daggers cannot be used at the moment. The user must wait 0:40 minutes before being able to use it again.] Shit! Ice blades! Water blades! She threw them at her enemys eyes. Another white wolf lunged at her and Kalysto dodged it in time, throwing a punch against his jaw, leaving him stunned long enough for her to touch one of the frozen bodies next to her. [Youve gained 3000 experience points!] x5 Ice manipulation! Mana manipulation! she whispered, causing the ice surrounding the ground and the bodies of the monsters she had attacked earlier to turn into sharp spikes that pierced through the entire pack of wolves surrounding her. [You have gained 3000 experience points!] x15 [You have risen to level 29!] [Youve leveled up to level 30!] Oh, how Ive missed this! she whispered as she saw the huge amount of points she was gaining. And Kalysto got excited at the thought of gaining many more. **** Several hours after the ritual ended and the summoning room was empty, the bluish, glowing liquid that filled half of the chalice remained calm. And the wisps of shadows that once swam in it had now almost vanished completely. The female figure covered by a dark cloak approached the huge chalice, and with the tip of her index finger, touched the glowing liquid, which immediately turned black. Show me what those who call themselves my enemies are doing! she commanded in a soft voice, her dark mana connecting with that of one of her ravens, projecting into the chalice liquid what her familiar saw. Five horse-drawn carriages, along with nearly a hundred knights mounted on their horses together with another hundred escorting them, were fighting the horde of a little over twelve hundred monsters that had ambushed them. Ha! Stupid humans, the more you slay my monsters, the more their blood will nourish the earth that gives life to the tower! smiled the feminine figure surrounded by shadows. ... And the more powerful will be the treasure it will give me. Chapter 114 “The Ambush.” Part 4. Chapter 114 The Ambush. Part 4. [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x10 [Youve gained 5000 experience points!] Kalysto smiled as she ran, approaching where the other heroes were as she saw the notification sign announcing the death of the Sajhun. Kalysto, youre all right! Rita shouted, excited to see her back. Keep your eyes on the enemy and dont get distracted! She shouted back. Im out of mana, anyway! Responded Rita, as she once again performed a slash on the arm of the monster Oscar was fighting. Here! Kalysto added as soon as she reached her side, pulling out a mana potion from the ones she had stolen from the corpse army a month ago. And before Rita could approach her, with the intention of hugging her, Kalysto stopped her. Now, burn them all and use only fire creation," she added, pointing at the horde of monsters coming in their direction. Are you sure? But Milo said..." replied the fire mage with a frown, pausing before drinking the potion she had just received, but Kalysto interrupted her. I dont give a shit what Milo said! The more you use fire creation, the faster youll unlock new abilities! Or do you want to wait for the fireball to reach level 10 to unlock another one when you could be using a new ability now while the other one is cooling down? ... Youre right." she then drank the potion and held her hands out in front of her, pointing at the approaching enemies after she finished circling the small lake of ice created by Kalysto. Fire creation! She conjured, and a flare of fire engulfed four monsters. Yes! Im already level twelve! Koden shouted excitedly to her left just after piercing the heart of a large brown wolf. Just that? But Im already level 15," questioned Rita as the fire continued to shoot out of her hands. "What? Damned mages who can attack several monsters at once! Koden growled. ... I hate you Rita! he muttered. ...Im level 14," commented Oscar, to the surprise of the other three, who turned silently to look at the rogue who was acting more like a stealthy assassin, while the four knights fighting near them continued to fight. ...Congratulations, Koden!...And...Hey...Dont lose heart and keep trying! Kalysto congratulated him, wanting to improve the strange atmosphere a bit as she walked to where the carriage they had traveled in was and opened the door. Get out at once! Its too complicated to protect you while you stay in there with your butts shaking! She growled, as she gave a look of annoyance to Sandra who seemed about to suffocate Edward, if the poor boy moved to get away from her powerful bear hug. And who the hell do you think you are to give us orders? Cant you see that we could die if we get out of here? Sandra immediately refuted. Sandra is right, its crazy to get out of here! Gideon joined her. You can go to the carriage where the saintess is, so at least if you get hurt you can be healed, but its much more dangerous to stay here, then she looked Edward in the eyes. If you want to survive in this world, the only option you have is to fight and get stronger. Dont think that the guys who kidnapped us will shake hands to force us to fight. Its better if you do it the easy way. But its your decision," Kalysto commented before turning away, leaving the door open. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. But before she could join the other three heroes and continue fighting, several knights rode by on their black horses, galloping towards the first carriage. Kalysto saw the saintess riding behind one of the horsemen as some priests rode with the others while other priests ran after the horses. A group of temple knights escorted them to their escape and kept the monsters away from them but left the rear of the caravan unprotected. Where only a small group of knights remained, guarding the two priests who were healing the few remaining wounded. A group of monsters rushed towards them when they saw the opening in their lines. Shit! Kalysto growled at the sight, annoyed that there were too many monsters for them to escape safely, and knowing that if they didnt take care of the enemies quickly, the rest of the heroes would die. Get out of the carriage, now! You can follow the priests and the saintess to the first chariot, but get out of here or youll die!" she shouted to the ones in the vehicle and turned to her left. Ice creation! She conjured, creating a thick and extensive wall of ice that reached a meter before the first parked carriage, freezing all the monsters that were nearby and evading the knights and mages that were fighting them, thus leaving the way free for the boys to flee to the first carriage and be safe. Koden, cut their heads fast! Rita, come with me! I need you in the back! , shit! Ritas face paled, Who thought to stop protecting the rear? The fire mage shouted as she saw the chaos unfolding a couple of meters away among the few remaining knights who were risking their lives while the priests used their water magic to heal the wounded soldiers as fast as their skills allowed them. But before Rita could join Kalysto, a huge four meter tall Cyclops ran to the other side of the carriage where the rest of the heroes were just starting to get out. Get out of there, now! Kalysto shouted. Her face lost all color as she saw the creature above them, as the innocent youngsters had no idea of the danger they were in. But her warning came too late. The huge Cyclops raised his thick sword and cleaved the carriage in two, cutting Gideons legs, Sandras hand and Edwards foot, whose screams could be heard from afar. Ice spear! Kalysto shouted, trying to stop the Cyclops from attacking them again, but the huge monster moved, making its spear embed in his left shoulder and not in his neck as she had wanted. What are you waiting for? Koden, Oscar Gabriel, get them out of here, now! Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! Kalysto shouted as she jumped onto what was left of the carriage roof and faced the wounded Cyclops. And as they fought the huge monster, a horde of monsters covered the flimsy figures of the priests, mages and temple knights surrounding the remains of the last carriage, the desperate gaze of one of them met Kalystos, his eyes heavy with resignation at a near death, stirring her heart. **** Far away, several miles away, a cloaked figure covered in a black cloak lay kneeling on the floor in a wide, dimly lit room. In front of him, several meters away, a sober, feminine figure sat in a comfortable chair similar to a throne, but covered in iron and bones. What is the first king of the demons doing? asked the woman, full of curiosity. A bead of sweat trickled down the other hooded figures forehead as he struggled to hide the slight trembling of his lips before answering. All the spies we have sent so far have been killed long before we could acquire any information, my lord, he replied, knowing full well that the creature in front of him did not like to waste her time with absurd conversations. A growl escaped from the shadowy figures throat before letting out a prolonged sigh filled with weariness and disappointment. Well deal with him later..." she growled with annoyance, knowing that he could become a major obstacle to her plans. What about the third one? According to our spies, his wife has been somewhat ill and they fear she may go into labor early, so they have settled on a colony to the south. Ive heard that childbirth is a difficult experience for his kind," the woman smiled at his words. That means hell be too busy to realize whats about to knock on his door," she whispered as she rose from her throne with a mischievous smile shining on her lips. Shadows enveloped her. Her feminine figure faded as worked muscles grew where once there were only soft curves and even the hue of her eyes turned black. Two horns grew on either side of his forehead, curling back from his head as if they were an extension of his hair. While his delicate, rounded ears became larger and more pointed. But his dark hair, though it changed shape, thickness and length, remained as black as a ravens wings that reflected the moonlight with a soft blue glow. Prepare a portal! he commanded, his powerful voice echoing through the spacious room. Looks like well have to speed things up a bit. Chapter 115 “The Ambush.” Part 5. Chapter 115 The Ambush. Part 5. The corpse of the commander who had thanked her for her help less than half an hour ago lay sprawled on the ground, half-crushed by the Cyclops. As did those of half of the knights who had been protecting the left side of the carriage so far. Kalysto dodged the sword of her enemy and leapt over his arm, climbing up to his shoulder where she lunged at that ugly face, burying her two elongated daggers in the single eye of the huge creature. The sound of the heavy sword shattering what was left of the carriage echoed in her ears and her heart shrank with fear for the group of teenagers she hoped had made it out of the carriage in time. But as worried as she was for them, she couldnt afford to be distracted. So Kalysto pulled out one of the daggers she had just buried in the Cyclops eye, and buried it again, this time a little further to the right. Blood spurted from the new wound, obstructing her vision. The cyclops grunted and swung his hand at her, knocking her off him. The former waitress body slammed into another monsters and bounced off the remains of the temples elegant carriage. Shit, I didnt see that coming! She scolded herself. This time, it was her turn to grunt as she tried to turn around. The aching muscles in her body protested against the movement and an unexpected pain spread through her back and legs. She didnt even have time to stay on the ground to mourn her injuries. A pack of wolves pounced on her as Kalysto caught a glimpse of the remains of the wizard-priest who had glared at her only two minutes ago, strewn on the ground. A surge of pity swept over her, but it lasted little more than half a second. Sense of mana! She whispered quickly, trying to locate among all the monsters and corpses around her if there were any humans still alive. She found three to her left just before the first two wolves got to where she was and started biting her leg. Mana manipulation! Tundra! She cast, making sure to leave a small circle around the two knights and the wounded mage. However, she was able to freeze with satisfaction the bodies of all the surrounding enemies. Even the thick saliva of the wolves whose sharp fangs were less than a centimeter from her legs. A strong dizziness seized her as the familiar notifications flashed to her left and her stomach churned. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected]. Kalysto took a deep breath, forcing herself to enjoy the small moment of peace despite the strong nausea she felt. [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x15. A pitiful groan escaped her lips, and she took out a small vial of holy water with trembling hands and drank it, praying to whatever divinity could hear that she wouldnt pour it on herself and have to wait another ten minutes before taking the next potion. As soon as she finished, she put the empty vial in her purple inventory and struggled to get up as the usual itch invaded every corner of her body. She had barely managed to steady herself after placing her left hand on one of the frozen bodies when the mighty roar the cyclops let out, mixed with a stunned battle cry, paralyzed her. What the hell? She thought, as her breathing became heavier and heavier, making it difficult to breathe. A pair of notifications, one blue and one violet, appeared to her left. [Warning! User has been affected by the fear ability and will not be able to move for the next two minutes.] What? Fear seized her as she felt that she was completely unprotected, even though she was still in the midst of the frozen bodies of her enemies that could serve as a temporary defense. But that didnt matter. Not when memories of her nasty stepfather began to invade her mind. And she once again felt as helpless, small and unprotected as she did then. The blurry memory of her mother, of her trembling body lying on the kitchen floor as her disgusting stepfather brought his filthy hands close to her churned her insides and chilled her blood. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. <> Growled a familiar voice in her head that sent a shiver of terror up and down her spine. Right after a small surge of comforting warmth. Shit! Kalysto thought, recognizing it immediately. <> Insisted that voice she hadnt heard in weeks and had come to miss and fear at the same time. It was ironic how the familiar sound brought her both comfort and caution mixed with insecurity. Its not your body, its mine! Kalysto rebutted. <> Persephone scoffed, her voice full of the singular confidence that had always characterized her. Kalysto closed her eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, trying hard to ignore her words as she gave herself some courage now that she knew she wasnt alone. And that she wasnt there, still trapped in her own personal hell. Stop bullshitting, this is my body! She assured her, with a conviction that wasnt quite true. And Persephone knew it. She knew her too well for not knowing it. And Kalysto could almost feel her darkness rejoicing inside her. The thunderous sound of the carriage finishing being completely destroyed brought her back to reality as her vision cleared, noting with annoyance the nasty tattoo on her left hand which Milo and the court mages had insisted on putting on all the heroes before they left the palace for the giant monster-filled tower that sprouted from the earth just as the second prophecy had warned. A tracking mark to keep you from getting lost inside a territory you dont know. They had been told with a kind smile by the court mages, as if they truly believed they were doing them a great favor. But Kalysto knew that this was nothing but lies. What they really wanted was to prevent the heroes from escaping, just as the other four they had yet to find had done. And it bothered her to see yet another tattoo on her body. At least the queens one is pretty. She lamented, comparing the delicacy of the elaborate gold-colored tattoo that almost looked like it was done with henna, against the dark mark on the back of her hand. A surge of anger washed over her. How dare they mark us as if we were cattle! She snarled to herself, certain that the large, elaborate M on the mark had little to do with King Medhas and more to do with Marquis Milo de Riva. Im not some damned animal that will jump and roll in the mud every time he gives me a damned order! Come on Kalysto concentrate! She whispered, trying to use anger as a trigger. <> Persephone began to plead, but her voice trailed off the moment the familiar coldness of her ability began to envelop her, and four signs, two blue and two violet appeared to her left. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] When the hell did it deactivate? Kalysto thought, as the pain that had seized her after the fall disappeared completely. She was sure she had been keeping it active the whole time to prevent Persephone from taking control of her body again. But she didn''t have time to worry about that. The thick horns of a four-meter tall minotaur protruded above the bodies she had frozen, and the beast''s black eyes were fixed on her. Where did it come from? She thought, as she pulled a small mana crystal from her inventory and the minotaur raised its huge mace and smashed it into one of the frozen corpses, forcing its way to her. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] Shit! I was hoping it would be less than 4000 MP! Now I''ll have to rush to spend it! She worried. Immediately, with her left hand which was still touching the one of the statues using it as a support, she whispered: Ice manipulation! Mana manipulation! -But the enemy''s skin was too thick to be easily pierced. Ice manipulation! Mana manipulation! -She conjured again, and this time poured a large amount of mana, forcing the ice to transform into huge, hard spikes that pierced the minotaur''s thick legs. The beast roared in pain as a strong dizziness seized her and Kalysto had to use her other hand to steady herself and avoid falling face-first into the hard ground. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected]. Bile rose in her throat and her vision became blurry as her body was pushed to the side violently. Hey, get up! growled a voice she didn''t recognize. and as soon as she managed to open her eyes and focus her sight she looked at her savior. Those things will be back soon and I can''t do it without you! Unlike what she thought, it wasn''t Rita who came to help her, but Oscar. Not far from there, Milo attacked the monsters that were still near the second chariot, calming down when he saw that the mages of the allied kingdom together with the knights and the duke''s people had almost finished exterminating the monsters that were blocking their advance in the front. It was when he thought he heard Darla''s annoying voice from inside the first carriage that he became aware of the presence of the temple knights who were supposed to be protecting the rear. Along with some priests who had begun to heal some wounded and give them potions, using the carriage and a large ice barrier behind it as protective barriers. If the knights of the temple are here, who, in the name of the goddess, is protecting the heroes? He asked the other fire mage next to him. But Milo got no answer. Chapter 116 “Sometimes, the people around us are the real monsters.” Chapter 116 Sometimes, the people around us are the real monsters. As Rita, Gabriel and Koden helped the wounded heroes to get to safety and get to the first carriage to be attended to by the saintess or healers, Kalysto and Oscar, with the help of a fire mage and several knights, took on the cyclops, the Minotaur and another small group of wolves that held off the few knights who were doing their best to back them up as best they could, though they were outnumbered. Oscar helped her up as a flare of fire attacked the cyclops, keeping him distracted. Are you all right? Oscar asked her. His dark face was slightly pale as he saw how close they had both been to being crushed by the huge, heavy sledgehammer the Minotaur had thrown at them seconds before. Yes, thank you," she replied, observing the wounds and the blood dripping from the lower limbs of the Minotaur, who was making a great effort to get rid of the ice spikes that were piercing his badly injured legs. "Can you attack his eyes?" she suggested, needing him to move a bit away from her so she could pull out a mana stone. Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, she watched the fire mage completely focused on his battle against the cyclops. But now that there was another mage nearby, Kalysto was very careful not to show too much of her abilities so as not to stand out and arouse suspicion, though she feared that being the only ice mage who had been fighting in the back of the caravan, it was easy to think that the pile of frozen monsters were her doing, which she wasnt supposed to be able to do with the small amount of mana they thought she had. Fortunately, Oscar nodded his head and swiftly launched himself at the wounded Minotaur, agreeing to her plan. Immediately, Kalysto pulled a small mana stone from her inventory. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought, and touched one of the frozen corpses. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] As soon as she received the notification, she unfroze half of the ice from her area attack and turned the rest of the ice into sharp spikes with which she attacked several wolves that were nearby, then she used the remaining ice to completely destroy one of the legs of the Minotaur who lost his balance and fell to the side. [You have gained 500 experience points!] x5 Oscar didnt take long to take advantage of this opportunity, and after blinding the Minotaur, he attacked its neck without any mercy, dodging the beasts claws again and again while using his great agility to continue attacking it. Oscar step aside for a moment! And as soon as he did, Kalysto conjured: Ice blades! However, the Minotaurs skin was too thick for her blades to penetrate, and barely caused a scratch. Perfect aim! Ice arrows! She tried again, and this time, her attack didnt miss. For the next five minutes, they both fought the Minotaur until finally the expected notification of his death reached them. [You have gained 1500 experience points!] Kalysto wanted to disown the few experience points she had gained despite how hard it was to kill him, but seeing that Milo had joined the other fire mage and was attacking the cyclops and other nearby monsters, engulfing them in his fire left and right, she preferred not to waste her breath and stay quiet. Anyone would think that with how strong you are, we could have finished sooner, Oscar questioned her, looking at her with suspicion. And anyone would think that as careful and reserved as you are, you would have realized by now how inconvenient it is for us to let these people see everything we are capable of doing," she answered him in a low whisper, before the rest of the court magicians joined Milo. It was past midnight when they finally finished annihilating all the monsters. And while Kalysto, Oscar, Koden and Rita waited for the mages and knights to finish counting the survivors and healing them, Kalysto sat under the shade of a thick tree, which protected them from the cold night breeze. We should take advantage and get some sleep, who knows when we will be able to sleep again or if they will make us continue with the trip as soon as the priests finish healing the wounded, fortunately few of the monsters they had fought had the plague, and although she could not be sure of having eliminated all of them, none of the boys seemed to be infected. Dont you think we should take advantage and..." muttered Koden. But Kalysto immediately interrupted him. I think we are all too tired and we should rest while we wait for the others to recover. Its no use if we stay there in their way while they need the space and all the comfort to heal them, there are already too many people there," she said, trying to alert him with her eyes and pointing slyly to a group of level 35 knights from the kingdom of Bhallys, who were giving a tour very close to them. From several meters away, Milos distrustful gaze fell upon her, as did that of a woman who was one of the knights protecting the prince of the kingdom of Bhallys. And next to her was the only other ice mage among them. The third one had died during the ambush, along with a large number of Balsahtys knights. Of course, youre right. It would be troublesome if we stood there waiting for them to be healed," Rita replied. Oscar looked at them with a frown, realizing that something was going on among the other three heroes, but he preferred not to ask. And just as they did, he settled down on the fine grass and slept for a couple of hours. The next morning they were attacked on the road and suffered another ambush after they traveled through several villages that had been attacked by monsters and infected by the black plague. And although the wizards of both kingdoms ended up burning two of those villages to the ground along with what was left of their population for fear that the plague would spread, in the end they decided to turn around and take a detour in order to get to the top of the mountain where the tower had sprouted. And although Kalysto did not agree with burning those sick people, and neither did she plan to reveal her identity as a saintess, she could not help but compare the way the king of Balsahty and the fairy queen acted. For as terrifying as her boss could be, she was not willing to waste the lives of her people. The people of Balsahty, on the other hand, even with Darlas presence, were all so afraid of catching the plague that they preferred to get rid of the sick. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Do these people really prefer to lock up and burn their people instead of looking for hygienic measures to control the spread of a disease? Rita whispered to her in awe as she saw how extreme these people were. Meanwhile, a small group of knights from the kingdom of Bhallys surrounded them making sure that they could not escape, and that they did not approach the entrance of what was left of the small and dirty village whose destroyed houses were now bathed with the cries of agony and the pleas of those who were once their guests. It would seem so," Koden replied. His face was even paler than Ritas. Then he turned, his despair-filled gaze meeting Kalystos. Please tell me well get out of here and away from these madmen, he modulated, no sound escaping his lips so as not to alert any of the surrounding knights. Dont worry," she whispered, placing a hand on his masculine shoulder in consolation. Well be fine. Besides, you can always boil the water to burn off the bacteria." it was at that moment that Koden understood why she was helping him and Rita level up. And a heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders after he realized that she would not abandon them. Rita, as well as Koden, understood the reference and nodded in agreement. Edward, however, could not stop covering his ears with his trembling hands, wishing he could stop listening to the cries full of anguish and despair of those innocent villagers as tears flooded his face. Completely traumatized by the horrible experience and by the lack of humanity in those he had thought were only good persons who were desperate to save their people from a monstrous enemy. The next night was spent out in the open while a group of knights from Bhallys kingdom whose levels ranged from 35 to 40 took turns making the nightly rounds, making sure everything was in order. Ans, the female knight who had been watching over Kalysto since they were ambushed the first time while guarding the saintess and the prince, was among them. Even when only she and Thomas were left in front of the makeshift campfire that a wizard from the other kingdom created for them, Ans would occasionally stealthily circle around, keeping an eye on what the two of them were doing. You mentioned a while ago that you were marked, too? Kalysto murmured, showing him the arabesque M stamped on her left hand, which seemed to be visible to anyone, unlike the tattoo of the contract with the fairy queen, which was apparently invisible to other humans. Yes! Isnt it great? Now, even if I get lost again while walking around the city, I just have to wait for one of them to come and pick me up! You cant imagine how scared I was when I got lost after the first time I tried to help to look for your friend Alice! Thomas lifted the sleeve of his shirt, showing her the mark on his shoulder. Unlike her, he had a big B tattooed on his skin. Didnt it hurt? she asked curiously. Considering that lately she spent most of her time with her Mental Defense skill activated, there were many sensations that her brain had stopped registering. Applying the mark causes no pain to the target, but it takes a mage with at least two circles of mana to be able to use the spell to cast it, and only the mage who cast it can deactivate it, Ans interrupted them. Kalysto immediately turned away from Thomas. Hey Ans, you almost scared me to death! Thomas complained, still Kalysto could not understand how he could treat people who would end up killing him in such a friendly manner. No matter that she had again hinted to him that he should read the book, Thomas had simply refused again and Kalysto could no longer try, nor give him any more information about it due to Ans continuous sudden appearances. Youd better go to sleep at once. Tomorrow well leave early and you must rest! The stealthy woman scolded them. Kalysto was sure that she must also have the skill of stealth, given how easily she appeared where she was least expected. Which again prevented her from being able to talk to Thomas freely. Youre right, Ill go to sleep. Im sure the rest of the guys are already sound asleep. Thomas muttered as he got up. See you tomorrow, Kalysto! And dont worry about Alice. Im sure well find her sooner or later! Yes...see you tomorrow," she mumbled despondently. After he left, an awkward silence settled between them, and Kalysto who had dedicated herself to stay away from the other guard went into the tent that had been assigned to her and lay down on the sheet that served as a bed for the three heroines to sleep. But for some reason, she couldnt sleep. Her hands itched to finish reading all the books that Caranthir had gotten for her and she was dying to go out and walk around, to get as far away from that place as she could to get rid of the unpleasant feeling that had stayed with her after seeing all those sick people being burned without any compassion. But she was also not willing to reveal that she could save them. In fact, she did not understand why Darla had not done so and only devoted herself to healing the knights who had been in contact with the sick as a form of prevention. Although most of them had not even been infected. After turning several times on the thin cloth that served as a bed inside the small tent that the Balsahty wizards had set up for the heroines, separated by only two meters from the one they had prepared for the male heroes, Kalysto sat down. After verifying that her two tent mates were asleep, she began to meditate and continue her training for the creation of her first circle of mana, just as she had been practicing with Caranthir for the past few weeks during the nights before starting this journey. And as she tried to quiet her mind and relax her muscles, the memory of the last time she saw Caranthir, one night before she helped the Duke of Lanish escape, flooded her mind. Caranthir had left her a message through the communication sphere she used to keep inside her inventory, advising that he had already gotten all the notes that had been left after his teachers death. Kalysto hurried to go to his house. And there, on the dining room table, she found at least twenty books accompanied by several rolled-up scrolls. However, she noticed something strange in the elfs compartment. Is that all? Are you telling me that your teachers lifetime of research is reduced to this? she questioned in disbelief. ... Her husband took almost all her things with him after she passed away... cough... He came back a few years ago and ...cough... There was very little I was able to salvage," then he began to cough. His face turned red as he put one hand to his neck and another to his chest. It was at that moment that Kalysto, who had been about to try to help him, stopped. Is this absolutely all you could find of your teacher? Another fit of coughing seized him before he could answer. ... No...cough..." muttered the elf in the middle of another coughing fit. It was obvious that he didnt want to be separated from them. But Kalysto needed to get as much information as she could on the subject. Remember that in the contract it is stipulated that you must not lie to me, besides you need more holy water, not only to finish healing your brother, but because by selling some of it, you can get a good amount of money or resources that could help your people to settle down again, and although Kalysto could still see the doubt in his eyes, the elf went back to his room and handed her another seven more books. The yellowed pages and the leather with which the flaps were covered were completely different from the other books on the table. And although Kalysto felt the irremediable desire to snatch them from him and not allow him to continue touching them, she approached the table and began to look through one of them. I was waiting to copy them, and I was trying to translate them. I dont think they will be of any use to you since even I cant recognize the language they are written in. Still... he cleared his throat. I would like to have a copy of them, if possible. We never agreed to do such a thing. But if there is something I want from you in the future that is outside our current contract, I will think about it," she said, looking at the drawing of a magic circle. Can you read them? Caranthir interrupted her when he saw that her gaze followed the lines of the strange symbols in which the journals were written. And by the anxiety in his voice and the longing in his gaze, she knew it was true that he could not read them, though she could. Still, she did not tell him. And she took the seven journals and put them away in her inventory, then took out all the holy water she had promised him in exchange for his teachers research. And though the rest of that night had been spent training to create her mana circle, all the respect and admiration she had once felt for Caranthir was beginning to dissipate. Its a pity that I still need him to find Alice. Chapter 117 “Before the tower.” Chapter 117 Before the tower. A bead of sweat bathed her brow as Kalysto struggled to keep her attention on the delicate circuit of mana that now surrounded her heart. The sweat on her back clung to the beige T-shirt she was wearing, along with pants and a pair of dirty socks that protected her from the cold, while the pair of boots that had been given to all the heroes lay on the side of her improvised attempt at a bed. A wave of pain engulfed her as the mana she still had scattered throughout her body began to struggle against the mana she had already begun to refine, and was now part of the precious new circuit. As she tried to stabilize her mana, a coughing fit forced her to break her concentration, causing the mana to dissipate and affect her internal organs, again. She coughed again, and this time a spot of blood escaped from her lips staining in red her trembling hands. Although some impurities were supposed to leave her body in the form of sweat and perhaps blood, she had been expelling too much to consider it safe. And that she had been working on it for weeks. Four windows appeared in front of her and Kalysto grimaced as she realized she had forgotten to turn battle mode back on in her system. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] She activated it again as Galatea had taught her, then closed the windows that had opened. The trembling of her hands began to subside as all traces of pain disappeared from her body. I must not hurry. She reminded herself as she took out a bottle of holy water and took three long gulps. Caranthir had scolded her more than once for that, warning her how delicate the process was and how focused she had to stay all the time to keep the mana from fluctuating and starting to attack her organs. But unlike him, she had two powerful weapons: her Mental Defense skill and a good collection of holy water. That and a collection of mana crystals that she could increase again with another deal with Hanna at any time, along with her skill to absorb them. So unlike him, she didnt have to waste entire days or weeks absorbing mana from the environment using specific breathing techniques. It doesnt matter if I get hurt in the process, what matters is that I get the result I want. And in this way, she spent the next two hours. It wasnt until she reached the third that she finally got it. And for the first time, since she had received the two systems, the notification messages Kalysto received were very different. The blue one read: [Congratulations! The user has created her first mana circle!] While the violet made her remember one of the few useful things she had found in one of the three journals written by Caranthirs teacher that she had read so far: [Warning! The user has created a mana circle containing only 1,000 MP.] So, it is true that one can create a mana circle that possesses more than a thousand mana points. She thought, filled with excitement at the prospect of doing something that went far beyond what Milo had explained to them. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The problem was that she had not yet been able to find which other book or journal of Caranthirs teacher was the explanation for it. Content with her new discovery, she closed the notification windows that had appeared to her left and opened her inventory, taking out a small vial of holy water which she quickly drank and put back as soon as she emptied it. It was at that moment that she heard something she wasnt supposed to, not when she herself had made sure to use her Sleep Well skill on her two tent mates. Sandra was awake and had seen her using her system. What the heck were you doing? What was that thing you made disappear into thin air? She questioned her, but by the look on her face and the way the blondes eyes drifted to the exit of the tent, Kalysto knew she was already planning on going to rat her out to Milo. The two watched each other in silence for a second before Sandra tossed the sheets aside, quickly getting up and heading for the exit. But before the second fire mage within the group of heroes could touch the rough, thick tarp that protected them from the inclement cold outside and the night breeze, Kalysto had already knocked her to the ground. The sound of Sandras head hitting a stone reached her ears and Kalysto panicked that she had accidentally killed her. Mana detection! Sleep well! Sleep well! She thought immediately, watching Sandras heart beat normally inside her body as she saw the consequences the hit was having inside the fire mages head. As soon as she realized that the annoying teenager was still alive, she calmed down a bit, although she was worried about the consequences of the swelling that was brewing. If I cure her and someone sees the golden glow of my skill Ill be in trouble. She thought with annoyance. Ill take her to the infirmary, Darla or some water mage had better take care of her. And just as she put Sandras arm over the back of her neck, lifted her up and took a step towards the exit, the fabric that gave access to her tent was pushed aside and Ans silhouette blocked the exit. In her mid-thirties and fully dressed in black from head to toe, Ans looked imposing beneath her dark cloak and with black leather armor covering her chest. A pair of knives were strapped with thick leather straps against her toned thighs and a light sword hung from the thick belt full of small knick-knacks that were securely strapped around her waist. Kalysto swallowed hard as the woman''s cold, dark gaze passed from Sandra and stopped on her. What happened here? Ans grunted as she scanned the interior with attention, observing Rita sound asleep in the background. Im not quite sure. I think..." she mumbled, trying to buy time while she thought of something, after what we saw in that town and what happened yesterday, shes been having nightmares and mumbling strange things in her sleep. I didnt pay attention to her at first, but I thought I heard a scream, and when I woke up, she was on the floor. I thought of taking her to the infirmary for treatment, I think she hit her head, she added, pointing to the blood dripping down Sandras head, however, by the frown and distrust that shone in the woman knights gaze, she knew she didnt believe her. Hand her over to me. Ill take her, she said. Kalysto nodded and did as she was told, but as soon as she approached the warrior, she grabbed her wrist tightly instead of Sandras. I dont think youre telling me the whole story. I think you are not telling me the whole truth, and I know very well how to make your kind sing, she growled under her breath, unsheathing her sword with her other hand. Kalysto immediately let go of Sandra, who fell to the ground like a dead weight and dodged the sword strike Ans sent against her neck. A smile full of sadistic satisfaction was drawn on the warriors face. I suspected you werent showing your full potential, but I never thought it would be this much. her fierce gaze almost seemed to gleam inside the dimly lit tent, like that of a predator that has found its next prey. Kalysto''s heart skipped a beat, unable to understand the reason for the woman''s sudden hostility. I dont know what youre talking about," Kalysto growled, realizing too late that she had used all her agility to evade the blow. You even got a circle of mana when there was none of it in your body this morning! How could you do it so fast? Who taught you? She questioned as she pulled out another dagger that she had hidden in the back of her belt, well hidden inside her clothing and continued attacking with both weapons at high speed. Who do you work for? She continued questioning her as she tried to deliver one attack, followed immediately by another, without giving the younger woman time to respond to her continuous attacks. Have you been in contact with spies from another kingdom all this time? Do you even listen to the kind of nonsense youre talking? Kalysto argued, dodging another blow, and almost tripping over Sandras unconscious body. I come from Earth! How could I be a spy of another kingdom? She tried to make her see reason, but one second she had managed to get away from that crazy woman, and the next Ans had transformed into shadows, disappearing for a few seconds and reappearing right in front of her. Maybe because of that strange mark you have on your wrist? She whispered against Kalystos lips before burying a poisoned dagger against the abdomen of the surprised young woman. Chapter 118 “Before the tower.” Part 2 Chapter 118 Before the tower. Part 2 A gasp escaped her lips as pain spread through her body and a pair of notification windows opened to her left. [Warning: The user has been poisoned!] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [Warning! The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated!] A coughing fit seized her, and she ended up coughing blood on the dark cloak of Ans, who grimaced in disgust. However, Kalystos gaze immediately went to her right, to her still open inventory where an uncorked bottle of high quality holy water her boss had given her was ready to be consumed. The problem was getting far enough away from the crazed warrior in front of her and having enough time to drink the amount needed to fully heal herself. As much as she hoped the holy water would cure the poisoning. I have to get out of here as soon as possible. She thought. Kalysto took a step back, noticing her senses were numb, her body moved much slower than normal and it was twice as hard for her to concentrate. As I said before, Im very good at getting information out of my enemies, and youll be much easier to transport away from here with your senses nullified. But dont worry, even if you die, I can find a way to get information out of you too," she whispered to her with a devilish grin. What the hell is this crazy woman talking about? A strong dizziness seized her, and it was by sheer luck that her body lurched to one side, inadvertently dodging Ans next attack, but not the second one. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! I have to find a way to escape from this madwoman! she thought forcefully. [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] And as Ans buried her poisoned dagger again against her side, Kalysto grabbed her wrist and whispered: Perfect aim! Lightning! An electric discharge was expelled from her hand, transforming into several bolts of lightning that struck her enemys body, attacking the warrior who immediately tried to move away, only to stumble backwards. [Warning! The passive ability Mental Defense has been deactivated!] Immediately, the coolness and mental clarity that had helped her attack Ans disappeared in an instant and her hands began to tremble again as she tore out the dagger buried in her body and stored it in her blue inventory. Not wanting to give her enemy a chance to retrieve her weapon. But before Kalysto could escape, a voice she wasnt expecting echoed in her mind as she tried to stumble out of the tent. <> Shut up! Nobody asked for your opinion, Persephone! She growled, not realizing she had done so out loud, and with trembling hands she pulled out the bottle of holy water and took two long gulps. Noting with dread that it was about to run out. <> <<...You know I can be trusted...>> That voice added, sounding hurt and indignant. But Kalysto wasnt sure her words were true, and she didnt have the time to stick around to find out either. Not when Ans had just turned into shadows and she had not yet finished leaving the tent. Feeling her whole body itch and the surrounding areas two wounds seemed to be burning from the inside, Kalysto walked out of the tent. Blessing! She thought, pointing to herself with her other hand. Why do I always get to fight those with inhumanly high stamina? She complained as she put the bottle of holy water back in her inventory. But a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from finishing. Ive got you, you sneaky little wizard," Ans snarled, her body taking shape again amidst a whirlwind of shadows right in front of the stupefied Kalysto. We are full of surprises, arent we? she whispered as she admired the faint golden glow still shining on the supposed ice mages body. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Yes, well, Im not the only one. Werent you supposed to be a knight? She immediately pulled out with her opposite hand the same dagger with which she had been poisoned and stabbed her arm. But Ans was ready for her attack and her arm went up in smoke. What the warrior and shadow mage didnt expect was that Kalysto immediately finished putting the bottle of holy water in her inventory and pulled out another dagger, one of the ones she had stolen from goblins that attacked her and with which she had been infected with the black plague. An assassin indeed," she whispered with pleasure against her ear again, manifesting her body from the shadows. Now be a good girl and give me that bottle. Its too precious for an uneducated brat like you to play with," she commanded with her body imprisoning Kalysto from behind and her sword against her neck. An assassin, a shadow mage and a female knight, an amazing mix," she admitted conversationally, as if they were talking about the weather. Stop playing games, girl! And give me what I want at once! And do it the easy way, because you sure as hell dont want me to make you do it the hard way! she growled. Kalysto let out a sigh dramatically as she still felt the power of the holy water healing her body. Ice creation! She conjured, pushing her mana to the tips of her toes, underneath the soles of her shoes. What can I say... She muttered as she buried the plague-infected dagger in the shadow mages wrist while with the other dagger she blocked the swords advance against her neck and continued injecting mana into the ground, freezing her new enemys lower body. I really hate it when others think they have the authority to order me around for no reason and without giving me any benefit in return. What the hell? Ans growled in surprise and as Kalysto escaped from the tent and into the forest surrounding the makeshift camp, Ans turned into shadows with the intention of following her, escaping the attempted prison the ice mage had created for her. Kalystos figure was lost among the trees and as the unnerving silence of the thick forest flooded her ears being interrupted by the sound of her agitated breathing, she stumbled against a stone and her body ended up crashing against the thick trunk of a tree. Shit, its too dark to see where Im going! She complained, seeing that the deeper she went into the thick forest, the more the leaves and thick tree branches covered the light of the two moons. If only I could use Ezhil Purification without giving away my location! Everything around her was too dark to make out clearly whether Ans was nearby or not, so she decided to put both daggers away and thus avoid hurting herself by mistake. She was lucky the first time she was infected by the plague, but she didnt plan to risk a second one. Ill heal later. She thought, thankful that since her passive skills were active. She couldnt even feel the pain of the blow she had just given herself as she slowly regained full mobility in her body. Out of the massive amount of shadows surrounding her, Ans leapt at Kalysto, taking advantage of her small moment of distraction. The warriors hands closed over the throat of the saintess as her fetid breath crashed over the saintesss face. Did you really think you could escape me, little wizard? A dark smile crept across her face as the soft glow from the collection of windows Kalysto had not yet closed, including the one in her inventory, allowed her to see the unhinged face of the woman in front of her. But no matter what you do, you wont make it. Even if I have to take your corpse and hire a necromancer so I can interrogate your remains. Fire breath! She thought, opening her mouth as she struggled for breath and fire erupted from deep in her throat, burning the unsuspecting warriors face. And as she tried to shake it off, she accidentally ended up pushing it against the open window of her violet inventory. What the fuck is wrong with this crazy woman? She thought as she coughed and struggled to get some air back into her lungs. And as she lay on the floor in a fetal position, a violet window appeared in front of her. [Kalysto, why the hell is there a dirty human in your inventory?] Shit, now what do I do to stop her from taking my inventory and everything I have in it? She thought, while a panic attack overtook her. ... She attacked me... she defended herself. .... In fact, I think she tried to kidnap me," she muttered, frowning as she remembered the last thing that crazy woman had said. [Why are they all trying to kidnap you, girl?] I dont know... she answered with complete honesty. But in my defense I will say that I think that woman is completely crazy for some reason her boss made her feel like a little girl who had been caught in a mischief. [Return at once to my kingdom, and stop wasting time in the human kingdom!] Kalystos face lost what little color it had, as she desperately searched for a way to convince her boss otherwise. I cant abandon the boys now that we are finally so close to the so-called tower! Not when I know that the prince and his army will be gone for a few weeks and the boys will die inside the tower! Fear settled in her gut at the thought and the memory of Kodens frightened look when he made her promise not to abandon them to their fate and help them escape flashed in her mind and a heavy burden settled in her heart. Two days! Give me two days so that I can help my friends escape and I will definitely move to your kingdom until our contract is up! The prolonged silence that followed did not bode well and Kalystos heart pounded like mad against her chest as she thought of a way for the queen not to interfere with her plans. But nothing came to mind. And just as the violet window began to pop up with a new message, it was at that moment that she came up with a plan to convince her. The kings of the kingdom of Bhallys and Balsahty summoned heroes from my world to kill the demon king," she blurted out quickly. And again, the eerie silence lasted for what seemed like years. But it only lasted a few seconds. [...What did you say?] Chapter 119 “Before the tower.” Part 3 Chapter 119 Before the tower. Part 3 [...What did you say?] A bead of sweat trickled down Kalystos forehead as soon as she felt her bosss indignation and the trace of anger beginning to bubble underneath the apparent friendliness. I said that the humans in the kingdom of Bhallys and Balsahty performed a hero summoning ritual and brought people from my world to force them to eliminate the demon king," she repeated slowly. [Are you telling me that those stupid humans instead of preparing for the upcoming war against the priestess of Seth-Mainyu who is already in Elinor, they prefer to waste their time and fight against the 3 demon kings?... Are they crazy? .... What kind of stupidity is that?] I dont think they know that there is more than one demon king," Kalysto clarified, and about their level of stupidity...well, if we are talking about King Medhas, who rules the kingdom of Balsahty, the answer is yes. I wouldnt even be surprised if his own people, tired of his stupidity, decided to rebel, kill him and put someone else in power, she added with total honesty. And I have not met the other king, so it is difficult for me to give you exact information about him. Again, silence reigned for a long time and Kalysto began to feel uncomfortable about being out in the open and away from the camp for so long. What if I am discovered? she worried. But before she could think of a way to tell her sometimes temperamental boss, a new screen popped up. [Which one of them do they plan to kill this time?] Huh?...Like I told you before, I dont know...maybe the one who lives closest to them? She replied with a frown, but then a new idea came to her. But Im sure that woman must know something about it! [Hand her over to me!] Of course, but what will I get in return for doing so? [What do you want?] An extension of time on the mission to level up my profession. Ive been working on it, but Im still far from the finish line. Could you give me another month? [Ill give you two weeks and take away your prize!] What? No! I already have plans for that vacation! Id rather lose one of the two weeks of vacation I have as a prize from the elves mission that I havent claimed yet, she argued immediately. Remembering that the queen had given her a few days off after she discovered that she had been kidnapped. But let the weeks vacation in my world be kept. [...] [Your terms are accepted.] Great!... Oh! And one question before you go, does holy water cure poisoning? [Of course it does! Why do you ask?] I just wanted to be sure, she tried to evade. [Did that human poison you too?] Yes... do you want me to give you the dagger she did it with, too? [Hand it to Galatea... And Kalysto?] Yes? [Be thankful I didnt take away your use of inventory like Mhiralla did with the humans who serve her. But the next time a human enters your inventory, I want you to make sure that he enters there of his own free will. Understood?] Yes, maam," she answered immediately. Noting how the training her former boss put all the waitresses and the rest of his staff through before they went to work in the restaurant had been burned into her. Polite and respectful treatment was a necessary requirement to keep her job, but now that she was no longer working there, it was hard to shake the habit. And thank you for allowing me to continue using the inventory. As soon as she finished speaking, her bosss summoning circle was drawn under her feet. Could you please bring me to this same place again as soon as we are done? The violet light of the summoning enveloped her before she could get an answer and Kalysto appeared inside her room in the fairy kingdom, right in front of her comfortable bed. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Tsuki immediately jumped towards her, excited by the reunion. Arff! Yes, yes, I know! I took so long to come back this time! She answered him warmly as she hugged him and approached the door of her room. No, Tsuki! Dont lick my face! But it was too late and the little fenrir licked several times while wagging his tail from side to side, happy to see her again. A couple of knocks sounded against the door and Kalysto hurried to open it after putting Tsuki on the floor. In front of her, Galatea and Hanna were waiting for her. Champion, we are sorry to bother you so late at night but we have something to pick up for the queen Galatea greeted, as Hanna gave her a kind smile and bowed her head towards her. Good night, champion. Good evening to both of you," Kalysto replied and pulled out the dagger from Ans. this is the dagger of the female knight the queen mentioned to you. Be careful with her. Not only is she an assassin, but she can also wield shadow magic. You dont have to worry about it. We have come prepared to restrain her, she said, showing him a dark blue crystal sphere. Kalysto looked at the sphere with curiosity, but she had to return to the camp soon, so she refrained from asking too many questions. Her name is Ans," she added as she took her out of her inventory. The disfigured face of the female knight caught the attention of the two fairies, and Anss one eye that still served opened in surprise to see that their surroundings had not only changed, but that they were no longer alone. But long before the woman even thought of escaping, Galatea activated the crystal in her hands and a magical seal was drawn on the ground beneath Ans. From it several magical chains sprouted, physically and magically restraining her. Fairies? You were working with the fairies? You traitorous bitch! How dare you betray your own kind? She screamed as Kalysto approached her to heal her, making sure no fairy would catch the plague because of her. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! she murmured, approaching the woman and allowing her to see the golden light of her power to its fullest extent. A light that extended far beyond where the two fairies stood. Far farther than either of the two saintess in the temple of light could have done. I think you are quite confused. Even though I am human, we do not belong to the same world so it is not correct to say that we are of the same species," Kalysto commented, pointing to the magenta hue of the warriors blood that had flowed from her wrist when Kalysto had stabbed her. In my world, humans bleed red, not magenta," she replied and then gave her a smile full of false kindness before forcibly putting her to sleep and watching as the two fairies took her to the queen. Her bosss summoning circle reappeared beneath her feet, taking her back to the exact same spot where she was taken. But before she could sigh in relief for having returned in time, in the distance she could see Milos silhouette, his back to her as a ball of fire was held by the mages hand as he surveyed the surroundings. Shit, cant they even give me a minutes rest? She thought with annoyance. Stealth! And with all the agility that characterized her she ran towards the lights that illuminated the camp, jumped over a thick tree, took impulse and jumped again, taking advantage of the small space between several trees. Whos there? She managed to hear Milos voice in the distance, but she was already halfway to the camp. As soon as she arrived, she passed by several Balsahty kingdom guards, whose levels hovered between 17 and 20, knowing that outwitting them would be a piece of cake. After going around them and making sure she was not being followed, she went back into her tent. Only to find Sandras body lying on the floor. Shit, Id forgotten about her! Picking her back up off the ground, she put her arm around her neck and walked out of the tent towards the infirmary. Halfway there, she met Milo. Whats going on here? He questioned her and she repeated the same excuse she had given Ans, but trying to sound more convincing and tired. Ill escort you to the saintesss tent. This way. It was no surprise to Kalysto that as soon as they reached their destination, the saintess refused to treat Sandra. This is no time to come and bother me! The marquis could have gone straight to the infirmary! Why should I be bothered and waste my time touching that dirty little girl? Milo instead arched an eyebrow, as if he were witnessing the tantrum of a neighbors little brat and not the most important saintess in his kingdom. Dirty, you say? How curious, because as I remember before you belonged to the temple you were nothing more than a simple orphan peasant girl living in the street, at the wizards words Darlas face contorts in rage. You! How dare you say such a thing, dont you know who I am? she growled, but contrary to what she thought, the mocking sneer did not disappear from the wizards face. Dare? he sneered. Even with the little education the temple must have given the saintess, Im sure you should know the difference between someone who belongs to the nobility and someone who doesnt by now. Hadnt we better go to the infirmary? Kalysto interrupted them, seeing that they were both much more interested in rubbing each others noses in their authority than in helping them. As she began to worry about Sandras health. Im sure some water mage will be willing to cure her. We shouldnt keep wasting our time here. Insolent! Darla growled and before either of the two mages could do anything, a resounding slap echoed through the room. Taking out her anger on the weakest link and the easiest nearby target. From the uncivilized world you come from, dont they teach you to respect your superiors? Kalysto blinked in surprise, but not at the disrespectful slap she had just received, although it annoyed her deeply. But by the violet notification window that disappeared as quickly as it appeared in front of her eyes. [Does the user wish to absorb ????????] But before she could say or do anything, one of the knights rushed in and announced: Sir, the kingdom of Bhallys is under attack, the demon king and his army are destroying the capital! And a whole horde of monsters commanded by an orc are heading towards the tower! Chapter 120. “Defending the tower.” Chapter 120. Defending the tower. What the hell was that? Kalysto thought as her fingers itched with need just thinking about the missing window. Did that really happen, or was it a product of my imagination? Her face reflected all the confusion she felt as she unintentionally dropped Sandras body. ...Youre nobody! Maybe in your world your existence had some value, but here youre nothing more than a simple...! Darla continued to rant. And before the priestess slapped the wizard again, Milo grabbed her wrist tightly. I hope that kind of behavior wont happen again in my presence because in that case I wont answer for any accident that may happen to the saintess during the journey," whispered the mage, their faces just inches from each other as he used his height to intimidate the priestess. And just as the saintess dared to remind Miss Luna of her position, I remind you that I am a Marquis and the first mage of the court, and therefore I am far above a mere saintess who happens to no longer possess the backing of the temple and has even fallen from the kings grace. So at this instant any attack on any of those under my care will be considered the attack of a commoner on an aristocrat," his voice sounded low and silky despite the threat it contained, and the strength with which he was squeezing the saintesss wrist. And we both know how that would end, dont we? He looked at her as if she were nothing more than a mere insect that had dared to soil his shoes. And Im sure the new pontiff would be delighted to hear about the saintesss extracurricular activities," he sneered. I wonder if that would help to get you locked up again, but this time for a much longer period? Darlas face lost all color as she tried unsuccessfully to break free. Even after receiving the two prophecies from the goddess, the temple is in no condition right now for all the criticism it would receive or to get more enemies in case word spreads that its main saintess goes around attacking the heroes when they are wounded..." a mischievous smile spread across the handsome mages face. ... especially when there is already another saintess who can replace you. The king would never allow...! she growled right after breaking free. But the priestess words died at the sudden chuckle that escaped from the mages mouth. Oh, poor deluded woman! -He scoffed and approached her again. The priests of the temple are not the only ones who grow zhalem flower, which is said to poison otherworldly beings," he added in a low voice, sure that Kalysto could not hear him from that distance. Why would the marquis say such a thing? She questioned, fear reflected in her eyes, and Milo smiled, knowing he had her right where he wanted her. Because the destroyed temple of light in the capital of the Kingdom of Vatha is not the only place where the zhalem flower is planted. What? Inside the kings palace it is also harvested," he replied calmly, enjoying watching her break and lose her facade right in front of him, and I know that like the heroes who came with the summoning ritual, you are not of this world. Darlas face lost what little color she had left, and she took a step back as if the man in front of her had physically struck her. But before any of them could say or do anything, one of the knights rushed in and announced: Sire, the kingdom of Bhallys is under attack! The demon king and his army are destroying the capital! A whole horde of monsters, commanded by an orc, are heading towards the tower! And the prince of Bhallys demands to borrow the saintess and allow him to take her to his kingdom! They plan to leave as soon as possible! What? Darla and Milo asked at the same time. And while the priestess voice sounded loud and shrill, the wizards resounded with annoyance. Are they planning to enter the tower? But its impossible, they cant! They are monsters! Darla questioned. Completely ignoring the presence of Darla, Kalysto, and Sandra, the knight turned to his superior. And seeing him roll his eyes in annoyance at the saintess interruption despite the importance of the situation, the knight cleared his throat before speaking again. Sir, we await your orders! Where is the Duke of Brincy? answered the wizard. Preparing to meet you and the prince when you are ready, sir, Milo nodded. The saintess will go with the prince and the hero of the kingdom of Bhallys as support and in honor of the alliance between our peoples! The rest will go with me to stop the invasion of the monsters! He commented as he approached the knight and walked towards the exit of the tent, completely forgetting the presence of Kalysto and Sandra. What? Darla complained immediately, unwilling to move away from the precious magical object the goddess showed her in the second prophecy. But I must be there to prevent the demon king from conquering the tower, taking the cursed treasure and escaping! She lied. That wont be necessary," Milo assured her, throwing aside the cloth that covered the entrance to the tent, acting as a door. You need me to find and block the secret exit that the demon king will use when he finishes conquering the tower! Darla replied, following him. The demon king is not in our kingdom, but in Bhallys," he growled in annoyance at the continuous interruptions of a woman whose presence he could barely stand under normal circumstances. Besides, if it is true that you know it, you only have to tell me where this supposed secret exit is and I will block it myself, a small and thin smile full of superiority was drawn on Milos face while he arched an eyebrow and watched her carefully. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Darla closed her mouth and as soon as she opened it again to refute him, no sound escaped her lips, then closed it again shortly after. Milos smirk of superiority grew at her prolonged silence. So the saintess doesnt know either? He pressed with some amusement as he saw the saintesss face flush red. Sir? The knight interrupted them, wishing they would stop competing with each other and focus on the real problem. Maybe the goddess will show me once it happens! Darla insisted, trying not to give ground. Or maybe well take care of conquering it long before the demon king and his army get here. And since they are a little more than half a day away, we should hurry," he finished, then approached one of the guards passing by and pointed at him. You! Take them to the infirmary and as soon as they are healed, take them back to their tent! He ordered, pointing to the two young women inside. I want all the heroes ready and in good shape by the time we leave! Half an hour later, the prince and most of his men departed back to their kingdom. An hour and a half later, the rest of them had ascended the small hill on which the giant tower stood. The only construction the heroes had seen in this world that was as tall as a thirty story building, where the same orc that had attacked them earlier was opening a portal right next to the entrance of the tower while some of the creatures that had come with him entered it and the rest guarded the entrance. Stop that orc from finishing summoning the portal! Ordered the commander of the knights of the kingdom of Balsahty, tightening the reins of his horse as he unsheathed his sword. The rest of the knights, with the exception of the duke who stayed in the back watching everything, advanced towards the battle with a war cry. Meanwhile, Milo and the rest of the court mages who came with him, surrounded the heroes. Heroes from another world. All your training has been for this moment! Today we will enter that tower and conquer it! Milo exclaimed, trying to get them excited, but when he saw that only the court mages and the small group of duchy knights who had stayed with him responded to his command, he watched them with narrowed eyes. Understood? Seeing that they still did not respond, he turned to Kalysto. Miss Luna? he questioned with an arched eyebrow. Kalysto took a deep breath before turning around, looking at the rest of her comrades. All right, guys! The sooner we get all this shit over with, the sooner we can go eat and rest! Koden and Rita, I want you on the front with me! Oscar, watch our backs! Edward and the wonder twins, youre the second group! Stay alert, kill anything that comes near you and dont trust anything! Then she turned to the two missing heroes, who were looking at her with their arms crossed and defiance shining in their eyes. Sandra and Emanuel, stay as close to the court mages as possible, dont let yourselves be killed stupidly and dont get in the way of the rest of us! She then turned around, facing Milo while ignoring the protests of the last two heroes. Well need potions before you throw us in there like cattle to the slaughterhouse. And Rita and I will need extra mana potions," she added, stretching out a hand, ready to receive them. Cattle, slaughterhouse? -questioned the mage without understanding the meaning of that phrase. Its just an expression of our world! she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. So, are you going to give us those potions or let us die in battle? she insisted, knowing well that in the original story everything had happened so fast that they had not been given enough time to prepare them properly. With a wave of Milos hand, one of the court mages approached them and held out a small enchanted leather pouch with ten mana potions and four health potions to each of the heroes. Thank you," said Kalysto with a practiced smile full of false kindness. Milo narrowed his eyes at the sight of her, doubting her honesty, but he had more important things to do, so leading them all towards the small army of outnumbered monsters, the battle began. Half an hour later, things did not seem to be going as well as the knights of the kingdom of Balsahty had planned, although they had succeeded in preventing Galoth from opening a portal as had happened in their previous encounter, even without an army to back him up, the orc was a formidable foe who had already taken the lives of fifty knights with his mace. And Kalysto hated that mace. It reminded her how close she had come to death a month ago at the hands of that same orc. Miss Luna, focus! Stop staring at that orc as if he was your sworn enemy of a lifetime and had murdered your entire family! Milo scolded her. I am focused," she objected, conjuring a small magic circle from which emanated an ice stake that pierced the skull of the hobgoblin that had been about to attack her by surprise. And that monster and I have unfinished business to settle! And I hope that unfinished business doesnt spoil our plans to get into that damned tower or Ill drag you there myself if I have to! The mage replied, sending a flare of fire at a group of wolves that rushed to attack him. Since when can you cast non-verbal spells? He questioned her, surprised to see how much she had grown without him noticing. And I wasnt supposed to be able to? She replied with a frown, Ice daggers, ice manipulation! She conjured, materializing her daggers and turning them into thin, sharp swords, and without Milo noticing she gave Rita a glance, pointing to the spot where Enho, a level 13 knight, and Jack, level 17, were fighting three orcs. Rita nodded her head, sending a signal to Koden who turned to watch Kalysto as the fire mage had just indicated, while a group of orcs with fire resistance ran towards the court mages to attack them as four packs of wolves attacked them from different directions, completely surrounding them. Ice creation! Kalysto thought as she froze twenty wolves, leaving their heads ready for Koden and Oscar to cut off. stealth! And jumped in front of Koden. You know what to do! She whispered to him after deactivating her skill, and the young man nodded his head as he began to do as he was ordered while Kalysto grabbed Rita by the waist and jumped over the collection of bodies she just froze, taking advantage of the fact that the attention of all the mages in the court was on the orcs. Its time for your revenge she whispered to her new friend who watched the two knights who had tortured and killed Ritas father on the kings orders, according to what she and Oscar had heard a couple of nights ago. **** By the time Milo realized she was missing, it was too late. The figures of the two had long since been lost amidst the sea of bodies fighting to the death. Where the hell did she go? He growled, suddenly realizing that he couldnt see the other fire mage, either. But before he could activate the spell that helped him track the mark he had placed on them, a huge black wyvern appeared, unleashing a gigantic puff of fire at the soldiers and landing right in front of the entrance to the tower, blocking them from entering. Announcement: Announcement: Hello everyone. How are you? First of all, thank you very much for reading my story and supporting me as you have been doing so far, I couldn''t have made it this far without you. Seriously, thanks for being with me. I''m sorry to tell you that I''m writing this message to let you know that due to health reasons, there will be no chapter today. Some of you may think that I tend to get sick a lot or at least several times a year, and the truth is that I do. Although my health in the last few years is far from the best, I am much better than I was before. But it''s still not 100% well. Still, I assure you that the story will continue and I will probably write more stories in the future. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for your patience See you on Friday with the next chapter. Have a nice day. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. PS.: the hidden text is just a repetition of the above since RR requires a minimum of 500 words to let me publish, so it''s just filler. Announcement: Hello everyone. How are you? First of all, thank you very much for reading my story and supporting me as you have been doing so far, I couldn''t have made it this far without you. Seriously, thanks for being with me. I''m sorry to tell you that I''m writing this message to let you know that due to health reasons, there will be no chapter today. Some of you may think that I tend to get sick a lot or at least several times a year, and the truth is that I do. Although my health in the last few years is far from the best, I am much better than I was before. But it''s still not 100% well. Still, I assure you that the story will continue and I will probably write more stories in the future. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for your patience See you on Friday with the next chapter. Have a nice day. **** Announcement: Hello everyone. How are you? First of all, thank you very much for reading my story and supporting me as you have been doing so far, I couldn''t have made it this far without you. Seriously, thanks for being with me. I''m sorry to tell you that I''m writing this message to let you know that due to health reasons, there will be no chapter today. Some of you may think that I tend to get sick a lot or at least several times a year, and the truth is that I do. Although my health in the last few years is far from the best, I am much better than I was before. But it''s still not 100% well. Still, I assure you that the story will continue and I will probably write more stories in the future. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for your patience See you on Friday with the next chapter. Have a nice day. Chapter 121 “At the gates of the tower.” Chapter 121 At the gates of the tower. As soon as the soles of her boots touched solid ground in the middle of the only half-cleared area she found near their two targets, Kalysto released Rita, depositing her on the ground carefully before blocking the sword attack of an eager hobgoblin. She then kicked his head, throwing him to the ground before slashing his neck with a smooth motion of her modified daggers. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] Kalysto narrowed her eyes and frowned at how little experience these monsters were giving her. At least with the elves, the experience was good. She remembered with regret, noting not for the first time, the large difference in point points given by the monsters accompanying the orc, compared to the amount of points she normally got in the human realm and got from the monsters coming out of the portal of whoever it was that was attacking the elves. It almost made her want to face that strange dark mana tentacled portal again. Almost. [Youve gained 10 experience points!] x3 She rolled her eyes as she saw what was sure to be the experience points shared with Oscar, Koden and Edward, after leaving the wolf pack semi-frozen and ready for them to cut off their heads. Definitely very little experience. Rita cut off the arm of another hobgoblin, while Kalysto cut off the body of another while watching the group of guards accompanying the two warriors, which she had not seen before in her eagerness to locate them in the crowd. [Youve gained 50 experience points!] Annoyed at the slight delay in her plans, she threw a punch against the jaw of another hobgoblin and that of a nearby wolf, turning the handle of her daggers so as not to hurt herself. And while the wolf didnt die, the hobgoblin did. [You have gained 50 experience points!] Inspect! she whispered, watching the seven knights accompanying their prey. Several windows opened to her left as the wolf stood up, dazed after being hit. Seriously, how high is the resistance of these things? She complained. Ice blades! she attacked his eyes. Perfect aim! Ice arrows! she added, piercing his chest. [Youve gained 20 experience points!] [Youve gained 10 experience points!] x4 Rita launched a fireball after finishing off another pair of wolves. Kalysto then checked the stats of the knights before they both started to slowly approach them. [Name: Jhoeb Race: Human Level: 35 Class: Warrior HP: 2,000/2,800 MP: 0/0] [Name: Ahor Race: Human Level: 32 Class: Warrior HP: 1,800/3,000 MP: 10/10] The rest of the knights who had the emblem of the Duchy of Brincy emblazoned on their cloaks ranged from level 35 to 27, while those who served the king hovered between level 15 and 25. Damn it! Whats wrong? Rita hastened to ask in a whisper, approaching her as she launched a flare of fire at several wolves in front of them. There are at least four of them that are over level 30. We need to get them away. Do you want me to take care of them? No," she answered immediately, doubting that she was really capable of killing them despite the hatred shining in her eyes. Lets wait a few minutes for your skill to cool down and get close to the other two without arousing suspicionAs long as we are close enough I can erect a wall of ice to keep us away from the others while you do your thing and Ill take care of the monsters, the fire mage nodded her head while cutting off the head of another wolf. And Rita? [You have gained 10 experience points!] x6 Yes? I cant give you much time. I must erect a wall high enough to keep them away, but that will raise the suspicions of the wizards and give them our location. [Youve gained 40 experience points!] Rita frowned, not liking what she was hearing as she watched Kalysto punch and cut several monsters in half. Let it be as it must," she replied and threw a fireball at another of the many hobgoblins surrounding them. Almost five minutes later, when they had finished with almost all the monsters that surrounded them, while on the side of the mages and where the warriors were, the monsters increased. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Perfect aim! Ice stakes! Kalysto muttered, piercing the torso of one orc, followed by another. Rita, on your right! she whispered. [Youve gained 40 experience points!] [Youve gained 30 experience points!] Rita immediately ran in that direction, sending a fireball into the head of another orc that had been about to kill one of the two warriors that had killed her father. Thank you! Enho shouted, tired from all the fighting. Dont thank me," growled Rita as she fought off a hobgoblin with her sword. What the hell are these two heroes doing here? Shouldnt you two be with the court wizards for protection? shouted one of the duchy knights as soon as he saw them. Go back to where you came from! We dont have time to babysit you! And without the knights noticing, Kalysto pulled a small mana stone from her inventory, at the same time the mighty roar of a wyvern shook the earth. Everyone, including the monsters, turned to look at the entrance of the tower where the huge, dark-skinned creature now guarded the entrance. Shit! Kalysto muttered, realizing that now she not only had to find a way to get rid of the knights and the monsters so she could escape with the boys, but also now she had to worry about that thing. And inadvertently, her gaze strayed to where she knew the orc that had nearly killed her before she got to Elinor was. A surge of rage swept over her and she could feel her blood heat up. <> Persephone whispered in her mind, and a shiver went down her back as she realized she had lost control and again she could hear her. <> Come on, Kalysto, focus! Absorber! She scolded herself under her breath. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] At what point did it deactivate? She worried. Several violet-colored windows flickered in front of her, distracting her. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 8000 MP!] Immediately, Kalytso kicked against the ground and taking advantage of everyones little distraction with the impressive winged beast. Mana manipulation! Ice creation! She muttered, creating a huge, thick wall of ice that surrounded them and hid them from the sight of the others, leaving only a group of fifteen ogres, the two warriors they were looking for, herself and Rita inside. [The skill Ice Creation has level up to level 12!] Now! she shouted to the fire mage as she jumped on the nearest ogre and buried her pair of daggers in the eyes of that monster that screamed in pain after the assault. Two orcs came to the aid of their wounded comrade as, out of the corner of her eye, Kalysto watched Rita throw a fireball at the two armored knights. Leaving the daggers buried in the orcs eyes, Kalytso jumped just in time to evade the second orcs blow, and as soon as she landed on the ground, she conjured: Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Then she threw an ice stake at the first orc, another at the third, and another at one farther away. Piercing the head of the first two and the chest of the last. [You have gained 40 experience points!] x3 Ice spear! Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Then she repeated the same strategy as before, but this time she was able to pierce the two orcs with just one of the spears. Rita, hurry up! Were running out of time! She shouted, seeing that the fire mage had only been able to wound one of the knights, burning his arm as she engaged the other. [Youve gained 40 experience points!] x4 But what the hell are you two doing? grunted the lower level knight. Youre supposed to be attacking the monsters pair of idiots, not us! Me?" replied Kalysto, putting on her best angelic good girl expression. Im just helping a friend carry out her revenge against her fathers murderers. Both mens faces lost all color. What, are you crazy? Do you know what the king will do to you when he finds out about this? We were only following the kings orders! Its not our fault! Were innocent! the other one assured them, with his arm burned. Innocent? My father was innocent! Rita shouted, throwing another arrow of fire at the warrior in front of her, who this time could not avoid the attack and the arm holding our sword was burned. You could have refused to kill my father, but you chose to follow the orders of a stupid fool! Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Arrows of ice! said Kalysto, firing at the legs of both knights and preventing them from escaping. Mana sense! she muttered, extending her mana and sensing what was going on around the wall. You have less than a minute Rita, Milo is already on his way along with the rest of the mages! Shit! Fire creation! Rita shouted, pouring all her mana into burning alive the two men who had dared to harm one of her little family members. Now, all she had left was her mother. And while Rita carried out her revenge, Kalysto got rid of three more ogres. [You have gained 40 experience points!] x3 Thick tears bathed the fire mages face as she ran out of mana, and the screams of those human-skinned monsters she had heard a few days ago as they mocked how easy it had been to get rid of her father flooded her ears. To the point where she hadnt even heard Kalysto scream. This is all the time I can give you! she said to her as she grabbed her by the waist and jumped with her to the edge of the wall where she could clearly see not only Milo and the other court mages running towards them, but the rest of the heroes as well. Ice manipulation! She conjured and touching with her free hand the ice wall she modified it, transforming the lower part of the wall into spikes and sharp stakes, piercing the bodies of dozens of monsters that were nearby. [You have gained 40 experience points!] x3 [You have gained 20 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 10 experience points!] x10 [Youve gained 30 experience points!] x7 Even though the wall that held them was getting thinner and thinner, it could still support the weight of both of them and Kalysto could see that very close to Milo and his group, who were fighting against the monsters to get closer to them, the orc with whom she had a debt pending was killing the knights she had left outside the wall. I got you! She muttered as she jumped in the orcs direction. Drink your mana potion! She reminded to Rita as soon as they hit the ground and immediately took out another mana crystal from her inventory. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 MP!] Ice blades! Ice stakes! Ice daggers! She conjured, but before she could get to where he was and attack him, Milo appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her by the waist, teleporting her to the entrance of the tower where several wizards and warriors were fighting the wyvern. What the hell do you think youre doing? Let go of me at once! Saving both of your lives! Milo growled as he ran towards the entrance of the tower with both of them, carrying Rita against his shoulder and Kalysto by the waist. Dashing through the entrance of the tower was like stepping through a waterfall of icy water. And as anger seized Kalysto for having lost the opportunity to finally face the cursed orc, ignoring that the rest of the heroes were already inside the tower along with two more knights. She placed her palms on Milos unsuspecting face, at the same time the wizard released them. Sleep well! Sleep well! She angrily conjured, as she unloaded half of her mana into her attack. Chapter 122 “The tower.” Chapter 122 The tower. What the hell do you think youre doing? Sandra shouted in alarm as she saw Milos body fall to the hard earthen floor. The fire mage immediately rushed to his aid, but as she bent down to help him with her face bathed in worry as she feared he was no longer alive, Kalysto placed a hand on the back of the annoying blondes neck. Sleep well! Sleep well! She whispered, observing coldly how Sandras body fell right on top of Milos. Does anyone else have anything to say? The two warriors of the Balsahty kingdom looked each other in the eyes for less than a second before lunging at her. Immediately, Koden struck the side of one of them with his massive shield, knocking him to the ground, stunned. Kalysto easily dodged the sword slash the other warrior threw at her by stepping aside and, after tripping him, she placed a hand on his skull. Sleep well! Sleep well! She whispered and then turned to the other guard, whom Rita began to kick viciously as soon as he fell to the ground. Its because of you and your damned friends that my father died! The fire witch accused him while tears flooded her eyes and she continued beating him until she was held by Oscar, who tried to stop her from beating him to death now that the warrior was unarmed and with a broken arm. There is a group of four mages accompanied by five guards up ahead," Koden informed her, unwilling to intervene, but feeling bad for the wounded knight at the same time he felt even worse for what Rita had had to live through. Fine," she replied, nodding her head. Ill take care of them," at that instant the portal of soft light that constituted the entrance to the spacious cave they were in began to ripple, at the same time a hand went through it, Kalysto ran at full speed towards it and placed the palms of her hands against the rippling portal, Dispel! She conjured- Mana manipulation! Dispel! Dispel! -She growled, concentrating her mana so that the golden light of her skill spread throughout the portal through her hands. Dispel! A soft crack was heard as the door of light began to crack from the center to the sides, much as glass would crack when struck. But then an increasingly stronger light began to pour out of the portal along with a surge of wind that tossed her hair in all directions. This is so different from what happened the other time! Frightened by what this could mean, she shouted to the others. Close your eyes! ..." half of a forearm that had made it through the portal stopped. Dispel Ezhil! she whispered shortly after. The golden light of her skill began to merge with the white light streaming from the portal and out of the corner of her eye, before she closed her eyes completely, she caught a glimpse of the edges of the nasty mark Milo had placed on her and the other heroes, begin to fade. Was that all it would take?.... she thought, unable to believe what she was seeing. I literally had the solution in my hands the whole time and didnt even realize it! At that instant, she had to close her eyes as the strong light from the portal blinded her. Ice creation! she shouted. Then she spread a thick layer of ice that covered the entire surface of the portal, whose light was trapped inside the ice. Beads of sweat bathed her forehead as she tried to calm her agitated breathing and blinked several times at the momentary blindness that burned her eyes. Inventory! She thought, and saw a pair of blurry notification windows open to her left. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] After trying to guess where the box she was looking for was, Kalytso took out a small vial of holy water and drank it to the bottom, then put the empty vial away again. Only then did she let out a long sigh as gradually her sight stopped blurring and she began to make out the figures of everything around her, from the mana rocks half buried in the ground near the stone and earthen walls of the cave, to the group of young people standing a few feet from the entrance. Now," she said, giving a glance to the rest of the heroes who looked at her with a mixture of fear and surprise reflected in their eyes as she pulled back a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail, Anyone else have any objections? ... Except for Rita, Koden and Oscar, most of them shook their heads as they looked sideways at the bodies of Milo and Sandra on the ground, fearing they would become the next target of her rage. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Edward, however, just looked confused. And as Kalysto put the second guard to sleep, he took a step closer to her. ...Kalysto, whats going on? What does all this mean? he asked her. It means were escaping, she answered in a dry voice, still annoyed at having missed the chance to punch the ugly face of that muscular orc. But why? These people need our help! Didnt you see what was left of those villages that were attacked by the monsters? What will these poor people do without our help? cried the young man, unable to understand why she was so selfish as to abandon them to their fate when it was so obvious that they would not survive without help. All our kidnappers have to do is continue to exist in the same way they have been doing since centuries before we came into this world," she replied, the mockery palpable in her voice, along with barely contained anger. What the hell is wrong with you? she turned to him, facing him. Why do you think its your responsibility to save these people? She accused him, approaching him, annoyed with the brat for his lack of responsibility. Dont you care about your family? Edwards face unhinged at her words. What? He answered in a low whisper that could barely reach the ears of the angry wizard. What will happen to your poor father, who less than two years ago lost his beloved wife and now, after the world went mad and monsters began to invade the Earth, his only son suddenly disappeared? she shouted in his face. How do you think he feels when he doesnt even have a body to cry to? Or even worse, do you really think hes still alive? What? Edwards face lost all color at the possibility. What about your Aunt Amanda? How do you think she feels after losing her daughter six months ago to a stupid robbery and now she has to go through not only the loss of her only nephew, but having to help her depressive brother again while she has to fight the tumor they found in her brain? Huh? she growled, too annoyed with his hero attitude and with the fact that even though he did have a family that cared about him, he didnt seem to care about them. Why did I waste my time helping this ungrateful ingrate when I should have been looking for Alice? What the fuck are you doing worrying about a bunch of strangers who are nothing to you, when your own family is having a hard time while you want to stay here playing the hero? She shouted so close to him that their noses almost collided with each other. What... But what are you saying... My aunt... My aunt is going to die? Edwards hands trembled and his eyes filled with unshed tears. Why didnt anyone tell me anything? Do you even bother to visit her or even call her for anything other than to ask for money or thank her when she sends it to you? Edward tried to refute her harsh words, but no sound came from his lips. ... That I hadnt told you about it before? Why the hell are you acting like its the first time youre hearing about it? But Edward didnt answer, instead he averted his gaze and avoided her. Not wanting to waste any more of her time with him, Kalysto walked past him, and continued walking towards one of the walls of the wide cave where a cluster of small white stones gave off a soft glow which together with the mana crystals and mushrooms on the floor, illuminated the inside of the wide cave. Then she crouched down next to a cluster of mana crystals, three of them large enough to be almost forty centimeters long, while two others were only about ten centimeters long. She placed the palms of her hands on the earth around the small cluster that appeared to be attached to a thin base of the same material. Earth manipulation! She thought, softening the earth around the birth of the crystals and then extracting them and putting them in her blue inventory, where she had enough space to start her new collection. She repeated the same process with three other mana stone hatchings, then pulled one of the tiny, glowing stones that illuminated the cave out of the wall and put it in her inventory as well. I will inspect it later. She promised to herself. What are you doing? Koden asked her, curious. Collecting, dont you see? Ive told you before, she likes to collect things! Didnt what we did in the library give you a clue? What happened in the library? Gideon asked suddenly. Rita? Kalysto spoke, ignoring the twin, as she approached the empty corridor that was right in front of the entrance to the tower. And stood in the middle of it, staring down the long, half-lit corridor. Yes, what do you need? replied the fire mage approaching her friend. There is something that the priestess Darla wanted to get. She mentioned a treasure that the demon king would acquire somewhere in this tower," she commented quietly, so that only she and Koden, who had also approached, could hear her. Whatever it is, I want it for myself. Wouldnt it be better to find a way to escape? -Koden questioned, At last we are free of the guards and their constant vigilance, and without the knights of the kingdom of Bhallys lurking about, we finally have a chance to escape! he whispered. According to what the priestess said, as soon as the demon king conquers the tower, a secret exit will open for him, Kalysto saw him open his mouth to continue pleading, so she hurried to offer a deal. And if you help me conquer this tower and get that treasure in less than two days, Ill help you level up. Why two days? Rita questioned in a low whisper. Because my new boss gave me the order to return to her territory and only gave me two days to help you escape. In that case, count me in! Koden enthused. Wed better get as strong as we can now that youre still with us. Who knows if your boss will give you time off again later to help us... or when? Its definitely better to take advantage now. Rita? Kalysto asked. Sure..." replied the fire mage with a shrug. But as soon as you get that thing you want so badly, can we get out of here? I want to be as far away from these people as possible," she commented, giving a last displeased look to Milo and the knights. Deal! Chapter 123 “The Tower.” Part 2 Chapter 123 The Tower. Part 2 There was no breeze. The heat and humidity inside the cave seemed to rise in level with each passing minute. Beads of sweat bathed the foreheads of each of the eight remaining heroes as the thin fabric of their shirts clung to their backs. The small mushrooms scattered along the edges of the walls next to the tiny, glowing stones barely illuminated enough for the small group of young men to see where they were going. Where is this supposed to lead us? Weve been walking for over ten minutes and theres no sign of these people, much less any monsters! Gideon complained. Is it safe to try to meet them? Gabriel argued. I mean the four court mages, the two knights of Bhallys, and the three from the Duchy of Brincy. None of us is strong enough to defeat him, and even if Kalysto faces them, surely she wont be able to defeat them all at the same time. Thats not the problem," they all looked at her carefully, have you noticed that there arent even traces of monsters the whole time weve been advancing? The air seemed to get heavier and heavier with each step they took and shadows seemed to reign in the two-meter-wide, long corridor of earth and stone. What had started out as a wide cave that had gradually begun to shrink. Despite her calm appearance, the whole experience was beginning to make her nervous, and seemed a bit claustrophobic. I would definitely prefer to run free in the woods. She thought, and immediately erased that thought and focused on a soft flash of light she could see to her right inside a sudden curvature. What do you think it means? Edward asked. Either there are no monsters in this part of the tower... or we have taken a different path than the one they took, though I didnt see any other option, Rita ventured to the silence of Kalysto, who was more focused on what was in front of her than on the conversation. But this is the only way we have found! Gideon protested, How is it possible that they found a different one? None of us know how the tower works. Maybe its like a video game and creates a different route for each group of players, or maybe there are no monsters at this point. Or worse, someone or something out there took the remains of the monsters the others killed. A shiver ran through the bodies of the twins, Edward and Emanuel as fear shone in their eyes after hearing her words. Be aware, theres a detour on the way! Kalysto leaned the palm of her hand against one of the walls as she continued, but as they advanced toward the bend, the soft blue light grew stronger and stronger. A small domed clearing opened up before them and directly in front of them, a huge blue portal that took up almost half the width of the entire back wall shone in all its splendor. Are we supposed to go through that thing? Edward questioned, his voice breaking at the end of the sentence. Do you think we have any other choice? Kalysto questioned him a bit harshly before turning and facing the small group of survivors. Listen to me, all of you! Im not going to force you to come with me! You can choose to stay here where perhaps you could be safe from the monsters and risk being discovered by the people of this kingdom and return to them. Or come with me, conquer this tower, find a way out, and escape from them. What you do now or after we escape is your decision, but you must make it now. I will not wait around, nor will I tolerate being questioned every three seconds by each of you. If you are going to come with me, it will be on my command and my terms. If you are going to complain, then stay here and see how you survive on your own. What? Are you really going to abandon us? Gideon was surprised. Dont you care what happens to us? Edward and Emanuel protested at the same time. I dont know what strange fantasy is running through your head, Gideon, but I have no obligation to any of you," Kalysto defended herself, giving Edward a look so he knew she meant him too. We are all adults here, and therefore everyone is responsible for themselves, Im not your mother, so you can not expect me to solve all your problems for you! Learn to think for yourself! Then she turned around and stood in front of the portal, whose energy danced like a whirlpool of water, but vertically. Rita, Koden, Ill be waiting for you on the other side," and without waiting for their response, she went through the huge portal. Yes!" They both answered and a tense silence spread through the cave. Kalysto can be a little strange sometimes, but shes right," Koden said to Edward, looking him in the eye, and you know it, he added, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Looking uncomfortable explaining himself to someone he considered his best friend. Ive already made my choice. But like Kalysto, he too had noticed the change in his friends attitude, and unlike Edward, he wasnt willing to risk his life to play the hero. He just wanted to go home and be with his family. Every night since they had arrived in this strange world, he prayed to the God his mother had tried so hard to make him believe in while he was growing up, to grant him the wish that his mother and his two annoying older sisters would be safe. And you know very well that we have a better chance of surviving with her. Wed both be dead if it werent for her help..... I hope you make the right decision... I have family back home waiting for me that I want to see again, and I know Kalysto can help me with that. then he turned around, and just as she had done, he walked through the portal. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Oscar? Rita murmured, approaching the portal and holding out her hand to the tall, silent brunette. You know she has no bad intentions. ..." He looked at her silently for a few seconds before answering, I know what you two did inside that wall of ice. Ritas body tensed at the accusation. But she recovered quickly and lifted her chin before answering. You were there when we heard them gloating about how easy it had been to teach my father a lesson! You know they killed him because the king ordered to get rid of anyone who tried to rebel! She reproached him, They only killed him to make sure the rest of us wouldnt try to follow his example and oppose them! ...I know, he replied, his voice soft and calm, contrasting with her screams. But that doesnt give you any right to kill them. Rita took a step back, visibly affected by the words of the man she had fallen in love with over the past few weeks and with whom she believed they were finally coming to an understanding. Her hopes of building a beautiful relationship despite all the hell she had been going through, collapsed before her eyes as she saw the disappointment, sadness, and judgment in his gaze. And with the pain of losing something that was just beginning to blossom, came anger. I honestly doubt very much that you wouldnt have done the same thing if you had been in my place! Her voice sounded raw and full of pain. But if youre going to use it as an excuse to break up with me, then do whatever you want! And without waiting for his answer, she turned around and entered the doorway with her eyes misty with tears and her heart broken. Rita! Oscar shouted, stepping forward with his fists clenched, but it was too late. She was already gone. The twenty-four-year-old man growled and tousled his dark hair that until a month ago he had always kept in a military cut, but now had begun to grow out, to his constant annoyance. He closed his eyes and looked down at the ground in defeat as the rest of them watched the scene in silence. Come on dude, its not that big of a deal! There are more pretty girls in the world. You can always find another one," Gideon tried to cheer him up, but before he could touch his shoulder to comfort him, Oscar slapped his hand and walked away from him. The cold green eyes settled on the cheerful blond. The anger and darkness Gideon saw there struck fear in him. Stay away from her if you know whats good for you! hissed the brunette before stepping through the portal. What the hell is wrong with that psycho? Gideon complained. Just stay away from his girlfriend," reproached his twin brother, being well aware of the continuous attempts Gideon had made to seduce her. As well as of the blondes rejections and that it had been his brother who had complained in front of some palace maids, alleging that Kalysto, Koden, and Rita must have been having orgies every night in Kalystos room. And Gideon, I dont think we can survive for now without them, either. I think it would be best for all of us to follow them. While the rest debated about the best course to follow, Rita hit her prey with a club that Kalysto had given her. Fucking shitty slimes. Cant they just stop breeding worse than rabbits? grunted the blonde. The last thing Oscar expected to find on the other side of the portal was a relaxed Kalysto picking up crystals from the ground as if she were harvesting carrots, while Koden and Rita were facing a group of twenty slimes. Just burn them all and thats it," Kalysto replied with a shrug. That will help improve your bad mood," the blondes face immediately brightened at the idea. Koden, get out of the way! Fire creation! Rita shouted, launching a large flare of fire from each hand, incinerating as many slimes as she could until the notification window announcing that she was running low on mana opened before her. Hey, I want to level up too! The tank complained after killing another slime with its thick sword. The next group is all yours," Kalysto assured him as she put away a couple of crystals she had just collected from the ground. Now, are any of you hurt? She asked as she took out a plastic bottle filled with low-quality holy water. "Just a couple of scratches," Koden assured her as he watched the ice mage drink the water. "But the truth is, Im really thirsty. If you wish to share, Im not opposed." Bruised, mostly, and I cant lift my right arm much, this worried Oscar, but before he could approach the blonde to help her, Kalysto was already at her side. Drink this and ignore any discomfort you feel! Mana detection! She whispered, concentrating on looking for internal injuries. No bones have been broken, but that will help you heal the rest. Leave some to Koden. Another secret? asked the allude, approaching them as he watched Oscar carefully. I ask because we are no longer alone, the blonde immediately turned to look at the newcomer. What are you giving her? Is Rita going to be all right? He wanted to inspect the bottle, but Kalysto took it long before he could and handed it to Koden, who drank it in two gulps before handing it back to the empty bottle, which Kalysto was quick to keep in her inventory. Unless you are willing to sign a contract where you swear to keep all my secrets, I will not answer you," she replied, challenging him with her eyes. Is this another kind of magic? Koden muttered in surprise as he watched the small cuts on his arms begin to close. Eh... something like that. Its much more effective than red potions! He assured her enthusiastically. And harder to get," Kalysto assured him. Dont tell the others. Rita? Oscar muttered, trying to approach her, but the blonde ignored him and approached her friends. Shall we go? asked the blonde. As soon as your skill finishes cooling down, well leave. Theres another monster a little stronger than these slimes a couple of meters from here. I guess hell be the boss of this floor. If the others havent arrived by the time youre ready, well leave without them. Chapter 124 “The Tower.” Part 3 Chapter 124 The Tower. Part 3 Youd better not drink that unless you want to lose the potion. It hasnt even been ten minutes since you drank the last one," Kalysto warned as she saw that Rita had pulled out a revitalizing potion and was about to drink it. The blonde immediately looked at her watch. Does water count as a potion, too? She asked, noticing that barely a minute had passed. Kalysto shrugged and shot Oscar a look, indicating that she couldnt answer her in front of him. Instead, she withdrew three theles from her inventory. Koden, Rita, get it! Kalysto shouted, tossing a thel to the tank and then another to Rita. This will help reduce your fatigue," she then turned to Oscar. Id give you one, but youd have to sign a magic contract with me before that. Oscar just watched her silently and approached Rita, ignoring Kalysto completely. Who simply bit the thel in her hand and kept looking for more mana crystals to add to her new collection. We need to talk," whispered Oscar to the blonde, who avoided him and went to the opposite side where Koden and Kalysto were. I thought you had already said everything you had to say when you finished with me a while ago Rita crossed her arms in annoyance with him when she saw him approach her again after she finished eating the strange fruit, while everyone else waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Rita... look... I think there are some things we should clear up first," the brunette let out a long sigh and ruffled his hair. You cant finish something that hasnt officially started yet... and even if... he tried to explain, but that only made the situation worse. What? she shouted, drawing the attention of the other two. Hey, man, even I know there are things you cant say to a woman when shes mad at you! Koden interjected as Rita growled. In that case, my apologies for mistakenly thinking that I wasnt single anymore for a few weeks! But obviously I still am! With that, she walked away from him. Oscar held her by the arm, trying to stop her from leaving so they could finish talking and sort things out, but at that instant the rest of the group came through the portal and she took advantage of their distraction to leave with Kalysto and Koden. Alright, now that were all here, well move on! Kalysto announced and the rest of the heroes followed her until they reached the end of the corridor, where a double door was waiting for them. Since Rita took care of most of the monsters before, this one is Kodens. Ready? She asked the tank, who nodded his head in agreement. Kalysto opened the doors and as soon as she took a step inside, a sign appeared before her. [Warning! The user has entered the boss room on the second floor of the dungeon!] A fat, semi-transparent, blue-colored, semi-transparent slime, six feet tall with mouse ears appeared before them in the middle of a simple dome-shaped cave. In the center of its chest, Kalysto could see a core about thirty centimeters wide and brown. A strange pressure vibrated in the atmosphere. The same she had felt before when she was in the presence of a monster that was different from the others. Inspect! She thought. And a pair of notifications opened to her left. [Name: N/A Race: Slime (Elite) Level: 5 HP: 14,420/17,000 MP: 500/500] Werent elite type monsters the ones with cores that give a full skill? At that very moment, Kalysto immediately regretted her words, wishing she had said that she would be the one to exterminate him. And as soon as the group finished entering, four blue whips sprouted from the slimes body and launched themselves directly at high speed towards Koden, Kalysto, Oscar and Rita. But the four heroes closest to the boss dodged their continuous attacks while Koden did his best to get close. Ice creation! Kalysto conjured, freezing the ground and half of the fat slimes body, who, seeing that his whips didnt work, began to shoot powerful jets of water left and right. Koden immediately protected Kalystos body with his huge shield, while Oscar saved Rita from being hit by another water jet and a pair of agile tentacles while Kalysto continued to freeze the slime, leaving his ears and eyes or the space between them unfrozen, but covering the rest of his body and head. Koden, Im going to approach it and force it to raise its core, so make sure you defeat it without destroying it completely! Okay? Do you plan to collect his core? he asked, surprised at her strange hobby. Kalysto simply shrugged her shoulders before announcing: The rest of the bosses in this tower will be mine, you can fight the rest! -She then ran to the slimes left side and touched the ice as the slimes eyes turned to her and a thin tentacle began to sprout from the space between its eyes. Ice manipulation! -She conjured, creating multiple stakes with the thick layer of ice that surrounded it and burying them inside its gelatinous body, forcing it to move up the core that was in the middle of its chest as she created many more stakes, until the core was at the top of its head, where Koden who had already been cutting the tentacles coming out of the slimes forehead, was ready and with one leap attacked the monster, burying his sword in its head, creating a thick fissure in the core. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Immediately, a pair of signs appeared before her. [You have gained 0 experience points!] Yes! Im already level 15! Koden shouted excitedly before descending from the huge head and handing the core to Kalysto who immediately put it in her inventory. At the same instant, a notification appeared in front of all of them and a huge blue portal opened behind the boss body. [The boss of the second floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] Two other windows appeared, this time only for Kalysto and Koden. [User has gained 100 experience points for participating in the boss defeat!] [The user has acquired Water Dagger as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!] Huh? What is this? But I dont use daggers," commented Koden with surprise at the sight of the dagger that suddenly appeared in his free hand. Youd better keep it," Kalysto warned him. As soon as we get out of here, you can sell it in a nearby village and then you will have money to eat and get a place to sleep for a few days. Koden nodded and put the dagger in the enchanted leather pouch full of potions Milo had given them earlier. All right, its time to move up to the next level! Kalysto announced. As soon as they all stepped through the next portal, a new notification appeared before them. [Warning! The user has entered the second floor of the dungeon!] A group of horned rabbits welcomed them into a well-lit cavern with mana stones. Alright guys, theyre all yours! You have fifteen minutes to finish them off, or Ill do it for you! Kalysto informed them as she busied herself collecting crystals. And while everyone was too busy killing rabbits to pay attention to what she was doing, she pulled out the core from her inventory. Absorb! She thought. [Does the user wish to absorb the remnants of this slime core?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water Resistance. Level 1!] ...I thought it would be something more useful. She was disappointed. All right guys, time out! Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! And without giving them time to react, she eliminated the four remaining rabbits, advanced to the huge double doors at the back and opened them. [Warning! The user has entered the boss room on the second floor of the dungeon!] Ive already lost half a day between the camp and the fight outside the tower... And while its good to help them level up, I cant waste much more time. She worried. I must conquer this tower before the deadline the boss gave me is up... And if its true that whoever is posing as the demon king is destroying the capital of Bhallys, then I need to go there and find Alice as soon as possible. The problem was that she was worried about leaving them alone with the low level they still had. If Rita or Koden reach level 20, it will be more than enough for them to be able to defend themselves on their own. She concluded. Kalysto didnt even bother to inspect the ten-foot rabbit that appeared before them, whose head rolled on the ground less than three seconds later. [The boss of the second floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [Youve gained 0 experience points!] Another set of windows appeared before her. [User has gained 100 experience points for participating in defeating the boss!] [The user has acquired Rabbit Horn as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!] [User has acquired 3 kilos of Rabbit Fur as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!]] [The user has acquired Rabbit Claw as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!]] Ignoring the rewards she had just received, Kalysto advanced to the blue portal that opened behind the corpse of the second floor boss and advanced to the third floor. Something similar happened with the next seven levels which she conquered in less than an hour, freezing all the monsters as soon as they reached a new floor so that the rest of them could kill them quickly and then decapitating the boss as soon as they entered their room. I thought it would be much harder. Kalysto thought with disappointment. Or at least it was until they reached the tenth floor. [Warning! User has entered the tenth floor of the dungeon!] And there they found the remains of the court mages, along with the knights of the duchy of Brincy and the kingdom of Bhallys. The blood-drenched blue and red cloaks of their respective kingdoms decorated the stone floor of the spacious cavern. While what was left of their bodies was mutilated by dozens of human skeletons armed with swords and helmets. But that was not all. The surrounding air changed and a powerful pressure slammed into their lungs, making it difficult for them to breathe normally as a dark energy permeated the air. [Warning! The user has entered the room of the boss on the tenth floor of the dungeon!] But I havent even moved! Kalysto was surprised. A couple of meters further to the left of the wide torch-lit hall, facing a mountain of bones and turning his back to them in the middle of two huge stone columns, stood the dungeon boss. A humanoid figure three and a half meters tall, broad shoulders covered by thick black armor, a helmet adorned with two horns covered his face, but his glowing red eyes met them on the spot. Four muscular arms were also well protected by armor and in each of them, he carried a powerful sword. His glowing ruby-colored gaze rested on them and he immediately turned to face the new intruders who had dared to enter his territory. Kalysto didnt even need to inspect it to know that this monster was unlike any she had encountered before. What the hell is that thing? She heard one of the boys ask. But she didnt bother to answer him. Inspect! [Name: Alhunga Race: Chimera (Elite) Class: Death Knight Level: 29 HP: 370.000/370.000 MP: 1,500/1,500 DMP: 1,000/1,000] **** Kingdom of Desmond, south of the continent of Tanish Tens of thousands of level one hundred twenty sea monsters, level one hundred and fifty, and level one hundred eighty approached the shore. It was their mating season, and like every year during that time, they would come to conquer that beach just at the end of the continent, lay their eggs, and use the blood of their prey to feed their hatchlings. But they were not alone. An army of more than a hundred thousand armed demons were waiting on a cliff, near the seashore, to subjugate them and level up. In command of that army and seated on a beautiful black steed whose mane was made of blue fire, was Aegir Donovhar, the king of the demons and ruler of the kingdom of Desmond, the largest and most powerful of the four demonic kingdoms. Chapter 125 “The Tower.” Part 4 Chapter 125 The Tower. Part 4 What the hell is that thing? Edwards knees trembled and his legs gave way under his weight, dropping him to the ground as his face lost all trace of color. As Emanuel, Gideon, and Gabriel remained silent, terrified by the imposing aura of that monster. But despite the silent movements of the rest of the group, Edwards words attracted the attention of the hundreds of human skeletons that had been in the center surrounding the remains of the group of warriors that entered before them. And with a speed that surpassed that of any human, the group of undead launched themselves at the newcomers. But they were not the only ones. The dungeon boss joined them in their attack. Throwing himself against the heroes with two of his four swords held high, he gave a powerful leap that overtook the group of skeletons and made him land hard right in front of the last members of the group, and the weakest ones, at the same time hitting the ground with his swords. At that instant, the portal that allowed them to escape to the previous floor disappeared. The impact of the blow threw the four unprepared heroes against the wall where the portal had been, while a cloud of dust spread in the surroundings as if it were mist while the chimera lifted its two swords from the floor it had just split in two, creating a huge crack in the stone floor. And right at the end of the grotesque fracture caused by his swords was Emanuel, sitting on the ground with his legs spread open. His eyes bathed in tears as his body trembled in terror at how close he had been to death. How close he had been to losing even his manhood if the impact of that thing hadnt stopped just two centimeters from his crotch. At that very instant, the smell of urine penetrated Kalystos nostrils. Holy shit! The fairy champion didnt even have time to react. One second the chimera was several meters to her left on the other side of the room, and the next it was a couple of meters behind her. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! Conjured Kalysto as she extended her daggers and leapt toward the rear of the group, in a desperate attempt to save them. But the chimera only needed to raise one of his muscular arms to block her attack with one of his thick swords, at the same time that another of his arms used the handle of his sword to deliver a blow to her stomach, emptying the air from her lungs and throwing her several meters towards the center of the room where her body fell in the center of the group of skeletons that were a couple of meters away from the heroes. Kalysto coughed, the pain spreading through every part of her body long before the notification window appeared before her announcing that her skill had been activated and she coughed hard again trying to regain the rhythm of her breathing as she struggled to get some air back into her lungs as the pain from her broken ribs barely allowed her to take a shallow breath. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] But the skeletons surrounding her gave her no wait, and lunged at her with their swords held high while she was still in a fetal position, struggling to get to her knees so she could get on her fours so she could finally stand up. Turning her back to the enemy as she continued to cough, several swords came at her battered body. <> Persephone complained as she struggled to regain the power of that body. Tundra! Cough!...Cough! Kalysto shouted and her mana reserves almost emptied as a wave of ice froze the skeletons of her enemies, including the remains of the other group of warriors. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] How the hell is he so strong? Up to that floor, they had only fought monsters whose strength and level were easy to deal with and were almost in accordance with the floor number they were on. Why is this one so different from the others? Is it because we are at level ten?...Does that mean I should expect the same when we get to level twenty? Come on Kalysto, concentrate! She scolded herself in a low whisper. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Koden, attract the boss and keep him away from the rest! Oscar, protect Rita and you two take care of the skeletons! Rita save Fire Creation for when I ask you! She shouted, hoping it would buy them some time while she finished recovering. Inventory! She whispered, and the respective windows opened to her left. Kalysto took out a bottle of holy water and drank it immediately. As she felt the sting of the potion taking effect, rebuilding her broken ribs, she pulled out a mana crystal. Absorb! she whispered. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] Mana manipulation! she muttered as she touched one of the frozen skeletons and transformed the ice in front of her into a ladder and climbed up it while she could feel the effects of the holy water healing the damage inside her body. When she stood on the surface of the frozen bodies, she realized that she had not been notified of their deaths at any time, and at the same time, she noticed that only a portion of them were frozen. While the rest of the skeletons were divided between those surrounding her looking for a way to get closer to her body and those fighting, Oscar and Rita, who were trying to keep them away from the four wounded heroes who were leaning against the back wall. At the same time, Koden was using his newfound skill to lure monsters and keep the boss away from the rest of the wounded group while he was doing his best to dodge the continuous blows of the four swords and jumping back and forth while blood was running down the left side of his face. Perfect aim! Ice spear! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Multiple targets! Kalysto muttered, summoning the ice spears and hurling one at the chimeras shoulder and the other at its neck. And although the monster managed to avoid the one aimed at his neck, which buried itself in his leg, the other pierced one of his arms, detaching it from the rest of his body. Oscar, go help Koden! Rita, get away from here! As soon as the blonde did so, Kalysto ran to the edge of the ice surface she was standing on and continued to summon. Ice creation! She shouted, covering the rest of the skeletons and the chimera with her ice, extending it several meters beyond what she was normally capable of and almost covering half of the wide room. A strong dizziness seized her and the familiar notification notice appeared in front of her, warning her of the danger she was in. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP remaining. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Kalysto fell to her knees on the frozen skeletons, her knees scraping against the hard surface, though her brain did not register the pain. Her face lost all color as with trembling hands she struggled to reach for another mana crystal, this time a smaller one. Ab...Absorb! She thought. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3000 MP!] And as she slowly regained control of her body and her agitated breathing, Kalysto managed to hear the murmur of the other heroes as she lay on her back and waited for the dizziness to subside. I thought we were going to die! Gabriel exclaimed. Did we make it? Gideon questioned as he drank a health potion. But no one answered. Status window! whispered Kalysto. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 30 Fatigue: 82 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1520/3120 MP: 3010/2826 DMP: 2800 Strength: 79+50 Vitality: 88+80 Agility: 93 Stamina: 91 +110 Intelligence: 87 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 20 ???: 50 State: dizzy, tired. Available points: 12 ] Kalysto immediately assigned all her available points to her agility stat, leaving it at 105. Koden, if youve leveled up and you havent assigned your available points yet, put them in agility. If we meet another guy like this again, were going to need it! The rest of you take your health potions! With an effort she managed to get up and approach Koden, whose arm that was holding the shield was broken. Drink this, and try not to let the others notice," she whispered, taking out another vial of holy water using Kodens shield as a cover. Basic healing! she conjured, helping to heal the collection of wounds the poor tank had obtained while distracting the monster. With her status window still open, Kalysto noticed how her mana points dropped from 3010 to 1500 in a matter of a few minutes. The mana expenditure is ridiculously higher as a water mage than as a saintess, how ironic...So its because of their high mana consumption that water healers rush to level up the skill quickly...what Jhuliana said turned out to be true...Ill have to level up my water manipulation skill in order to awaken intermediate healing. But Kalysto didnt have time to continue thinking about her new discovery. A loud cracking sound echoed in the room, followed by another and another. And everyone turned to stare in absolute terror at the frozen body of the chimera whose ice began to crack. The eyes of that monster moved, traveling from the group of heroes recovering against the wall, to focus on Kalysto. Everyone fell absolutely silent. Another crack echoed in the suddenly silent room, and a chunk of the ice surrounding the chimera began to fall off, as did the ice on twenty-five other skeletons. Chapter 126 “The Tower.” Part 5 Chapter 126 The Tower. Part 5 First, it was a hand. Then the ice around another hand fell piece by piece against the hard ground, followed by the ice around the middle of the first arm and his sword. Everyone, get ready for battle! Rita, come with me! Koden, go with the boys! Kalysto couldnt even finish healing all of Kodens wounds, although she had healed his head and the more serious wounds. She was hoping that the holy water would do the rest, though shed rather have it take care of healing his broken arm. Before Rita reached her side and the chimeras head had finished thawing, the tenth floor boss threw the only sword that had unfrozen towards them. Forcing them away from each other as they both dodged the blow. Rita, get ready to throw Fire Creation at him as soon as he finishes thawing! The blonde nodded her head in preparation for what was coming as the rest of the group of heroes moved away from them and ran to the other side of the room. Inspect! [Name: Alhunga Race: Chimera (Elite) Class: Death Knight Level: 29 HP: 366,430/370,000 MP: 1,450/1,500 DMP: 1,000/1,000] Why did his mana drop? Kalysto frowned at the change in stats, but instead of standing around waiting for him to finish thawing, she lunged at him and buried one of her daggers just below the elbow of the arm that had thawed and with which he had thrown a sword at them, taking advantage of a small gap between the thick armor protecting him. But as she did so, she did not realize that the eyes of the chimera were on her and that the ice around the face of that creature cracked, falling just before she could bury the second dagger and finish amputating his forearm. The monster took advantage of Kalystos small moment of distraction and let out a powerful war cry while concentrating part of its mana to finish unfreezing his body. [Warning! The user has been affected by the skill Fear. All your stats will drop by 10% and the user wont be able to move for two minutes!] [Warning! The level of the skill Mental Defense is higher than that of Fear and has blocked the attack!] Wasting no time, as soon as she was able to move again, Kalysto buried her second dagger in one of the chimeras eyes and pulled out the dagger she had buried under its elbow. Ice manipulation! This time she shortened her dagger and made it thicker and sharper so she could pierce the chimeras tough skin and finally finished cutting the creatures forearm. Rita, bathe it on fire! She shouted as she moved away from him, but no fire fell on her enemy whose torso and hips were no longer imprisoned under a layer of ice. Rita? Contrary to what she expected, the fire mage stood with her arms outstretched and the palms of her hands pointing towards the enemy, but with her body completely frozen under the paralysis of the mental attack. Holy shit! And as the ice on his legs cracked, Kalysto took the opportunity to attack him again. Ice stakes! Perfect aim! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Multiple targets! Conjured, throwing the stakes against the chimeras chest, arms and neck, but the thick armor that protected him blocked each of her attacks. Rita, as soon as youre ready, I need you to attack him and help me melt his armor! At that moment the chimera finally broke free, launching itself against Kalytso who barely managed to conjure a new pair of daggers, which broke under the force of the monsters sword attack and Kalysto jumped back, putting some space between them while a group of twenty-five skeletons managed to thaw half of their bodies and began to growl as they fought against the remaining ice that prevented their release. But the boss didnt give her time to conjure another weapon again or help her friends as he charged at her attacking with his two remaining swords while Kalysto again evaded his attack and jumped a couple of meters away from him, keeping the distance between them. The same process was repeated several times as much of the ground became a pile of split rocks after suffering with the bosss continuous attacks. Annoyed at the fairy champions continued escapades, the chimera lunged at her again with much more force, imbuing mana into his attack, and a trail of black light extended much further than the edge of his blades, splintering the wall behind her. Holy shit, that was close! A bead of sweat trickled down Kalystos forehead at the sight of his destructive power. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. And just before he jumped to attack her again, while he was still gathering momentum, she kicked the ground and conjured: Earth manipulation! Mana manipulation! She concentrated her mana on the soles of her feet and sent it through the ground, softening the earth and rocks beneath the creature and transforming their texture into thin sand, causing the chimeras feet to sink into the ground. And the more he tried to escape, the more mana she concentrated on softening the hard surface, until not only his feet were sunk but also his muscular legs down to his knees. And though the creature lifted one leg trying to take a step out of what now appeared to be quicksands, his body sank a couple more inches, and the foot he had lifted also sank into the earth in front of him. Preventing him from escaping. Kalysto was about to continue until a pair of notices appeared to her left. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] She immediately pulled a mana crystal from her inventory. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 MP!] Earth Manipulation! She thought, and invested half of the newly gained mana into continuing her attack until finally the inner half of the chimeras body caved in due to the weight of the thick armor it was wearing. And as the monster struggled to try to stop its body from continuing to descend, he dropped his blades as he tried to cling to any stone he could find around him, but even those Kalysto turned into dirt. Rita, now! Fire creation! But just as the blonde began to launch her attack, the boss let out a mighty roar, interrupting her spell and paralyzing her again. Fortunately, Kalystos Mental Defense skill resisted the attack once again. But the chimera had one more surprise in store and the arm Kalysto had detached from his body with an ice spear and the one she had cut off with a dagger began to regenerate. What? Seriously? Kalysto grunted in annoyance as out of the corner of her eye she noticed that the rest of the skeletons had finally finished thawing. And after taking out another mana crystal from her inventory, she absorbed it while looking at the information window with the chimeras data. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 7000 MP!] [Name: Alhunga Race: Chimera (Elite) Class: Death Knight Level: 29 HP: 361.000/370.000 MP: 1,100/1,500 DMP: 890/1,000] Her heart shrank as she saw that despite all the damage she had caused him, his health was still mostly intact. Kalysto frowned in annoyance. She had worked so hard over the last month to keep her skills hidden, to keep herself safe. And while she knew she could rely on Rita and Koden to keep her secrets safe, Emanuel and Oscar were a completely different story. Especially the way the latter moved. Kalysto wouldnt be surprised if they later discovered that the silent brunet was the right-hand man of a mafia boss or a hired assassin, if they took into account the way he moved, or the great skill with which he handled his daggers. Or the ease and practicality with which he cut the necks of monsters without changing the expression on his face. In fact, she didnt understand how Rita could be attracted to him. Fuck it, what does it matter if they realize Im a wizard. Ill probably never even see most of them again after we leave the tower! Then she ran towards the chimera. Lightning! As a collection of lightning bolts descended on her enemy, she took a deep breath and stood a meter away from him and conjured: Fire blast! At the last moment she thought: Absolute immunity to fire! Then she pointed, letting her mana reserves drop while she kept the fire skill active for almost two minutes. As soon as she ran out of air, Kalysto coughed a couple of times while trying to regain some air and pulled another mana crystal from her inventory, at the same time as strong dizziness overcame her. Wisps of smoke billowed from the body of the chimera, who still remained alive, but with his armor completely melted on his charred skin. Inspection! she whispered. [Name: Alhunga Race: Chimera (Elite) Class: Death Knight Level: 29 HP: 295,320/370,000 MP: 500/1,500 DMP: 890/1,000] Rita, help Koden with the skeletons! Kalysto asked while making sure she didnt take any damage after using the skill she had obtained from the Sajhun. Understood! shouted the blonde who ran to where Koden and Oscar were fighting while Gabriel shot arrows at the skeletons, but without doing any damage to them. Fire creation! shouted Rita while she burned five of them and Koden destroyed the head he had cut off one of them, while he finished destroying it with his shield as soon as it touched the ground. Kalysto watched the chimera who was trying to regenerate as he had not yet managed to escape from the trap, now turned into burning glass, in which he was trapped. And she pulled out another mana crystal and absorbed it. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 5000 MP!] Lightning! Fire blast! She continued attacking again and again while recharging her mana reserves and waiting for her skills to cool down so she could use them again. During the third round, several tendrils of black mana shot out of the chimeras body and lashed out like whips at her, causing several cuts on her cheeks and arms. Dispel! She whispered as she touched one of the tendrils, taking advantage of the fact that none of the other heroes were paying any attention to her as they fought the rest of the skeletons. The black mana whip dissolved into thin air and Kalysto continued to conjure her unique fire skill. Until a couple of minutes later, as she was running out of air, a pair of notifications appeared to her left. [You have gained 11,700 experience points!] [The skill Absolute fire immunity has been raised to level 2!] [The skill Lightning has been leveled up to level 2!] [You have leveled up!] [The user has gained 1000 bonus experience points for participating in defeating the boss!] [The user has acquired Sword of Alhunga as a reward and it has been added to your inventory!]] [The user has acquired a strength stat crystal as a reward and it has been added to your inventory!]] Yes! I am now level 17! Koden shouted, full of enthusiasm as a satisfied smile broke out on Kalystos face. Chapter 127 “The Tower.” Part 6 Chapter 127 The Tower. Part 6 Yes! I am now level 17! Koden shouted, full of enthusiasm with his arms raised high in the air, while a smirk came across Kalystos face at the sight of it. But Kodens joy did not last long. And I finally made it to level 20," replied Rita with a half-smile. with a half-smile full of superiority as she laid her eyes on him. You had to ruin it, didnt you? Koden growled, lowering his arms and turning to her with a scowl, but the fire mage just arched an eyebrow in response, amused at how easy it was to piss him off. Guys, this isnt the best time to fight! Assign points and lets get out of here! Wed better conquer this tower before they send another group to catch up with us! Kalysto intervened, pulling out the strength crystal she had just gained from her inventory and without letting the others see what was inside her fist. She looked down. Absorb! She thought. And although she was excited about her recent victory and the extra points she acquired by leveling up and with the crystal in her hand, she couldnt help but worry about her situation. What if next time Im not strong enough to face the boss on the next floor? Or the one on the twentieth floor?... Or even worse, the one on the thirtieth? Although from a distance, the tower didnt seem to have more than thirty floors, there was nothing that could assure her that there were no more levels to overcome before they managed to conquer it and escape. [Does the user wish to absorb this skill crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5 points of strength!] Right! If ten knights from the duchy or the other kingdom come, wed be screwed! Commented Rita. But those people were also defeated by the boss of this floor. If it wasnt for Kalysto, we would have died too! Refuted Edward. But there were several warriors of level 40 and above in Bhallyss kingdom. If they fought together, they could defeat him, that or a powerful fire mage, since he seemed to be resistant to ice. Is that why he was able to split yours? I havent seen any other monster do it," Gabriel interrupted, but Edward intervened, not allowing Kalysto to answer his question. And how come you can also summon fire? he asked, annoyed. I thought you were an ice mage and now it turns out youre a wizard! Why didnt you ever tell me? he questioned, hurt by her lack of trust in him. Ive been a wizard from the start," she answered, looking him in the eye, annoyed by his attitude. You never bothered to ask me and just assumed I was just an ice mage. I just never bothered to correct you," she added with a shrug. Status window! She thought, ending the conversation. [Status window] [Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 31 Fatigue: 97 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1520/3160 MP: 25/2854 DMP: 2800 Strength: 81+55 Vitality: 90+80 Agility: 107 Resistance: 93 +110 Intelligence: 89 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 20 ???: 50 Status: exhausted. Available points: 3 ] She immediately allocated her 3 free points to agility, fearing she wouldnt be able to counter an upcoming boss. Leaving her agility at 110 points. How is it possible that even with all the extra points I get as a saintess, I still have a hard time defeating these monsters? There was definitely something there that didnt quite fit. Who made this place? And why would someone design it not to be conquered? Although inside, it looked like nothing more than a bunch of caves connected through magical portals, the external construction of the tower was too elaborate not to be the result of someones work. To destroy humanity once the monsters manage to escape from the tower? Or is it to make sure that no one gets the treasure hidden here? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But the most particular thing about all that, is that the guy the fairy queen feared, plus whoever created the tentacled portal, were not the only ones creating or bringing monsters, the goddess Mhiralla did it too. And if the tower was created by the goddess Mhiralla, as well as some of the monsters of this world, why create something that would be almost impossible to defeat...? But no matter how much she thought about it, it didnt make any sense to her. Why create them in the first place...is it a way to keep the human population in check so that there would be no overpopulation? But if it really was that, it meant that she was a much crueler goddess than people thought. However, there was a huge gap between the levels of the monsters outside the tower, where most of the ones Kalysto had fought inside the human kingdom were below level 15 and the ones coming from the portals, which were around level 30. And if my memory serves me correctly, the main reason why no one can escape the continent by sea is because the sea monsters are above level 150... its as if they dont want anyone to escape from here. But while Kalysto was struggling with the huge discrepancy between the monsters levels, she forgot how annoying and persistent Edward could be. What other things have you been hiding from me? he questioned, approaching her. What? She asked as she looked at him, blinking in confusion at the sudden claim. Realizing that she had lost the thread of the conversation because she had been too deep in her own thoughts, completely forgetting about the outside world. Edward, I dont know what the hell is wrong with you but I remind you that you are neither my father, nor my boyfriend. And youre not my boss either! But were friends! He defended himself. Besides, I saw how you healed Kodens wounds! And if you could heal others, why didnt you save the people of those villages that were infected with the black plague? You could have prevented their deaths! He reproached her, feeling betrayed and annoyed at the ever-growing collection of things he didnt know about her, even though she knew practically everything about him. Drops of spittle spurted out of his mouth and some of it landed on Kalystos face, who took a step back in disgust. If youre having trouble handling this situation after seeing some of our captors die, find another way to blow off steam because Im not about to be your punching bag. Just like Im not interested in saving the world... If you want to play the hero, go ahead and do it, but count me out because Im not going to go save you," she replied, trying hard not to yell at him. Although she was dying to do it. But if you can do it, then why...? But Kalysto did not allow him to continue. Now we have much more important things to worry about, like getting out of here before those monsters come to kill us, then she turned around, looking at the rest of the group and ignoring Edward completely. And lets face it, if we could reach the group that entered before us, it means that others can reach us too! Besides, if we found so many monsters on the path that they were supposed to have already cleared in order to advance to the boss room of each floor and reach this one, it means that every so often more monsters will come out again! Either theyll be recreated like in a video game or theyll just come out of hiding. Either way, we have no way of knowing, and Im not staying around to find out! Then she looked at Edward- If you want to stay, you are free to do so, but if you are going to follow me, remember the rules I set before. And Ill add one more, she commented, this time looking at Koden. I can no longer help you level up. From now on, I will kill as many monsters as I can. And if you want to hunt, secure your prey before I kill it. And without further explanation, she turned and walked towards the portal that appeared on the other side of the cave. Ice daggers! She whispered before going through it. Her silhouette was lost in the blue light until it vanished completely. What awaited her on the other side, was not what she expected. [Warning! The user has entered the eleventh floor of the dungeon!] Meanwhile, on the tenth floor, the rest of the heroes began to argue. What the hell is wrong with you, Edward? Koden scowled, approaching his friend. Shes the one whos wrong! Cant you see? he alleged, pointing to the lonely portal. How could she be so heartless as not to help those poor people and leave us here on our own? Did you hit your head or did your brain cells go to a party? Rita growled at him. In case you havent noticed, most of us would have died more than once by now if it wasnt for her, so stop questioning her every two seconds! Shes not your damn servant! But if we dont help them defeat the demon king, they wont return us to our world! Edward, they never intended to send us back in the first place," Koden assured him calmly. What? Confusion shone on the frightened young mans face. Why would you say something like that? Im sure Marquis Milo or one of the court magicians can...! Ritas laughter muffled the rest of his sentence. Youre actually a lot more na?ve than I once thought! Its either that or youre a complete idiot! Hey, theres no need to insult me! Milo doesnt even know how to send us back because such a spell doesnt exist! The blonde shouted at him. What? Thats not true, youre lying! Is that true? Gabriel questioned as everyones attention was on the young girl. While you were all enjoying the last party, Kalysto, Koden and I infiltrated the library and Milos study. We even found the notes on his research on how to perform a hero summoning. And there he says that sending us back is impossible. Wait! Dont tell me you guys were the ones to blame for the library fire? Ritas face turned red before she raised her chin rebelliously. So what if I was the one who set the fire? Oh, Rita, I didnt know you had a wild side! Gideon smiled coquettishly at her, giving her a lust-filled, up-and-down look. When youre done playing with Oscar, you can come and see me anytime. The murderous look Oscar gave him for his comment went unnoticed by the blond, but not by the fire mage, who tossed her hair back with a half-sideways smile. Is that true? Gabriel questioned with his face as pale as a cloud in midsummer. We even found an old story, where they say that a hero of the past, after defeating the enemy kingdom of those who summoned him, became so powerful that he killed the king and took the princess as his wife," Koden interjected. But some time later, she poisoned him. Since then, every time a kingdom summons a hero, they always poison him using a special flower to which all of us who come from another world are allergic. What are you talking about? Oscar questioned with concern. Didnt it ever seem strange to you that despite the way they treat us, they are always very careful to change the flowers in the vases in our rooms and on the table where we all sit down to eat every day? *** A gentle breeze blew across Kalystos face, tousling her hair as the warmth of the sun caressed her skin. The clear morning sky welcomed her as the lush wheat-colored grass, so tall that it reached her navel, covered several kilometers around her. What is this? Four mountains could be seen in the distance and a few trees completed the landscape of a beautiful but vast open field. Arent I still supposed to be inside the tower? At that instant, a huge notification window opened before her. [Mission: Find and eliminate the 120 kobolds inhabiting the valley of Terris. Time: 40 minutes. Reward: Luck +2. Charisma +1 Key to the chamber of the 11th-floor boss. Warning: if the user is not able to complete the mission in the designated time, her heart will stop beating.] Chapter 128 “The Tower.” Part 7 Chapter 128 The Tower. Part 7 Kalysto blinked and reread the message that appeared before her carefully, making sure she hadnt misread. She hadnt. A slow smile drew across her face. Its times like these that I was glad Id signed a contract with the fairy queen... Inventory! Map! The fairy champion pulled out a grade III revitalizing potion that Caranthir had provided her with as part of their contract and drank it. Causing all her fatigue to reduce to zero in a matter of seconds. She then pulled out one of the delicious breads that Alynn made and began to eat it while watching the map with attention. The golden dot that identified her glowed almost in the center of the continent, while the queens violet glowed in the middle of the thick forest on the far left. Kalysto had to enlarge it several times, just as she would do with an image on her cell phone screen, in order to get an idea of the space she was in. Curiously, just below her golden dot were Kodens and Ritas, though they looked a bit more opaque than hers. And Kalysto had to turn around to make sure they werent right behind. It was strange to see how different everything looked on her map and, in reality. So Im still inside the tower. She thought cautiously, noting how detailed the valley around her was. If this is an illusion, its too realistic. She surprised herself, touching the intricate texture of the grass that bumped against her hip. Then she turned her attention back to the window she had open and focused on the 122 red dots that were scattered all over the map of the valley quite far away from each other and picked out a lone dot that was moving away from a small group a few meters away from where she was, to check how strong the rest of them might be. Kalysto ran to the right and climbed a thin but leafy tree with red-colored leaves from which she could observe her next prey. His grayish skin contrasted with the gold of the grass and although he didnt look very strong with his thin body and the dark green cloak he was wearing, the huge spear he carried in his left hand suggested otherwise. Inspect! [Name: N/A Race: Hobgoblin Level: 12 HP: 1.000/1.000 MP: 50/50] [Spear. Class: Epic. Requires 40 strength points to use. Strength +10. Penetration +10.] I want that spear! She thought as soon as she saw she had a penetration stat. Ice stake! Duplication! Telekinesis! Perfect shot! She whispered, sending both stakes against that monsters head. [You have gained 100 experience points!] She immediately climbed down from the tree and picked up her new spear, storing it in the blue inventory. And after inspecting the hobgoblin, she found a round loaf of bread and two small raw fish inside an enchanted leather bag, which she immediately put in her blue inventory. Too bad the enchanted bag smells like fish. She sighed. I want more of those bags... where the heck do they get them? Fifteen minutes later, she had already eliminated fifty of them and sixty kobolds whose levels ranged from 10 to 12. Most of them turned out to be fishermen, and the others were warriors or simple apprentices, so her new collections of spears, bread and fresh fish were increasing. She was even lucky enough to get a leather pouch that was full of bread, so she decided to keep the rest of the bread she had obtained from the monsters there. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. After looting the last of the monsters she had killed, Kalysto looked up and saw that Koden and Ritas dots looked brighter than before and were advancing towards the center of the valley cautiously, not realizing that they were approaching towards the small village she had been circling to kill everyone outside first so she could attack those inside later without having to worry about a surprise attack. She didnt want the small hobgoblin village to end up joining the kobold village a couple more yards down the valley. I feel like Ive run more than ten kilometers in less than twenty minutes. She complained, feeling her throat dry after so much running. And took out the bottle of water she had bought before coming to this world and had turned into holy water herself and drank half of it in three gulps. Feeling the cool liquid cool her heated body as the inclement sun seemed to increase the temperature with each passing second. It must be close to noon. Once she quenched her thirst, she pulled a thel from her inventory and ate it as she cautiously made her way towards the last hut in the village where she observed a group of eight hobgoblins sitting on the ground on cushioned cushions, eyes closed and a small object cradled in their hands. Meditating in absolute silence. Is that a mana crystal? It was more than strange to observe a group of monsters behaving as if they were ordinary people going about their daily lives. Dont think about it! She scolded herself the moment she realized that to these creatures, she was nothing more than a vile and common murderer. Everyone survives in their own way! And as soon as she finished eating, she pulled out the only arrow she had with penetration stats, and ducked behind the tree she was using for cover. Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! She put the original back in her inventory and drew her bow. Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice arrows! And after shooting the three hobgoblins near her, piercing their thin necks, she immediately shot the rest of them with the arrows she had just duplicated. [You have gained 100 experience points!] x5 [Youve gained 250 experience points!] x3 Kalysto emerged from her hiding place and entered the hut where the bodies of the eight hobgoblins lay sprawled on the wooden floor, all dressed in violet robes. And in the hands of each of them was a crystal of skill. Frowning at her discovery, she picked up the first of them. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this strength crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 2 points of strength!] This is why they can use the spears. She realized it and set out to absorb the rest. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 2 points of strength!] x3 [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3 points of strength!] x2 [Congratulations, the user has acquired 6 points of strength!] Walking noiselessly, Kalysto continued moving towards the next hut, where she found a group of five hobgoblins in dark gray aprons, cooking. Immediately she ducked behind a thick wall on which several loaves of bread were cooling and again drew her single arrow with penetration stats, but this time she created twenty duplicates, leaving the original in the purple inventory and the rest in the blue. But just as she was drawing her bow, a hobgoblin approached toward the wall with a tray of freshly baked loaves between its hands. The creatures eyes widened in surprise and at the same instant he opened his mouth to scream, Kalysto jumped on him and pierced his neck with the arrow in her hand. [You have gained 100 experience points!] By the time the metallic sound of the tray falling to the floor caused the rest of the monsters occupying the kitchen to turn their heads and focus on her, Kalytso had already fitted an arrow to her bow and shot at the neck of the hobgoblin closest to the exit. As his body fell to the ground, the fairy champion shot another one as one of them dropped what he had in his hands and ran for the exit, but before he reached the open door at the opposite end from where Kalysto had entered, his body fell to the ground with two arrows through his neck. [You have gained 100 experience points!] x3 Without being aware of it, the next hobgoblin was already behind her with a huge frying pan in his hands about to throw it at her head. Immediately she took a leap to the side dodging his sudden attack, and then another one. And with her free hand, she drew a sword instead of an arrow from her still-open inventory and slashed the hobgoblins head, whose blood bounced off the small body of a boy dressed in green with a huge loaf of bread in his hands. [Youve gained 100 experience points!] Feeling sorry for the little boy and the horrible scene she had made him witness, Kalysto turned to make sure she hadnt lost any of them, only to be alerted by the soft sound of the little boys footsteps getting closer and closer, and when she turned she could observe him with a slender knife in his hands, running towards her. Kalysto showed no mercy as she sliced him in two. [You have gained 100 experience points!] In the next hut she found a group of ten medium-sized hobgoblins practicing with wooden sticks as if they were swords, but this time she was not fooled by their small statures and incinerated the whole place. By the time the rest of the group reached the entrance to the village, Kalysto had already exterminated all the hobgoblins and kobolds inside the valley, except for one. Loot what you need and save the food you find. Youre going to need it later! She told them and then turned around, turning her back to them. And what will you do? Rita asked her. Kill the boss, of course. Chapter 129 “The Tower.” Part 8 Chapter 129 The Tower. Part 8 So the boss is a kobold? Rita questioned, after running to catch up with her. Kalysto stopped, surprised by the comment. What did you say? She asked, stopping to look at her map to turn her face and look at the blonde next to her. The mission. You have it too, right? Because otherwise, it wouldnt make any sense how the kobold deaths continued to increase without any of us doing anything. Did you get it too? She was surprised. If we share the same mission, that means we also share the experience points. That explains why they are so calm even though they didnt find any monsters. She was annoyed to realize that despite her warnings, she was still carrying all of them. I want to get out of here now. Yes, of course. Now it says 119/120 kobolds. Thats why I asked you if that was the boss. No, I dont think so. I havent received the key to enter the bosss room yet, but I suspect hes the guard," she commented, looking at the empty space inside her map, in front of which glowed the only red dot she needed to eliminate. Oh..." Ritas gaze wandered, cautiously observing the surrounding huts, including the burned remains of one of the largest of them. Do you really think we can find anything useful? That hut over there is a kitchen. I found some fresh bread and fish a while ago. If you can find a place to keep some, that will be useful for when we get out of here. Really? Thanks for the tip! Then the blonde stopped after taking a step forward. What do you want in exchange for the information? -She asked her bluntly. If you find at least one enchanted bag, give me one. If you give me two, Ill give you a bottle of water. Done, we have a deal! Rita got excited and then ran off to the hut Kalysto had indicated while the rest of the group was busy looting the huts near the entrance to the village. And while Kalysto ran to the place where the red dot was located, Oscar, who instead of staying with the group discussing whether or not they should enter the village before meeting the fairy champion and had been the first of the rest of the group to start looting them in complete silence, approached the hut where Rita was without the others noticing him after having finished looting several huts. The rogue brunet was carrying a sheet tied behind his back like a backpack with a knot tied in front of his chest to make sure that the things he had stored inside, along with several sets of sheets, would not fall out. And in his hands, he carried a larger sheet with which he wrapped another collection of sheets and blankets, intending to give it to the blonde for her protection during the cold night. Oscar soon found Rita with a collection of loaves of bread in her arms in the middle of a hut far away from the rest. Here," he offered immediately, opening the sheet he had picked up for her on one of the tables. You can keep them here so they wont get in your way. Im still mad at you," the blonde replied as she tried to pick up the last loaf of bread without dropping the rest she held in her hands. Oscar let out a long sigh before approaching her, but Rita took a step back, and then looked warily between him and the bread she had been about to pick up. You dont have to worry about me. I would never steal your food," Oscar muttered, and his sad look reflected how much it hurt him that she thought so badly of him. Still, he took the bread and held it out to her. And when Rita finally put her misgivings aside and took it, he stepped back and let her advance to the table where he had opened the sheet for her. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I Rita bit her lower lip and very carefully approached him, depositing her new collection of breads on the clean sheets. There are things about me that you should know if you really want to be in a serious relationship with me. I thought I was pretty clear when we were together the first time. I... I never said I didnt want to be in a relationship with you... At least I didnt mean for it to be understood that way. Its just that maybe you are too young to understand all that being with someone like me implies. Rita was about to walk away but Oscar came closer to her and, after taking her face in his hands, he ran his dark thumb over her pink lips. ... I know you think well of me, but... Im not a good person, Rita... he assured her, looking into her eyes, while remorse shone in his eyes. Ive done things Im not proud of and while thats all in the past, it doesnt take away from the kind of person I was or what I did. An awkward silence stretched between them, as Oscar waited with fear for what she would say next. But despite his apprehension, she didnt pull away from him. I hear you," she replied in a whisper and hope shone in the silent brunets eyes. This isnt the best time or place to talk about it, he replied quietly, pressing his forehead against hers, and allowing their breaths to mingle. But if youre really sure you want something with me, well talk about it when we get out of here. Okay. ...But I need you to... look... Im not the kind of man who shares, if youre with me you need to be absolutely sure that Im what you want, because there will be no turning back. If were together, its because were both serious about this. ... And Rita, I have no intention of letting you go. While the two young heroes were trying to patch things up between them, Kalysto pierced the kobolds neck with an ice spear. [Congratulations, the user has completed the quest!] [The user has acquired Key to the boss room as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!] [The user has acquired: Luck +2, Charisma +1 as a reward and they have been added to her stats!] Inventory! she whispered as soon as the cooldown time of her ability was over and took out the key that opened the huge double door cloistered between a gigantic boulder. And opened it without waiting for the rest of the group to join her. [Warning! The user has entered the room of the boss of the eleventh floor of the dungeon!] Inside the illuminated cavern adorned with several torches on the sides, Kalysto could see with total clarity the grayish silhouettes of two kobolds, each holding a sharp sword in their hands, along with two hobgoblins dressed in purple robes. And behind them, seated on a throne of bones and skins, was the chieftain. A fat, tall kobold. All five heads turned toward her as soon as they heard her open the doors wide without any delicacy, and immediately one of the hobgoblins began to conjure a spell. But long before he finished it Kalysto had already run towards him, and with her delicate hand outstretched against the monsters ugly face, she grabbed him and slammed him to the ground. She then pulled a dagger from her inventory with her left hand and slashed its neck. [Youve gained 700 experience points!] Tundra! she whispered, immediately freezing the guards, leaving only her and the boss who immediately stood up and rushed towards her with his huge spear in his hands, jumping over her small figure. Perfect aim! Ice spear! Kalysto conjured while he was still in the air, making it impossible for him to deflect her attack. Her spear pierced the bosss chest, pushing him backwards and impaling him against the wall behind his throne. [The boss of the eleventh floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [You have gained 700 experience points!] x3 [You have gained 3700 experience points!] [The user has gained 300 extra experience points for participating in the boss defeat!] [The user has acquired Spear of Shadows as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!] [The user has acquired Health Potion x3 as a reward and they have been added to her inventory!]] [The user has acquired Mana Potion x2 as a reward and they have been added to her inventory!] And as she finished receiving all her rewards, the rest of the group came running up to her. Its time to go to the next floor! Kalysto announced, walking up to the blue portal that opened next to the throne and being the first to go through it. [Warning! The user has entered the twelfth floor of the dungeon!] A deep darkness greeted her followed by utter silence. Kalysto frowned and turned around to see the others exit the portal after her, but there was no portal. All around her was nothing but darkness. Chapter 130 “Collateral Damage.” Chapter 130 Collateral Damage. Two weeks and three days earlier. The Duke of Lanish looked at the glass bottle filled with holy water in his hand. His heart pounded like a madman against his rib cage and his eyes filled with unshed tears in disbelief that the gods had finally heard his prayers and had taken pity on him, after several weeks fraught with endless suffering. But that night had been different. Although he had had to endure not only the boring feast celebrating the arrival of the heroes and the success of the summoning ritual, but also the insinuations of the stupid King Medhas in which he practically implied that he himself was behind the poisoning of his father. But what surprised him most was the unexpected event that their conversation had not been as isolated as they had both thought. It was after the king left that he noticed another presence. There, in a shadowy corner of what he had thought was a lonely balcony, stood one of the heroes who had been summoned from another world. Kalysto Luna. The attractive young woman with brown hair and deep green eyes not only listened to his sad story, but offered him a deal as she mocked the kings stupidity. A magical contract that he had initially hesitated to accept. Even after hearing the reason she was helping him even though they were complete strangers. Because I know how heartbreakingly painful it is to not be able to do anything to save the lives of the only family you have left...I know the despair and helplessness that comes with watching them die in front of your eyes and not being able to do anything to stop it. At first he had been shocked by the raw honesty of her words and the palpable pain in them, something that was never to be shown at any time in front of any member of the aristocracy, a society where keeping up appearances was something they were inculcated with almost from the very moment they were born. And such a level of honesty was as appealing as it was comforting to him. Especially after he had spent entire weeks trying to find a way to bypass the kings orders of not to sell holy water or potions within the kingdom, let alone to anyone from the Duchy of Lanish. Even when he had sent one of his men to the border to get the potions, he had been killed on the kings orders and they had been fined heavily for such disobedience. It was all too obvious to the rest of the aristocracy what was going on, but no one dared lift a finger to help him. Yet he had to meet someone who came from another world in order to find the cure he so desperately needed. At this point, even if she told him that he should marry her and give her half of his mine of mana stones in exchange for curing his father, he would have accepted immediately. However, her conditions were very different from what he had thought. Do not be confused. It wont be free. You will have to give me something in return, but in order to give me what I want, you will have to turn your back on your king. Would you be willing to pay the price? And although he had hesitated, he now rejoiced that he had agreed. Besides, the young heroine was right, in order for him to be able to give safe refuge to her, a couple of her friends and the rest of the heroes, it was absolutely necessary to become independent from the kingdom or he would be obliged to hand them over as soon as they were discovered and most likely the king would take the opportunity to completely destroy what was left of his family and take all their wealth claiming that they had betrayed the crown. And as the young duke looked at the bottle in his hand and the other three on the wooden table where he used to take tea in his study in the mansion that his family had maintained for generations in the capital, he smiled. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, he had the means to save his father. His fingers trembled full of anxiety at the need to be the one to provide the cure to the only living relative he had left, but Miss Luna was right, if everything the king had told him that night was true there was only one explanation for the vast network of information the king had. There were spies in his duchy. And though it pained him to think that some of the people he had grown up with and trusted all his life were capable of betraying him, it was necessary to take action. So he rose from his comfortable chair, took the four vials, and walked to his desk. After sitting down and setting the vials in a drawer, he locked it. After opening another drawer, he pulled out several sheets of a special parchment, one that could withstand several spells, and spent the next ten minutes casting all the necessary spells and drafting what would be the new employment contract for each and every person who worked for him. It would be a long and tedious process, but as long as he could ensure the absolute loyalty of his men and the welfare of his father, he was more than willing to use whatever resources were at his disposal. After all, hardly anyone knew that he was not only a master swordsman, but also a magician, so no one would expect what he was going to do next. Two knocks sounded against the double doors of his study. Come in! said the duke. Did your excellency send for me? answered his assistant. There is an urgent matter we must deal with," he said, lowering his voice as soon as one of the men he trusted most closed the door. Then he spread the first parchment on his desk, allowing him to read it. Sign this! he ordered. And his assistant immediately read the document and as soon as he finished, he signed it. May I ask what this is for? Have you ever betrayed me? Never my lord, unless you count that time you asked me not to tell your father that you ran away from sword training," the duke couldnt help but let out a half smile. I thought it was the housekeeper who had given me away. I apologize for that, but the previous duke asked me about your whereabouts and I had to inform him, sir. The attendant waited for another question, but seeing that his master was lost in his own thoughts, he interrupted him. "Is there anything else you wish from me, Your Excellency?" Yes, and both men looked each other in the eyes for a couple of seconds while the duke activated an enchanted stone with which he could create a small isolated zone outside of which no one could hear their conversation. We have traitors in our midst. I need you to summon all the staff. I will use the excuse of renewing their contracts to make them sign, and anyone who refuses to do so will be taken to the dungeon for interrogation. Bring Arz, Leit and Mir first. I have a mission of vital importance for them." Fifteen minutes later he had tested the loyalty of his three trusted guards and sent them back to the duchy, not only with the vials of holy water to cure his father and enough scrolls to prove the loyalty of each of his employees and some of his trusted knights. But he also gave them the order to move his father to another location and spread the news that his fathers health had taken a turn for the worse. He needed to know if that would cause anyone working for the king or the temple to try to get close to get information and be able to find out who else was involved in this. Along with the order to assassinate, after rigorous interrogation, anyone who refused to sign the new contract. To his great surprise, less than two days later, he was summoned to the queens palace. **** Current date. Kalysto turned around, trying to find some landmark or anything that would give her some indication of what was going on. But there was only darkness and silence. Contrary to what had happened to her the previous times, the collection of windows she kept open had automatically closed this time. She frowned at the unusual occurrence. Map! she whispered. A violet window flickered to her left several times, then shut off completely, plunging her back into absolute darkness. Several seconds later, she tried again. Map! But she got exactly the same result. And without being aware of it as she strained to hear something other than silence, her breathing began to quicken in time with her heartbeat. Her green gaze traveled from side to side trying to find something in that black sea to help her orient herself, but there was nothing. Gradually the temperature began to drop. And her nose began to itch as she struggled to stifle a sneeze. But to no avail, by the time the sneeze escaped her cold lips the faint sound of something sliding across the floor alerted her senses. But the sound disappeared almost as quickly as it came. Eerie silence reigned again and fear spread in her gut. She wasnt alone anymore. Chapter 131. “Unexpected Events.” Chapter 131. Unexpected Events. Two weeks and one day earlier. Welcome, Duke of Lanish! greeted the queen seated in the guest lounge in front of a table with two teacups, a hot teapot, two small chests, and several desserts displayed. Duke Logan of Lanish greets Her Majesty, the moon of the kingdom of Balsahty. May the gods light your path." As does yours, dear duke," she replied with a gentle smile as the light of the sunset bathed her elegant and delicate features. Please take a seat and join me for some tea. Thank you very much your majesty," he commented courteously despite being surprised to have been summoned in secret by the queen and not by the king in a fit of rage over the murder of the five spies he and the priestess Darla had planted inside his duchy. Even more curious had been the fact that he found a knight of low position passing information to the first court magician, Marquis Milo de Riva. But the other spies did not know of his existence, even though they work in conjunction with the others. Forgive my boldness, your majesty, but I would like to know the reason for such a... particular call," he commented, glancing around while removing the hood that covered his handsome face, indicating that he did not feel comfortable with all the secrecy he had to go through to enter the queens palace undercover. His carriage had been sent back, appearing that his visit had been rejected while he had been transferred to the horse of one of the queens guards while they were hidden from prying eyes. There are eyes everywhere," she replied with complete calmness as she reached out her hand on the table and touched a beautiful half-round stone that had not been there before, activating a silencing spell that covered the entire room. Including the small balcony whose door was open. Let me first offer my condolences for the deterioration of your fathers health," she commented calmly, openly admitting that she also had a spy in the duchy and that she knew what he had been doing in the last few days. It seems that it is the queen who has eyes everywhere," replied the duke. Dont we all? she questioned, looking him in the eye, and giving him to understand that she knew about the spy he had planted in the kings palace, while she arched an eyebrow elegantly. Would you like some tea? Logan thought about refusing. He was in no mood to participate in the games of the aristocracy, but then thought better of it. If the queen had shown her cards and was so confident, it was in his best interest to find out how much she knew about his fathers true situation. Some tea would be nice, thank you your majesty," he watched as Queen Tathiana carefully observed his appearance, giving the appearance of admiring his dark black hair and deep gray eyes as she caressed the jewel on her bracelet in a gesture seemingly careless. Logan knew it was all a well-planned trick when, seconds later, one of the female knights guarding the queen came in and served him tea instead of a maid. Sugar? -asked the queen. Two spoonfuls please," he replied as he slyly studied the woman who had just entered without making any noise. Inspect! thought the duke, as he looked at the young woman, feeling her body tense up after adding the first spoonful of sugar into the delicate cup decorated with golden flowers. As if she could have felt his inspection. But neither she nor the queen said a word about it. A blue and a violet window appeared before him, both giving him the same information. [Name: Tanya Race: Human Class: mage Level: 45 HP: 37,000/37,000 MP: 4000/4000] So the queens personal guard has four circles of mana while appearing to be an elite soldier... How many more secrets does our beloved queen hide under that mask of indifference and weakness? It had never occurred to him before that the queen was anything more than the woman abandoned by the king, whose father supported her unfaithful husband while covering her with gifts. It was just after she suffered an assassination attempt, which everyone suspected the kings new mistress was the culprit, that everyone was reminded that she was also a Brincy. When her father mobilized his special troops and covered his daughters palace with them, taking out all the kings servants in the process. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Reminding them all to whom the second military power in the kingdom belonged. Right after that of his own duchy and competing against the now extinct tower of wizards. Perfect," he whispered as he enjoyed the newly acquired information. I am glad it is to your liking, dear duke," she replied kindly as she took a sip of her own tea. You may go now, my dear," she ordered her warrior, who obeyed immediately. As soon as Tanya left the room without a sound, the queen activated the device again. Now, my dear duke, would you mind signing here? She asked, extending to him an enchanted parchment she had taken from one of the two small chests on the table. On the scroll she assured him that she would never poison him or any member of his family in exchange for him keeping silent about the information she revealed during that meeting or any meeting the two of them had either in her palace or in the kings palace. I see that you are very well prepared. I prefer to be a cautious woman," she argued as she handed him a quill and ink for him to sign, which she also took from the same chest where the parchment had been. And as soon as he signed it, she opened the second chest and turned it so that he could see its contents. Inside rested a vial of holy water potion. To say the duke was surprised to see it was an understatement. Especially after the prohibition he knew the king had given. I will speak bluntly, my dear duke. I believe it would be in your best interest to join me and the rebel faction. Logan almost dropped the delicate porcelain bowl with which he was drinking a sweet fruity tea when he heard that. I beg your pardon? He cleared his throat. He had heard murmurs, barely whispers from a group of nobles who were tired of the regime imposed by the king and he knew that discontent had grown after Medhas lost the support of the tower mages, allowing one of the three best defenses in the kingdom to vanish between his fingers in the blink of an eye. That coupled with the open gall shown to the health of the previous duke whose family had for generations supported the crown, and yet the crown had turned against them only because it coveted not only their powerful army but also their vast fortune and mines, had raised the misgivings of the aristocracy. Despite knowing that the king would not hesitate to use the heroes against them. The queens gray eyes flashed with cunning as she noted his wariness and unwillingness to accept the deal. I see that despite the kings best efforts to prevent the circulation of potions not authorized by him within the kingdom, the duke was able to find a solution to his problem," she commented. And Logan tensed, fear shining in his gaze for half a second before he managed to regain control of his features. But before he could refute her statement, the queen stepped forward. In that case, let me rephrase my offer," she commented with a confident smile. Give me your full support and cooperation in gaining full control of the crown in exchange for the independence of the Duchy of Lanish. Of course, I assure you that you will no longer have to worry about having to marry my daughter. I assure you that it was never my intention that she would not wear the crown of this kingdom on her head, she commented. Besides, I would rather have you as a friendly ally than as a possible son-in-law by force. Dont you think it is an excellent deal, my dear duke? **** Current date. What the hell? How can they interfere with the manifestation of another gods system? Kalysto worried after several minutes of absolute silence and darkness in which she had failed to invoke her system on several occasions. As she was beginning to suspect that unlike the tower in the duchy of Lanish, this one had not been built by the goddess Mhiralla. After several minutes of exasperating silence, the smell of rottenness flooded her nose and suddenly something brushed against her ankle. Kalysto jumped, startled at the sudden contact, backing away from it. Ice daggers! She summoned immediately, noting with relief that she could feel the coldness of her daggers forming in the palms of her hands. And though she couldnt see them, she clenched them tightly, fearing to lose them. Only the sound of her breathing was the only thing that interrupted the eerie silence that kept his hair standing on end. At least two more minutes passed as she kept trying unsuccessfully to open any window in her system while trying to think of a plan to get out of there. It was then that she felt a breath against her neck. She immediately turned, slashing with her daggers at whatever was stalking her, but the edge of her daggers found nothing but air. She still jumped backwards, almost stumbling against a stone, but quickly regaining her balance. Ice manipulation! She conjured, making sure to lengthen them so that the next time that thing decided to approach it, it could reach it. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She summoned, making sure to cover the five meters around her feet with ice spikes. Calm down! Whatever it is lurking in the shadows is trying to make you wear yourself out first and show all your cards! Either that or make you run out of mana! It was then that she used the mantra that was so familiar to her. Maybe they need to use darkness as a weapon because otherwise they would be too weak to fight. Come on, Kalysto! ?Focus! And although she didnt see any sign announcing the activation of the ability, she could feel the characteristic coldness that washed over her every time she used it. Two can play this game, she whispered with a smile the moment a good idea came to her mind and raised her head towards the ceiling. Fire blast! She shouted, launching a flame that spread across the ceiling of the cave and illuminating the surroundings for a few seconds. Allowing her to see the hundreds of specters surrounding the walls of the cave she was in. Chapter 132 “The Tower.” Part 9 Chapter 132 The Tower. Part 9 The fire illuminated every corner of the vaulted cave in which she stood, causing the eyes of the hundreds of specters surrounding the walls that imprisoned her to glow with a menacing reddish hue. The spectral black figures shrieked. Their thunderous voices boomed against the cave walls, forcing her to cover her ears at the same time as they opened their hideous mouths unnaturally wide, showing her the collection of sharp shark-like teeth they possessed. Kalysto didnt even have time to think as they swarmed at her with their long claws extended, as long as her own daggers. Then the fire went out and darkness reigned. Hundreds of slashes rained down on her, scratching her back, arms, and abdomen. And though she could not hurt them with her daggers, which she tried with dedicated care, they did cut into her flesh with their sharp claws, tearing her clothes and spilling her blood onto the cold earth beneath her feet. Kalysto grunted in annoyance as the pain spread throughout her body. At the same time, they seemed to move away. She clenched her daggers tightly, fearing to lose them in the midst of all that chaos. Then she waited for the next attack with her heart roaring against her chest and an annoying ringing in her ears after those piercing shrieks. The soft sound of the wind alerted her to the movement to her right, and she braced herself to receive the blow. And in the same instant that the claws of one of the wraiths tore at her skin, she spun toward him, slashing what must have been his shoulders and piercing with the dagger in her left hand what must have been his trunk. But both daggers found nothing but air. Shit! She was annoyed. And while she thought of a way to counterattack them, silence reigned again. Fire blast!" she tried again, but nothing happened. It hasnt even been two minutes? It feels like an eternity! She complained. The wait became agonizing. While the sudden stillness of the enemy was beginning to bother her. She couldnt even feel the earth vibrate under her feet when they moved. The only good thing was that the ringing in her ears began to fade, as the sound of her agitated breathing was the only thing that interrupted the annoying and unpleasant silence that surrounded her. Damn things! Did they have to be so complicated to kill? She was sure that if she got to inspect them, she would discover that they were several levels below her, so in theory she shouldnt be having any trouble getting rid of them. Couldnt the queen have given me an ability that would allow me to see in the dark? Then she could stop feeling like a little bunny trapped in a cave full of hungry wolves. A new wave of attacks interrupted her thoughts and as the sharp claws of the specters cut into her skin, Kalysto could feel her blood running freely over her body, bathing other areas cut in a previous attack and she began to fear that her wounds would become infected. Again, she tried to defend herself, but to no avail. Dispel Ezhil! she exclaimed in annoyance, half relieved that at least she could be sure to save herself from infection as a surge of golden light shot out of her body at the same time as a strange noise echoed throughout the cave. Kalysto could see how those strange creatures stopped all their movements, as if they had been frozen in time for a few seconds while their bodies, once made of shadows, slowly began to take physical form. And before any of them attacked her again, she exclaimed: Tundra! freezing everything five meters around her. But noticing that despite her attack, hundreds of other specters surrounded the newly frozen area while others were left with half of their bodies in the air as they finished breaking through the walls of the cave to join in the attack against her. Ezhil Purification! The golden light of her skill joined the Dispel that was still active, while the parts of the specters that were not yet completely solid began to fade under the purifying power of her skill. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. So Purification is good for that as well? She was surprised at her new discovery. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x50 Being able to see her notification windows again took her by surprise, but she still continued with her plan. Dispel Ezhil! She added, wanting to check that it hadnt been an accident. And she watched as the ice she had conjured earlier began to vanish under the golden light of her skill, while a strange buzzing sound came from the specters body. Then she conjured: Purification Ezhil! [You have gained 300 experience points!] x70 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x80 [You have gained 150 experience points!] x20 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 32!] Kalysto checked every nook and cranny of the cave she was in noticing a thin corridor whose height did not reach the ceiling but was hidden between the walls and that if it wasnt for the still active light of her skills as a saint, she would have overlooked. Ill check on her later. She thought, concentrating on checking the huge amount of specters that had been torturing her and whose bodies were partially destroyed. She walked among their remains, cutting some of them just to check that they were dead, noticing that her daggers could cut their dark skin covered by some kind of cloth of the same color. A thick black liquid gushed from their wounds and she immediately jumped back, throwing the dagger dyed with that black liquid towards one of the other remains. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured again, just to make sure it wasnt the black plague. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! And she jumped away from there, unwilling to get infected. When she was far enough away, she went back to observe the rest of the bodies, trying to notice if any of them moved, when she did not notice any kind of movement she walked towards the small opening in the wall from which she could feel a thin current of air. Reassuring himself that he was not underground. Or that there was at least an exit somewhere. She was relieved at the thought. Inventory! A satisfied smile lit up her face as she saw that the system was finally back up and running smoothly. And she pulled out a vial of holy water. Map! she murmured. Satisfied as she noticed that after enlarging the image, she found no red dots surrounding it. But instead, she found an intricate and almost labyrinthine system of paths and small caves that looked more like the inside of a very complex anthill than the typical cave she expected to find. Hundreds of red dots were clustered at the end of several paths and in two of them she found the dot that identified Rita, and in the other, the one that pointed to Koden. So I was not the only one who was attacked in a group. And although she understood that it could be a good strategy against those who entered their floor, it was really annoying from the point of view of those who arrived. A prolonged sigh full of exhaustion escaped her lips, and she drank the vial of holy water, then taking advantage of the fact that there was still some light from her skills as a saint, she took out her black backpack and opened it, digging through her pockets until she took out her cell phone and a change of clothes. And after taking off her tattered pants, she put on another one of the ones that had been given to all the heroes and that she had kept as a spare and packed before setting out on the journey. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she squealed again, not wanting to be left in the dark while she was half naked and finished putting on another shirt and the spare underwear she kept inside her backpack. I hope I can find new underwear fast and not have to wear the horrible petticoats they use as a replacement here, that or use her vacation on Earth to enlarge her underwear assortment. By the time she finished changing, the golden light of her skills began to fade and she went back to conjure them. She then stowed her dirty and torn clothes in her backpack and it inside her inventory, leaving her cell phone in her left hand. Then she turned it on and, after checking that it still had an eighty percent charge, she turned off the screen and stood at the edge of the entrance to the narrow corridor. And after taking out a thel she took a bite of it and looked at her map carefully, tracing an imaginary path as to what would be the best route to take to reach her fellow travelers without giving away her skills as a saint to the rest of the group. Though it wouldnt be a problem with Koden and Rita. she thought. The problem are everyone else... especially Oscar. Kalysto couldnt shake the feeling that this man seemed too used to cutting necks for her to feel comfortable with him. Then she pulled out the communication sphere the elf king had given her. Caranthir! She called out, but no one answered. Caranthir! Whatever youre doing, stop doing it immediately!.... She then took another bite of her thel, as she felt the accumulated fatigue slowly begin to subside. Caranthir, if you dont answer me in the next five minutes, Ill start deducting a bottle of holy water from your pay! I warned you from the beginning that you should be available for me twenty-four-seven! By the time she took the first bite of the second thel, Caranthir answered her call in a sleepy voice. ... Saintess? Hows the investigation going? Other than discovering that only a maximum of three individuals can pass through each portal created by a single wizard, I havent been able to find any more information about it," he replied, stifling a yawn. He seemed exhausted after many hours of research. How useless! thought Kalysto with annoyance. Suddenly regretting having bargained with the queen not to kill him. I should have listened to the queen when she implied that he wasnt that good. Then she let out a long sigh full of resignation. That means I must find other ways to profit from him. Chapter 133 “Hunting shadows in the tower.” Chapter 133 Hunting shadows in the tower. That means I need to find other ways to take advantage of him. Do you have a way to copy the image projected on one object and store it on another, then display it? she asked suddenly. ...Mmm... There is a spell that can copy an image, but I would have to bind it to some crystal and make some modifications to the spell in order to do something like what you indicate. I assume you wish to display the image on more than one occasion. Right, you have about four hours to get it! Then I want you to travel to the duchy of Brincy in the human kingdom of Balsahty and look for a tower that recently sprouted from the earth. An army of humans must be fighting monsters near the entrance. ... Does the saintess want me to participate in a human war? No, what I need from you is to wait near the tower without anyone discovering you, until I give you a signal and you come for me. Then you will teleport me and a group of acquaintances to the north of the kingdom of Solis, near the duchy of Lanish in the kingdom of Balsahty. Wouldnt it be easier to take them directly to the duchy of Lanish? I have not traveled there before but I have been close, so I could take you there," replied the elf without understanding why she was making it so complicated. No. You had mentioned something about the hunters guild before, I want the boys and I to register there, although I would prefer to do it in a different kingdom than theirs in fact she planned to do it using the gender change ring she had looted from the office of the elf merchant who ordered to kidnap her. That way it will be less easy to catch us. She thought. In fact, if you can take us to two different cities to register, that would be ideal," she added. And bring enough potions to supply me. I will need several mana potions to be able to make such a trip. I may not have the amount you wish available for today. Then start preparing them, Ill give you two more hours then she started to do the math of how long it had taken her to get to the twelfth floor, and decided to add a little more, in case the twentieth through the thirtieth floors were much more difficult than it had been so far. Better make it three. Expect my next call in seven hours. Could you please give me a little more time? ...Im not sure. Im already on the twelfth floor of the tower and while I have no idea how many floors this thing is, it took me a little over three hours to get here...maybe four. Are you communicating from inside a tower? Are you by any chance talking about those towers that occasionally sprout out of the ground and monsters come out of it? The elf seemed suddenly very interested in that information. Yes. How is it possible that you can communicate from inside them? Thats supposed to be impossible! Well, apparently its not as impossible as you thought, because Im doing it right now," she replied in a dry voice. Ive heard that those towers only sprout up in human kingdoms and they are very jealous about who they allow in! There are even rumors that some kings use them as a training ground for their soldiers," continued the elf, completely oblivious to Kalystos lack of interest. How did the saintess get permission? Thats not important now. Start preparing everything. Ill get back to you when I conquer the twentieth floor. Over and out! It was after she put the communication crystal back in her inventory that she remembered that he wouldnt recognize the expression, Damn!.... Well...it doesnt matter now. And she started down the narrow corridor until, after more than ten minutes of walking, she finally reached the end of the corridor where she found a wide path which stretched in several directions. So she took the path to the right, wanting to get to the spot in her window that symbolized Rita. But after walking for several minutes, she passed near a wall, which her map indicated. Behind it was a small cave in which hundreds of red dots glowed. And while most of them seemed to be huddled near one end of the cavity, others were scattered around. So after putting her cell phone in one of the pockets of her combat pants, as she decided to call them to differentiate them from training pants, Kalysto placed the palms of her hands on the cold wall of earth and stone. And while she was tempted to try her skill at manipulating the earth and piercing it, just as those giant earthworms had done, she wasnt sure how thick these walls were and how much she could take without breathing, so she decided to use the less risky option. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Mana manipulation! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured and concentrated her mana so that the golden light, instead of surrounding her, pierced the wall. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x15 [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected] Kalysto grimaced at the last sign, though she was glad to see that her experiment worked, in part. So when I try to manipulate the way a skill works, I spend too much mana... like five times as much. And as she admired the number of red dots that had decreased on her map, she was glad. Though apparently the rest that had been huddled in a corner before, noticed her presence and began to move away from the corner they had been in so far and began to move closer towards where she was. She then took a step back and switched to the inventory tab, from where she pulled out a mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she jumped back and continued to move away from the wall she had been leaning against as soon as the first specters began to break through the walls. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] She immediately stretched her hands forward and at the same instant that the first specter let out a chilling shriek that seemed to call out to the rest of his people, Kalysto started to conjure. Mana Manipulation! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she shouted, refocusing on projecting her mana forward instead of to the surroundings. [The skill Dispel Ezhil has risen to level 7!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has risen to level 14!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 13!] And as her golden light spread out, dozens of specters came through the walls and, as soon as they came in contact with her light, they disintegrated. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x125 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x75 [You have earned 250 experience points!] x10 And as more specters died, more seemed to come from everywhere, bursting through the walls. One even emerged from the wall behind her back. And as the golden light of her skill dissipated, she nearly ran out of mana. A strong dizziness seized her, her stomach churned as nausea rose in her throat and her knees shook, making her fall to the ground as her vision darkened. And a wave of vomit spewed out of her mouth without her being able to stop it. Unintentionally avoiding the outstretched claws of one of the specters as she ducked. [Warning! User has less than 3 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] 3MP?...In...inventory. She thought, feeling her head heavy and how her thoughts seemed to slip away like water through her fingers. With trembling hands she reached into the locker where she kept her mana stones and pulled out a small one at the same time as a specter pierced the wall and flew up to her, burying its sharp claws in her arms. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as pain seized her and the new specter, much larger and more intimidating than the ones she had seen so far, opened its huge mouth with the intention of devouring her. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 4000 MP!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated. Ezhil Purification! She thought, bathing in the golden light as she slowly regained control of her body. [You have gained 400 experience points!] Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she shouted, again. Making sure to let her skills run with absolute freedom as she disposed of the new group of specters that had come to meet her. [Dispel Ezhils skill has risen to level 8!] Ill never do anything like that again, ever! She promised herself as she got back up with some effort, leaning against the wall. Water creation! She whispered and two jets of water spurted from the palms of her hands and she took the opportunity to get rid of the unpleasant taste of vomit that permeated her mouth. Then she took out a one-liter plastic bottle from her inventory, filled with holy water, and drank it halfway. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she muttered and then pulled out a thel and began to eat it, enjoying the sweet taste of the juicy fruit. Ill never try to manipulate my skills like that again! I almost died! [You have gained 250 experience points!] x20 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 33!] [Youve gained 200 experience points!] x50 And while the golden light finished eliminating the remaining specters, she finished eating the thel. But just as she took the last bite, a strong pressure flooded the air when at the same instant a new creature appeared. Dressed completely in black, with a cloak that hid its face and more than two meters tall, the dark aura emitted by the new monster took her by surprise. As did the huge scythe held in his cadaverous hands. And a crown of bones rested on his head. Intruder..." his raspy voice from beyond the grave made her skin crawl and sent shivers all over her body. ... you will die today. Notice Hello everyone. This message is just to let you know that due to several technical problems, yesterday''s chapter could not be published. I''m sorry to send you a late notice with the news, but between the heavy rains/thunderstorms, and a bunch of other situations that got out of my control (and the technicians not coming to fix the damage) it''s been a bit chaotic. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!The posting schedule will be back to normal tomorrow. I apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience with this situation. I also apologize for all the messages that I have not been able to answer yet, I hope to be able to catch up soon. Thank you very much for your time and for reading my story. I wish you a happy rest of the day. Chapter 134 “Hunting shadows in the tower.” Part 2 Chapter 134 Hunting shadows in the tower. Part 2 What on earth is that? She worried as she saw the monster covered by a black cloak and his huge scythe in his hand, several meters beyond the golden glow. Inspect! [Name: N/A Race: Lich (Elite) Level: 17 HP: 24,000/24,000 MP: 1,500/1,500] Attack her! The lich ordered and hundreds of specters rushed towards her. Ice daggers! Whispered Kalysto, needing to feel something with which she could defend herself against the new threat. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured, and the lich recoiled at the sight of her attack. Instead, a half-smile broke out on Kalystos face as she saw him back away from her. So I have no reason to fear that weapon? She was relieved, allowing her gaze to finally wander from the massive sickle. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x25 And as soon as the lich flew backwards, using the darkness of the cave as a shield for his escape, Kalysto quickly followed. Where are you going in such a hurry? she questioned brazenly. A little more and Ill be able to level up again," she added, happy to see how easy it was to get rid of the specters and all the experience she was gaining so easily. Im sure its because of the additional percentage of experience that killing monsters with my saintess skills gives me. But when she was about to reach him, the lich simply flew faster. And as more specters came out to meet her, the further they both flew away from the area protected by the golden light, leaving her seemingly defenseless to another attack and shrouded in more shadows. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she continued to conjure as she tried to catch up to the very elusive lich, who was coming out of one corridor only to take a detour into another and then get lost in the middle of another crossroads. Good thing he couldnt seem to get through walls.mind, But as the thought passed through her mind another wave of specters came out of the walls and rushed at her. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! [You have gained 250 experience points!] x50 [The skill Dispel Ezhil has been raised to level 9!] What kind of man are you? Stop being a coward and face me at once! I dont have all the time in the world to keep playing cat and mouse with you! She growled, starting to get annoyed, as she swung her right dagger to her left hand. Ice spear! The spear pierced the left side of the lichs back and hip, destroying it and causing it to slow down as it was anchored to the ground. But the monster quickly began to recover. And just as it got up and began to run away, Kalysto fell on top of him. Sticking a dagger in his neck bone and another in his head. The games are over," she whispered. And though it was the first time she had seen a lich, she was surprised to see that there were only bones under his dark cloak as it fell aside. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! And Kalysto continued to conjure again and again until the lich disappeared completely. [You have gained 3000 experience points!] [The boss of the 12th floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [The user has gained 300 bonus experience points for participating in the boss defeat!] Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [The user has acquired the skill Night Vision. Level 1 as a reward!] And as the golden light of her skill dissipated, a blue portal appeared in front of her at the same time as the rest of the heroes were transported around her. What...what the hell happened? And what the heck were those things? Koden asked with his face full of scratches, his sword held high and his shield carved with the traces left by the specters claws when they attacked him. Specters, I think," answered Kalysto as she looked at the rest of them, making sure they were all alive. To her great relief, they all seemed to be breathing despite the multiple wounds the specters had inflicted on them. She was about to go to help Rita up, but Oscar got ahead of her. Wed better get going," she tried to hurry them along as she herself walked toward the portal, trying to disguise how out of place she felt trying to help her friend. Then she glanced back at the large collection of red dots still inside the map. She would have loved to be able to keep exterminating and earn all those experience points, but with the rest of the group gathered, she didnt feel comfortable showing off her saintess skills. Not with Oscar, Emanuel, and Gideon being part of the group. And while she didnt know the first two well, her gut was screaming at her to stay on Oscars good side, and as far as Gideon was concerned, the blond was nothing more than a playboy with a touch of narcissism. And deep down, Kalysto was sure that if given the chance, he wouldnt hesitate to sell out his own twin brother just to survive. Its better not to trust them. She concluded. But were wounded! Cant you at least give us a few minutes? Cant you see the state were in? Refuted Gideon, annoyed at her lack of sensitivity as Gabriel approached him to help him, despite his own injuries. Kalysto, standing in front of the portal, returned to give them all one last look. Noticing that not only were they wounded, but some of them, like Edward, were shivering and curled up on the floor in a fetal position. If you want to stay and be killed by the rest of the specters that are still here, thats your choice. What? There are still more of those things? Didnt you kill them all? Gabriel panicked. Just because I was lucky enough that the boss chose to come to me, doesnt mean Im done with the rest of them," she replied coolly. And I think you are forgetting two things. One, you have a collection of potions to cure yourselves with, so stop waiting for some miracle to happen and start using them. And two, by now Milo and the rest of the knights should have woken up and should be climbing the tower to catch up with us. What? Emanuel paled when he heard that. Do you think they will try to kidnap us again? Shit, I forgot about them! Rita growled in frustration as Oscar held her and helped her take a health potion. Dont forget that you can only take a potion every ten minutes," Kalysto reminded them, seeing that both Rita and Koden had taken her advice. I will count the time," Rita offered immediately, looking at the watch on her wrist. Thank you," replied Kalytso. Now drink the first potion and lets go to the next floor. Its safer for everyone to rest there," she announced. And without waiting for an answer, she crossed the portal. [Warning! The user has entered the thirteenth floor of the dungeon!] The strong midday light hurt her eyes as the great stone walls welcomed her as she slowly got used to the new lighting. The cool breeze caressed her face and she could breathe in deeply, enjoying the smell of fresh pine that flooded the air despite not being able to see a single tree in the surroundings, other than two gigantic walls separated by a roofless corridor at the entrance of which she appeared. Like the outer walls, the corridor was lined by immense walls at least fifteen meters high and ended at another wall that gave access to another corridor opening off to the sides. What is this place? questioned Rita, who was the first to pass after her. I think its a labyrinth," whispered Oscar in response. A labyrinth? Like in those stories about a labyrinth and a Minotaur? Koden was startled and the young athletes gaze immediately crossed Kalystos, looking for support. I will go and inspect the terrain. Koden, you protect the rest of the group while they heal and Rita incinerates everything that approaches, either through the portal or the labyrinth. Ill go defeat the boss... Maybe well have some luck and youll be summoned in front of the portal again once I defeat it," she commented with a bit of hope. Are you sure its okay for you to go alone? Rita worried. Someone has to stay and take care of them," Kalysto replied, looking at how haggard the rest of the boys looked while she felt a warmth spreading through her chest as she saw the blondes genuine concern for her. Not wanting to waste any more time, and after giving the blonde a smile to reassure her a bit, Kalysto ran to the end of the corridor. Map! She thought, observing the few red dots scattered in the middle of the labyrinth, next to a larger one located in the center. Then she ran at full speed to the right, running into the back of the first monster, and before it could turn around and face her, she conjured: Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Ice spear! The spear pierced the chest of the gigantic creature whose face and semi-human torso were covered with snakeskin while the stakes buried themselves in its eyes, piercing its skull. A naga. She noticed, remembering that she had once seen Natasha, her landladys daughter trying to defeat one with her friends in one of the many video games they played on the weekends. [You have gained 400 experience points!] The enemys body fell lifeless on the cold earthen floor at the same time as the notification of its death appeared before her. But Kalysto did not stop there. And after placing the palms of her hands on one of the immense stone walls that lined each corridor, she conjured: Earth manipulation! An arch was drawn over the wall, transforming the stone inside the arch into rocks that fell to the sides and near her feet. Tsk! I hope its more polished next time," she murmured. [The skill Earth Manipulation has been raised to level 2!] About twenty minutes later, Kalysto finished creating a new arch in the last wall that separated her from the boss room, but this time unlike the previous ones, the rocks didnt fall almost on her feet, but transformed into sand and scattered on the ground with a soft sound, dirtying her boots. [The skill Earth Manipulation has been raised to level 7!] And when she took a step forward, another sign appeared before her. [Warning! The user has entered the boss room of the thirteenth floor of the dungeon!] Chapter 135 “The Minotaur.” Chapter 135 The Minotaur. [Warning! The user has entered the room of the boss of the thirteenth floor of the dungeon!] Only the sound of her own footsteps reached her ears as the soles of her boots stomped on the grit that the wall had become as her eyes traveled across the wide open space stopping at the rectangular platform resting in the middle surrounded by four large stone columns and then at the four statues of kneeling Minotaurs decorating each of the four corners of the roofless room. In the center of the platform, surrounded by infertile earth and atop a stone altar, rested a small gray portal from which Kalysto could not feel mana emanating from it. And in front of the imitation portal, a red-skinned Minotaur lay with one knee on the ground as if greeting a king. With a huge axe clenched tightly in his fists, along with a huge mace prostrate beside him on the cold ground. The huge creature opened his glowing eyes, his black pupils resting on it as his sclera seemed to glow with a light of its own. The Minotaur grunted as he began to move, and the dust accumulated on his muscular body fell to the ground. Two seconds later, he was already upon her. The edge of his axe was near Kalystos unsuspecting neck, so much so that she barely had time to react. Oh, shit! She thought as she jumped back, trying to put some distance between them. Ice daggers! But the Minotaur didnt give her time to escape, and ran after her, attacking her again with his axe. Kalysto blocked the attack, but the force of the attack shattered her daggers and the ice fell into pieces, crashing against her chest. And she had to turn her body to dodge the edge of the mighty axe. Then she stretched out her right hand and, pointing it at the Minotaurs flank, she conjured: Blades of water! Blades of ice! But none of her attacks seemed to do him any harm. Instead, it only seemed to enrage him. And instead of continuing to hold the axe with two hands, the Minotaur released one of them and with one swipe hurled Kalysto fifteen meters further, sending her crashing into the opposite wall. The stone cracked, leaving a mark on the massive wall, but not big enough to break it completely. Pain spread throughout her body and a pair of notification windows appeared to her left. [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Shit! Why do these monsters always have to be so resistant?... What do they feed on to be so strong? Magic spinach?... Where the hell do I get some?... Inspect! [Name: N/A Race: Minotaur (Elite) Level: 27 HP: 33,999/34,000 MP: 200/200] Fantastic! Just what I was missing! Another monster with much higher HP than mine! She thought with irony. Perfect aim! Ice arrows! Water arrows! After launching the arrows and while the Minotaur eluded them with great skill thanks to his sharp axe, Kalysto had to continue conjuring faster, trying to overcome the speed with which her new enemy was moving. Multiple targets! Ice spear! Duplication! But the muscular, red-skinned beast dodged her spear with ease. Perfect aim! Ice stakes! Duplication! She had barely thrown them when he had already dodged them and lunged at her, and when the blade of the axe was barely two centimeters from her forehead, she shouted: Tundra! Everything within a five-meter radius of her froze. From the wall behind her back to the muscular monster in front of her. And a pair of signs appeared before her. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] That was close! She thought, then worried that she hadnt received any notification informing her of his death. And doubt settled in her at the possibility that this monster, like the tenth floor boss, was also resistant to ice. With her breathing quickening and her heart still pounding hard against her chest, she opened her inventory and pulled out a mana stone. Im going to have to talk to Hanna and increase my stone collection, or Im going to run out of backup before long! She worried as the usual dizziness of running out of mana overwhelmed her. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! Absorb! Three windows opened before her, one blue and two violet. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Liar! She thought after reading the blue notification and couldnt help but feel disappointed to know how unassertive that system could be. I think its best to ignore all their notifications from now on. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated]. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4500 MP!] Kalysto let out a prolonged sigh as she began to rise, but the soft cracking of the ice caused her to halt all her movements as she watched in horror as the ice cracked completely and the Minotaur broke free from its prison. Fire blast! She immediately conjured as the Minotaur let out a powerful war cry and she leapt away from him. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [The user is under the attack of the skill Fear and her defense dropped by 50%, as well as all her stats.] [The skill Mental Defense has withstood the attack and all stats have returned to normal.] Kalysto ignored the collection of windows that opened to her left and concentrated on the blast of fire that erupted from her mouth. But her attack did not work as she had hoped. Does this thing also have fire resistance? She realized with some apprehension. And although her fire didnt work against the Minotaurs tough skin, the axe overheated enough so that the metal that began to melt burned the hands of that beast, making it scream and drop his powerful weapon to the ground. Inventory! As soon as the window opened, Kalysto pulled out two swords and leapt onto the monsters back and thrust them between its shoulder blades, but they barely pierced his skin. She then pulled out two daggers with penetration stats, and repeated her attack, burying them in the back of its neck. The Minotaur elbowed her, knocking her to the ground. But the pain didnt register in her mind, beyond a discomfort that forced her to cough a couple of times as she regained some air in her lungs after turning her body, falling into a crouch and avoiding crashing to the dirt floor. Lightning! she conjured, unloading what mana she had left into her attack. And with her inventory still open, she pulled out another mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] Water creation! She shouted and squirted a stream of water with each of her hands, directing them towards the mouth of her snarling enemy, who was still trying to remove the two swords and two daggers that she had almost completely buried in his body. Earth manipulation! She continued, placing the palms of her hands on the dirty ground and softening it under the thick feet of the Minotaur, making the same now wet and swamp-like earth sink beneath him, leaving him buried up to his hips. It was just at that moment that she thought she could finally give herself a break, as she waited for her skills to finish cooling down and she could use them again. She then pulled out her bow and, after doubling back a couple of times the only arrow with penetration stats she had left, she launched four of them into both of the Minotaurs eyes, making it scream. Duplication! She conjured about ten more times and after keeping the original arrow in her inventory to avoid getting confused, along with her bow. Then she continued her attack, preventing the Minotaur from escaping her trap despite his constant attempts. Telekinesis! Multiple targets! Perfect aim! she chanted and launched the ten arrows at her enemys chest. [The skill Telekinesis has been raised to level 2!] She then repeated the process four more times, covering the monsters face, chest, and arms with arrows. [The skill Telekinesis has leveled up to level 3!] [The skill Telekinesis has risen to level 4!] And as she complained from the pain and struggled to get out of the swamp she created for him, she tried to use the telekinesis skill to lift the axe. But try as she might, it didnt work. Maybe the axe is too heavy and I should level up the skill a bit more first. Then she ran up to the platform where he had been resting when she entered, grabbed the mallet with both hands and threw it hard in the direction of her enemy. Telekinesis! she conjured up, changing the trajectory of the mace, and causing it to strike the nape of the reddish beasts neck right against the handle of the two daggers half-buried in its skin, driving them all the way in. She then made sure to throw the mace away from him so he couldnt use it against her, as a sharp headache welled up behind her eyes. But despite the pain, she didnt stop. Water creation! After drenching him properly, she continued, Lightning! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! And after dedicating herself to multiplying the arrow with penetration stats once more, she launched fifty more at the creature. Telekinesis! [The skill Telekinesis has been raised to level 5!] And as blood ran down the enemys arms, torso and head, bleeding out little by little, she let out a stunned roar as Kalysto ran to where he had left the axe, and after pulling out the remains of what was left of her tattered shirt after the encounter with the specters, she wrapped the handle with the cloth and raised the axe. [The user is under the attack of the skill Fear and her defense dropped by 50% as well as all her stats.] [The skill Mental Defense has withstood the attack and all stats have returned to normal.] Kalysto leapt against the monsters back, burying the sharp axe against its hard skull. The silence seemed to last for a few seconds as she could hear the crazed pounding of her heart roar against her chest. She let out a long exhale as she felt the force leave her body at the same time as the expected notification appeared before her. [Youve gained 3000 experience points!] [The boss of the thirteenth floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] And before the next notification came out, and the others were transported to the same room, she took out a vial of holy water and quickly drank it. [User has gained 300 bonus experience points for participating in defeating the boss!] [The user has acquired +2 strength points, and they have been added to her stats!] [The user has acquired +5 stamina points, and they have been added to her stats!] And as the others began to be teleported to where she was, the portal appeared behind the corpse of the boss and Kalysto hurriedly pulled the axe out of his skull and stored it in her inventory, along with the mace. Lets go to the next floor, she muttered wearily and after making sure everyone was okay with a quick glance, then stepped through the portal. The next six floors were a little easier. Or at least it was until Gideon, tired of her taking most of the experience points, started protesting right after she killed the boss on the nineteenth floor, almost three hours later. Hey, stop giving the final blow to all the monsters you encounter! We want to earn bonus points too! Gideon complained as he saw how strong she had become with each floor they climbed. Gideons right! I want to level up too! Edward complained. Then get out of the tower and get your own prey. And stop whining like three-year-olds or Ill stop helping you escape out of this tower! She growled, annoyed at all the time she had wasted with the continuous breaks they kept asking for since it was impossible for them to run as fast and as far as she did. And although she heard them protesting against her back, she ignored them, too tired of fighting for hours and having to put up with them when she might as well take out the hearthstone that would take her back to her room in the fairy kingdom, and get it over with. Just a little longer and we will be far away from the kingdom of Balsahty. And we will all be free... well them, I still have a contract to fulfill. And for a few moments, she felt envious of them and for the freedom they would have, although she was well aware that she could not complain about the good treatment that the queen and her people gave her. I miss Tsuki. She couldnt wait to run with him again through the fairy forest as the wind kissed their faces and her new pet got excited at each new discovery. Ill try to bake him cookies as an apology when I get back. She promised herself. [Warning! User has entered the twentieth floor of the dungeon!] Darkness greeted her. Be vigilant and dont let your guard down! She told them. But no one responded. So she turned around, facing the portal she had just entered, but there was no sign of the portal. Nor of any of the other heroes. Did they separate us again? She thought. I hope it wont take me so long to find them this time. And after letting out a long sigh, she looked around, but there was nothing but darkness and a tense silence. Inventory! She tried to summon it, but again her systems stopped working and she frowned in annoyance. Blue would be expected to fail, but how the hell did they manage to block the violet as well? And after waiting a few seconds for the rest of the group to arrive as well, she was about to begin conjuring when a familiar silhouette, illuminated by a dim light, appeared before her. And her world crumbled into a thousand pieces. ...Mom? Chapter 136 “You shouldn’t be here.” Chapter 136 You shouldnt be here. ...Mom? Her voice sounded broken, even to her own ears. Her face lost all color and her eyes bathed in unshed tears at the unexpected, but emotional encounter. Her mother looked almost the same as she did in the family photo she had in her dresser at the Tanner house, just a couple of years older. In her old plaid apron, and her favorite old shirt faded with age. She looked so unlike herself, with that fair skin and dark eyes. But that had never mattered to Kalysto, who had always looked more like her father, even in the soft tan tone of his skin. Excited at the prospect of the reunion, she stepped forward, wanting to touch her. But her words stopped her. You shouldnt have been the one who survived! Her mother accused her, her voice laden with infinite resentment, and Kalystos heart shrank at the harshness of her words. A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she looked with confusion at the woman who had brought her into the world. I had forgotten how cruel mom is when Dad isnt looking. She reminded herself sadly as the surrounding darkness dissipated without her noticing as several tendrils of black smoke climbed up her legs. To her right, the old two-story house she had grown up in appeared, the lush forest unfolding behind the old building, enticing her to lose herself in it and seek safety among its green branches. Away from danger. And to her left was the town cemetery. Hundreds of headstones scattered among the cold earth as the thick fog covered most of the names. But not all of them. Her mother pointed toward the cemetery with her nails broken and bitten, her fingers thin from hunger. And her brown hair disheveled by the wind...perhaps as a symbol of the madness Kalysto had always suspected lurked behind her mothers dark gaze. Look what youve done! the older woman shouted. But Kalysto didnt dare to look. She didnt even remember well what her burial had been like. That time in her life was but a dark stain of blurred memories as she followed in absolute silence the outstretched hand of the social worker who took her to the orphanage. Look what you did! Look! insisted her mother, but Kalysto, who had stopped looking like a grown woman and now had the same appearance as when she was a child with much lighter hair, continued to avoid her. You killed my baby! No, I didnt do it! she hastened to deny. But to insist on it was an effort in vain, just as it had been when she was little and had lost her memories. And though she had never been able to remember what had happened that fateful night. Something inside her assured her that she was not to blame for such death. Stop lying! Her mother shouted, her hand slapping Kalystos cheek suddenly, just as she had done countless times in the past. Youre nothing but a jealous, good-for-nothing brat! Thats why you killed my baby! No, I didnt do it, I swear! Kalysto cried in desperation as she fell to the ground and tried to protect her face from the countless blows her mother threw at her with her thin arms. And for a small instant, that blank space that slept deep in her memory cracked, letting her see a small fragment that came as fast as it went. I only wanted to help! She sobbed, her childish face bathed in tears and her voice breaking. LIES! NOTHING BUT VILE LIES! her mother shouted, slapping her little body. Slapping and punching her wherever her adult hands could reach. You killed my baby, just like you killed me! And suddenly the whole scene changed. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. They were no longer near the cemetery but inside the house, in the kitchen. Where the lifeless body of her mother lay on the floor. And something inside Kalysto broke at that moment. As hundreds of tears descended her tender cheeks as she could feel the metallic stench of blood staining her small hands. She didnt even need to look down to know she was covered in blood. [The skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] You should have been the one who died," her mothers shadow whispered behind her ear. You shouldnt have survived..." she continued with sadistic satisfaction as she watched her break down while she forced Kalysto to watch that horrible scene. You should be dead," she concluded coldly, and a spectral smile lit up her face. No, you damned bitch," Kalystos head turned suddenly, and she saw with hatred the form of her mother clon behind her, at the same time that from the palm of her left hand a black crystal stake came out and pierced her mothers stomach. It is you who should be dead... But dont worry," she whispered with infinite gentleness as she smiled at her with false affection. I will take care of you and settle the score. At the same time, in the kingdom of Bahram. Galatea hurried and clenched her fists as she passed by a couple of fairies, ignoring them completely as she advanced with a determined step towards her destination. In the middle of the royal palace, at the end of a long corridor, two armed and armored guards guarded the double doors to the audience chamber where the queen-goddess of the fairies and avatar of Fieal, the wind god, awaited her report. Galatea requests an audience with your majesty," announced one of the guards as soon as the fairy stood before the doors. ... Let her in," the queens voice was heard on the other side and immediately a gentle breeze from inside opened the heavy doors just enough for the tall warrior to pass through. A spacious room welcomed her. To her left, large windows gave a beautiful view of the gorgeous garden where delicate vines surrounded the thick columns and small flowers of soft tones provided a touch of color, contrasting with the pretty sky blue of the precious stones with which the walls of the palace were carved. In the background, seated on a comfortable but majestic throne, was the queen in a long white dress whose skirt was gradually turning the same color as her piercing violet eyes, which were now fixed on the newcomer. And at her side, a mighty warrior in golden armor and a red cloak stood just a step behind the throne. You are late," the queen scolded her in a solemn voice as she watched the brunette walk to a stop in front of the three steps in front of her throne. My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty," excused Galatea, placing one knee on the floor and her right fist clenched over her chest. I had trouble interrogating the prisoner, hence my delay. Really? How is that possible? she questioned in disbelief. Fairies could be very cruel when they wanted to be, so there should be no reason for such a delay. "I have tortured and healed her for the past few hours to the point of knocking her unconscious from the pain," she reported. It was after I ripped out her fingernails and fingers that I discovered she wears a special ring imbued with magic that helps to hide and alter parts of her stats. ... ?And? questioned the queen, arching an eyebrow gracefully. Even after taking it off, there wasnt much I could read. I suspect theres some kind of blockage in her system," the queen frowned at her words. From the way she moved when I gave her false hope of escape, I know she is not just a shadow mage as the champion announced, or a simple knight as her system says," she added, pulling from her robes a handkerchief inside which rested an old ring, I believe she has also been trained as an assassin. Even when she sometimes shifts into the stance a trained knight would take, her agility and tendency to strike only at vital points make it obvious. And she is too good at handling knives and daggers, which she had well hidden under her clothes, and in abundance. Someone seems to have gone to a lot of trouble training her. It seems so Silence reigned for a few seconds in the room before Galatea dared to break it again. I apologize for not being able to comply with your order, but no matter what I have done, the human continues to refuse to spill her secrets... But she seems to have some kind of mental resistance that seemed to catch the attention not only of the queen but also of the knight standing behind her throne. In that case, I know just the guy to break it and make her sing," she commented, and a sadistic smile lit up her beautiful face. Let me help, my queen," offered the dragon king. We need the information in her head, not to kill her," she immediately refused. Dont forget that humans tend to die very easily, my dear. Meanwhile, to the south of the Tanish continent, the Kingdom of Desmond. An army of demons fought against the gigantic horde of monsters that continued to emerge from the sea, doing their best not to give ground. Although thousands of monsters fled to the bottom of the sea for safety, thousands more, much stronger than those that had escaped, took their place. Both the shore of the beach and the sea near it were bathed with blood on both sides, but none of those still alive were willing to give up. Aegir Donovhar, the king of the demons, led his army with the courage of someone who knew he had everything he needed to win, but even so, he strove to finish off his enemy quickly to avoid more unnecessary deaths on the part of his people. So, after sending his horse to rest in the rear, he launched himself against the giant sea serpent that left the safety of the sea to conquer the beach, but Aegir cut its head off with a single swing of his sword. Immediately, two notification windows appeared to his left. One purple and the other black. [You have leveled up!] Chapter 137 “An unexpected change.” Chapter 137 An unexpected change. Alice Sanders was not stupid. So as soon as the summoning happened, the first thing she did as soon as she got the welcome to Elinor window, was to lock her system screen and explain to her confused grandmother how to do the same between whispers, while taking advantage of everyone else was too busy trying to figure out what was going on. Her grandfather had a frightened coughing fit after choking on his own saliva, and the magicians who performed the summoning mistook it for a cardiac attack when they saw him with a hand on his chest. But he was quickly attended to by a wizard who had been kind enough to give him a potion, believing it would connect him to the heroes. Soon after, Alice and her two grandparents, Thomas and Sara, were taken to meet the king of the kingdom of Bhallys. And when the polite-looking old king had ordered the guards to bring the summoned heroes to the examining crystal, she had immediately volunteered to be the first to be examined. The blue screen that the examining crystal projected was full of hieroglyphs that Alice was sure Kalysto would have been very curious to decipher, but that no one in the audience chamber had any idea what they said. What is the meaning of this? the king had shouted, not at all happy to see it. I think her system is broken, Your Majesty, announced one of the court magicians, finding no other explanation. Before there was any other problem, the blonde rushed and had her grandmother do the test. And just as she had planned, they got the same result. Alice had to try hard not to smile in front of the annoyed king who had the crystal replaced immediately, claiming it was defective. But even with a new one, the result had been the same. Then it was her grandfathers turn. There was no surprise when the blue window revealed that his class was a farmer. For a man who had spent his whole life working in the fields, getting a different class would have been too surprising. Farmer? We go through so much hardship just to get a sick farmer when we have plenty of people willing to work the land? But the kings anger subsided soon after when he saw that Thomas Granthy, the young man Alice had been in love with in the past, was the hero they had been waiting for. Alice, knowing how much trouble Sara, the other young woman who had been summoned along with them and with whom Thomas was hopelessly in love, was, she hurried to ask the kings permission with all the manners and courtesy that she remembered reading in the authors books and which she knew would please the king. If Your Majesty is so magnanimous as to give me permission since my system does not work and neither my grandparents nor I would like to abuse your hospitality, I would like you to grant us the authorization to get a job in the city and settle down," she said, knowing very well how much the king cared about keeping up appearances and what would be the dark destiny that awaited Sara, who would be used to manipulate Thomas. But before the king had given her an answer, Sara began to shout. This is nothing but a vile kidnapping! I have rights and I will not go to fight against any demon king, or whatever that old man said! I refuse to be a slave of an obsolete and macho system! In fact, the young former medical student tried to run away, alarming not only the guards but also Thomas, who tried to follow her immediately. But the guards quickly stopped both. Boris, prepare a room for the young woman and her grandparents! Take care of creating their IDs, give the young woman a bag with gold, and take her to some guild to be stabilized. Lets see which one of them is willing to receive her! Ordered the king, pointing to Alice. ... At least shes willing to be useful to us in some way," he muttered under his breath, before turning to Sara and ordering the guards to lock her in a dungeon after the crystal indicated that she had no class. And take the boy to another room and keep an eye on him! Alice had taken advantage of the kindness her grandparents had always instilled in her, along with her angelic face, to befriend the guards guarding her room. They told her about Toms Inn, where many travelers and adventurers stayed when passing through town. It has good food, clean water, and the lodging is cheap," one of them assured her. But if your grandfather is a farmer, isnt it better to join the farmers guild or perhaps the merchants guild? Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. If there is one thing we have in abundance in Bhallys, it is food. They will starve to death if they become farmers! Why dont you try the adventurers guild, collecting medicinal plants or herbs for the potionists? You would have better luck there and the work is usually not difficult. Most of the adventurers tend to prefer the more risky missions because they give them more money, so you wont have as much competition," commented another of the guards. Four days later, Boris, seeing the effort she was making to integrate into his kingdom and learn their customs, gave her their papers and accompanied her to the city, where she followed the advice of the guards and settled in Toms inn and joined the adventurers guild, who, under Boris orders, informed him of all her movements within the guild. Two days later, they received news from the kingdom of Balsahty, informing them that they were also successful in the summoning of heroes but that as had happened to them, they had a hero without class and another with a broken system. So from then on the constant surveillance they had placed on her and her grandparents disappeared almost completely, allowing her to get them out of the palace. Alice, happy for the recent freedom she had acquired and seeing that they seemed to have disregarded her, took advantage when Thomas went to visit her after a heavy day of training and gave him her copy in Spanish of the book The Fall of the Hero, knowing that Kalysto would have no problem reading it, and asked him to give it to her if he met her at the party that the kingdom of Balsahty had invited them to. Of course, neither she, nor her grandparents or Sara had been directly informed of the party, or the invitation extended. Planning their escape in advance, Alice had added a short sentence in a language Kalysto had invented for the two of them, informing her of the false identity Alice had created for herself. And a couple of days later, while everyone was busy and drunk celebrating the heros arrival in the kingdom, Alice had taken the opportunity to escape in the middle of the night with her grandparents. But her elaborate plans fell apart a month later. When she went out to buy bread and some things needed for lunch with the brown wig that Kalysto had given her for last Halloween. And she learned that the capital, which was three cities south of the medium-sized town where she and her grandparents had settled, was under attack and a gigantic portal had appeared in the sky. Impossible! she thought. It was supposed to be more than five months away! We were supposed to have enough time for Kalysto to find us! Seeing the restlessness that flooded the village, after finding out what was needed and buying more food, Alice ran back to the furnished house they had rented. We have to go! she announced as she entered, after closing the door, Grandma, get the bags out and pack everything we need! But whats the matter? asked her grandmother as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her wet hands from washing vegetables on her apron. The capital was attacked! We have to get out of here before the monsters start invading this part of the kingdom! Werent we supposed to wait another month for Kalysto to arrive? worried her grandmother. Were two and a half days away from the capital. We shouldnt be in danger here. We can still wait a couple more days! Theres no time for that! Alice burst out. This shouldnt be happening now! Thomas was only supposed to go to the party in a few months and then he would spend it training together with the heroes that survived the summoning of the kingdom of Balsahty, but now everything changed! But what changed? insisted her grandmother, understanding only half of what she said, thanks to how fast her granddaughter was speaking. History, Grandma! History changed! Again with those books, mijita! I think youd better stop reading them for a while! She scolded her, full of concern. And Alice couldnt help but feel frustrated by her familys lack of cooperation. If Kalysto were here, shed be helping me pack by now!... She sighed. What was it that made the story change so much? Im sure my actions didnt have much impact, so it couldnt have been me... But if it wasnt me, then who? Have you heard the news? Her grandfather questioned as he walked through the door leading to the garden. Theyre saying that the capital was invaded by monsters! The Robinsons believe that now that a good part of the army has gone to the kingdom of Balsahty, the best thing to do is to stay away until the situation calms down. They leave at noon along with the vegetable order to the north. I think we should go with them! Grandfather is right, the safest thing for us is to go north! That leaves the kingdom of Thaluz, Zeer or Solis as our final destination. But Solis is right next to Balsahty and too close to the conflict to be safe! So either of the other two would be fine! Several hours later, the Duchy of Brincy. Kingdom of Balsahty. All the darkness that had surrounded the twentieth floor of the tower began to dissipate, revealing a grayish vaulted cave and two corridors leading to it. A strange creature with dark blue skin and covered in scales lay on the floor, its side pierced by a thick, long black crystal. And in front of her, a young woman watched her with a smile on her face. Her brown hair turned blacker with each passing minute. And so were her eyes. Dont worry, Kalysto," the young woman whispered softly, turning her face to the right, but there was no one there to answer her. Mommy is here! She added with a touch of irony, and I will take care of everything... now sleep... just sleep peacefully... I will see to it that no one interrupts your sweet sleep and a malicious smile spread on her face as another black crystal sprouted from her hand and she threw it against the terrified creature that minutes before had been torturing her body. Chapter 138 “An unexpected change.” Part 2 Chapter 138 An unexpected change. Part 2 Arkhas was having the time of his life. Not only had he leveled up to level ten while collecting materials for potions and killing those horrible carnivorous flowers that seemed to want to eat every part of him, especially his butt. But he had become a fire mage. And that was not all. Now, thanks to the ring that changed his skin color, and the other, which hid his prominent nose making it look a little smaller than it really was, he could walk freely among the human cities thanks to the false identity he had created for himself as an adventurer. He had even gotten a job as a potions apprentice. Arkhas was completely sure that if his parents could see him right now, they would be proud of him, since not only could he throw fireballs, but he was fooling humans while learning the secret art of making potions and mixing substances that could create wonderful explosions. Although his employer didnt agree with the latter, as he always scolded him and left him without dinner every time he caused an explosion. But thanks to the fact that Arkhas had invested all the extra points that the blue system gave him every time he leveled up in intelligence, it was getting easier and easier for him to learn the delicate art of mixing explosive substances and controlling how long it took for each mixture to create a reaction that would produce an explosion, even if his employer called them occasional accidents. Arkhas preferred to call them apprenticeships. So, when his employer sent him to the city of Cifha on an errand, Arkhas, after resting after the long journey and getting what he needed, took advantage of his short stature compared to the many humans that populated the overpopulated city, mixed his potions and left them hidden in various alleys while no one noticed him. Timing his times. The series of explosions shone from a distance like fireworks and the city of Cifha was bathed in fire a few minutes after he left, mounted on his horse. And as he watched the newly built city walls crumble, a sinister smile spread across his face, still covered by the hood of his cloak and the thick scarf he always wore. That morning, Arkhas rose to level thirty. The young goblin was sure that he was the most powerful goblin in the entire history of his people, and certainly of this world as well. I will become stronger, stronger than any goblin has ever been! Arkhas vowed to himself, I will never have to bow to others again! Whether human or any other species... No other goblin will ever have to do so again! By the time night fell and Arkhas returned to the home of his employer and potions master, two more villages had been reduced to ashes. And he was now level forty-two. Several hours earlier, in the duchy of Brincy. Kingdom of Balsahty. It was by a stroke of luck that Persephone found the bosss room after killing three of those blue creatures, although torturing would have been a better way to put it. And as soon as she crossed the double doors leading to the room, a black window appeared before her, taking her by surprise. [Warning! The user has entered the room of the boss on the twentieth floor of the dungeon!] Oh, I havent seen one of these for a long time! She exclaimed in surprise but still hurried to close it. Ill play with you later! She promised. She had learned a lot watching Kalysto from the shadows of her mind, but she needed to get out of this nasty, filthy place full of bugs that apparently didnt know such a basic concept as taking a shower on a regular basis. Wait a minute! You have a system and you never bothered to tell me? Kalysto grumbled. Kalystos body jumped, startled by the unexpected interruption. Are you awake? Since when? Persephone questioned, trying to conceal how surprised she was that Kalysto had regained consciousness so quickly. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Thats what I should be asking! Since when did you get a system? And why didnt I know that? You know youre starting to sound like that spoiled brat, Edward, right? She reproached with annoyance, grimacing as if she was disgusted by the thought of him. You should get rid of him once and for all! The weight of the oath no longer obliges you to help him after you saved his life and lost an arm in the process! And stop playing the good Samaritan and wanting to save the rest of that combo of dependent and ungrateful brats! I assure you that, theyll betray you as soon as they get the chance, so you should get rid of them as soon as possible too! Stop trying to distract me and answer what I asked you!... And dont ever compare me to Edward again! Its offensive! Ill keep that in mind," she replied while examining her nails. ... So... what did you mean by an oath?... As far as I remember, I never swore to protect him," Kalysto worried, not noticing Persephones smirk as she had fallen for her game. I mean Amanda..." she replied, whitening her eyes as she walked to the center of the illuminated room made of stone, but despite the minimalist decoration and the collection of lighted torches decorating the walls, it didnt look like there was anyone else there. The throne made of the same stone that decorated the floor and walls was empty at the end of the room. You do realize that shes only been using you as a replacement for her dead daughter, right? Even before her daughter died, she was projecting on you all the love and attention she always wanted to have in her relationship with her two sons and that neither of them deigned to give her. ... She didnt... I... forget it! .... And I didnt swear to her either! Didnt Daddy teach you that? Persephone asked in a sweet voice while pouting childishly. We always pay our debts," she whispered in a shadowy voice, as a wave of black smoke billowed out of her body, spreading across the room as she moved her fingers in a very subtle manner. The shadowy figure of the boss appeared behind her as the two doors leading into the room slammed shut. Preventing her from escaping. And as the six-foot monster prepared to attack her from behind in absolute silence, Persephone smiled. Oh, there was no need to hide, but I appreciate the effort to try to entertain me! She commented warmly as if greeting a cute little puppy that had come to greet her by wagging its tiny tail, trying to get her attention. And just as the monster lunged at her, three gigantic black crystal stakes emerged from the ground and clawed at its body. Impaling it in midair. With complete calmness, Persephone turned and watched the strange creature in front of her with cold attention. From its tiny nose, the small trail of drool coming from its mouth as it bared its sharp fangs, the king''s blue scales covering its entire body, and its deep black eyes fixed on her. And the terror reflected in them. Dont worry, little puppy, youll die soon enough! She comforted him with a tender smile as she approached him. Persephone, stop playing with him and give me back my body! Kalysto growled as she let out a prolonged sigh. But instead of obeying her, Persephone stretched out her hand, and just as Kalysto did when she summoned her daggers, Persephone conjured a black crystal sword while a smirk-laden smile lit up her face. ...So this dirty thing will give me a reward if I kill him, huh?... She commented, ignoring her request. Stop imitating me! Kalysto scolded her, beginning to despair at the attitude of the other part of herself. The others didnt give me anything, not even all the people I killed in that other city to help you the other time gave me something. Its unfair that they only give things to you! Thats favoritism! She complained, going from outrage to rage in a matter of less than a second. Is that because youre younger than me? She reproached quietly, sounding helpless all of a sudden. ... Kalysto sighed at her childish tantrum. He wont give you any reward because Ill be the one to kill him. And Ill thank you if you do not do what you did in that city again or youll get me in trouble with my current boss. Youll get us both killed if you keep calling attention like that! No, she wont. Not if I get stronger than her before she finds us," Persephone assured her, and a shiver ran through Kalysto as she heard her answer. Especially the ease and utter conviction with which she said it. Persephone cut off the monsters arms, who had been unsuccessfully trying to escape from the thick crystal stakes that held him prisoner, with a smooth swing of her new sword. The monsters screams echoed throughout the room as Persephone stabbed its stomach. Black-colored blood sprayed across the floor, splattering Persephones clothes, but she didnt even notice. What the hell is taking him so long to die? Shouldnt he be dead by now? Die already! The black-haired woman despaired as she could feel Kalystos presence, struggling to take control. Stop it, stop it at once! she shouted as her body stabbed the unprotected monster again. Kalysto, stop! Stop it at once! Stop it, damn it! She screamed as she continued stabbing the creature. Stop it! Tundra! Authors note: It is a pity that the ambiguity of the phrase Preventing her from escaping/ impidiendole escapar is lost in the translation, since in Spanish it can be said in a way that does not indicate the one who is not allowed to escape. So it also alludes to the fact that it is the monster who cannot escape from Persephone (as my great aunt would say when faced with the stupidity of a prey that leaves itself with no means of escape: The little boy is so cooperative, isnt he / tan colaborador el muchachito, ?no? ). Chapter 139 “An unexpected change.” Part 3 Chapter 139 An unexpected change. Part 3 The sun began to descend on the horizon while in both palaces of the kingdom of Balsahty, the servants vibrated with nervous energy as they made preparations for the royal couples early dinner. Where is the duke? Queen Tathiana questioned as one of her servants gave her hair a little touch-up, making sure everything was in order for the meeting with the king. Waiting at the agreed place," replied Tanya. Everyone is ready and waiting for your orders, your majesty. Its time to get moving, then," The beautiful and elegant woman snapped her fingers and one of the assassins who was part of the group of informants that her family had created generations ago, appeared before her. The informant, dressed completely in black and with his face partially covered, knelt before the queen. What has happened in the duchy? After news arrived at the dawn of the sighting of the demon king near the capital of Bhallys, the prince and his people set out on their return journey along with the saintess and most of the temple guards. What is known about my father? The duke and his army, in conjunction with some of the guards who stayed behind as representatives of the alliance, had to face a wyvern and a horde of monsters. I understood that the orc that controlled the portal escaped on a black dragon, we suspect that it is the same one that went through the summoning portal along with the heroes. However, the wyvern and the rest of the monsters were neutralized, and the duke was just now finishing grooming himself after being secretly brought back, my lady. What about Milo? We only know that he entered the tower along with the heroes and some guards, but since no one else has been able to enter the tower after them, it is impossible for us to know his status. However, after comparing the situation with what happened in the past with other towers, we found a record of a similar situation in a tower that seemed more than thirteen hundred years ago in the kingdom of Solis and according to our informants, when the tower is closed you must wait until the warriors who entered it conquer it... or the group is eliminated so that the next party of warriors is allowed to enter, noticing the sudden silence of the queen, the informant hurried to continue. The fact that the access is still blocked makes us believe that they are still alive, so it is only a matter of waiting for the marquis and the heroes to finish conquering the tower so they can leave. The queen closed her eyes and silently caressed the jewel of the ring in her hand, waiting for an answer that never came. Maybe hes too busy to answer me. She tried to convince herself, but she doubted that was the case. Milo had always had a soft spot for her and Tathiana knew that if anything serious happened, he would let her know right away so she wouldnt worry. However, she had already gone more than twelve hours without hearing from him. We will continue with the agenda as planned. the woman assured. And bring the Marquis of Tehro and his daughter to me as soon as my meeting with Medhas is over. Yes, Your Majesty. Meanwhile, in the kings palace, Medhas was sitting on his throne. His fist slammed against the arm of the kings majestic chair, annoyed that he had had to send more soldiers than he expected to the kingdom of Bhallys and that the day had been filled with one incident after another. Does it make any sense that I heard about the death of the new saintess and the sudden destruction of the city of Cifha and yet no one knows whats going on with that damn tower? At this point, Ill have to dispatch more soldiers just to find out if Milo and the other court mages didnt die at the hands of another horde of monsters! Send someone over there right away! Medhas growled, wanting to punch the incompetent guard who had come to give him a report. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Im surrounded by useless idiots! How can it be so hard to bring some order to this palace when Milo is not here? He complained to his old friend and advisor, Vellan Allfel. Im sure young Milo has run into his own collection of problems and thats why its taken him so long to report, your majesty. Just give him some more time. Something urgent must have happened for him not to have reported. I hope those brats didnt try to escape! he growled in response. I seem to recall that you yourself gave the order to put a tracking mark on the heroes before they left, your majesty. Ah, thats right! With everything thats been going on in the last few days, I had forgotten. At least something is going as planned," he sighed, suddenly remembering that he had sent his eldest daughter to the kingdom of Bhallys the night before, behind his wifes back. And he was sure the woman would arrive in a fury at any moment. By now, surely she must have rerouted our daughters carriage and taken her to safety inside my father-in-laws duchy. A problem for another day. He consoled himself. The only good thing about all this is that it will keep her busy while Lethicia returns after her meeting with the neutral faction. And with any luck, that would expand Lethicias and thus my future heir alliances.... I will finally be able to minimize Tathianas power within the kingdom. Suddenly, the doors of the audience hall opened wide, and a guard rushed in. Sire, your majesty! shouted the man, his face bathed in fear. But what is this insolence? Why have the guards guarding the door let you pass without announcing your presence or asking for my permission? Despite the kings scolding, the young warrior looked at him as if he were mad. Allfel, wanting to avoid a disaster, interfered. Whats going on, soldier? Why are you interrupting the kings hall like this and without permission? My lord, the Duke of Lanish and his army have entered the capital and surrounded the palace. I fear he is planning an invasion. What did you say? Medhas face turned from white to red in a matter of seconds. Guards! Guards! He shouted at the top of his lungs, wanting to demand an explanation, but no one came to meet him. Not even the two guards inside responded to his order. At that instant, the Duke of Lanish, followed by an army of his best warriors, came through the gates, each and every one of them clad in armor. And at the same time, the secret door through which Medhas sometimes entered or through which he sneaked his mistresses, suddenly opened, and Queen Tathiana, accompanied by her private guard and the Duke of Brincy, appeared. Oh! I seem to be just in time! exclaimed the queen with a courteous smile. However, she was wearing the uniform of the commander of her fathers duchy army. What is the meaning of this? The king demanded, his fists clenched as a small flare of fire erupted from within him, trying to look menacing. All the soldiers in the room, with the exception of the one who had come to inform the king, drew their weapons and brandished them at him. Even the two who had earlier appeared to be protecting him. But now, as Medhas watched them a little more closely, he realized that he did not recognize those faces. I think its pretty obvious," she replied with a smile, as she froze the kings hands with a simple flick of her wrist. Freezing the small flame he had managed to ignite, along with his hope. This, Medhas, is a rebellion. Three and a half hours earlier. In the duchy of Brincy, the kingdom of Balsahty. Tundra! A wave of ice froze everything within five meters of her, including the dark mana crystals that covered the ground. But despite having regained control of her body, the underside of her ice was black. Her heart clenched at the sight and she immediately closed her eyes. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself. [The skill ''Mental Defense'' has been activated.] Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Mana detection! She hurried to conjure, terrified at the thought of being contaminated by the black plague. And she checked her own body, looking for any diseased organs, but found none. Purification! Purification! she said again, pointing to the parts of her clothes splattered with blood until the stains were almost completely gone. Purification! Purification! Inventory! She added and pulled out two swords. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Purification! As soon as the ice and dark mana crystals evaporated, Kalysto immediately buried one sword in the monsters torso, where according to her Mana Detection skill its heart was, and with the other she slashed its neck. Chapter 140 “Conquering the tower.” Chapter 140 Conquering the tower. [Youve gained 3000 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 35!] [The boss on the 20th floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [The user has acquired the skill Dark Mana Creation as a reward and it has been added to her stats!] [The user has acquired +10 strength points and they have been added to her stats!]] [The user has gained +10 points of agility and it has been added to her stats!] [User has gained 1000 bonus experience points for participating in defeating the boss!] With her nerves on edge, Kalysto ended up jumping as the series of notifications appeared to her left and the rest of the group of heroes were teleported up to the bosss room. At least this time, it was easier to get my body back.magic. She consoled herself, although that didnt make her fear disappear completely. I need to find someone to teach me about mind magic, I need to raise my barrier level... its the only way to be sure I wont lose control of my body again. A wave of fear settled in her stomach as she remembered what Persephone had said about assassinating the queen. And if somehow the system interprets that as a violation of my contract... Ill be dead. The hairs on her arms stood on end and her blood seemed to turn to ice at the very thought. Too deep in her own thoughts, it took her a few minutes to pay attention to what the newly arrived heroes were doing. And for a few seconds, no one spoke. Did you kill a boss again? Gideon grunted. When is it going to be our turn to do it? Do you plan to keep all the good stuff for yourself and leave absolutely nothing for the others? Gideon is right! We have the right to grow and become stronger, too! You must give us the chance to do so! Edward joined in. Kalysto could almost feel that she was about to get a bad migraine. She let out a growl, annoyed at the level of stupidity of those two and turned to look at each of their faces, suddenly feeling them as a burden she no longer wanted to have and as a problem that paled in comparison to everything else she was facing. Do you want to kill monsters and get stronger? She questioned in a silky voice after peppering them with her gaze, causing the blond to instinctively take a step back. Yes!" Edward replied confidently, feeling supported by Gideon and completely sure that Kalysto would never hurt him. Yes? Great! she said, her voice full of irony. Then do it when we get out of here, because I dont have time for you anymore! Stealth! She thought and immediately positioned herself behind Edward and Gideon, placing one hand on the back of each of their necks. Sleep well! Sleep well! She mentally conjured, and both young men closed their eyes. By the time their bodies fell to the ground, Kalysto was already behind Gabriel and Emanuel. Sleep well! Sleep well! And she repeated the process. Kalysto? Rita questioned, worried. Whats going on? Is everything all right? Are they all right? Koden rushed to touch Edwards neck and check his vital signs, then exhaled with relief that his friend was still alive. Oscar, for his part, immediately pulled out two daggers, alert for any movement that would indicate that it was his turn to be attacked. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Whatever you did with them, I assure you it wont be so easy for you to do the same to me! said the dark-haired man. But Im already doing it," answered Kalysto as she deactivated the stealth skill and her silhouette appeared right behind Oscar as she held them by the back of the neck. Sleep well! Sleep well! You have nothing to worry about, theyre fine. I just had to put them to sleep to get them out of the way," she added, looking at Rita and Koden. Whats wrong? Koden worried as he saw the sudden tension in her and her change of attitude. ...We have to get out of here, immediately," answered Kalysto, causing fear and worry to shine on the faces of the other two heroes. She instead grabbed Emanuel and Gideon by the belt of their pants and pulled them through the blue portal that would take them to the next level. Then she picked Gabriel up a little more gently. Kalysto, what happened? Is your boss summoning you? Rita wanted to know, as she hugged Oscars sleeping body. The look Kalytso gave them, full of anguish and worry, made them think it was so. No, something even worse... Kalysto thought. At any moment I myself could become a danger to you... Could you help carry the rest? As I said before, we have to get out of here as soon as possible Koden and Rita rushed to grab the other two heroes and while they were doing it, Kalysto went through the portal and deposited Gabriel on the ground, on top of the other heroes. [Warning! The user has entered the twenty-first floor of the dungeon!] Ignoring the welcome screen, Kalysto immediately stepped a bit away from the portal as she pulled the communication crystal out of her inventory. Caranthir! Caranthir, answer! The elf took a few seconds to respond. Yes, sa..." but Kalysto didnt let him finish the sentence, not wanting Koden and Rita, who had just arrived to hear about her other class. I just finished the 20th floor, Im not sure how far I have to go to conquer the rest of the tower but it shouldnt be much," she informed, Whatever youre doing, finish it quickly and come to the meeting point I indicated before. Well be waiting for you, she whispered, but as she had expected, the other two were quite attentive to her conversation. I still dont have enough mana potions ready," answered the elf just as she was trying to put the crystal back into her inventory. Bring the ones you have. As long as we can leave them in the kingdom of Solis, it will be more than enough," she grunted before putting it away. Who was that? Rita asked. The one who will help us escape from this kingdom," she clarified. However, I warn you that he is not human, so if you see any discrepancy in his appearance, please do me a favor and do not comment on it. Not all species are friendly to humans. Okay, they replied at the same time. But are you sure hes going to help us? Koden worried as he put Edwards body on the ground, along with the others. Rita imitated him, but unlike Koden, she was much more careful with Oscars body. He and I have a deal, he will do his part or I wont do mine," the other two nodded their heads, understanding what she meant. From now on, things will be a bit chaotic," she warned them. You will have to take the rest while I take care of eliminating the monsters and conquering the floors that are needed. Once we get out of the tower, Rita, I need you to launch a great flare of fire into the sky at the moment I tell you to do so Rita immediately nodded her head. Count me in! The blonde encouraged herself, already wanting to get out of there, breathe some fresh air, eat and get some sleep. That will serve as a signal to locate us, but most likely, we will have to move in small groups. He will teleport us to two cities in the kingdom of Solis. And once we are there, he will help us create your IDs, and you will register in the adventurers guild, so you wont have so many problems and you will be able to get work and money to support yourselves. Maybe I can get you a place to sleep for a few days, but technically from the moment we take you to Solis, you will all be on your own, she clarified. Then its true that you have to go," Koden commented. I told you from the beginning that I had a work contract. In fact, I had spent too much time with you," she clarified. Besides, this morning my boss got upset and ordered me to come back. I barely managed to get a little extra time to help you escape. And you wasted it with us instead of going to find your best friend," Rita realized. ... Exactly," she exhaled. And although she was well aware that they would have died if she wasnt helping them escape, at the same time, she felt bad that she wasnt looking for Alice instead of helping them. Just a couple more hours. She tried to convince herself. Just a little longer and Ill be able to find her. ... Im sorry," Koden apologized. Despite all you have done for us, the others.... I thank you on behalf of the rest of the group for all you have done for us. I mean it. Most of us would have died if it werent for you," commented Rita, taking her hand and squeezing it comradeship. Thank you. I have no way to thank you for everything youve done for me. Well find something later for that. For the moment, stay alive and until we get out of the tower, help me carry the rest," she commented before turning and inspecting the lonely stone corridor they were in. Several lit torches illuminated each side of the corridor every few meters. Even so, after the whole situation with the specters breaking through the walls, Kalysto preferred to make sure they were as alone as they thought they were. Map! she whispered. And hundreds of red dots glowed about twenty meters in front of them. Chapter 141 “Conquering the tower.” Part 2 Chapter 141 Conquering the tower. Part 2 Koden was worried. The rotten smell hit his nose long before he could notice the large number of dried bloodstains staining the walls on either side of the stone corridor. But that wasnt the strangest thing of all. What really bothered him was the sudden change in Kalystos attitude. He had already seen her during a summons and knew that that could not be the reason for her strange attitude. Something else had to be going on. And while Koden was internally debating what was really going on, he noticed that both the hair and the eye color of the captain of the athletics team were much darker than usual. He frowned at the strangeness of it, but just as he was about to ask Rita about it, Kalysto created a wall of ice almost two meters high and jumped over it. It was when he saw her run over the ice with a huge axe in her hand and get lost inside the corridor, that he realized that while she continued to freeze the path as she advanced he began to see how little by little where he thought there was only frozen air, a group of humanoid figures dressed completely in black and with their faces covered appeared inside the ice, holding a dagger in each of their four hands. An ambush," Rita suddenly whispered. They had set up an ambush for us...hence the large collection of blood on the walls. The saliva in his mouth felt thick and heavy all of a sudden. Once again, they were safe, thanks to Kalysto. And Koden decided it was best to stop worrying about her sudden change in attitude. Whatever it was that was bothering her, it was best to leave her alone. By the time Koden and Rita were finally able to carry the bodies of the other heroes up the ice road and reach the bosss room, worried that being unconscious they might be left behind, Kalysto had long since defeated him. Lets go to the next floor! She informed them, grabbing Emanuel and Gideon by the belt of their pants and pulling them to the other side of the blue portal that opened after the boss defeat. And while Rita and Koden carried Edward and Oscar respectively, she carried Gabriel. [Warning! The user has entered the 22nd floor of the dungeon!] A plethora of flowers and giant mushrooms welcomed them to a colorful open field whose sky was beginning to be painted with the colors of sunset. Map! A huge red dot glowed in the distance of her violet window, while some red dots scattered well over the wide valley remained motionless several meters away. Stay here! You know what to do in case someone approaches! Yes!" They both said in unison. With her axe bathed in the blood of the previous boss, Kalysto ran along the path surrounded by flowers and mushrooms, seeking to approach the red dot that she knew was the boss of the floor, suspecting that if she got rid of him, the portal to the next floor would open even if she didnt waste time killing the rest of the monsters. It was after she had run about fifty meters that the mushrooms lining the path began to spew a grayish-green gas which spread rapidly in all directions. Without giving her time to escape. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She immediately conjured several times, inwardly grateful that she was far enough away so that the other two could not see the golden light of her skill fading that mysterious gas. Ezhil Purification! She conjured again as she ran, increasing her speed until she reached a giant flower more than fifteen meters high, whose colored petals had the same shape as the lilies but whose proud leaves moved like whips beating to the rhythm of a music she could not hear. Ezhil Purification! She tried, but the mysterious flower was unaffected by her spell. Inventory! She switched tabs and put away the axe she had taken from the Minotaur and pulled out a mana crystal. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] Fire blast! And she proceeded to set the flower on fire. Immediately, the leaves on the flowers thick, long stem began to try to whip her, but she was far enough away that they couldnt reach her. And the flower changed its strategy as the fire bathed its trunk and delicate leaves, and from its center began to spread a grayish-green smoke, much darker than that of the mushrooms she had seen on the road. Holy crap!She she thought, seeing that soon after the few mushrooms that were in the vicinity also joined the flowers attack and began to spread their poison. Kalysto redirected her fire at them, but it was too late. A coughing fit engulfed her just before the smoke touched her feet. Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! she thought. And she immediately pulled out a small bottle of holy water and drank it on the spot. Ezhil Purification! Tundra! Ice creation! She conjured right after running in the direction of the gigantic flower to spread her ice several meters beyond it and freeze even the surrounding mushrooms and other plants to avoid future surprises. Then she took the axe out of her inventory. First she cut off its leaves, which left more room for her to cut the stalk. Purification Ezhil! She continued conjuring as she cut the frozen flower, which finally fell apart. Its petals shattering into ice shards after hitting the hard ground. [The boss of the 22nd floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [You have gained 3500 experience points!] [The user has acquired the skill Poison Resistance as a reward and it has been added to her stats!] [The user has gained 1000 bonus experience points for participating in the defeat of the boss!] [The user has acquired +5 vitality points and they have been added to her stats!] [The user has gained +5 stamina points, and they have been added to her stats!]] So that was poison... while she checked what she had gained, the rest of the heroes were teleported to where she was and the portal to the next floor opened. It was another two and a half hours before they reached the thirtieth floor. [Warning! The user has entered the last floor of the dungeon!] Several lit torches illuminated each side of the wide and very spacious corridor. Several meters farther down, ten chimeras and five minotaurs guarded the double doors to the entrance of the floor bosss room. Rita, keep an eye out in case one of them gets away from me! Koden, keep your shield up in case something goes wrong! Kalysto, mace in one hand and axe in the other, threw herself into the fray. She threw the mace at the face of the nearest chimera at the same time she leapt at the face of a Minotaur and buried the axe in its head. [Youve gained 3000 experience points!] And as the monster fell to the ground, she held the axe with one hand and one of its horns with the other. Then she conjured. Fire blast! And after burning two Minotaurs and a chimera, the rest of the group threw themselves against her. Tundra! -Before the chimeras recovered, Kalysto chopped off their legs and with the opposite side of the axes edge, split their heads, still frozen. Then she ran to where she had thrown the mace and hit the heads of the four remaining minotaurs with force. [You have gained 3000 experience points!] x4 Ice Manipulation! Earth Manipulation! After melting the ice that covered the ten chimeras and from which some of them were already melting, Kalysto softened the earth underneath them, turning them into wet quicksand from which rock puddles came out and buried themselves in their bodies. Water creation! Lightning! [Youve gained 3500 experience points!] x5 Earth Manipulation! After electrocuting them, she made one of the walls transform into sharp spikes that pierced through the remaining chimeras bodies. [You have gained 3000 experience points!] x5 Then, after waiting a couple of minutes while her skills cooled down, she drank a revitalizing potion and took a mana stone from her inventory. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought and advanced to the double doors of the last room that would lead her to freedom. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] [Warning! The user has entered the bosss room on the top floor of the dungeon!] Only a six-meter-tall creature was waiting for her inside the spacious room. Chapter 142 “Conquering the tower.” Part 3 Chapter 142 Conquering the tower. Part 3 The two doors opened before her and as soon as she stepped into the room, a new window appeared before her. [Warning! The user has entered the bosss room on the top floor of the dungeon!] Inside the spacious room, only a six-meter-tall creature was waiting for her right in the center of the room. Its huge two-headed body prevented her from approaching the marble altar in the background, above which a black crystal sphere floated. From which a thin swirl of black smoke was beginning to be drawn above it. And something within that unnatural swirl of darkness stirred something inside her, drawing her to it in a very silent invitation that echoed loudly within her. A shiver ran down her back. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, the palms of her hands began to sweat, and her stomach shrank in response. And as fear churned her insides, urging her to flee, the presence of Persephone, stirred in the depths of her mind. The roar emitted by the Sajhun helped to bring her out of the strange reaction that thing caused in her, allowing her to finally take her eyes off it. [The user is under the attack of the skill Fear and her defense dropped by 50% in all her stats.] [The skill Mental Defense has withstood the attack and all her stats have returned to normal.] What the hell was that? Kalysto worried for a second, while internally thanking the monster in front of her for his timely intervention. Though she didnt need to inspect him to recognize what race he belonged to. Not when his lower arms were dripping with the plague. The Sajhun rushed towards her quickly when he saw that his mental attack had no effect, with a fist raised and ready to strike her as one of his heads breathed in sharply and the instant Kalysto evaded his fist, a flare of fire erupted from the Sajhuns mouth. Absolute immunity to fire! She thought as she failed to dodge the attack completely and half of her pants were scorched to a crisp. Only her shoes and most of her shirt were still useful. But the Sajhun didnt give her time to counterattack, and while one head rested during the waiting time of his skill, the other grunted and took a deep breath while throwing several punches towards Kalysto, who evaded them with ease. And just as she raised her axe to counter his attack, the second head blew, and a swirl of wind blew her away from him, sending her crashing into the wall next to the now-closed entrance doors. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Kalysto growled as she saw the Sajhun hurling himself at her again and her new axe lying in the enemys hands. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! But the most curious thing of all was not to see the Sajhun stumble and lose his balance as his arms faded under the golden light of her skills making him lose control over the stolen axe, but this time although Dispel did not work against him, it did seem to work against the swirl of black smoke that had begun to form on top of the crystal that was on top of the altar. And whose shape had begun to resemble that of a large eye. But Kalysto could not continue questioning the loss of the shape of that thing since the Sajhun returned to lunge against her while the arms of that creature began to regenerate again. Ice arrows! She conjured, and as soon as the enemy evaded the first one and hit the second one, with what was left of its arm still regenerating, she saw him get confident and prepare to hit the third one, then she whispered. Ice stakes! Ice spear! And the creature, confident that it could evade her next attacks, struck the stakes, but as it did the same with the spear, it pierced his arm to his shoulder. The Sajhun screamed in pain and immediately Kalysto jumped on him. Inventory! She thought, pulling out the mace she took from the Minotaur and striking the head that threw swirling winds, crushing half of his face and disfiguring it with a single blow. A punch flew towards her at the same time as the other head launched a flare of fire towards her, but she managed to evade them both and jumped towards one of the corners of the room as soon as the Sajhun ran towards her, Kalysto dropped the mace and after standing all the way around the corner she touched both walls and waited until the Sajhun reached her. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Earth manipulation! She chanted and transformed the walls into stone spikes that dug into the arms and torso of her enemy. Leaving him trapped. Kalysto grabbed the mace and jumped, escaping the trap she had prepared. Then she retrieved her axe and put the mace in her inventory. Ezhil Purification! Lightning! She conjured and then leaped onto the Sajhuns back and buried the axe in the skull of the fire-breathing head. Then she cut off his legs, his arms, and then the second head. Why the hell do you all have to be so hard to kill? Just die already! She growled, not noticing that the swirl of smoke above the black glass had formed again. It was when she buried the axe between the small space separating the two necks that a series of notifications appeared before her. [You have gained 5000 experience points!] [Youve leveled up!] [The user is now level 37!] [The boss on the last floor of the dungeon has been defeated!] [The user has acquired the skill fire immunity as a reward and it has been added to her stats!] [Error! The user already possesses a similar skill at a higher level. The skill fire immunity has been absorbed by the skill Absolute fire immunity (Legendary) and has been raised to level 3!]] [The user has acquired Rune of Eternal Youth as a reward and has been added to her inventory!] [The user has acquired the title Tower Conqueror and all her stats have increased by 10 points!] [The user has gained 1000 extra experience points for participating in defeating the boss!]] Feeling curious about the rune, she pulled it out of her inventory. [Does the user wish to absorb this Rune of Eternal Youth?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought with some curiosity. [Congratulations! The user has learned the passive skill Eternal Youth. Level 1!] Uninterested in her new skill, she turned towards her enemys body. Earth Manipulation! Immediately Kalysto removed the stone stakes from the Sajhuns body, kept the axe in her inventory and as soon as the creatures body fell to the ground, she kicked it, knocking it on its back and pulled out a sword with penetration stats from her inventory. And without even noticing that, unlike the previous times, the rest of the heroes were not teleported to the bosss room as soon as she killed it, she began to search for the monsters core. Nor did she notice that the swirl of black smoke transformed into a huge closed eye twice the size of her own head. Too focused on getting the core out of the Sajhun before someone else took it from her, she didnt even hear the footsteps of Koden and Rita as soon as they entered the room and found her with her clothes partially burned and the blood of the enemy on her body. Kalysto, with her back to them, did not even flinch at their arrival. Instead, as soon as she finally managed to get the Sajhuns core out of her body, she immediately absorbed it. [Does the user wish to absorb this Sajhuns core?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought, full of excitement at the prospect of acquiring a new attack skill. [Congratulations, the user has acquired the skill Wind Swirl Level 1!] Happy about her new skill, Kalysto smiled. Kalysto? Uh...I think hes already dead...as in as of a minute or so ago," Rita commented. Kalysto was surprised to see them inside the room, suddenly noticing the blue portal near the door that would lead them to freedom, but feeling a tug inside her, her gaze was immediately drawn to the black crystal still hovering above the marble altar that the Sajhun had so jealously guarded. Kalysto, could you help us get the rest of the boys out of the portal, please?... Kalysto? interrupted Koden, but the former captain of the athletics team seemed hypnotized by the dark orb and the creepy closed eye floating above it. And when he wanted to approach her and touch her shoulder, Rita stopped him. Leave her alone. You know she likes to collect things. Lets concentrate on getting the others out of here quickly," she insisted, not wanting to interrupt her. And while they did so, taking advantage of the proximity of the portal to the entrance door of the room, Rita helped support a twin on each of Kodens arms while she carried Emanuel and they imitated what Kalysto had done with them, throwing them through the portal. Then it was the turn of Oscar and Edward, who went through the portal along with Koden. Meanwhile, Kalysto advanced as if hypnotized by the song of a siren to the altar. But when she was about to touch the black crystal sphere the size of two clenched fists, the dark eyelid covering the eye disappeared. Revealing an immense eye, whose gaze immediately fell on her. A pressure far more powerful than the one she had experienced with the queen flooded the room, preventing her from breathing. And all the air escaped from her lungs. Her knees trembled and buckled, unable to support her weight. Beads of sweat bathed her forehead as she struggled to get some air and fight the powerful pressure that squeezed her to her core. Kalysto thought she was going to die. What had begun as a calling, an attraction she couldnt resist, quickly morphed into pure, raw hostility. But then, suddenly, Persephone stirred inside her urging her to let her out, and as she struggled to keep her at bay and maintain control of her body, the hairs on the back of her neck and her arms stood on end as she realized something wasnt right. It was then that terror coursed through her body as she realized that Persephones energy, began to resonate with that of it. As if she recognized it. Chapter 143 “The Escape.” Chapter 143 The Escape. Authors note: Hi, this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I hope you enjoy it. The darkness stirred inside her. Black spots covered Kalystos skin as a thin thread of black smoke slithered like a snake down each of her arms until it reached her trembling hands, without touching the tattoo of the fairy goddess-queen whose glow seemed to increase as the surrounding darkness grew stronger and stronger. To then try to join the gigantic eye that watched her. Kalystos stomach churned at the chilling scene as all thought completely left her mind as her entire body trembled and her heart shrank in her chest. The temperature dropped several degrees in less than a split second, and Kalysto felt as if her body was made of pure ice. She could barely get a breath of air into her lungs when the two strands of black smoke that erupted from her body tried to connect with the tentacle of dark mana that was born from the giant eye. Nooo!" she screamed, feeling the pain in her scratchy throat as her voice left her body. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She thought, full of terror at the thought of what the thing could do to her if it touched her. At the mere possibility of losing her power or her systems. Or even worse. At the power Persephone could have if she let it connect with it. The thought of disappearing into the depths of her own mind was terrifying. Is this why the queen wont let me heal myself? She couldnt help but think. Is this why she distrusts me so much? The thought traveled through her troubled mind and fear spread throughout her body as hundreds of other thoughts raced through her mind in a matter of milliseconds. As the golden light of her skills bathed the room. But as the wisps of smoke that wiped from her dissipated, the black tentacle of the eye only froze. A deafening silence reigned. And for less than a second, the hostility of that presence ceased completely. Immediately, without having time to think, Kalysto simply reacted and tried to get up. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Her legs protested the sudden weight, and she almost fell again, but that didnt stop her. Despite the protests of her aching body, she rushed towards the black crystal sphere and took it in her hands. And at that very moment, three screens, one violet, one blue and one black, appeared before her. [Warning! The user is about to remove the core from the dungeon! If the core is removed, this action cannot be undone: the monsters inside the dungeon will stop regenerating and the tower will be destroyed! ] [Are you sure you want to remove the core from the dungeon?] [YES/NO] And while the blue and black screens gave the same information, the purple one offered one more option: [Does the user wish to absorb this dungeon core?] [YES/NO] Surprised at the appearance of a system she was unfamiliar with, it took her almost half a second to react. Noticing out of the corner of her eye that the black tentacle of the eye began to tremble. And without thinking, she touched the violet screen and selected yes. At the same time, she turned and ran towards the exit with the core clutched tightly between her two hands, only to find Rita passed out on the floor near the portal. And before she could get close to her, another window appeared at the same time as the core turned to ashes between her hands, escaping between her fingers. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new active skill, Regeneration. Level 1 !] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new passive skill, Absolute immunity to black plague. Level 1 !] The walls of the tower began to shake, as did the ground. Kalysto stumbled and closed the windows just in time before falling and crashing into the Sajhuns body. She barely had time to steady herself when another series of blue and violet windows appeared before her. [Warning! The core has been removed! All floors of the tower will be closed in one minute and the tower will be destroyed!] [Warning! All life forms inside the tower will be forcibly ejected in 59 seconds!] A new window with a countdown appeared before her. [00:58] And as the counter ticked down another second, Kalysto ran to where Ritas body was lying when a strong dizziness overtook her, making her stumble and fall on top of the blonde. Her body suddenly felt heavy and her eyes began to close. [00:50] Shit, not now! This is no time for the reaction that comes every time I absorb a crystal that isnt small! She was annoyed. And taking advantage of the fact that she still had the window of her inventory open, she took out a revitalizing potion and drank it in one sip while forcing herself to stay awake and get up as much as she took in Ritas body. But even after drinking the potion, her body barely seemed to respond to the commands her brain was giving her. <> Persephone growled suddenly, causing her body to stop right in front of the still active blue portal. [00:32] <> No," she muttered and her voice sounded raspy and worn. As if she had been screaming for hours without any rest. [00:28] <> And as her own body turned, disobeying her orders and obeying Persephones, Kalysto growled. Stop getting in my way and shut the hell up! she shouted at that other part of herself. Come on, Kalysto! Get a hold of yourself! She scolded herself. And the particular cold that washed over her from head to toe almost felt like the warm embrace of a beloved grandmother, though she never had one. And she had to settle for the memory of the warmth and affection Alicias grandparents always gave her. [00:04] [The skill Mental defense has been activated.] And as silence reigned in her mind, Kalysto threw Rita through the portal, at the same time as she staggered to it and through it. Chapter 144 “The Escape.” Part 2 Chapter 144 The Escape. Part 2 Kalystos stomach churned as she stepped through the portal. Her foot stumbled and Koden rushed to catch her before she fell on the cool grass. Are you all right? What happened? You look pale! the tank worried. My stomach," complained Rita, still on the ground after passing through the portal. What the hell happened to you two in there? insisted Koden with a frown. There was another monster hiding in there. I thought we were going to die," answered Rita. But I saw the sign announcing the bosss defeat, plus the portal opened just like the other floors! I even leveled up! Good for you," muttered Kalysto, as she stood up and the strong dizziness that overwhelmed her began to subside. Are you all right? He asked again, How can I help you? Let me know when its ten minutes to take another potion, please, answered Kalysto. I dont have a watch..." the young man worried and looked at the rest of the heroes, who were still sleeping while he looked for a solution. Rita? Here," murmured the blonde, raising the hand in which she had her watch and Koden immediately approached her and helped her lean against a nearby rock while he looked at the time, taking advantage of the fact that the sun had not yet finished setting while the sky was tinged with different colors. Then Kalysto pulled out the communication crystal. Caranthir, were already outside the tower! And this time, unlike the previous occasions, the elf answered immediately. I can see the tower crumbling and some monsters fleeing, but I dont see you. Just give me a second," she murmured and then looked at Rita, but in the bad state she was in, she doubted that the cheerful blonde could help them. Then she took out a mana crystal. And before she could summon the absorption ability, the window activated on its own. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as a pitiful moan escaped from her throat. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3500 MP!] Look to the sky, and follow the pillar of fire," she warned him. But before activating her skills, she thought it would be better to wake up the other heroes. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She added in a low whisper at the last minute, worried that there might be some remnants of the poisonous smoke on them. Rita, your mark is gone! The tank was surprised and immediately checked the mark the wizards had placed on his shoulder, but just like Ritas, it disappeared before his eyes. Then they both looked at Kalysto, who immediately put a finger on her lips, asking them not to say anything about it. Thank you," he whispered. Thank you, for everything really," added Rita, and Kalysto nodded her head. Fire blast! She conjured and while little by little the heroes woke up and the golden light of their skills began to disappear at the same time that a huge puff of fire came out of her mouth and headed towards the sky. Less than a second later, a human-looking wizard appeared before them with a bow and a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back. His long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his beautiful blue eyes were fixed on Kalysto. Sain..." he began to greet her as he bowed his head, but Kalysto interrupted him immediately. No, now," she said, How many of us can you take in one trip? If it were a shorter trip, I could take them all, but Solis is a long way from here. Normally, it would take a couple of days to get there on horseback. I have prepared in advance a room from which we can show up. In that case, Kalysto nodded towards the elf and then turned and looked at the rest of the group who were just starting to wake up, Koden, bring Oscar here! Rita, Koden, Oscar and I will be the last ones! The rest, Caranthir, will take you to a safe place! And without waiting for the response from the rest, Caranthir immediately approached the group of youngsters and cast the teleportation spell that took them to the room he had rented a few hours ago. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As soon as they got there, Caranthir pulled out a one-liter mana potion and drank half of it in a couple of gulps before casting the spell again and returning to where the fairy champion was. Everything ready? Kalytso asked as soon as he appeared before them. Yes, madam. Then lets waste no time and get us out of here immediately, she ordered. What the hell happened to the tower? Gideon demanded as soon as they appeared. And who is this guy? Where are we? -Edward questioned. What happened? -Gabriel asked. We escaped from the tower, thats what happened," answered Kalysto and before the rest interrupted her she added, We need to clarify some things, she announced with a serious tone, looking each of them in the eyes and giving them to understand that she was not willing to tolerate any interruption. Since we have escaped from the kingdom of Balsahty, what you do with your lives from now on is your problem. But I recommend that you travel north and stay as far away as you can from Balsahty and its people. I will help you to enroll in the adventurers guild so you can have a way to survive in this world, I suggest you take advantage of the opportunity but I warn you that from now on you must forget your names, you can use your maternal surnames and if you have a middle name or a nickname, use it and get used to use your new identities. It would be completely stupid if the people of Balsahty caught you for using your real names. Are you going to abandon us here? Edward was shocked. Didnt you want to prove your worth a while ago? she questioned, arching an eyebrow. And Edward nodded sheepishly. Yes, but that doesnt mean that... Then become adventurers and prove your strength and courage for yourselves," Kalysto interrupted him. I dont have to carry any of you. Edward looked down as she headed for the exit. What will you do from now on? He asked and Kalysto let out a long sigh before answering as she opened the door. What I do or dont do with my life Edward, is, and will always be, my problem and no one elses." then she turned and looked over her shoulder at them. I suggest you come with us and register before I leave and decide not to pay for your guild registration. It is not free Caranthir, we are leaving," she said, and the elf hurried after her, followed by Koden and Rita, who grabbed Oscars hand and pulled him with her. After they went to a trading house where Rita, Oscar, Koden, and Kalysto took the opportunity to sell the things they had looted from the tower and get some gold, the saintess took the opportunity to sell two of the swords she had looted from the army that invaded the capital the day they arrived in Elinor to make sure she had enough money to cover everyones expenses. Then they headed to the adventurers guild, where she paid for the registration of the rest of the heroes, along with their new IDs. Arent you going to register? Rita asked. We still have to find a cheap place for you to stay for a few days while you start earning money The blondes cheeks turned red and before she or Koden could object, she added. Dont worry about me. Ill register later. " Then she turned to Caranthir. Is there a place for them to sleep that is cheap and safe? The elf watched her silently for a long moment before answering. I think there is a place that might fit what you are looking for," he answered. And they all walked to the entrance of an inn. Do you expect us to stay in this pigsty? Gideon complained as he saw the old wooden sign and the smell of rancid beer and sweat hit his delicate nose. The one we were in before was much better! If you have a gold coin to go and pay for it, go ahead. Im not going to stop you," Kalysto replied before entering and standing in front of the innkeeper, who was cleaning a glass tumbler with an old rag. How can I help you? said the man in his forties with muscular arms. How much to rent a room with food included for a week? asked the saintess. For how many people? Asked the man, looking at each member of the group. Seven. Mmm...I have one room with two bunk beds that is available, otherwise I only have one room with a double bed and two rooms for one person. If you are only going to take one of the singles, I can let you have all three for two silver coins with three meals a day included. I will take them," answered Kalysto and the man handed her three keys as she placed the two silver coins on the counter. Second floor at the back and to the right," he announced. The lunch is served at noon and dinner at seven oclock. Breakfast is ready at six in the morning. Thank you." after walking away from the counter, Kalysto turned to the group. And hugged Rita. Ill see you and Koden in two weeks. If youre going to change places, leave the reason with the innkeeper," she whispered in her ear and handed her the key to the room with the double bed. Again, I dont know how I can thank you for all you have done for me. I hope you find your friend soon," she whispered. I imagine you and Oscar will take the opportunity to make up," she murmured mischievously, making the blonde blush. Kalysto! she scolded her, but that only made the saintess laugh harder. Dont forget to invite me to the wedding," she teased before approaching the tank. See you in two weeks, she said to Koden after handing him the key to the room with a single bed. I hope everything goes as you expect. And thank you for everything," he replied in a solemn voice and with a bit of awkwardness, as he scratched the back of his neck. Thank you for your good wishes. Then Kalysto turned to Edward and handed him the key to the four-person room. This will be the last favor I do for you. After this, never expect anything free from me again," the young man looked down, with a mixture of sadness and shame in his eyes, and just nodded his head. And why does Koden have a room all to himself? Gideon complained and Emanuel nodded his head in agreement with the blond. Work and pay for yours if you want one," replied Kalysto reluctantly, tired of Gideons spoiled rich boy attitude and Emanuels hypocrisy, who had just stopped ignoring her and started talking to her when they reached the tower. Goodbye, she added, approaching the elf. A few seconds after leaving the inn, Caranthir turned to her, waiting for her next order. But after having used the elf as a magic cab to teleport through every city in the kingdoms of Solis, Zeer and Thaluz, and checking every adventurers guild office in them for the next twenty-four hours, they had not found a single trace of Alice or her grandparents. Chapter 145 “Without a trace.” Chapter 145 Without a trace. Kalysto knew that Alice was not foolish enough to stay in the kingdom of Bhallys, knowing that it would be continually attacked by hordes of monsters for the next few months and the entire territory would disappear soon after Thomas death. Much less to use her real name, knowing that the king and his subjects would use it to search for her. So again, she pulled out the book Thomas had given her and opened it to the last page, where Alices handwriting stood out on a blank page. Jean Gray and Hella hunting together through the multiverse. By the way, Im wearing what you gave me last Halloween. Att Wanda. The fairy champion frowned at the message her best friend had written to her in a code they had invented years ago to communicate with each other when Alices very meddling roommate was still alive. What did I give her last Halloween? She struggled to remember as she looked at the message and felt tiredness take its toll. It was long after she saw Wandas name for a few seconds that she remembered that Alice had won the bet between them and dressed up as Wanda Maximoff, for which she had given her a brown wig. And although Hella is my favorite character among those three, Alice always said that I had much more in common, psychologically speaking, with Jean Grey than with Hella because of the double persona thing... So she must be pretending to be Wanda or Hella. Although Kalysto never liked the comparison that the psychology student had made on more than one occasion. Since Alice signed the note as Wanda, that leaves Hella as the most likely option, given the multiverse clue. But, wanting to be sure, she preferred to use the excuse that she was looking for her missing twin sisters. Its been a little over a month since we arrived in this world, she could be practically anywhere... although the most logical thing to do is to go north, or live as close to fairy territory as possible... at least thats what I would have done in her place. She thought. And thats why she spent the next two hours looking for Alice in the ten offices of the Adventurers Guild that were all over the kingdom of Solis. Im sorry I cant help you, sir. But we have no record in the entire kingdom of Solis of any female adventurer registered with any of the names you gave me, commented the young secretary who was attending them in the main office of the adventurers guild in the capital, somewhat exasperated. From her expression, it was more than obvious that she just wanted them to leave at once so she could go home. Thank you very much for your time," replied Kalysto after placing two bronze coins on the desk of the young woman, who, thanks to them, had had to stay after closing time in order to attend them. Maybe if you try the Kgal guild tomorrow, you might have a little more luck and find your sisters. Lately there have been several complaints about missing girls, especially in the villages near the kingdom of Balsahty," said the secretary quietly, a little more encouraged to see that she was rewarded for her work. It is said that people from that guild can get all kinds of information. Normally when people are lost and the guards cant find them, people usually go with them although their service is not cheap," she continued while showing a bit of solidarity. But you would have to wait until tomorrow for them to open. All the guilds are already closed at this hour. With a heavy heart and disappointed at the lack of results in her failed search, Kalysto gave a half-smile as an apology to the exhausted young woman. Remembering the times she herself had had to deal with annoying customers. And after tossing her short platinum blonde hair back, she turned and walked out of the lonely office with Caranthir, after letting out a long sigh. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Hopefully, Ill have better luck tomorrow... However, the idea that the invasion of the capital of the kingdom of Bhallys had come several months earlier than the book indicated, worried her. The cold night air hit her face and ruffled her hair. And two of the three rings she had looted from the Elven merchant who kidnapped her glittered in her hand as she tried to comb back her mane. A sigh escaped her lips, and her shoulders slumped listlessly. Im practically out of mana and Im out of potions," Caranthir announced, looking into her eyes, still trying to get used to seeing her in the guise of a man. In that case, you can return to your home or the room you rented as soon as your mana reserves are replenished. Make sure you have enough supplies for tomorrow. We will leave again two hours after sunrise. I will call you as soon as I am ready. Make sure you have everything ready by then. Will you be looking for a room for the night? Could I offer you...? But before he could finish his invitation, she interrupted him. No, thank you. See you tomorrow," Kalysto then opened her inventory, took a couple of steps away and pulled out the hearthstone that would take her to her room in the fairy kingdom. As soon as she activated it, a light violet symbol was drawn on the floor and seconds later she was back in the darkness of her room. A soft sniffing sound was heard from where her bed should be, and she knew immediately that she had awakened her pet. Tsuki? she asked, but with the thick curtains closed not a single ray of light was coming through the window of the room. Ezhil Purification! As the golden light came out of her body, the little puppy pounced on his master, licking her face over and over again while wagging his tail from side to side, full of joy. Not in the face! Tsuki, stop it! How many times do I have to scold you for the same thing? But the puppy, after giving her a last lick, started rubbing her wet cheek. Now were both going to need a bath! Kalysto complained, wanting to eat something and go to sleep right away instead of wasting time grooming herself. Arff? questioned the little boy, not at all happy with the new direction the conversation was taking, as he looked at the strange appearance of his mistress, whose skin now looked much lighter than usual and her hair much shorter. Tsuki frowned and sniffed her again, as if to make sure that she was indeed in the arms of the right person. Kalysto, distracted by the tray of delicious food on the bedside table, headed to the bathroom while every muscle in her body groaned with fatigue and her eyes almost closed on their own. It had been too long a day. She sighed, wishing she could find her friend quickly. I didnt think it would be so complicated to find her. Even with all the help of magic, only the central office in the capital has access to the list of adventurers in an entire kingdom, and even then, its not that easy to get them to give you the information. Although not all had been wasted time. Thanks to the large number of young people who had disappeared, it hadnt been so strange that she was looking for Alice. Tomorrow Ill go straight to the capital of Zeer and Thaluz and if I dont find anything there, Ill have to start looking in the guilds where they sell information. The only good thing about all that was that she still had most of the money she had looted from her kidnapper. At least Ill have something to pay for their services. Kalysto opened the bathroom door, observing how spacious, comfortable and neat it was compared to the one they had assigned to her in the human kingdom. White tones predominated along with a pale blue, but knowing that the castle was carved in precious stones, she guessed that the appearance of the walls was nothing more than a beautiful illusion. She walked to the tub and instead of turning on the faucet and watching the water run down like a small waterfall; she reached out a hand and conjured water. It was when she was about to fill the tub that she realized there was something strange in the air. And the hairs on the back of her neck and her arms stood on end. All her senses went on alert as something touched her mind. Kalysto jumped back, letting go of Tsuki at the strange and unpleasant sensation, dropping him into the tub full of freshly conjured water. Master? MASTER, NO! THE WATER IS FREEZING! FREEZING! shouted a voice in her head. What the hell? Kalysto blinked. Confused and alert as she watched the soaking-wet little puppy struggle to get out of the tub as if his life depended on it. Chapter 146 “The calm before the storm.” Chapter 146 The calm before the storm. Can you talk? Kalysto questioned the poor puppy as he struggled to swim and not drown in the tub. Master, I cant swim! shouted the little one, whose voice echoed in her mind, causing her to immediately get a headache, and the tired brain of the saintess reacted just in time to pull the little one out of the tub. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! she conjured several times, wanting to make sure he was all right. Now, young man! Explain to me this instant how the hell it is that you can talk telepathically! And how come I didnt know anything about it? ... Tsukis body seemed to shrink as he made sure to cover his private parts with his wet tail. Normally everyone in my species can do it... whined the little one in a childish voice and pouting. Its the master who never accepts my messages. I never accept them? When am I supposed to reject them?-She defended herself, feeling bad at the sudden unfounded accusation. Almost always the master has her mental barriers upstairs and I cant break through them... he commented sadly, making her feel bad. ...But today the master has them down so you can hear me! He suddenly perked up, raising his head and looking her in the eyes, That means the master has finally accepted me as her sacred beast! He was full of pride as he thrust out his chest. And Kalystos heart filled with tenderness as she tried not to laugh at how excited he seemed, and at his surprising but very sudden change of attitude. First of all, I thought I had accepted you as my pet since the day we met, she clarified, not wanting to hurt his feelings as she hugged him and the coldness of the puppys wet fur penetrated her clothes. And second, I didnt even know I had my shields down. Theyre still supposed to be up," she worried, thinking that meant Persephone could come back out at any moment. And thats not a good thing right now," she muttered wearily as a long sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes for an instant. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered what had happened shortly before escaping from the tower. Persephones longing to connect with that gigantic eye and the recognition between them. Which felt more like the reunion of two old acquaintances after many years of not seeing each other, than the resonance between two like-minded beings. Impossible! she thought. How is it even possible that a creature from another world, one that I have never seen, could recognize Persephone? And a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of having met that creature before, and not remembering it. Persephone, did you know him? But no matter how long she waited, only silence answered her. And for the first time in years, Kalysto began to suspect the unlikely possibility that perhaps Persephone was not just a case of split personality, as she had always suspected... and that perhaps she could no longer be trusted. Im too tired to deal with this right now and Im starting to think stupid thoughts. She thought. I need to talk to Alice... Is the master worried that it sleeping inside you will wake up? Tsuki worried, surprising her. And suddenly she was terrified by the idea of what Persephone could do to him if she perceived him as a threat. Listen to me and listen to me very well! Never, under any circumstances, mess with her! Do you understand me? The desperation in her voice was as evident as Tsukis discomfort at the sudden force with which she was grabbing him, without realizing it. Master, or is it the... three loud knocks sounded against the door of their room and both turned their heads towards the entrance of the bathroom. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Champion, its Galatea! Sorry to disturb you at this hour, but Lady Artemis has requested that you go to her room immediately," the fairys loud voice was heard clearly even from inside the bathroom, and Kalysto let out a long sigh. The last thing I wanted right now was to have to go and meet a sadistic teacher who loved to give me extra homework. She lamented. Least of all when she hadnt even finished the one shed already been given. Does it have to be now? Yes, so I have been ordered. Kalystos shoulders slumped, and she lowered Tsuki to the floor. Well continue this conversation as soon as I get back," she whispered and wrapped him in a towel, wiping off some of the excess water. Just a moment! She shouted and took another towel with which she dried her face and wet T-shirt. By the time she finally opened the door, she still looked like a mess, but at least she wasnt dripping water. Oh! If you like, I can wait until you change," excused Galatea, suddenly uncomfortable at the sight of her dirty appearance. That wont be necessary," Kalysto cut her off. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can go to sleep," just then her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten anything since the morning when the court magicians gave them a light breakfast before sending them off to battle. As soon as we arrive, I will give notice to bring your dinner to your room. Id appreciate it," she said, pulling a thel from her inventory and taking a bite. Both women headed towards Artemis room in absolute silence, followed by Tsuki. Good evening, Kalysto. Glad to know youre still alive," Artemis greeted her as soon as they arrived. Thank you, its good to see youre still in good shape," she replied, giving her a forced smile, just to be polite. Thats thanks to you and the good work youve done healing our people. We are grateful for all the help you have given us. I was only fulfilling my part of the contract, even so the sentiment is welcome. However, my mother tells me that you have only four more days to complete the mission we gave you, and it seems you are quite late. That worries me," she commented, getting out of bed, after tucking in her daughter who had fallen asleep in her mothers bed. It seems that your attention is elsewhere Kalysto opened her mouth, wanting to refute her, but then fell silent. Was the reward not to your liking? I thought you would like it. ...It is... So whats the problem? Why havent you been concentrating on raising the level of your profession? My... my friends were summoned by the kingdoms of Balsahty and Bhallys, and although I was able to free the first group, I still havent been able to find Alice and her grandparents, who were summoned by Bhallys. I understand," she murmured, but by the lack of change in her expression, it was obvious that she did not. However, Kalysto, I want you to focus from now on to raise the level of your profession. But I still havent found... You will start training with me from tomorrow morning the fairy interrupted her. You will be able to dedicate the afternoon to look for your friend. ... Kalysto clenched her fists, not at all happy with this change in her plans. And Kalytso, if I dont see good results with your training, I will be obliged to push you for the next few days without rest until you succeed. Kalysto frowned at the injustice of it. Why are you wasting my time answering your questions if in the end, you will ignore my opinion? I see," she grunted and turned around, ready to get out of there as soon as possible. Where are you going? questioned Artemis with a frown. Im hungry and tired. And according to the rules established in my contract, it is forbidden to interrupt my rest," she told her, remembering that she had called her to her room during the night. Since you hadnt gone to sleep, I didnt think it would be a problem. It is still my bedtime. I would appreciate it if you would not request my presence at this hour again. See you tomorrow," she knew she would end up regretting her little tantrum the next day, but right now she was too exhausted to worry about it. After showering and eating the food that Alynn had left for her on Kalystos bed, she lay down on her bed while hugging Tsuki. She fell asleep immediately. The next morning, the knocking on the door woke her up. Artemis had personally gone to wake her up a couple of hours after sunrise. She could barely ask Caranthir to start the search without her before the fairy began the rigorous training. I see you and that elf are getting along very well. He can be useful from time to time," she answered, unwilling to give more details, making Artemis smile in a mysterious way as something strange shone in her eyes, but as quickly as it came it was gone, and Kalysto, still tired despite having slept for seven hours straight, dismissed it quickly. And a new kind of hell began for her. Chapter 147 “The calm before the storm.” Part 2 Chapter 147 The calm before the storm. Part 2 Do it again! Ordered Artemis standing just a step behind her as she checked Kalystos progress with excessive attention and timed her progress with an hourglass. The fairy turned over one of the three hourglasses on the table, the one that indicated the passing of a minute. Leaving running the one that indicated an hour, and the other one, whose sand indicated when ten minutes had passed. Taking advantage of the fact that Kalysto now had a circle of mana, Artemis did not rest until she forced her to run almost out of mana again and again and again for the next five hours without any rest, making sure that her skills went up in level according to what she considered a proper way. As she checked to see if it was possible for her new pupil to level up a low-ranked skill in ten minutes, a new theory she had come up with while training that the fairy was excited to test. But to her great disappointment, Kalysto had not satisfied her curiosity. For someone who has a circle of mana at the start of this profession, your progress is quite disappointing," she commented, her excitement fading as she saw the lack of results from her pupil. Try to fight for your life for days and then undergo this training after having slept only a couple of hours while your whole body aches. You feel hungry and your head feels like its going to explode at any second. Then come and tell me how it goes," grunted Kalysto, annoyed by Artemis constant orders, the fact that she wouldnt allow her to drink revitalizing potions because according to Artemis it ruined the rhythm for the mana potions and because for some reason her progress had stopped more than half an hour ago. That and it was getting harder and harder to concentrate and her head felt heavy. Concentrate! Artemis scolded her, banging the table next to her. Kalysto frowned as her headache worsened and inwardly prayed that all this unwarranted torment would end quickly. I should be looking for Alice instead of being here wasting my time. She grunted to herself, but she wanted the reward. Besides, she was too exhausted to stop fantasizing about her warm, comfortable bed. The idea of her pillow and blanket sounded as tempting as a porn movie to a horny teenager. That, and she was dying to go to the bathroom. With urgency. Her stomach growled at that moment reminding her that she hadnt eaten anything for over five hours. Then Kalysto stopped and closed her eyelids, the pain behind her eyes felt like it was going to crack her skull into a thousand pieces at any moment. This is as far as I go! She decided. Unwilling to continue to tolerate the screams of the fairy that only allowed her to rest during the seconds it took her to drink another mana potion. What are you doing? Start over! Artemis ordered her, after placing another bottle of mana potion in front of her. But contrary to what Artemis expected, Kalysto, instead of drinking the bottle, got up from the hard wooden chair she had been sitting in for five and a half hours straight and walked away from the table. My butt hurts and my legs are numb. She complained. Regeneration! Regeneration! Where do you think youre going? Artemis was annoyed, still standing in front of the huge table with two thousand enchanted stones on it. To the bathroom. I think the teacher has forgotten that if a person only consumes liquids for five hours in a row, it is obvious that her body needs to expel the excess liquid. She gets tired and hungry. That and my contract stipulates that meals and sleeping hours must be respected. Besides, I havent eaten for five and a half hours. A fairys body could withstand this kind of labor exploitation, but not a humans! She growled before opening the door. And my fatigue level has been at a hundred for a while now. I need a rest! She added before leaving the room and taking out a bottle of revitalizing potion from her inventory. By the time she reached her room and locked herself in the bathroom, her mind ceased to seem like a thick swamp in which thinking clearly was an odyssey worthy of a Greek god. As soon as she finished, she took a hot shower, drank a whole bottle of holy water and came out of the bath wrapped in a towel, only to find Tsuki excitedly barking at the door and Alynn entering with a tray full of food and freshly baked bread. Good afternoon champion, I heard that your training was over for the day, so I decided to bring you something to eat. I also brought some of the bread that you like, freshly baked and some theles. Thank you so much Alynn, said Kalysto immediately took one of the breads and put it in her mouth. The soft and delicious texture melted on her palate as she enjoyed the taste of the melted butter that Alynn spread on them. Mmm... she delighted. delicious as always," she complimented her. I appreciate the compliment, champ. Believe me, its well deserved," Alynn smiled in satisfaction at the compliment and placed the tray of food on the bedside table next to Kalystos bed and then took Tsukis food dish out of her inventory and set it on the floor. The puppy was so excited that he pounced on the food dish before it hit the floor, wagging his tail from side to side, excited by the delicious smell. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I see someone has made friends while I was gone," Kalysto muttered after coming out of the bathroom, dressed in her black sweatshirt while drying her hair. Tsukis body froze on the spot. Sorry, master," apologized the puppy in her mind. And this time it was Kalystos turn to freeze, realizing that she had forgotten to raise her defenses again since the day before. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! She scolded herself, and immediately the familiar coldness enveloped her body from head to toe. A soft whine came from Tsukis throat, who thought she was angry with him. I have to go out after lunch," she explained as she looked at him. To her surprise, it was Alynn who answered. If its not presumptuous to ask, would you like me to have your dinner ready early? That would be great, Alynn. Thank you very much," she smiled at her as she sat down to eat. Just leave it protected, and Ill eat it as soon as I get here. Ill do that. And can I ask you a favor? As soon as Alynn nodded, she continued, Could you inform Artemis that Ill be gone for the rest of the day? Tell her that we will continue with the training tomorrow, as we had agreed. Of course. It was only after lunch and Alynn took away the dirty dishes that Kalysto pulled out the communication crystal. Caranthir, answer me! A few seconds passed without receiving an answer, and after calling him a couple more times while she stroked Tsukis soft fur, he finally answered. Saintess? How is the search going? ... Still no results. In the morning, I was able to contact the guild in Solis that was recommended to us. Then I went to Thaluz, but neither the adventurers guild nor one of the informers guilds had any information about them. They still said they would contact me as soon as they knew anything. However, they suggested me to go and ask at the main office of the hunters guild in Zeer. Since Bhallys has free trade agreements with them and both kingdoms have had a strong alliance since several years ago, it is possible that, unlike the other kingdoms, they share information between the guilds, the elf informed. Im heading there right now. I will go with you! Kalysto interrupted him immediately, Go to your house and pick me up there in a minute! Then she put away the communication crystal and took out her favorite comfortable black sneakers and the gender change ring. As she finished putting them on, she looked at her pet. Tsuki, will you come with me and help me look for my friend? Arff! The puppy got excited. Ok, come here. Ill get you into the Batcave. Arf? Tsuki tilted his head and looked at her without understanding what she was talking about. Forget it, just agree to enter my inventory so I can take you then she took the hearthstone out of her inventory, and when she finished tying her sneakers, she put Tsuki in and activated the hearthstone, appearing seconds later in front of Caranthirs house, where the elf was already waiting for her. Good afternoon, saintess. I hope you had a good rest last night. Hello, Caranthir. How are you? She greeted him, remembering again that she hadnt done it before when she called him. I barely slept last night, and its been quite a busy day so far. How are you? The elf looked back at her, weary with fatigue. It was a long night too, but I managed to finish all the potions. Great! Lets go look for Alice and then you deliver them to me after the elf transported them to the entrance of the capital, where it was forbidden to teleport, Kalysto took Tsuki out of the inventory as soon as they got into a carriage. Very well, Tsuki. From now on, you must be very aware of your surroundings and never separate from me. I dont want you to get lost and I dont want you to get close to strangers, either. I didnt know you had a sacred beast as a pet. Maybe it would be wiser to put it back in storage and not take it out until we get to a safe place, someone might try to kidnap it and sell it on the black market The puppy in Kalystos arms trembled at the elfs words. Tsuki, if anyone comes near you, electrocute him! she ordered. Arff! Tsuki immediately answered, fully agreeing with the order given. We have arrived announced the coachman and Caranthir paid for the trip, but as soon as they got off, with Kalysto carrying Tsuki in her arms, they noticed that the wide office of the adventurers guild was full of people. I think we have come at the wrong time," muttered the elf after observing the huge line at the three stands offering information and quests for the adventurers. Perhaps it would be more convenient to go first for the information. I know a guild I have worked with before on several occasions. Its called Grethel. They are kind and honest people, plus they have good prices. You can buy or sell practically anything with them and they are two blocks from here," commented the elf, pointing to his left. Does that mean you buy the materials for your potions from them and then sell them to them once they are made? Kalysto questioned, causing the elfs ears to turn red. And although she sneered at him as if she had made a joke, the truth was that her alarms went on as soon as he said that they bought or sold almost anything. And she immediately put Tsuki into her inventory. So thats where he sells the holy water I give him as payment? She couldnt avoid wondering. There I bought the materials for my potions, yes then she saw him hesitate for a few seconds and look towards the opposite street where he had indicated where the guild was located. Then lets go immediately to Grethel," she said with conviction as she walked in the direction he had indicated at the beginning. Five minutes later, a very organized reception welcomed them. And a cat-eared receptionist welcomed them with a broad smile on her lips as soon as she recognized the elf. Good afternoon, Mr. Caranthir. What can we do for you today? If you are looking for a buyer for... We are here for something else," the elf interrupted her immediately, which caught Kalystos attention right away. We are looking for a couple of missing young ladies. I see. Weve been getting a lot of that kind of errands lately. Where did the girls disappear to? They were in the capital of Bhallys a month ago," Kalysto interrupted. Do you have any drawings of the girls? At the words of the young customer service girl, Caranthir took out the crystal with which he had copied the picture of Alice and her grandparents. As soon as they finished and paid 30 silver coins for the commission, the girl handed them a scroll in which she sent them relevant information about the case. Kalysto hurried to pick it up. Is there anything else you want our help with? added the shapeshifter as she stared at Caranthir, who seemed to become nervous. No, thats all. In fact, there is something else Id like to do," Kalytso interrupted just after Caranthir turned around to leave, as she took out a small vial of holy water. How much for this? she asked with a smile, noticing how Caranthirs eyes widened like dinner plates and his face turned pale at once. Chapter 148 “The calm before the storm.” Part 3 Chapter 148 The calm before the storm. Part 3 May I inspect it? Of course. ...300 gold coins," the cat-woman commented after inspecting the vial for a few seconds. If it had been of higher quality, I could offer you a little more. But for coming with one of our VIP clients, I will buy it from you at the same price as I bought it from him. Do you wish to sell it immediately? Of course," she said immediately, then took out one of the mana potions Caranthir had given her as part of their contract. And what about this one? Two gold coins," replied the young woman with a smile as she recognized one of Caranthirs creations. Making the elfs face turn completely red. Kalysto smiled at the kind young woman who was attending to them as she felt her blood boil with the realization that he had been getting much more out of his deal than she had. Allow me a moment please, I must get my superiors signature for this kind of dealings as well as going for the required amount of gold," commented the young woman dressed in the same white and brown uniform that all the guild workers wore, as she stood up from her post. Of course," commented Kalysto, returning her smile. But as soon as the young woman left, she turned to the elf with a frown. It seems that your services are overrated. Dont you think so, Caranthir? The elfs face lost what little color it had. I think it is time to rethink our contract. Please dont, saintess! Dont finish it! He begged between whispers and Kalysto, annoyed, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to her face. Do you realize how brazen you are? After all you and your people have done to me, you dare to charge me so much for your services? Technically, it was the saintess who offered the amount of holy water in exchange for me doing whatever I was ordered to do and being available twenty-four hours a day for whatever you wanted. That the saintess was too busy to ask for my services is not my fault," excused the elf. And Kalysto closed her eyes at the strong desire she felt to punch him in the face. You will write a series of books in which you will explain step by step the process of brewing potions so carefully that even a ten-year-old child can understand it. You will also make the necessary illustrations and record the potion making process on a crystal so that I can watch it later. Label the recordings and keep them in a box marked for me," she ordered, trying to contain her bad mood. Recordings? the elf questioned uncomprehendingly. A record. Just as you did with Alices image, but to record and save everything you do while you make a potion. It wont be easy," replied the elf. Then make it so! she growled at him. You have one month to deliver it to me and if I am not satisfied with the results, I will terminate our contract. But... And Caranthir, if anything happens to me, you know who will hunt you down and hold you responsible, dont you? The elf immediately took a step back and bowed his head in respect, fear shining in his eyes as he remembered what happened with the queen. Dont forget, thanks to whom you are still alive," she whispered in his ear and the elf shivered as he felt the warm breath brush against the skin of his ear. Neither of them spoke to each other again while the deal was finished and then they went to the adventurers guild where they waited their turn while Kalysto took Tsuki out of his inventory and petted him until two hours later, when it was finally their turn to be served. Good afternoon! immediately the gaze of the tigress shifter who was attending them turned to Tsuki. Is your pet registered? No," answered Kalysto immediately with a frown. But we came here looking for someone. Im sorry, sir. You cant have an unidentified pet running around the city. I recommend you register it immediately or youll be fined and you run the risk that, legally, anyone could claim ownership," the shapeshifter explained. And until we settle that matter, I cant help you with anything else. ... I doubt anyone has such a death wish to try it," whispered Kalysto and the temperature around her seemed to drop and sparks of electricity began to shoot from Tsukis body, who was careful not to electrocute his owner. Sir, I am only doing my job by legally explaining to you the dangers you are exposing yourself to by not registering your pet. ...I understand. May I have your identification for the record, please? Kalysto handed over the documentation Caranthir had purchased for each hero the day before. Sir, Kal. I was referring to your adventurers ID. I do not have one. In that case, please fill out this form with your information," she said, handing over a quill, ink and a parchment requesting her name, class, specialty, race, age and pets information. Come back as soon as you have filled in the data. Next! Kalysto took them and walked over to an empty table that was a bit far away and, after taking a seat and putting Tsuki in the chair next to her, she began to fill in the blanks. Caranthir soon sat down next to her. Name: Kal. Class: Healer (wizard: main element water, secondary element lightning). This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. For a few minutes, she hesitated about what class to put but then decided to add an element similar to Tsukis. Besides that would help keep away anyone who thought that a simple healer with no attack skills was easy prey. But when she was about to write that her race was human, Caranthir stopped her on the spot. And leaning close to her ear, he whispered. Shes a shapeshifter. She can smell that youre not a pure human from meters away. Its best not to lie in that regard. Here in Zeer, being a half-breed is not a sin. despite the softness of his words, Kalysto frowned. What the hell are you talking about? she questioned, and immediately Tsuki became alert, jumping on the table, ready to defend her. Dont you know? commented the elf with surprise at the same time she looked at him full of confusion and Tsuki touched her hand several times calling her attention. And as soon as she turned to look at him, he touched her forehead with a paw, telling her to lower her defenses. Kalysto pursed her lips, unsure of the idea. It had been too little time since the last time Persephone had tried to take control of her body, and the idea of giving her the opportunity so soon was too unpleasant to tempt her. But at the insistence of Tsuki, who touched her again while looking into her eyes as if begging her to trust him, she finally decided to give in. Deactivate mental defense. She thought. Immediately, a pair of signs appeared to her left. [The skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] Whats wrong? She asked in a low whisper, looking the puppy in the eyes. Didnt the master know that youre a half-breed? Asked a childish voice in her mind. ...No. I always thought I was human. Where do you people get this crazy idea that Im not? The master smells human. That is true. But she also smells like other races. ...Which ones? She asked, her voice trembling at the illogic of the whole situation. At all the possibilities and unanswered questions, she was left with. Does that mean my mother wasnt human... or wasnt my father? And a shiver ran down her spine at the thought. The master also smells of fairy and light elf. There are other scents mixed in as well, but those are the only ones I can recognize. Fairy?... So thats why the boss agreed to make a contract with me despite the risk that Persephone means and the fact that she dislikes humans. ...Are you sure about that? Her mind was still spinning at the sudden news. Yes, I had never met a fairy before I met you, but I have seen a couple of light elves. They tend to be known to be good healers because of their natural affinity for the element of light. Perhaps it is because of that heritage that the master can heal. And now that I have lived with the fairies for a while, I can safely say that the scent of the master also resembles theirs, at least in part. So even when someone is given the system, in order to grant them a class, there must be similar qualities to it. Oddly enough, since she had made the deal with the queen, she had always thought that as easily as she had made the deal with her, the queen could have made it with anyone. Now she realized how wrong she had been and stared at them for a few seconds with a blank mind as she processed the information. We will talk about this later. Right now I need to concentrate on finding Alice, she decided and after filling out her form and Tsukis, she approached the shapeshifter again who took her data and created her and her pets ID card. It was only after that, that the shapeshifter allowed them to continue talking about what they were looking for. A few days ago I met an acquaintance of ours who assured me that he saw Hella a few weeks ago in the capital of the kingdom of Bhallys at the adventurers guild office, but as you know, Bhallys right now..." she lowered her voice, allowing the fear for her friends safety to be palpable to the shapeshifter. I understand your concern. Bhallys is not a safe place right now. Let me look in the system..." she commented and set about checking a crystal tablet with several symbols drawn on it. What did you say your younger sisters names were? She asked, looking at the picture of one of them. Hella and Wanda. Both have always been very good archers. One is blonde, the other is brown," she commented, pointing to her hair color, which had not changed this time. How old? Twenty years old. ...Mr. Kal, I have good news and bad news, we have no record of any Wanda in the system, however, there is a twenty-year-old female archer named Hella who registered two weeks ago in the city of Telsen, thats about three or four cities north of the capital of Bhallys. Her last assignment was delivered three days ago. With any luck, you could get someone to take you there. We still have no record that the invasion has spread to that sector so it should still be moderately safe to travel Kalystos eyes filled with tears as she heard her words, knowing in her gut that the person the shapeshifter was talking about was Alice. Thank you! She whispered, hastily taking a gold coin out of her inventory and handing it immediately to the patient woman who tried to refuse to receive it. Thank you! Seriously, its been a heavy day after a shitty week. Please take it. You have been the first person in days to be able to give me at least a hint that she is still alive.2 As soon as they got out of there, Caranthir had to appear several times until they finally got to the right place. They made their way through the lonely little town in an hour, only to discover that almost half of the town had been evacuated. And it took at least another half hour to find the small office of the adventurers guild. Secret password? asked the older man who was attending to her, the only one working at that hour, it seemed. What? she asked with a frown. You do understand, young man, that I cant give Miss Hellas information to a complete stranger, dont you? Even if she did leave word what to ask in case a young lady came asking for her, but neither of you two is a young lady, the man replied, wrinkling his nose and making his long mustache twitch. ... Kalysto let out a long sigh and in front of him, she removed her shapeshifting ring, revealing her true appearance. Please try Kalysto, Kal or Jean Gray. ... The last one is the right one, Miss. May I ask why you are disguising yourself as a man? Do you think its very safe for a woman to travel in this day and age, with all the disappearances that have occurred around the kingdom of Balsahty? ...Jum... I see that at least you are well informed," said the man as he wrote down Alices address. Here, this is the address. Its almost on the outskirts of town. Keep walking in a northerly direction. Thank you," she replied. And after having Caranthir teleport them every couple of blocks to verify the address, after more than forty minutes of searching, they finally found the house. Only to discover that they had left the day before. And none of the few remaining neighbors in the area knew exactly where they had gone. Kalystos knees shook and her eyes filled with tears as she realized how close she had come to finding her. If only I hadnt gone to rest last night... If only I had left the boys to their fate and left as soon as the queen instructed. She reproached herself. Im sorry, saintess," Caranthir whispered as Tsuki whimpered and rubbed against her leg, trying to comfort her. And as Kalysto tried to think what she could do now to find her, a violet window appeared before her. [Kalytso what the hell are you doing there? Get out of that place and come back immediately! That kingdom will be destroyed in a few minutes!] Chapter 149 “The Demon King.” Chapter 149 The Demon King. [Kalysto Get out of that place right now!] What? Her eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe what her eyes were seeing. No! She rebelled: How do you expect me to give up now when Im so close to finding Alice... Impossible! Yet she was all too aware that she was only alive because of the deal the fairy queen had made with her. And although the queen was powerful, she had not done anything openly against her so far. Besides, it was one thing to go against Artemis, and quite another to go against her employer. What can I do to convince her... What do I have to offer her? She tried her best to quickly find an answer, anything she could use to her advantage. But she found nothing. The queen had already everything she wanted from her. Please give me three days! With three days, maybe I could find Alice and her grandparents and then...! A new window appeared before her, one of a much darker shade than the one the queen or her assistant used. [It seems that sweet Kalysto is not as obedient as she seems.] A tendril of darkness erupted from the earth beneath her feet and caressed her calf, causing her heart to skip a beat. Demon king," she muttered, but it sounded much more like a question than a clarification. [Thats right.] [Im glad you remember, though it seems youve already forgotten to come to my castle to pick up your books on magic.] Kalysto opened her mouth and then closed it, not quite sure what to say. She lowered her gaze for a second, trying to buy time while she couldnt shake the feeling that she was being watched through the window. My apologies, Ive been a little busy," she commented, trying to appear calm and in full control of her emotions as she looked up again. How the hell does he expect me to go to his house when the demon king is always supposed to be the bad guy in every story? Besides. since I dont know where you live, I couldnt go, even if he is the queens nephew or ally, that doesnt mean I should let my guard down, or that I can trust him. She felt him smile, as if her words amused him. Or as if he could know what she was thinking. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! And although she was sure she had activated her ability a few hours ago, she wasnt willing to take unnecessary risks. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [You only need to say that you want to come to see me. The doors of my palace are always open to you.] A shiver ran down her spine at the sweet words. What the hell does he gain by being nice to me? She questioned herself, yet she found no clear reason for it. [Still, allow me to extend an invitation.] Then a new window appeared before her. [The user wishes to accept the summoning scroll destined for Desmonds kingdom, offered by the demon king?] [From now on you just need to break the scroll that will appear in your inventory and the spell will activate, taking you and your pet to my kingdom.] Why go to all this trouble? [You really dont know?] Kalysto frowned, trying to think of something he could win. Do you also have a problem with miasma and black plague? [...] [Do you really think thats why I do it?] Curiously he seemed annoyed at the idea, the queen on the other hand seemed to be laughing. Kalysto however did not understand what was so funny about this. [No Kalysto, I have no problem with the black plague or miasma as far as I know. But since you want to talk about it, my younger brothers may require your services. I hear Artemis is teaching you to make barriers and youve been advancing quite fast. How about making a deal with me?] It was then that she remembered that she still had something she could trade. The book! I can give you a copy of the book! she enthused, not realizing she had said it out loud. [What good would such a thing do me? I already have tens of thousands of books in my castle.] He pretended to scoff. Curiously, the mention of such an extensive library immediately captured Kalystos attention and curiosity. Focus! She chuckled to herself and took the book The Fall of the Hero out of her inventory. For here is told the story of Thomas, the hero who was summoned from my world to the kingdom of Bhallys and who was manipulated to participate in the assassination of the demon king, but after the kingdom of Bhallys accomplished its task, they got rid of him. But then Thomas was revived by the demon king and was turned into a lich. [Puff! Nonsense! My brother cant do such a thing!] This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And yet, Thomas was brought to this world and is now officially the hero of the kingdom of Bhallys," she commented, wanting to break his arrogance. And helping them to destroy your brother or whoever is impersonating him," she assured him. And several seconds passed in which silence reigned. Before Caranthir or Tsuki interrupted her, she raised a hand, indicating them to stop. The elf bowed his head and gave her some space, moving a couple of meters away, but by the way Kalysto saw one of his ears move she was sure that even with the apparent distance, he would be listening to her side of the conversation. [...] [How could someone from your world know what is going on in this one?] Is your brothers mate close to giving birth to his offspring, or at least halfway through her pregnancy? She replied, absolutely certain that she would have his undivided attention with this. If this works, Ill be able to negotiate for him to find Alice for me. She got excited, but did her best not to show it. [How do you know that? Who told you?] Suddenly, the shadows began to surround her, ceasing to be friendly and beginning to look like a threat as they curled around her legs. At the same time Tsuki began to growl. Because its in the book," she replied confidently. Or at least it was until a whirlwind of darkness appeared before her, the strong breeze ruffled her hair, and a second later the imposing figure of a man with long black hair and red eyes materialized. His very presence exerted an enormous pressure on her, making it difficult for her to breathe, even though he didnt seem to want to be a threat to her. Give me that book and well have a deal his voice sounded like a caress made of velvet to her ears and Kalystos heart raced, both for the great display of magical power that made Caranthir fall to his knees immediately and then faint, and for the attractive beauty of the being that appeared before her. What will you give me in return? She hurried to answer while trying to control her features. And a sensual half-smile was drawn on the handsome newcomers face as he saw her reaction. You seemed to be looking for someone a moment ago," commented the demon king in a silky voice. Kalysto immediately nodded her head and took out of her inventory the crystal on which Caranthir had engraved the image of Alice and her grandparents. After activating it, she held it out to him so that he could see the image. Her name is Alice. Right now her hair looks brown and is a little shorter. She is using the name Hella. These are her grandparents. I am looking for all three of them. Could you find them and bring them to me? Give me one week to find each of them and in return, within six months, you will build three barriers for me. During that time, those you are seeking will live in my palace. So I will make sure you keep your word," Kalysto nodded her head. Now, give me the book. She was about to do so, but then frowned. I also need a competent wizard to teach me magic," she argued, instead of handing him the book. A simple book in exchange for a suitable instructor? He muttered, and his gaze drifted to Caranthir who was already unconscious on the ground. Then his piercing gaze drifted back to her and descended to his chest. A violet glow appeared on them for a second before he continued speaking. If he is the reason, you have such a weak circle of mana. I understand your need to change teachers," Kalysto was about to object, but restrained herself, and remained silent. What kind of magic do you wish to learn? Mental and spatial magic, mainly. If I can learn any others for me, that would be fine. Arent you asking too much for a single book? he questioned, arching an eyebrow. It is you who is asking me to create three barriers to three cities that I dont know how big they are. I meant three kingdoms, not three cities. In that case, it is you who is asking too much just to find three individuals who, until yesterday at noon, were in this very town," she said, crossing her arms. He smiled, amused. And they both looked at each other in silence for several seconds. Does that book say who killed my brother? Yes. Along with everyone involved in his death and how he was eliminated. Instead of creating a barrier in each of our kingdoms, you will create three barriers, one for my brother''s palace and one for mine. You will purify our kingdoms of the miasma and you will give me the book you told me about. In return, you will give me three weeks to find your friends, and I will teach you magic myself. I will even give you access to my library," he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. You seemed quite interested when I mentioned it. Kalysto immediately stepped back, needing some distance between them. But he gave her no respite. However, you will have six months to fulfill your part of the bargain. You and the other three will live in my palace while you fulfill your part of the deal," he whispered again against her cheek this time, making her nervous. But seeing that her bosss screen went silent, Kalysto swallowed saliva, and he smiled, knowing that his closeness was affecting her. Of course, if you dont accept in the next ten seconds, Ill take care of destroying this whole place myself... he commented, looking her in the eyes, so do we have a deal? This time Kalysto hurried to organize the terms of the soul-binding contract, making sure that he could not go back on his word, and as soon as he signed, she handed him the book along with the sphere. A pleasure doing business with you, Kalysto," he murmured as he took her hand and kissed the back of it like a gentleman of old. I hope you enjoy your long stay in my palace," he whispered before disappearing in a swirl of smoke and shadows. Her cheeks flushed red, her knees trembled, her heart pounded like mad against her chest and dozens of butterflies flew in her stomach. What the hell was that? But at the very instant the thought crossed her mind, the memory of the look of a woman madly in love that her mother gave her stepfather flashed in her mind. The butterflies died on the spot. The bile rose to her throat and her face turned as pale as a fluffy cloud in midsummer. Im not like my mother! She swore to herself. Immediately, a new window appeared before her. [Kalysto, come back immediately! Mirhalla has once again polluted my forests!] Of course, boss," she paused to reply, suddenly feeling calmer and in control of her emotions. Kalysto spent the rest of the day healing fairies and purifying parts of the forest. It was only after dinner that she remembered that the queen had given her an extension of one week and not four days, as Artemis had told her. Then she touched the golden tattoo on her right wrist and a few seconds later, a violet window appeared before her. [Whats going on?] During the first few days of my stay here, I remember encountering several slimes that were infected with the plague. I think it would be wise to purify the whole territory and not just the parts that were attacked and make sure that there are no other infected creatures running around. If the queen gives me enough revitalizing potions and more than three thousand mana crystals, I think we could do it in a few days. [Good idea!] [Mission: purify all the territory of the kingdom of Bahram in the next three days. Reward: 4,000 mana crystals, 10 revitalizing potions of 1 liter and an extension of one week in the human world (the last reward will only be credited if the user fulfills the mission of raising the enchantment profession to level ten.)] After accepting Kalysto spent the next three days purifying the forests with Hannas help and the following three days raising her profession level. I didnt think you would make it," Artemis congratulated her after reviewing the result. Yes, well, miracles do happen," she murmured, exhausted from having spent the last few days without sleep and taking revitalizing potion to be able to meet the agreed deadlines. And after taking out the crystal that would take her directly to her room instead of bothering to walk, she murmured, See you in a few days, after Ive had enough sleep. And without waiting for an answer she activated the crystal and threw herself on the soft and comfortable bed. It was only out of sheer curiosity that she opened her map just before she fell asleep and frowned at what she saw there. Erics and the other shadow mages dots were in the same place as Kodens and Ritas, all gathered near the border with the kingdom of Balsahty. While Katias was inside the palace of King Medhas. Chapter 150 “Safe?” Chapter 150 Safe? The first rays of sunlight illuminated the outskirts of the hut surrounded by a thick forest where the rest of the heroes were located, according to Kalystos map. I think this is it," Caranthir announced, and she hid behind a huge bush nearby in the middle of two leafy trees as she settled in to get a good view of the place. Dont tell me, Sherlock. She scoffed. Given that it was the only cabin in the vicinity, it was more than obvious that this was the place they were in. That and everyones dots were glowing on her map, indicating that she was in the right place. But when she looked at her map again, something caught her attention. On the bottom side, a button labeled Contracts lit up, then began to blink. And her fingertips itched, wanting to know what it was. Immediately, she clicked on the button and a new window opened before her, showing a list of all the active contracts she still had. The one that said demon king was the only one whose light was blinking, so she clicked on it. [The demon king will have three weeks to find: Alice Sanders. (Found.) Maria Sanders. (Found.) Antonio Sanders. After which he must begin teaching magic to Kalysto Luna, the champion of the fairies. And give her full access to his library for as long as she requires. In return, Kalysto must create three barriers: one for the palace of the demon king and two more in each of the palaces of his two younger brothers within the next six months. Furthermore, Kalysto commits to purify the kingdom of the demon king, Desmond, and his two younger brothers from the miasma within the same six months. In addition, Desmonds kingdom will be purified of miasma once a year for each year that magic teaching continues between the parties agreeing to this contract. Kalysto agrees to immediately deliver the book The Fall of the Hero, after both parties accept the contract. Until six months after finding Alice and her grandparents, the three aforementioned must live inside the demon kings palace as a precautionary measure to ensure that Kalysto will fulfill her part of the deal. The fairy champion is welcome to visit or move into the kings palace at any time.] The last sentence was added at the last minute by the demon king, so Kalysto didnt think much of it. What really mattered to her was to see that next to Alicias name. He assured her that he had already found her. Kalysto felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders at the same time as her lungs filled with air, which seemed much purer and cleaner all of a sudden. Immediately she shrunk her map, where the dot symbolizing the demon king shone to the south of the continent, close to the coast. And without being aware of what she was doing, she touched it. I wish I could talk to Alice right now, she thought. How did he find her so quickly? She wanted to be able to ask him and immediately a new window without text appeared before her. Kalysto opened her mouth to say something, but Caranthirs voice interrupted her. I think its a trap," commented the elf. And Kalysto blinked several times before she could remember that the elf could not see the windows of her system. She closed them immediately, leaving only the one with the enlarged map open. Concentrate! she scolded herself. Thats more than obvious," she replied. But first I need to make sure everyone is together and who kidnapped them Kalysto bit her lip as she planned, ignoring the elfs fixed gaze on her. If they arent the same ones who have Katia, there wont be any problem with me attacking them and escaping to the north, but if they are, the quickest way to get inside the castle and check the prison is to let me get caught. That and she needed more information, it was obvious that Solis had not been safe enough for them. I hope the captor is from the Medhas faction. She thought, remembering that there seemed to be several factions within the royal family. For while the king didnt give a shit about them, the queen saw to it that they were clothed, fed, healed if they got sick or injured during training, and had good quarters. I hope it is one of the idiots who is in command of the king who is in charge of this," she muttered quietly, immediately drawing the attention of the elf, who turned to look at her with a frown. Why would the saintess say such a thing? King Medhas is an idiot. The queen, however, pays attention to details. Like putting flower arrangements in our rooms and on the table where we all ate so that we would get used to having flowers nearby so none of us would notice when the servants poisoned us with zhalems flowers. Do you have my potions order ready? She preferred to change the subject. Now that Alice was safe, she wanted to go see her before returning to her world and take a well-deserved vacation while she visited the rest of her friends and made sure they were still alive. Seeing how efficient the demon king is, maybe he can help me get information on how to open a portal to Earth and get Alice and the rest of the boys back home. She enthused. Or maybe I can find information in his extensive library. Of course," assured the elf, whose dark circles were noticeable under his tired eyes. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Including the extra bottles of revitalizing potion I asked you for a few days ago? she questioned. Because of the new deal with the demon king, Im going to have to work hard to quickly level up my profession so I can start making the barriers in the shortest time possible. Which meant doing her own version of Artemis rigorous training. "Yes," he assured her, pulling out three enchanted leather bags filled with potions. Kalysto received them and after checking that there was the agreed amount in each one of them, she put them in her inventory. Good job, you can leave now," she said, and she began to observe the cabin and the four guards that were guarding its exterior. ... Caranthir seemed to disagree with her request. Are you sure you dont need me? It could be dangerous. Shouldnt you be worrying to finish on time the collection of potion making books I asked for? Or have you already finished them? She questioned annoyed, not at all happy to be interrupted while she was trying to plan how to get in. It was also starting to make her uncomfortable with the way he looked at her when they were alone. Or when he thought she wasnt watching him. ... Caranthir tightened his lips and took a step back, visibly annoyed and hurt by the rejection. I am working on them, but they are far from finished. In that case, Id rather you focus on that. I appreciate the help you have given me so far and in case I need your services again, I will contact you. It looked like he was going to object but then he nodded and disappeared. Kalysto waited a couple of seconds, suspicious of the ease with which the elf had left. Mana sense. She thought, pushing the mana out of her body and checking ten meters around, making sure she really was as alone as her eyes told her. It was then that she shrunk her map again, noticing that the dot representing Hanna had disappeared. Frowning, she carefully checked the window, noticing that at the bottom of the Contracts tab there was a button labeled Contracts/Expired Contracts. And there was not only Hannas name but also the twins and Edwards names. It was strange that Edwards name was there, but she decided to leave that matter for later investigation. She touched the contract with Hanna, and as she touched where the fairys name was written, she thought that she wanted to talk to her. Immediately, a purple window with no text inside appeared before her. Hello Hanna, how are you? murmured Kalysto as she watched two of the guards pass in front of the house, noticing that both of them had human ears. A third joined them, while the fourth entered the hut. And on his chest, the coat of arms of the kingdom of Balsahty was carved into his armor. The king then. She relaxed, remembering that all the queens guards wore her fathers coat of arms embroidered on their cloaks. Inspection! [Name: Azohar Race: human Level: 21 Class: Warrior HP: 1,500/1,500 MP: 10/10] Nothing to worry about then. She calmed down again, especially after noticing that the other two guards were level twenty. Then she looked again at the chat window where a white-colored text started to appear. [Good morning, champion. I hope you are having an excellent morning!] "Is more like a busy one, but thanks for asking. Tell me, would it be possible for us to make a new business deal?!" [Of course! More holy water? Because if so, Im interested in adding to my collection! My aunt found out I got a couple of liters last time and I ended up giving her almost half of it," complained the fairy.] I hope you got a good deal with that. [Of course, I did! Now I have new armor! Although I suspect I could have gotten it for a lower price, but well, shes my aunt, so theres not much I can do about that.] I understand you," she said with a smile, amused at the elfs situation. And yes, its holy water. I will need at least ten thousand mana stones between 4,000 and 10,000 MP and if you can get a hundred vials to bottle them as potions, it would be ideal, with their corks included, of course. Then she thought better of it. Maybe I can start selling holy water in other kingdoms... Its about time I start thinking about becoming independent and getting my own stuff. Could you add another 100 half-liter bottles? I will also need a five-liter water container so I can give you your payment. [Mmm, do you need them for today? I have a busy day today and I dont know if I can have everything in time.] It doesnt have to be today. It could be a week from today. [In that case, no problem. But if you add another two liters of holy water to the deal, Ill have everything ready by early tomorrow morning and Ill add two thousand of 2000 MP mana stones.] Perfect! We have a deal! As soon as he finished negotiating with the friendly fairy, Kalysto changed her hiding place. Turning around the hut after noticing that the guards had stopped making the rounds. Stealth! She thought as she approached a few meters away from the hut, being careful not to make any noise. Are you serious? Asked one of the guards, sitting on a wooden chair while the other two were standing next to him and leaning against the wall. Im serious! The queen ordered to burn the entire mansion of the Marquis of Tehro, it seems that both he and his daughter had the black plague! commented another guard, the fear of catching it just by talking about it permeated his voice. Wait a minute! Wasnt his only daughter one of the kings concubines and pregnant? commented the third one. Thats not the worst of it! The king didnt even attend their funerals, and many aristocrats suspect that he is infected too! By the gods, I hope I dont get infected when I get back to the palace! I think it would be better to resign as soon as we get back! Better alive and unemployed than contaminated and infecting my family! Be quiet at once! They were scolded by the guard who had entered the hut earlier. The queen said the king was sick, but she never said of what," he added a few seconds later. Im going to pee! He announced loudly and walked away into the thick clump of trees. Kalysto immediately followed him, ready to take care of him first, but after a few meters, when neither of them were visible to the people in the hut, the knight turned around and drew his sword. Whos there? He growled and Kalysto circled him noiselessly until he was in profile. But as soon as she took a last step while looking at him, she ended up stepping on a branch and a couple of dry leaves without realizing it. And the noise echoed loudly in the silent forest. Tundra! She immediately conjured at the same time as the warrior with the symbol of the Brincy duchy on his chest, ran in her direction. A wave of ice spread violently around her, freezing everything in its path. And for the next few seconds, Kalysto felt uncomfortable that she had killed someone. [You have gained 4000 experience points!] Then she advanced towards the hut and carefully approached within a couple of meters of the other three guards, who had separated and started to make their rounds around the hut. Sleep well! She thought, as soon as she touched the body of the first of them, injecting more than 500 MP into her attack. Making sure the man wouldnt wake up for the next three hours. Then she did the same with the other two guards. Mana sense! And after extending it, she could feel a kind of barrier created around the windows and the door of the wooden hut. Along with ten people inside. Three guards. She deduced and from the amount of mana they had, two of them seemed to be mages. Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! she whispered just before opening the door, dispelling the restraints that she suspected were some sort of intruder alarm. But what she found there was not what she expected. While Kalysto had thought the seven heroes were gathered there along with three other guards of the kingdom, inside were only Koden, Rita, Eric and Madha. Next to Milo, two mages and three knights with the symbol of the duchy of Brincy stamped on their cloaks were pointing their sharp swords at the necks of the chained heroes. To make matters worse, all those with the duchy symbol on their robes were between level forty and forty-five. Including the two wizards, who wielded space magic. Welcome back, Miss Luna! We have been waiting for you," greeted Milo, maintaining the facade of a perfect aristocrat. Chapter 151 “Back to the human kingdom.” Chapter 151 Back to the human kingdom. A dimly lit cell welcomed them after they had been teleported into an unfamiliar corridor that led to the set of cells where they had been locked up when the group of heroes first arrived in this world. The smell of stale, dust, dried blood and urine hit Kalystos nose. And her headache increased when she sneezed. They had hit her head when they thought she was going to escape, when all she did was yell at Caranthir to leave, pretending she wasnt alone in the rescue mission. Did they find who was helping her? Milo asked, dressed in his best clothes as if he had dressed up to go on a date with his soul mate instead of simply kidnapping a group of people from another world. No, sir," replied one of the wizards. But I found traces of space magic. And although its hard for me to find out how many people used the teleportation spell, I can say that it was used near the cabin and that at least two people used it recently. Its okay. Shell tell us everything herself anyway," Milo assured. As soon as youre done with that one, take care of her. I hope to be able to interrogate her before the end of the day," he ordered as he stood between the cell Kalysto was in and Emanuels, where a group of mages were holding the heros head while whispering a spell that she didnt hear, but from the way Emanuel had stopped fighting the warriors who were forcibly holding them, Kalysto began to doubt that his skill of Mental Defense could counteract it. Yes, sir. Sir, we are under attack! A whole army of monsters has invaded the royal family grounds and surrounded the palace! And a gigantic portal has appeared over the Marquis of Tehros mansion! shouted a soldier as he ran down the corridor surrounded by cells. As soon as he stopped in front of the first wizard of the court, he placed his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath after the marathon run he had to make throughout the castle while looking for the wizard. Just at that moment, the trumpets sounded, announcing the arrival of enemies, silencing the response of the surprised wizard. What? We are under attack! said the soldier, a bit confused by the slow reaction of the wizard. Guards! I want the heroes bent and ready to follow my orders and protect the palace! The rest of you, report to the captain of the knights! Im going to fetch the queen and the duke of Lanish! Move! A magic circle was drawn at the magicians feet and Milo disappeared after giving the order. The poor soldier who had just arrived let out a sigh, thinking of the long flight of stairs he had to run again to reach the place he had been assigned. I should have quit as soon as the rumors started that the king got sick with the plague," he muttered and turned around to carry out the order he had been given. Two days earlier. Capital of the kingdom of Balsahty. Palace of the king. Audience hall. Queen Tathiana was seated on the kings throne. The tip of her finger repeatedly tapped the arm of the royal chair as the tired voice of the Marquis of Allfel echoed throughout the room as the man presented a report on the current situation. Next to him, the trembling figure of the kings secretary was already prostrate before the throne, as was the marquis. Are you telling me that despite all the efforts we have made, the royal seal still does not appear? It seems so, Your Majesty," answered the marquis with his head bowed. Making the queens anger grow. Taking possession of the crown had been easy. In fact, some of the aristocrats did not even know about the change inside the great palace. And although Tathiana was dying to eliminate the man she had been forced to marry when she was but an innocent child and her fathers duchy was not as powerful as it is today, she chose a much more cunning way to resolve the situation. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. First, she spread the word that the king was ill and closed the palace so that no one not under her control could access it while she, her father, Milo and his people searched for the royal seal and eliminated all the kings spies and servants. All those whose loyalty could not be verified were put under mind control spells so that they could not betray her. Then she used the power of the temple, claiming that servants had been found infected with the plague for them to check the rest. And some priests, frightened by the idea of being infected, were the ones who spread the news that the kings personal servants had been eliminated after discovering that they were infected. This caused all the aristocracy to stay away from the kings palace. And the rest of the servants were isolated by the rest of the society, even after the temple assured that they were not infected. Meanwhile, all attempts to discover where the royal seal was were in vain, even after torturing Medhas. And while all the people of the capital feared the possibility of being infected by the black plague, news spread of the death of the saintess and of several cities that had been destroyed by the monsters or by the plague. The next day, the queen issued a statement thanking the Duke of Lanish and his army for their help in saving the princess from a horde of monsters and bringing her safely to her parents. And to lessen the fear of the rumors that the Duke of Lanish would take advantage of the kings illness to conquer the capital, half of his army was sent back, while the rest stayed as special guests of the queen who kept the appearances of a grateful mother for the rescue of her only daughter. Two days later, the mansion of the Marquis of Tehro was set on fire, after the queen tortured him and his daughter for daring to attempt to assassinate the princess. The funeral without bodies was held the next day, where the king was notable by his absence and Queen Tathiana and Princess Galythe attended to keep up appearances. Which rekindled gossip about the true nature of the kings illness. But now, a day later, the queen was on her new throne, as she tried to find the royal seal, which was necessary to seal the independence agreement of the Duchy of Lanish. However, despite her efforts, there was no trace of the seal. Are you telling me that the kings secretary, who is supposed to guard the seal and who knows the kings every move, has no idea where Medhas might have hidden it? questioned the queen to the terrified man who had been kept in prison for the last few days. I... Im very sorry, Your Majesty, but I..." he tried to apologize again. But the queen had already lost her patience, and with a wave of her hand, one of the nearby guards reached over and cut off the secretarys head, his blood staining the floor with magenta. Now, marquis, I hope you are much more intelligent and offer me better results, the cold voice of the queen spread throughout the room while the marquis imagined her as a giant snake about to attack its helpless prey. Your majesty, if you let me talk to him and if you allow me to cure him and improve his condition a little, it will be much easier for him to deign to tell the truth to an old friend .... or for me to negotiate with him the royal seal in exchange for improving his living conditions. ...Ha! Not even Medhas is stupid enough to think that I will let him live after he hands it over to me! the queen scoffed. ... But for a mistreated prisoner, the promise of freedom or the promise of no more pain, even when false, can keep the hope of living a little longer," commented the marquis in a silky voice. But Tathiana was no a fool. She distrusted each of the Marquis sweet words, knowing that he would try to help his old friend, but even so, she pretended to doubt and while he tried his best to finish convincing her, she decided to keep hiding her relationship with Milo and use him as a decoy so that the Marquis of Allfel would let his guard down and try to help the king escape, then she would be ready to eliminate them both. You have three days to convince him, or I will take matters into my own hands! the queen sentenced. And the marquis left, grateful for her enormous mercy. Tanya," she whispered, and her personal guard came out of hiding behind the throne. Yes, your highness. Follow him without being noticed and find out what he is planning! Of course, your highness," answered the maid and right hand of the queen, who had been trained as an assassin and warrior from an early age. And as a magician since ten years ago in order to protect the precious and only daughter of the Duke of Brincy. Although what everyone in the aristocracy saw, was a simple woman knight who was clumsy when it came to serving tea to the queen and her guests, while the queen was so magnanimous as to allow her to remain at her side. Tathiana watched her disappear in silence, knowing that the young woman would bring her good results and knowing that even if she announced the sudden death of the king in the next few days and took control of the kingdom, she doubted that anyone would dare to protest. Not when hundreds of people and several villages had been infected by the plague in the last month. Not when there was so much chaos in the kingdom. Even less when Medhas had so many enemies and a good part of the aristocracy belonged to the rebellion. Besides, she had the heroes back and her daughter, Galythe, the only heir to the throne under her control. Chapter 152 “The beginning of chaos.” Chapter 152 The beginning of chaos. Kalysto watched intently as the court magicians finished casting their spell on Emanuel. Sit down! ordered one of the wizards and the young man obeyed the order immediately, sitting down on the cold stone floor. Stand up! The hooded wizard commanded again, and Emanuel obeyed the order without hesitation. Touch your nose! Jump on one leg! Raise your right arm! Emanuels eyes looked like two lifeless wells as he followed the orders he was given, one after the other, without question or making a sound. A shiver ran down Kalystos back as she took a step back and the guards who had left the other dungeon opened the door to her cell and entered. The metallic clang of the anti-mana handcuffs that had been placed on her wrists echoed through the filthy prison as they approached. Kalysto looked out of the corner of her eye at the open window of her map. Thankful that she had forgotten to close it after talking to Hanna and postponing the conversation with the demon king to inquire about Alices health. Inventory! She thought, but just as she suspected, the window didnt change tabs. So she had to raise her hand while pretending to rearrange a tousled lock of hair and slyly pressed the inventory sign, revealing the tab she was looking for. The Minotaurs mace or the axe? She thought as the guards waited for the arrival of the two mages as they blocked the exit of her cell with their muscular bodies protected by shining gray armor with the dukes crest emblazoned on their cloaks. If only my inspection skill were higher, perhaps I could tell if their strength is greater than mine, or if only their levels are. She reproached herself, promising herself that she would raise the skill to a higher level after finding a way to escape from there, rescue Katia and get the kids out. But when they had arrived and traveled through several corridors full of cells occupied by servants, she had seen no trace of Katia. And if what her enlarged map indicated was correct, the sweet girl was at a different end of the palace. Which made her concern for her grow. As soon as the wizards finished checking that the mind control spell on Emanuel was okay, they snapped their fingers and immediately Emanuel backed up to the edge of the bed, scared of what they might do to him. Ive already told you everything I know! Please dont hurt me! He cried out, curling up in the corner of the bed after throwing himself on it as he watched them leave the cell, tears running freely down his cheeks as his eyes filled with terror. After leaving the cell, the two wizards pulled a lock from one of their robes. The click of the lock closing was clear to the ears of Kalysto, who, although her vision was obstructed by the warriors guarding the entrance to her cell, tried to discover which of the two mages had a copy of the keys. The other she had already seen was held by the first guard on her left. The four knights armed with swords that had previously entered the cubicle in which she was enclosed stepped aside, giving way to the two mages. And just the second they did so and their gaze turned away from her, Kalysto pulled the Minotaurs mace from her inventory and struck hard at the head of the first guard to her left, crushing the metal helmet that protected him as his body was thrown against the bars, twisting them. The two mages immediately conjured protective spells to protect themselves, while the three remaining guards drew their swords from their sheaths and lunged at her. [Youve gained 4000 experience points!] That she wasnt a mage? asked one of the mages. Where did she get that mace? questioned the other. But Kalysto didnt have time to pay any more attention to what they were shouting as she dodged the attacks of the other three warriors, surprised at how easily she had killed one of them and how the grille of her cell had bent outward. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. And as she dodged the blow of one of the guards swords, she pulled a dagger from her inventory and threw it at the middle knight, who dodged it with ease and lunged at her, not realizing that as he dodged the dagger it went straight towards the shield that one of the mages had erected. This frightened the other one, who was planning to cancel the spell on his shield and join the attack of the warriors. Kalysto dodged two other attacks and kicked one of them, throwing him against one of the stone walls of her cell, gaining a couple of seconds to assess her situation while the other two knights were trying to cut her in two with their swords, but she was countering the blows with the strong handle of her mace at the same time they were trying to press her and force her back using their combined heights and weight to subdue her at the point of sheer brute force. Lightning! Ice creation! Ice arrows! Ice spear! Tundra! She tried to conjure but none of her attacks materialized as she cursed how short the chain linking the anti-mana handcuffs they had placed on her was. << I could help you...>> Persephone whispered from the back of her mind. <> She tried to seduce her. And it was thanks to her words that Kalysto remembered what had happened in that city, what was left of her after giving free rein to that other part of herself. And Kalysto smiled. No, thank you," she said aloud as she took a step forward and pushed both guards hard, making them lose their balance and move back a couple of steps just as the third guard got up from the ground and joined the attack. Creation of dark mana! She thought and black smoke was expelled from her body, spreading rapidly throughout the cell, from the floor until it reached almost to her knees. The black plague! shouted the wizards along with one of the guards and the five of them backed away from her in fear of catching it. At the same time, Kalysto pulled out his violet inventory pet. Tsuki, electrocute them all! ordered Kalysto and Tsuki did so despite feeling a bit confused since he was supposed to be sleeping on his warm bed, waiting for the dawn to come and then he could go to explore another human kingdom as they had done a few days ago together with his mistress. However, now he was in a dirty cell surrounded by enemies. The three warriors were the first to fall while the mages came out of the cell while holding their shields and cursing whoever had thought of creating an anti-apparition shield in the dungeons of the palace. But that wasn''t enough to stop Tsuki who after sending an electric shock against the guard who had been lying against the gate since he arrived, ran through the corridor full of cells behind the mages and electrocuted them, and then did the same against the other two guards who ran to meet him, in an attempt to help the mages whose flat shields were surrounded by the puppy''s lightning. Good job! Kalysto congratulated him as she finished opening the anti-mana handcuffs after stealing the keys from the first fallen guard. "As soon as I get out of here I promise I''ll take you out for a delicious meal as a reward! Arff! he replied excitedly. He wagged his tail back and forth as he was carried by his mistress. Now back to the inventory! Then Kalysto returned him to safety and then went to the cell where Koden was and released him. Get the rest out and be careful with Emanuel, he''s brainwashed and I don''t know how reliable he is to be around! She whispered and Koden nodded his head, took the set of keys that Kalysto gave him, and started to free the rest of the group at the same time, Kalysto ran to where the bodies of the wizards were and began to search through his clothes, taking out another set of keys and four enchanted leather bags, two of them filled with potions and the other two with several coins that he immediately put in her inventory. Then she ran to the cell Rita was in and released her. Thank you! said the blonde. I''ll help free the others! She offered, as Kalysto helped her remove the anti-mana handcuffs. How on earth did they catch you guys? Edward insisted on helping some people who thanked us and invited us to have a drink at the bar. By the time Koden, Oscar, and I arrived from delivering another mission to the adventurer''s guild, the rest of the guys were already there, as drunk as you can imagine. While Edward was telling everyone that we had been summoned from another world," she commented annoyed. We got them out of there and moved to another inn but the next morning while we were arguing with the rest of the group who didn''t want to leave the town, we were found by the duchy guards. We didn''t stand a chance against them, not with those two wizards who could appear and disappear in a matter of seconds. Next time, don''t hesitate to abandon them, if they want to stay, let it be at their own risk! Each one of us is old enough to be responsible for our own decisions Rita bit her lip and lowered her head, looking like a scolded teenager. I''m not scolding you, it''s just that I''m beginning to think that the rest of them take it for granted that I''ll come to get them out of trouble every time they get into trouble. ... Something similar Emanuel told them when they asked him where you were admitted the blonde, Kalysto frowned and stopped. I''m going to create a way out for everyone to escape on their own," Rita''s eyes widened in surprise when she heard that. ...I...understand," the blonde muttered and Kalysto saw the moment when the other young woman took her words as a rejection. They have Katia locked up somewhere. You guys concentrate on getting out of here and I''ll go get her. Sure, of course! Said Rita, knowing beforehand that Kalysto had a special weakness for the young archer. Don''t worry about us! Chapter 153 “The beginning of chaos” Part 2 Chapter 153 The beginning of chaos Part 2 Warning: the last paragraphs of this chapter contain strong scenes that may hurt the susceptibility of some readers. Dont worry about us, we can escape on our own! The blonde assured her. Yeah, right! ....Thats why I had to come to your rescue... Kalysto thought with some irony as she nodded her head, preferring to keep her thoughts to herself. She pursed her lips, and after leaving the set of keys with Rita, Kalysto ran to the end of the corridor where a small window let in sunlight from the top of the wide stone wall separating the last two cells. And she laid both hands on it. Earth manipulation! -She whispered and the wall in front of her turned to dust, drawing an arc as high as she was. Some of the dirt that surrounded that part of the outer walls of the palace slid into the corridor, soiling her clothes and covering her legs with dirt, as she struggled to widen the arch that was barely wider than a doorway and about two meters high. A gap wide enough for them to find a way to climb over the high grassy earthen wall that had not slipped inside. You guys will have to climb to escape! She shouted as she watched the light coming through the half meter of space between the arch she had created in the wall and the earthen wall that did not collapse. A gust of wind blew through that space and brushed her face, carrying away the smell of damp, dirt and stale urine for a few seconds. Are we supposed to climb that on our own? Edward grumbled, stepping closer to her and poking his head through the new gap in the wall, looking at the six-foot-high, half-damp earthen wall that hadnt slid in. Is it safe? Youll have to find out for yourself," Kalysto replied, turning away, tired of playing at babysitting him without pay. Arent you going to help me? I mean, help us? questioned the young man, between surprised and annoyed at how uncooperative she had become with him in the last month. Why does he always have to be so dependent? I have more important things to do," she replied, turning her back on him. And you have a much better chance of surviving on your own than Katia! she thought as she headed towards the end of the corridor and turned left. As Koden and Rita finished freeing the rest of the heroes and then headed towards the exit Kalysto had created. Stealth! She whispered, and her body became completely invisible. As she advanced cautiously, Kalysto enlarged the map, observing the corridors free of red dots, and chose a route that seemed the safest to rescue her. The problem was that when she got there, what awaited her was a huge wall with no door. And she wasnt the only one who seemed to want to get inside. Potions master Erlhas Rakcys was also there. Wrapped in an old robe, the seventy-year-old was grunting and ranting against the wall at the end of the lonely corridor that led to another hallway, turning to the right. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Inspection! She thought. [Name: Erlhas Rakcys Race: Human Class: wizard Level: ?? HP: 97,000/97,000 PM: ????/?????] Kalysto frowned at the lack of information that the system was giving her and as a precaution, she decided to move back a couple of meters and hide behind a column. I know theres something there!... No one would waste time setting up a magical barrier if there was nothing to hide or protect! Erlhas growled at the cold stone wall barely illuminated by a pair of torches while the blaring of horns echoed throughout the place, announcing the entrance of the enemies inside the castle. And announcing the entrance of the enemies into the castle. I dont have time for this! -With his hands clenched into fists and his brow furrowed, the old man turned around and then stopped suddenly. His head turned in the direction in which Kalysto was hiding, with a frown on his face. The wizard took a couple of steps toward her, causing the saintesss heart to trot wildly against her chest and she pressed her body against the wall, fearing to be discovered. But the horns sounded again, leaving little space between one sound and another, announcing something in a code that Kalysto did not know how to interpret but that made the old mans face lose the little color it already had and began to run towards the corridor on the right as if his life depended on it. Forgetting about her completely. With her eyes fixed on her map, Kalysto waited until the red dot that symbolized him was far enough away for it to be safe for her to venture out of her hiding place. And when she was sure it was, she exhaled, letting out all the air she had been holding for fear of being discovered, and approached the great stone wall that seemed to be the only obstacle between her and the young Katia. Sense of mana! She thought, extending it a couple of meters further and noticing the large protective barrier the old potionist had been talking about. Along with something her map hadnt told her. Katia was not alone. A shiver ran down her spine and the feeling that something was not right seized her. Her heart raced, and her palms began to itch. She immediately switched to the inventory tab and pulled out a mana crystal. And a violet window appeared before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought, wishing she could speed up the process and get rid of the pressing sense of doom that was growing stronger and stronger in her chest and running through her guts. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5500 MP!] Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! she whispered as she concentrated on projecting her mana as far as she could, despite being less than five centimeters away from the barrier that began to crack. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured again, needing to hurry and get Katia out of whatever danger she was in. Slowly the silhouette of a door began to be drawn where before there was only a simple stone wall and without any ceremony, Kalysto again pulled the Minotaurs mace from her inventory and kicked the door hard, peeling it off the frame and throwing it a couple of meters further. What she found inside, however, turned her insides inside out. Causing her to drop the mace from her hand as she watched with absolute terror the disgusting scene unfolding inside the opulent room finely decorated with chandeliers and various objects of pure gold. An elegant double bed was the only thing that seemed to be spotless while on the cold marble floor, dozens of bodies of naked women and elves lay on the blood-stained floor. Each of the bodies had had its heart removed. And in the back of the next chamber, which was surrounded by another barrier, on what appeared to be a ceremonial marble altar surrounded by candles, the body of the young archer was lying on the altar, her wrists tightly bound and her naked body covered with bruises. While King Medhas, half covered with an elegant robe embroidered with gold threads, held her tightly by the thighs. With his hips almost as bare as Katias. And Kalystos mind snapped at that moment. [The skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] Chapter 154 “Blood and chaos.” Chapter 154 Blood and chaos. Kalystos gaze darkened. Literally. Her blood boiled as it had never boiled before, as hatred clouded her mind. A thread of darkness descended on each of her shoulders, fading just before her elbows. But she didnt even notice it. Without even thinking, Kalysto rushed into the second bedroom, crashing through the barrier separating the two rooms and drawing the attention of the only two beings still alive inside. A current of electricity warned her of the magical barrier that was preventing her from saving the little girl, who seemed to be screaming at the top of her lungs from behind the wall of mana. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Kalysto growled, her voice sounding hoarse and strange to her own ears, but she didnt care. King Medhas turned his face towards her with his brow furrowed as if wondering what the hell she was doing there, Completely confident that no one could interrupt what he was carrying out, but his face lost all color when he realized that the barrier fell, allowing little Katias pleas to reach the ears of angry Kalysto, fueling her rage. Maddened by memories of her childhood and the image of her mothers body lying in the kitchen, Kalysto did not see the blood-stained ceremonial dagger in Medhas hand, nor Katias broken leg that the king was pressing hard to subdue her. Nor did she see the cut on the girls chest, nor the line of blood that began to ooze from the wound. All she saw was a half-naked pervert near a defenseless girl. What the hell? How the hell did you get in here? Medhas refuted, ignoring the book Darla had found in an old dusty room inside the temple and had secretly lent him. Katia took advantage of the Kings small surge of carelessness to try to kick him again and get away from him but her hand slipped against the blood staining the damp marble altar and what little strength she had seemed to leave her as she tried to pull away from the ceremonial dagger, at the same time awkwardly fighting the groggy feeling of the drugs she had been given. The fairy champions fist slammed into the disgusting kings nasty face, breaking his jaw and ripping part of it from his ugly face as she saw Katias desperate attempts to leave him. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Kalysto growled, letting the golden light of her skill spread throughout the room, healing the little girl and the disgusting attempt at being human that had dared to harm Katia. Jhil Ezhil! Medhas eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the skills of a saintess, one far more powerful than his former lover, Darla. Multiple targets! Ice stakes! She muttered coldly and threw two stakes, one in each of Medhas hands. The kings screams echoed throughout the room, silencing the loud cries of Katia, who was already in a fetal position on the altar with her eyes bathed in tears. Damned bitch! How dare you? growled the king, whose jaw had just regenerated. Fireball! One of the battered hands was surrounded by fire, but even then it could not melt the ice. And without giving him time to recover or launch an attack, Kalysto ran up to him and kicked him in the stomach, throwing him against the cold stone wall. Flame blast! She whispered and a huge flare of fire came out of the saintesss mouth, but this time, unlike the previous times, some of the fire was black. AAAHHH! Medhas screams flooded the place and Kalysto had to force herself to stop so as not to kill him before his time. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! She conjured as she walked towards him slowly, enjoying the fear in the eyes of the monster she had once made the mistake of labeling as human. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. How? Impossible! He stammered in tears, but when he noticed that she was closing in on him again, he stopped muttering and got scared. Stop! Get away from me, you damned monster! And he began to throw all the objects that were near him, from a candlestick to a ceremonial replacement dagger. But unintentionally, when Kalysto dodged the dagger, she left the way free for it to fall on Katia, burying itself in her leg. Ahh! Katias scream resounded in Kalystos ears, who immediately turned to look at her, leaving the way free for Medhas to launch a fireball that crashed against Kalytsos back, burning the back of her favorite black shirt. It was at that moment that Kalysto noticed the blood on the altar and the body of another woman with her heart had been removed. The blood on the ground was fresh. Spear of ice! she raised her left hand and muttered, her voice sounding as cold as the ice she just summoned. Shattering the Kings right shoulder. Medhas screams filled the room as his arm came off his body. At the same time, Kalysto watched as half of the ice she had just cast was black. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! she conjured, making sure to heal any internal wounds Katia had. Impossible! Are you a saintess? the king muttered, full of disbelief despite what his eyes were seeing. What did you do to her? she asked instead. You fucking bitch! I am the king of...! Kalystos fist smashed into his ugly face, preventing him from finishing what he was saying. I asked you a question! She commented as she melted the ice spear and threw another punch against his face, stunning him. It doesnt matter. Whether or not you did what I suspect you did to her, Ill see to it that it never works for you again. Ice arrows! she summoned and hurled them at his flaccid member. Ahhh! cried Medhas, curled up in a fetal position against the cold floor as he wept for his lost member, Bitch!... How dare you? Dont worry, you wont need it again, she replied with absolute calm before kicking him, leaving him face up. Besides, its not like it makes any difference. And as soon as she bent down to continue hitting him, he raised a hand and a fireball and sent it against Kalystos face. Take that you fucking monster! -Medhas rejoiced. What he didnt expect was the rain of punches that followed. The burning fury on her face. Or that the fire had been absolutely useless against Kalysto. With every blow the saintess landed on him, the rage and hatred boiling inside her instead of calming down only seemed to burn brighter. Roaring through every pore of her body, devouring every cell inside her. Until she was completely lost in them. She wasnt even aware of the kings blood splattering on her clothes and face, or the moment he lost his life and the window that announced his death after she had broken his ribs and one of them buried itself in his heart. Just as she was also unaware of the moment when she had dislocated his other arm when all she wanted was to tear off every limb and pulverize his body until nothing was left of him. Not even the memory of him. Then Katia would not have to live with his shadow, as she herself had had to do until now. Tears flooded her face as reality blurred with her memories, and in front of her, the mangled and bloodied body ceased to be that of Medhas and became that of her stepfather. And it was at that moment that she finally, after a long time, felt vindicated. Not only because of her mothers death. But because of defending Katia, she had finally been able to do something she had never been able to do in the past. Defend herself against her attacker and stand up to him. And the more tears that streamed down her warm cheeks, the better she felt. With every punch she gave him, she felt freer from all those chains of the past that she hadnt realized had been holding her prisoner until now. A sob escaped her lips. Leave her alone! She murmured through her tears and for a second she could almost see a version of herself as a child, dressed in white and wearing a huge smile. A gentle breeze caressed her face, and as she lay on her knees in front of the remains of what was left of Medhas battered body, Kalysto felt free. And a smile, a real one, came over her face as a sense of absolute peace washed over her. Until a violet sign appeared before her. [Does the user wish to absorb this incomplete mana crystal?] What? Kalystos whole body froze in surprise and she lowered her gaze to observe that among all that blood and all the damage she had caused, there was a thin red crystal. ...Lysto...Miss Kalysto!...Miss! Katia shouted and Kalysto turned to her. Its all right... He can never hurt you again, Kalysto assured her with a sweet smile on her peaceful face, however Katia, instead of being reassured by her words, recoiled in fear. Katia?... Whats wrong? Your eyes! Kalysto frowned uncomprehendingly, getting up from the floor slowly, not wanting to scare her even more. Whats wrong with them? she asked calmly. Theyre black!... she answered, backing up a little. Completely black like two bottomless pits... just like those of a skeleton. Chapter 155 “Red.” Chapter 155 Red. Kalysto took several minutes trying to convince Katia that everything was fine with her and that it was just a residual effect of using some of her skills. And almost ten minutes after she was finally able to get it inside her inventory, along with Medhas book, a new horn resounded throughout the castle. Kalysto, worried about all the time that had passed since she had freed the boys, went back through the same corridors she had gone to rescue Katia, but halfway near the entrance of the prison they had been put in, she met Sandra. The other fire mage in the group of heroes and the one who had stayed behind in the tower along with Milo. Kalysto entered the corridor that led to the empty jails right behind Sandra. The blonde stopped for a second and Kalysto thought she had noticed her presence, but the seventeen-year-old girl gasped when she saw that not only were there several guards and mages lying on the floor, but a hole in the back wall. One that Kalysto had made almost half an hour ago. They escaped... she muttered in surprise, too low for the saintess to hear, The heroes have escaped! She began to shout at the top of her lungs as she turned and ran, ready to deliver the news to the guards. But Sandra hit an invisible wall, falling to the hard, dirty ground. Ice creation! Kalysto thought, freezing the blondes body to just half a centimeter below her nose so she could breathe. Im sorry, but I cant let you give them away, Kalysto muttered, but by the way the blondes eyes widened, she knew she recognized her voice. Besides, I never liked you, the blonde growled and tried to melt the ice. ...Im sorry, but I cant let you do that either... Sleep well! She said, then left her there waiting for one of the other guards to come and find her, while she stood in front of what was left of the wall at the end of the cell corridor and took a deep breath, hoping that would be enough to calm the change in her eyes. Too bad I dont have a mirror nearby, she muttered, as she checked her arms, noticing that the two snaking black lines that had been there before had completely disappeared. Then she stood in the small space between the stone wall and the earth that had not collapsed, and jumped. Only to find the group of heroes fighting for their lives as they were surrounded by several groups of orcs, undead and walking skeletons. Fall back! Rita shouted as she launched a fireball at a huge green-skinned orc and Koden slit the throat of an armored skeleton, only to have it rise again soon after, as if nothing had happened to it. Why do they revive so quickly? Edward complained as he stole the sword from the skeleton Koden had defeated and Oscar jumped on the back of the orc Rita was fighting and slit its throat. How should I know? Koden replied in annoyance, as he cut off the head of an undead goblin and threw its body away with a kick. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil purification! Kalysto conjured, a little proud to see that even though they were under pressure, the boys could defend themselves on their own. The golden light burst from her body disinterring the undead and causing all skeleton warriors to fall to the ground, breaking the spell that held them together and causing them to re-form. At the same time, she pulled out the minotaurs axe and chopped off the head of a nearby orc, who were the only enemies to survive her earlier attack. [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x15 [You have gained 800 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 1200 experience points!] Thats not fair, that was mine! Koden complained and Kalysto rolled her eyes at his competitive attitude. You still have a whole dozen orcs to choose from, replied the saintess as Rita exclaimed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Im winning by three! Thats not fair! You had help from your boyfriend! The tank defended himself. Come on guys, stop it! Kalysto scolded them, too amused by their attitude as she watched Emanuel use the twins as human shields, staying away from the monsters while the rest of the group fought. Ice creation! she conjured, freezing the bodies of ten orcs, leaving only their necks and heads exposed for easy elimination. There you go! No need to fight each other anymore. Great! Thank you! Koden exclaimed excitedly and without wasting the given opportunity, he jumped over the ice wall and started decapitating heads. Hey! Go look for yours somewhere else! he shouted when Rita and Oscar joined him. [Youve gained 400 experience points!] Kalysto never said they were just for you, the blonde defended herself just before cutting off the head of another orc with a sword she had just stolen from one of the skeleton warriors Kalysto had killed. See, even if Oscar kills one of them, she doesnt say anything! The twins, seeing this, immediately imitated the blonde, stealing a sword from the fallen skeletons and jumping on the ice to also annihilate some orcs. [You have gained 400 experience points!] x2 [You have gained 500 experience points!] x4 Where were you? Those things almost killed us! Edward shouted, his voice thick with anxiety. His face was pale. Kalysto arched an eyebrow as she settled the Minotaurs axe over her shoulder and watched him coolly, at the same time as the orcs that had been several meters away from them rushed in their direction at the sight of the clear path. I had other things to do, she answered as if it were nothing and before he could vent all his frustration against her, Kalysto jumped over the ice column as a new horde of undead monsters advanced towards them, We need to get away from the castle! If someone finds out that we escaped, they will come after us, and if they catch you again, I will not go to rescue you! She warned the rest of them. [You have gained 500 experience points!] x3 A mighty roar silenced them as a huge troll almost five meters tall ran towards them with a gigantic mace in his hand, throwing several groups of skeletons aside to make room. Then two others, a meter smaller than the first one, ran towards them, each from a different direction. Blocking any chance they had of escape. The big guy is mine! shouted Kalysto immediately and jumped, cutting the bodies of undead, skeletons and wolves that crossed her path. [You have gained 1500 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 2000 experience points!] Well go for the one on the right! Oscar chose, immediately jumping on an orc and stabbing it between the eyes. Rita followed him shortly after. That means the third one is mine! All right! The rest of you, come with me. Well defeat that monster together! He got excited as he pointed at the third troll. But neither Edward, nor Emanuel, nor the twins shared his enthusiasm. Do you want us to face that thing? Are you crazy? Gideon complained, and Edwards legs shook as he watched him approach. Do you want to be a hero? The tank turned, looking at the man who had been his friend and classmate for a year and a half. Edward swallowed hard. His face had an unhealthy greenish color, but he still nodded his head. Then stop waiting for someone to come to your rescue! It doesnt matter that were afraid! What really matters is what we do in spite of being afraid! He argued. You can choose to stay here as a coward or you can choose to face your fear and become stronger!... Do you all want to go home as heroes or cowards? Koden nodded his head, believing he had gotten his message across. And after what he considered the most motivating speech he had ever given in his life, the young tank, like the other three heroes summoned from another world, launched into battle. Edward and Gideon tried to follow him, while Emanuel stayed in the safety of the ice wall created by Kalysto and Gabriel began to shoot arrows at his side. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Kalysto conjured as soon as she was a couple of meters away from the ice wall to prevent the rest of the group from losing the small fort with which they could keep away from some of the monsters. [You have gained 1500 experience points! x15 [You have gained 1200 experience points!] x10 Kalysto cut off the heads of two more orcs before facing the troll, who, as soon as he reached her, threw his strong mace against her body. [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x2 The saintess barely had time to dodge the trolls attack at the same time as another orc threw an axe towards her. Ice blades! Ice arrows! She threw at the trolls eyes and throat, after dodging the orcs attack. Perfect aim! Ice spear! She conjured and threw it at the orcs head, who died instantly. [You have gained 2000 experience points!] Despite the wounds in his eyes, the troll attacked her again. Throwing his sledgehammer back and forth, trying to be guided by the surrounding sounds, and after evading its last attack, Kalysto jumped on the monsters arm and ran up to its shoulder. Ice daggers! she conjured and made two slashes at its neck before leaping to the top of the enemys head. Tundra! She muttered as her new height allowed her to observe the top of the huge red portal glowing in the distance, along with the hundreds of thousands of monsters surrounding the castle and everything else she could see. Shit! Chapter 156 “Monsters everywhere.” Chapter 156 Monsters everywhere. Too preoccupied with surviving, neither Koden, Rita or the rest of the heroes said anything about the strange appearance of Kalysto, whose sclera looked more gray than white with faint black lines extending from her dark irises. Much darker than either the tank or the fire mage had seen during their stay inside the tower. And although they were both concerned about their friends new appearance, they both decided not to ask, believing that it was a side effect of using her powers since she had a broken system and that this change in her appearance was the real reason Kalysto had been hiding everything she was really capable of so far. So they decided to wait and let it go for now. For his part, Oscar just watched and kept his thoughts to himself, as he always did. Unwilling to risk another fight with Rita when they had already made the passes and started talking about having a future together as soon as this was all over. In fact, they were both thinking about the possibility of settling down in this world and separating from the rest of the heroes if they couldnt find a way home. Therefore, after giving her a subtle glance, the dark-haired skillful man verified that despite the new look of the other mage of the group, the way Kalysto treated Rita was the same as always. So he decided not to say anything about it. Instead, he planned to hurry to find a way to escape from there and talk to his woman separately. There was no need to wait for them to find the blessed spell to find a place to live together, settle down, and start a family, something he wanted more than anything. A dream that the blonde was more than willing to help him fulfill. And if that meant having to learn to get along and tolerate the weirdness of his future wifes best friend, so be it. Oscar looked at the fire mage as they both continued to launch one attack after another against the massive troll they had chosen to attack. The woman who, despite her youth, had not backed down after hearing about his dark past. And without realizing it, a small smile broke out on his face. Whats wrong? Why are you smiling? asked his girlfriend after throwing a fireball at the trolls face. ... Oscar didnt know what to answer. He hadnt even realized that he had been smiling at the thought of having a future together. But before he could answer, Kalysto interrupted them. Rita, get it! Just as she was about to throw something, she hesitated and her gaze strayed to the brown man. Oscar, please catch it! Rita, you know what to do with it. The transparent one is only in case of an emergency! Give me back the ones you dont use along with the bag as soon as you can! You know I like to collect them! Kalysto shouted from atop the trolls head before leaping gracefully and burying her two daggers in one of the enemys eyes. Ill certainly do that! Thank you! The blonde was thrilled, and Oscar could see the relief on her face, even though she still hadnt seen what was inside the leather pouch. So he decided to examine the inside before handing it over. Only to find four bottles of mana potions, three of healing, and one of a transparent liquid similar to water. And despite the blind confidence that shone on the face of the future mother of his children, Oscar did not hesitate to inspect them. He was in for a huge surprise when the window of his system indicated a bottle filled with holy water. A liquid that, according to what he had heard, was not only hard to come by, but of invaluable value. And yet she had lent it to him as if it were nothing. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It was at that moment that Oscar decided to put aside his distrust towards the ice mage. Maybe Rita was right to trust her so much. Meanwhile, just a few meters behind them, the other heroes were too preoccupied about dying to worry about anything other than the horde of monsters impeding their escape. Still, from time to time, Koden would cast glances full of concern and caution toward the fairy champion. For though he was grateful for all that Kalysto had done for them, he was not as trusting as Rita was. And though he didnt want to admit it, a small part of him worried what would become of them if Kalysto turned against them. Besides, Koden didnt know if it was because of her broken system or because of the contract with that mysterious being, but since they had come to this world, there was something that had changed about Kalysto, and it wasnt just her appearance. And he couldnt shake the feeling that something wasnt right with her. Is no one going to say anything about the change in the color of Kalystos eyes or that suddenly the ice she can conjure began to darken at the base? Emanuel growled, annoyed by the lack of reaction from the others to something that could obviously come to harm them all. Does no one remember the people contaminated by the black plague we saw in that town? Does no one else care that she has been infected and that she could infect us all? Seeing that Gabriel didnt say anything and Edward, who had also gotten off the ice wall but stayed close to them, remained silent, only increased his frustration. We should stay away from her! Whatever shes infected with could make us sick too, and Im not going to die because of her! He burst out, hugging a stolen shield instead of using it. She will never expose us to danger! Gabriel immediately defended her, shooting arrows at the eyes of the nearby orcs, imitating what he had seen Kalysto do before. Just because you want to get in her pants doesnt mean the rest of us are willing to take the risk! Emanuel scolded him. I didnt...I never said that... Gabriels face flushed red as he tried to defend himself. Edward watched them silently with his sword held high, but his hands still trembling at the prospect of having to fight one of those monsters alone. Unwillingly, his gaze strayed to the ice block, noting the dark blue of the base. And he swallowed saliva. ...Normally, Kalysto is a very reasonable person. Lets wait for her to get out of her bad mood and ask her about it he tried to defend her, but he had noticed that since they came to Elinor her behavior towards him had changed. And now, he didnt know what to think about it. Youre right, as her fellow travelers, we have the right to know whats going on! She has an obligation to inform us! Emanuel calmed down. But Edward doubted she was going to share anything with them. Then his gaze strayed to Koden, who now seemed to be more Kalystos friend than his. And something unpleasant stirred inside him at the thought of how easily he had been replaced. Edward, look out! Gabriel shouted, launching an arrow at the skull of the skeleton that had evaded the defense the other heroes had created and made its way to them. Edward barely had time to dodge the edge of the enemy sword, but he still received a small cut on his shoulder. And despite the pain, he raised his sword and fought the skeleton, unwilling to die. Several meters away, Kalysto caught up to hear Gabriels shout and drew her bow and an arrow from her inventory. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! the fairy champion muttered and the golden glow of her skills bathed the arrow, which she launched towards the head of the skeleton that was attacking Edward. Grateful that she was far enough away from them that Dispel didnt fade the wall of ice on which Emanuel and Gabriel were standing. [You have gained 800 experience points!] [You have gained 700 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 800 experience points!] x3 After watching as another pack of undead wolves disintegrated, she looked at the boys, making sure they were safe. Multiple targets! Ice blades! Ice arrows! Ice stakes! She snapped, launching her attacks at the trolls eyes and neck, blinding him completely and causing the giant to start swinging his mace back and forth, unintentionally attacking his own allies, instead of her. Giving her a few seconds to observe the kind of monsters that were attacking the castle, noticing that none of the ones she had seen when the elves were attacked were there. Too bad, I wouldnt mind getting a new pair of cores! She was disappointed. But that also opened up another possibility for her. That means that the portal summoner is different... It was then that she remembered the orc with that big crystal ball and a smile came to her face. Excited at the prospect of meeting him again and settling the score. Well see who bites the ground this time. Chapter 157 “Monsters of War.” Chapter 157 Monsters of War. Kalysto dodged the vertical slash of one orcs mace, only for the others bat to nearly break her back if she hadnt dodged it in time. Despite the eight feet in height that both orcs were, they were both agile enough to keep her busy, giving the troll time to recover and pull out the ice spear she had thrown against his thick thigh. Seriously, its a pity neither of them have a core, she muttered grimly as she calculated the time it took for her to use her skills again. A mighty roar erupted from the trolls throat and Kalystos body froze for a few seconds, giving the orc with the bat time to hit her in the stomach, throwing her several meters away and breaking two ribs. [Warning: the user is under the influence of the attack Fear. All of her stats have been reduced by 40%!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has resisted the attack: Fear and is still active. The attack has been canceled and all stats are back to normal.] Kalysto coughed several times as the metallic taste of blood permeated her tongue. Shit, isnt my Mental Defense supposed to be so high that my system should be able to resist that attack without it hitting me first? She worried. Or is that monsters skill superior to mine? Regeneration! she conjured as she felt her ribs break. Pain exploded in the side of her body and a pair of windows appeared on her left. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Tsk! She clicked her tongue, annoyed at the untimely sign as both orcs, followed by the troll, ran towards her. Inventory! she muttered and immediately pulled out a mana crystal. At this rate, Im going to end up spending all my remaining mana crystals! ...Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she took out a bottle of holy water and took two long gulps, speeding up the healing process. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 MP!] Kalysto waited until the three monsters were less than a meter away from her and conjured: Tundra! Freezing the orcs completely, but only half of the trolls body. And she clicked her tongue again at her failed plan. Ice spear! She conjured and threw it at the trolls throat. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! she added and then jumped against his back, burying them in his neck. [Youve gained 4000 experience points!] [Youve gained 3000 experience points!] [You have gained 2700 experience points!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 38!] If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And as the troll fell, she scanned her surroundings with the intention of checking that the rest of the group was okay, only to notice that besides the huge castle wall that covered their swords and the wall of bushes that gave way to one of the gardens, leaving them locked in an alley whose only exit was blocked by an army of undead, several packs of wolves and a large collection of skeletons. Behind them, the sky darkened, and several swirling shadows began to form. Several headed towards the center of the city, others towards the various palaces, but one headed in their direction. Shit! Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! she conjured as she jumped up. Guys, we need to get out of here now! Koden lure the monsters! Now! she shouted as she ran towards them at the same time that a part of the army of monsters that had been marching towards the castle entrance strayed into the small space between the wall of bushes and the castle wall where they were. Okay, Koden replied, jumping backward and moving two meters away from the other troll, who had already destroyed a part of the wall that was part of the garden surrounded by bushes that imitated a small labyrinth. Taunt! Are you crazy? Do you want us to get killed? Gideon complained. But despite his complaints, Koden did as she ordered, ignoring him. Unlike them, Rita immediately realized that something was going on. Whats the plan? Rita shouted. Look to your right! And when they did, they saw that more than fifty meters away from them, a black whirlwind was approaching. Edward, Emanuel, Gabriel, and Gideon jump over the bushes to the other side! Where did that shit come from? Gideon panicked. What are you waiting for to leave? An invitation signed by the king? Kalysto shouted to the weaker members of the group as he evaded the attacks of the troll Koden had been fighting while the young tank kept summoning his skill and making the nearby monsters run toward them with their weapons raised. Rita and Oscar, go with the rest and make sure to keep them safe while we make time for them to escape! Get as far away as you can! Im going to freeze this place! she warned them. Ill make sure they leave! Rita assured her as she grabbed Gabriel and jumped with him over the wall made of bushes carefully trimmed by the kings skillful gardeners. Oscar, will you help me, please? The dark-haired man nodded his head and took Edward and placed him on his shoulder as if the young man was a sack of potatoes, then he took Emanuel and jumped over the wall of bushes with them on his back. Wait for me, dont leave me behind! shouted Gideon, who with great difficulty managed to jump over it on his own. Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! She conjured several times, feeling calmer now that the rest of the group was gone. [Youve gained 1000 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 2000 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 1500 experience points!] x10 [Youve gained 700 experience points!] x20 Kalysto then pulled the Minotaur axe from her inventory and chopped off a trolls arm at the same time as she dodged the second trolls attack and a pack of wolves with fur as white as snow rushed against them as the bodies of the undead vanished under the golden light of her skills. [The skill Ezhil Dispel has risen to level 10!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has risen to level 15!] Dont stop Koden! Kalysto shouted as she cut off the head of one of the trolls. [You have gained 2000 experience points!] Are you sure about this? Would you rather risk the lives of the rest of the group and let them take on these monsters? She questioned, jumping on the other trolls head and cutting the head off. Multiple targets! Lightning! Ice arrows! Ice stacks! she conjured, directing her attacks at the wolf pack. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She continued conjuring, taking advantage of the fact that with the tanks skills, dozens of undead ran towards them through the mazes dead-end corridor. [You have gained 2000 experience points!] [Youve gained 1700 experience points!] x10 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 39!] [You have gained 700 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 800 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 500 experience points!] x30 Just as she finished exterminating the last group of skeleton warriors that had entered the labyrinth corridor they were in, the swirl of darkness lost its form in front of them, revealing a massive six-meter-tall lich, four headless horsemen, and over a thousand skeletons dressed in thick armor and far better armed than the ones she had seen so far. A smile broke out on Kalystos face at the sight of the large collection of undead that would soon become experience points and she whispered: Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! But contrary to her belief, the giant lich with a black crown on his head, a necklace of precious stones, and a round crystal on top of his staff, did not disappear under the golden light of any of her skills. Chapter 158 “Monsters of War” Part 3 Chapter 158 Monsters of War Part 3 Ezhil Purification! Conjured Kalysto. The golden light spread about twenty-five meters farther from her body after the skill leveled up, even so, contrary to what she thought at first would be an easy enemy to defeat, the giant lich with a black crown on his head, a necklace of precious stones, a ring on each finger and a round crystal on top of his staff, did not disappear under the golden light of her skill. What the hell? [You have gained 700 experience points!] x25 [Youve gained 800 experience points!] x5 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 40!] [You have gained 500 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x40 And as almost all the undead and skeletons near her disintegrated under the golden light, the lich just smiled. ...Isnt a lich supposed to be undead and as such weak to purification? she questioned. Surprise framed the face of the saintess, who could not believe that while hundreds of skeletons and undead that had been in front of her disappeared before her skills, neither the lich nor the four headless horsemen took any damage. Technically speaking, according to all the video games Ive played, the undead are weak to holy energy, so unless youre a saintess, you might fail, Koden replied with his sword held high, ready to fight anyone who faced them. But I am a saintess. She was about to tell him as she turned her head to stare at him in utter disbelief. Greetings, saintess of the fairies! The lynchs creepy, raspy voice reached out to them with total clarity and Kalystos body froze the moment she heard the lich speak. How the hell does he know that? She wondered. Wait! Are you a saintess? Koden questioned incredulously. Can you understand his language? She whispered as she nodded her head to the question he had just asked as she relaxed her facial expression and gave the lich a smile, the same smile she would give to a customer she found annoying but with whom she had to pretend to be polite. Greetings, she commented, her voice reflecting a calmness she was far from feeling. I suppose you must work for the priestess of the god Seth-Mainyu, she commented as if she was sure of what she was talking about when in reality she just wanted to get some information and buy some time while she came up with a plan. Thats right! The lich smiled in pleasure. Almost as if he was glad to know that he could have a moderately civilized conversation with a beast that he considered to possess a lower level of intelligence than he did. We all have the great honor of serving the great god Seth-Mainyu! The old man seemed to want to continue speaking, but Kalysto rushed at them, the golden light of her previous spell not even fading as she pulled the Minotaurs mace from her inventory and tried to hit the lich with it. You seem to resort to violence as easily as the queen you serve, the lich sighed with apparent regret as fifty undead stepped into the maces path. Kalysto struck the first one. But he immediately changed her tactics. Ezhil Purification! She conjured, disintegrating them, but before she could reach to touch the lichs body with her weapon, a field of dark energy shielded it and immediately one of the headless horsemen tackled her, stealing her attention. From the tip of the horsemans sword, a wave of energy erupted that cut through everything in its path, forming a crack in the ground near where Kalysto had been just before dodging the attack. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x30 But thats not the only thing you seem to share with the fairy queen, the Lynch muttered, catching her attention as she evaded the headless horsemans sword again. Does he even know Im her avatar... inspection! She thought as she jumped back, trying to create some distance between them. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [Name: King Alun Race: Lich. Level: ?? (Elite) HP: ?????/????? MP: ?????/????? DMP:?????/?????] Kalysto clicked her tongue, annoyed that a mere monster knew so much about her when she knew next to nothing about him. Then she lashed out at the lich again, once again part of the army of undead and skeleton warriors behind him as silent guards rushed towards her, as did the horseman she had fought earlier. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She conjured several times, this time ignoring the hundreds of monsters that rushed at her and focusing her attention on the rider, who, like the lich, seemed to be unaffected by her skills. Dispel Ezhil! She whispered, sure that neither of them could hear her. And this time, unlike the previous ones, she noticed a slight glow that lasted only a fraction of a second on the gems of the rings the horseman wore. But other than that, nothing else changed. Still, she was thrilled by the new discovery. If I can get Dispel Ezhil up a level, I might stand a chance against them. She thought. I just need to get close enough to the lynch to check it out. [Youve gained 200 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 100 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x40 I would suggest you change your technique, saintess of the fairies. Its more than obvious that Im immune to it. a creepy smile was drawn on the lichs face. Everyone, attack! He ordered, and the entire army of undead behind him rushed at the two of them, at the same time that the other three horsemen surrounded Kalysto. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! conjured Kalysto immediately. Multiple targets! Lightning! She summoned, stretching out her left hand from which three lightning bolts burst forth, slamming into the bodies of three of the four headless horsemen, which transformed into black smoke at the same time as the sword of the fourth tried to stab into her back, barely giving her time to dodge the blow. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x10 [Youve gained 400 experience points!] x30 [You have leveled up!] [User is now level 41!] Kalysto, I need help back here! Koden shouted as he was surrounded by undead. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured as she blocked another attack from the fourth horseman with her mace while he tried to keep her away from Koden and the lich, whose necklace gave off a faint glow for a brief instant. [You have gained 350 experience points!] x15 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 550 experience points!] x25 It was then that out of the corner of her eye, Kalysto noticed how the black smoke that had remained after electrocuting the other three horsemen gathered again, causing the horsemen to take physical form. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured again, causing the black smoke to dissipate again but the fourth horseman and the lich seemed to realize the same thing and immediately the lich began to perform a short chant and while the other horseman kept her busy, the lich created a dozen black crystals which he hurled at her. [You have gained 350 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x30 [Youve gained 500 experience points!] x10 Kalysto jumped backwards and sideways, dodging with great agility each of the thick crystals longer than her long legs, only to miss a thin, small crystal that reached out and buried itself in her arm. Shit! Regeneration! Regeneration! Ser hastily conjured mentally as she pulled out the small dark crystal. And she jumped again, dodging more attacks from the horseman and the lich as she tried to get closer to the group of undead that had stayed away from her and closer to Koden, taking advantage of the fact that she had been distracted. Not realizing that in doing so, she gave the other three horsemen enough room to regenerate. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured, completely oblivious to what was happening with the other horsemen as she tried to wipe out the entire army of undead as quickly as possible so they couldnt kill Koden while she fought the other five. [You have gained 100 experience points!] x100 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x10 [The skill Dispel Ezhil has level up to level 11!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has been level up to level 16!] Ezhil Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured as she ran to the opposite corner and approached another group of monsters that had stayed away from her as she dodged the continuous attacks of dark mana crystals that the lich was throwing at her. [You gained 300 experience points!] x200 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now Level 42!] Then he ran and jumped over another group of monsters that were closer to the lich. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured again, thrilled with the large amount of experience points she was gaining thanks to the large army of undead the enemy had been kind enough to bring her. [You have gained 400 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x100 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 43!] And confident about how well things were going, she launched herself at the lich again, swapped the mace for the Minutemans axe and leapt with her weapon raised high, ready to cleave the pesky monster in two. But just as she was about to reach him, the three swords of the three horsemen who had regenerated stabbed into her back, just after transforming into long spears, piercing her stomach. ...Cogh!.... Surprise washed over Kalystos face as the metallic taste of blood flooded her tongue and spurted from her mouth. The lynchs smile grew as he moved his staff in front of him and a huge red magic circle was drawn in the air, less than a meter away from his summoner. Its time to end this game! Chapter 159 “The Mission.” Chapter 159 The Mission. Eric and Madha were the first to escape but ended up getting away from the rest of the group while fighting a couple of monsters that were almost at the end of the dead end. But soon after Kalysto arrived and sent them to the other side of the wall, suddenly the compulsion to go back inside the castle and look for Milo took hold of them. As did Emanuel, who shook his head several times, but then his gaze became empty again and he started walking back towards the castle, just as Eric and Madha were already doing. Emanuel, where are you going? Come back! Edward shouted as he blocked the attack of a skeleton armed with the sword he had stolen. His shout alerted the fire mage, who was fighting next to her boyfriend against a lone wolf five feet tall with a blue horn on its head. Eric, Madha, what are you doing? Could you check on Emanuel? I think theres something wrong with him, Rita shouted. Fire creation! She added, burning the wolfs head just as two skeletons launched themselves at her and Oscar immediately intercepted them. But both shadow mages ignored her, as well as the monsters that attacked them, turning their bodies into shadows just as the swords of their enemies approached their bodies, only to return to their physical forms seconds later when the attack was over. Repeating the same process over and over again until a wave of golden light hit them, followed by another one, disintegrating the two skeletons that had been attacking them and others that were attacking the rest of the group. Eric blinked in surprise to find himself in a different place than he had been a few seconds ago as he watched the skeletons disintegrate in front of him. Where am I? He looked around and immediately noticed that when a new wave of golden light bathed his body the tracking mark that the court mages had placed on him also disappeared, as well as the daze and the voice that seemed to dominate and cloud his mind. He turned around, looking at Madha on his left. What happened? Where are we? Eric, Madha, look out! Rita shouted at them, causing both wizards to immediately transform into shadows as two-horned wolves charged towards them. Eric immediately transported himself near a skeleton that hadnt been disintegrated and, after pushing it, he stole its sword, then transformed into shadows again and appeared right next to one of the wolves, causing a big cut on its neck. Madha, seeing this, imitated him. Emanuel instead began to scream, terrified by everything that was happening. Several meters away, separated by a wall of bushes and the orcs body, was Kalysto with the Minotaurs axe held high, ready to split the annoying lich in two and the three spears of the headless horsemen piercing her stomach. ...Cough!.... Surprise washed over Kalystos face as the metallic taste of blood flooded her tongue and spurted from her mouth. The lichs smile grew as he swung his staff in front of him while Kalystos body began to descend and a huge red magic circle was drawn in the air, less than a meter away from his summoner. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Its time to end this game! The lich rejoiced, and as he began his chant, Kalysto whispered: Tundra! A wave of ice spread from her body outward, freezing the spears and the front half of the horsemens bodies, along with the lichs arms, chest and lower half of his face. Immediately, a pair of windows opened to her left as a strong dizziness overcame her and her body fell to the ground with a thud. [Warning! User has less than 5 MP remaining. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] In... inventory, she whispered and her inventory window came before the previous notifications, allowing her to pull out with trembling hands a vial of holy water and drink it in three long gulps. Then she pulled out one of the mana stones, noting with fear that she barely had a little more than a dozen left. What a bad time to be running out! She thought, noticing the large number of monsters that were still advancing towards the castle and how a group of them, at the end of the long corridor that was part of the labyrinth, decided to enter the dead end where she was. Shit! Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she noticed that most of the new wave of monsters were undead, accompanied by over seventy five-foot-tall wolves with a horn on their foreheads, similar to that of a unicorn but blue. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 5500 MP!] Blessing! Regeneration! Regeneration! She conjured, feeling her strength recover and her wounds finish closing after getting rid of the spears that pierced her body and storing them in her inventory. Then she stood up and approached the horsemen. Ice manipulation! she said and finished completely freezing their bodies at the same time the army of undead almost finished reaching where she was and the ice containing the lich began to crack as the monsters magic began to surround his body. Kalysto pulled the Minotaurs mace from her inventory and split the body of two of the horsemen. The fourth one, seeing this, lunged towards her. [You have gained 2000 experience points!] [Youve gained 1500 experience points!] Kalysto evaded his attack, then jumped to the side and ran in the direction of the third horseman. Breaking the ice on his chest with a single blow. [You have gained 1700 experience points!] Ezhil Purification! She conjured several times, eliminating dozens of undead that began to surround her as she evaded the sword of the fourth horseman. [You have gained 200 experience points!] x15 [You have gained 100 experience points!] x15 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x20 Blessing! She said, pointing to her chest and a faint golden glow enveloped her as her strength and agility increased, allowing her to run in a split second to where her axe had fallen and pick it up, then put the mace away and attack the fourth horseman while the ice that contained the lich slowly began to fall until it gave way completely and he launched the attack that had been halfway through his conjure. After severing one of the horsemans arms, Kalystos senses, heightened by the blessing, alerted her to the danger. And just before the lichs magical attack fell upon her, Kalysto stepped aside, evading it and allowing the fourth horseman to be vaporized by the violet light cast by the lich. [You have gained 200 experience points!] The lich, annoyed by his failed attack, took advantage of the fact that she was not only far away but now surrounded by almost a hundred undead and seventy wolves to prepare his next attack. Immediately, Kalysto prepared to do the same. Dispel Ezhil! Blessing! Purification Ezhil! Tundra! She conjured at the same time that a violet window appeared in front of her, obstructing her vision. But what the...? She was about to curse aloud when she recognized the fairy queens message. [Kalysto, someone has opened a portal near my kingdom! I want you to go and close it immediately!] Chapter 160 “The Mission” Part 2 Chapter 160 The Mission Part 2 The morning sun caressed Kalystos face as a drop of sweat trickled down her forehead. At the same time, several violet windows appeared to her left and above them, a larger one appeared before her. Overshadowing her vision at the same time, the growling of the wolves was heard closer and closer. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x40 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x30 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 44!] [Youve gained 400 experience points!] x30 [Kalysto, someone has opened a portal near my kingdom! I want you to go and close it right away!] Are you seriously giving me a mission right now? She frowned. Cant she see that Im busy? Ice daggers! She conjured, and immediately stepped aside, evading the attack of the first wolf that jumped over the ice wall and lunged for her neck, cutting its head off. Annoyed at not being able to close her bosss window, Kalysto frowned. Were not even that close! She wanted to refute her. Not only was the kingdom of Solis between the two kingdoms, but there was also a vast desert and then a thick, wide forest between them, so one could almost say that they were two kingdoms apart. And thats not as close as she had just claimed! But she could hear the movement of those wolves she missed freezing as they climbed the ice she had conjured as they ran towards her. Ready to attack. Sorry, boss. Im a little busy right now. Can I at least move the window of this conversation to the side? Although Galatea had taught her how to set up the system to activate battle mode and have the windows appear to her left. The queens chat messages were the big exception. And they were completely immovable. [ You can move them now.] As soon as the new window appeared to her left like the rest, Kalysto immediately closed the violet window of the previous message in front of her, only to find a large mass of fuchsia energy heading in her direction. Holy crap! She immediately jumped to the side, evading the lichs attack, but a lock of her hair and the bottom of the boot of the sweatpants she was wearing were disintegrated, as were many of the wolves she had recently frozen. And there went my experience points! she complained under her breath. [Kalysto, you dare to ignore me?] A new window opened to her left, and Kalysto could feel the queens annoyance. Boss, Ive got a damn lich thats immune to my skills and hes trying to kill me right now! Along with a huge pack of wolves! Excuse me if my attention is divided! I dont want to die! she shouted in annoyance, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kalysto regretted it. A shiver ran through her body, and a cumulus of black clouds darkened the sky. The hairs on the back of the saintesss neck and arms stood up, warning her of danger. Her face lost all trace of color, and she immediately turned to where the unsuspecting Koden stood. Koden, run! Run for your life and get away from here! But...! The young man tried to retort, worried for her safety in the face of the huge lich which was preparing a new attack at the same time the rest of the monsters launched themselves against her. Now! Kalysto insisted, remembering too late that if facing a whole army of monsters while making sure the rest of the heroes made it out alive could be something that would scare anyone, the fairy queen was far more terrifying than all of them put together. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Maybe the eye of the tower, or whoever that giant eye belonged to, could compete against her. But that was something she hoped she would never have to find out. And as Koden ran away to where the rest of the heroes were on the other side of the wall, running as if her life depended on it. A small violet circle was drawn beneath Kalysto at the same time as hundreds of thunder and lightning bolts fell around the young fairy champion, making the earth tremble beneath her feet. A small portion of the powerful pressure of the queens presence spread around her, making it difficult for her to breathe despite the protection provided by the magic circle. Ah.... more experience points lost! Kalysto lamented as she coughed and struggled to breathe. And with how close I am to reach level fifty in the midst of so many undead, thanks to the twenty percent extra experience! A strong gust of wind ruffled her hair and kicked up dust in all directions. Kalysto immediately covered her eyes as the nearby castle walls collapsed. Almost a minute later, the smoke began to dissipate slowly and the smell of burning flooded her nose. The trembling stopped along with the lightning and an eerie silence reigned on the battlefield for a few seconds as the queens presence and manifestation of anger disappeared without a trace, as if they had never been there in the first place. [Do I have your full attention now?] Of course, boss! She answered immediately, looking at the huge crater that had been created around her. Kalysto gulped as she looked at all the damage caused. Note to myself, never again not to pay due attention to the boss! Or make her angry! A couple of meters from where she stood, she noticed a black stain along with what was left of the lichs staff. And in the middle of the dark cloth, a core glowed among the carbonized remains. What can I do for you? She answered with the usual friendly smile with which she had attended to customers in her previous job. [I heard from my godson that you are looking for three human friends of yours who were summoned to this world against their will.] Thats right, but I thought the demon king was your nephew, not your godson, replied Kalysto, confused by Alices mention, knowing well how much the queen disliked humans. Why the sudden interest? [He is both! His mother was my cousin-sister. Now stop diverting the subject and focusing on trifles!] She scolded her. Of course, boss but despite her response, her eyes strayed to the lichs core. [Im not in the mood to waste time negotiating with you. So Ill get to the point.] Then a new window opened. [Mission: Destroy the portal in the kingdom of Balsahty and its summoner in less than twelve hours. Reward: *Send three friends back to the exact same world and point from which the fairy champion was summoned.] Kalystos body froze as she read that. Can I save Alice and her grandparents? She got excited, but immediately wiped the smile off her face. Wheres the catch? She wondered, knowing full well that her boss had refused to help her send her friends back to Earth before. Why is it different this time? The portal is a bit far from where I am and the whole city has been overrun by monsters, so unless you lend me some help, it will take me a while to get there. And the last time I saw a portal like that, it was several meters above ground level, and I have no way to fly and get there. [Ill send Hanna to help you. You both did an excellent job purifying my kingdom a few days ago. You should have no problem working with her.] It will be a pleasure to work with Hanna again, Kalysto assured her. In fact, she liked the young fairy very much. May I keep the remains of the lichs core? [...] [You can take them, I dont need them.] Thank you, she answered honestly as she stood up and walked over to where the core was. To her disappointment, the core was not in perfect condition, nor was the lichs baculum, but at least she was able to keep the gems. Absorb! She whispered. [Does the user wish to absorb the remains of this lichs core?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations, the user has acquired 97% of a new skill: Dark Mana Manipulation!] Kalysto clicked her tongue, disappointed that she didnt get the full skill. Ill have to track down another one of these liches and get his core! She got excited. Ill have to level up first to hunt it down! [Hanna is on her way, wait for her arrival.] Of course, she replied, and when she saw that no other message appeared, she closed the chat windows and left her map open, looking at the purple dot of her boss and Hannas inside the fairy territory. Its going to be a long trip. I hope I have time to get the boys out of here. Kalysto, are you all right? Ritas shout was heard in the distance as the group of heroes ran to meet her. The few monsters that had been nearby fled during the queens attack, allowing the youngsters to move freely. What happened? worried the blonde. Shes in a bad mood, she replied as she glanced at the rest of the group before her eyes returned to the blonde, who understood the message immediately. I have to leave in a few minutes. That was your...? Rita didnt dare to finish the sentence and Kalysto nodded her head, making both the blondes and Kodens faces lose all traces of color. I think its better not to make her angry again, Kalysto nodded. And I think we should find a way to get out of here as soon as possible then her gaze fell on the only dark-skinned hero. Oscar, how high can you jump? Chapter 161 “The Mission” Part 3 Chapter 161 The Mission Part 3 Her heart beat like a runaway horse against her ribs. Truth be told Kalysto was still a little freaked out by her bosss sudden outburst, but she was still to upset about what happened with Katia. She needed to kill a couple more monsters and focus her remaining anger elsewhere before Hanna arrived. and noticed something was wrong with her and informed the queen. And she was worried that her boss might decide to intervene. So she closed her eyes for a second as she took a deep breath, trying to normalize her heartbeat in the hope that it would help her finally calm down, but out of the corner of her eye she could tell that her hair was still two shades darker than usual. At least its not black. She consoled herself... At least Im still in control of my body. And with dissimulation, she opened her eyes and looked at her arms, feeling relieved not to see any serpentine black stains on her skin. Then her gaze fell on the only dark-skinned hero. Oscar, how high can you jump? she asked the only other hero who had dedicated himself to increasing his agility. Although Kalysto suspected that he was already agile, even with a knife, long before they were summoned to this world. Oscar frowned and instead of asking, he looked at the debris and everything around them, while calculating in his mind. At least ten meters, he answered, maybe a little more if I have enough impulse. Great! Then Kalysto jumped to where they were, coming out of the fifteen meters wide crater the queen had caused and stood in front of him, at the same time that Rita, worried about her, came closer to verify that she wasnt hurt. Because I need you to find a route for us to escape as quickly as possible. Are you sure you are not hurt anywhere? Rita whispered, and the fairy champion smiled at her genuine concern. Im fine. Shes just in a bad mood because I made the stupid mistake of telling her I was busy. So she got rid of my distractions, fear flickered across Ritas face, and she couldnt believe how calmly Kalysto was telling her this. Its not me she wanted to hurt, she assured her. For now. Her treacherous mind reminded her. Focus! She scolded herself. Immediately, a violet window appeared to her left and the usual coldness covered her body. [The Mental Defense skill has been activated.] Why didnt I think of doing this before? Rita and Oscar blinked in surprise as the color of her eyes and Kalystos hair lightened in front of their eyes. Is everything all right? asked the blonde cautiously. Your...your eyes changed color. A small smile full of relief appeared on Kalystos face. Im glad. I was worried about that, she commented, not wanting Hanna to see her like that. But seeing that the problem was easily solved, she turned to Oscar. Ill give you a boost. I want you to concentrate on looking for where we can escape more easily. And dont worry about the fall, Ill take care of catching you. Accustomed to following orders in which his life was exposed to danger during the years he had been working for a mobster in Italy, Oscar nodded his head and put his foot in the middle of Kalytsos intertwined hands. Are you sure he wont fall? Your future husband will be fine. I just hope you invite me to the wedding, Kalytso joked, making the blonde blush. How is Katia doing? -Rita asked quietly, wanting to change the subject. Safe for now, was all she replied before propelling Oscar upward. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And while both women kept their eyes on him, waiting for him to point out the best way to go, the rest of the group approached where they were. What are you doing? asked Eric and Koden at the same time. Give me some room and get ready to run in the direction Oscar points us, the dark-haired man pointed to the northwest. Eric, Madha and Koden! Lead the rest of the group to where Oscar pointed us! Hurry! Then she jumped, grabbing Oscar by the waist and landing a couple of meters away from where they were before. Everything all right? Yes... he assured her with a pale face. Theres a trail of corpses in that direction. Although we will encounter a good collection of monsters, it seems that they already destroyed everything they were going to destroy when they passed that way. Then its time to run, and so the three of them did. As soon as they caught up with the group, it was obvious that Rita was already running out of breath as Kalysto noticed her holding her stomach while lagging behind the rest of the group. Oscar, carry Rita on your back! The rest dont deviate and keep moving forward along the path that Rita opened! She ordered when she saw a group of undead that ran towards them as soon as they saw them break through the burnt wall of bushes that led to the corridor of the labyrinth where they had been left behind. Ill take care of them! Are you sure youll be all right on your own? Koden questioned, worried for her. Protect the group! She replied before dashing in front of the small wave of three hundred undead that rushed to meet her. Hello experience points! She greeted them with a smile, convinced that she still had a chance to reach level fifty before Hanna arrived to pick her up. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! [The Dispel Ezhil skill has been raised to level 12!] [You have gained 200 experience points!] x50 [You have gained 400 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x30 [Youve gained 500 experience points!] x20 As their bodies faded amidst the golden light of their abilities, Kalysto ran through their remains with her axe in hand, ready to cut down a few, if necessary. To her great disappointment, this batch of monsters had only skeletons and resurrected soldiers. At least none of them were contaminated with the plague. She consoled herself. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! [You have gained 200 experience points!] x60 [The skill Ezhil Purification has risen to level 17!] [You have gained 400 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x40 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 45!] [You have gained 500 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 100 experience points!] x30 [The Dispel Ezhil skill has been raised to level 13!] As soon as he was sure he was done with all of them, he returned to the group, which was fighting a group of wolves several corridors ahead. Move aside! And as soon as all the heroes moved aside, Kalysto conjured: Ice creation! covering the wolves completely. Hey! I wanted to kill some! Edward complained. We dont have time for that, we have to get out of here as soon as possible! If you want to stay and fight with them, thats your decision, but dont expect me to come and rescue you later! Fire blast! she conjured, looking at the map out of the corner of her eye and noticing that Hanna had already left the fairies territory. Shit! Im running out of time! She worried, as she focused her mana on burning several rows of bushes in the hope that they could finally reach the exit of the labyrinth. Rita, the next wall is all yours! She added as she ran towards the new path she had opened for them and the smell of burning flooded her nose. Ready! But I still have twenty seconds to go before I can use my fire again! Rita replied as they all ran to the final wall. Fire creation! A smile came to the blondes lips as the last barrier to their freedom burned down, giving way to a sea of severed monster corpses and wounded soldiers. Gabriel, Gideon, Emanuel and Edward blanched at the sight of the remains of the cruel battle. Are they all dead? asked Gabriel. We dont have time to find out, and if there are any soldiers alive, they will try to subdue us and force us to return to defend their kingdom, which I dont intend to do. I suggest you keep walking. We still have a long way to go, she then turned to Ritas boyfriend. Oscar, are we on the right track? ... He nodded his head, not missing any detail of the hundreds of dead that were lying all over the place, as if he didnt trust any of them. We should come across a huge destroyed fence in a few minutes and then the remains of a large pink house. From there, the path will be completely clear. You heard him guys, lets keep running! Seven minutes later, when they were a block away from the remains of the pink building Oscar had mentioned, another lich, at least three meters tall and surrounded by almost a thousand undead, was advancing in their direction from the intersection with the other street. What the hell? Why are there so many of them everywhere? Edward complained. Keep moving! Keep moving! Dont deviate! Ill take care of them! said Kalysto. Are you sure you dont need our help? Eric asked. They look like too many for you to fight on your own. Dont worry about me and escape as soon as possible! Ill join you when I can, but for now, get as far away from this kingdom and the southern continent as possible! She assured, squeezing the handle of her axe tightly. Her hands itched with the need to cut off the lichs head and take his core. But to her great annoyance, while the rest of the group of heroes escaped down the street where there were still a large number of corpses scattered about, in the window of her map, the dot symbolizing Hanna indicated that the fairy had just arrived in Solis. Chapter 162 “The Mission” Part 4 Chapter 162 The Mission Part 4 As the rest of the heroes fled to freedom led by Oscar and Rita, Kalysto opened her inventory. Oh, not so fast guys! She commented with a smile as she passed the axe to her left hand and pulled out a mana crystal with her right hand while keeping her gaze fixed on the army of monsters advancing towards her down the wide street. Behind them, a lich dressed in a black robe, and a staff with a huge gem on its tip, looked at her with a sadistic smile carved on his skeletal face. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] Joy shone on Kalystos face as a rush of adrenaline surged through her body and she launched herself at the enemy army with her axe in hand. Level fifty, here I come! She muttered with a maniacal smile on her face. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! She quickly conjured over and over again as she charged into the enemy ranks whose bodies began to disintegrate as the golden light touched their bodies under the watchful eye of the lich, whose smile immediately faded as he saw the danger she posed to his large collection of minions and hastily conjured a spell in an attempt to stop her. [You have gained 400 experience points!] x140 [The skill Dispel Ezhil has been raised to level 14!] [Youve leveled up!] [The user is now level 46!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] x150 On her side, Kalysto was excited at the amount of points she was gaining, and all the points she could gain if that lich would summon more undead. [You have gained 150 experience points!] x110 [You have gained 200 experience points!] x100 With adrenaline pumping through her blood she didnt even bother to evade the rain of dark mana crystals that fell on her, hitting them with her axe and splitting them in half to then switch her weapon for the mace, and start hitting them in all directions as if she was participating in a volleyball game. You cursed human, tremble before the fury of our lord like the earthworm that you are! shouted the lich, and beams of green light were launched at her. Kalysto dodged the first round as she continued running towards the lich and put the mace back in her inventory. At the same time, she started jumping from side to side, evading the attack while approaching the rest of the army she had not yet disintegrated. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She conjured again almost fifty meters away from the lich, who stopped throwing lightning with both hands and started to cast another spell with one of them while the other kept attacking her. [You have gained 200 experience points!] x100 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 47!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] x150 [You have gained 100 experience points!] x150 This time a huge green circle was drawn several meters above her and thousands of dark mana crystal stakes emerged from it. Shit! Too focused on evading them she didnt notice that the lynch, despite having stopped the lightning attack, began to conjure a new spell with the hand he now had free while with the other he held the summoning. Kalysto evaded most of the crystals but every now and then some sharp edge from which she had not moved far enough away or had not hit in time with her axe, hit her body, creating cuts on her arms and legs. Then she switched back to her weapon, taking out the mace and smashing one of the crystals with force, sending one right into the face of the concentrated lich, who didnt manage to evade it in time. Thus breaking his concentration on both spells he had been conjuring. Dirty human! How dare you? Then he launched himself at her at high speed, using his staff as a weapon and smashing her face. Sorry to interrupt your evil speech but I bathe much more often than you, and when I cant use water, I purify myself, she mocked while evading the blow with the handle of her mace. Im not the one whose breath stinks of rottenness, she scoffed. Kalysto didnt know from where but suddenly the tip of a dagger cut her cheek, she could barely avoid the cut being much deeper when the lich took advantage of her carelessness and hit her hard in the side, sending her several meters backward and stealing all the air from her lungs. Insolent! Ill teach you to respect your superiors! Several magic circles were drawn around the lichs hands and wrists. Rise my servants and destroy my enemies! And the thousands of corpses of soldiers and monsters that were flooding the streets began to rise up and rushed towards her in a herd as the lich stepped back and began to conjure a new spell. Doesnt this guy realize that it only makes me stronger? She thought, confused at the enemys stupidity. Ezhil purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil purification! She muttered, Regeneration! Regeneration! [Youve gained 300 experience points!] x50 [The skill Ezhil Purification has risen to level 18!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] x150 [The skill Dispel Ezhil has raised to level 15!] [Youve leveled up!] [The user is now level 48!] But while Kalysto was too focused on getting more points and leveling up fast, almost a hundred meters behind the whole new undead army, a huge magic circle was drawn behind the lich and several blobs of thick black liquid came out of the magic circle, creating a huge three-meter tall figure with two tiny eyes and a giant mouth that crossed its entire figure across its width, full of sharp teeth. The creature opened its mouth and a powerful roar emerged from its throat, shaking the ground and freezing in its place all the undead that had been attacking her, their bodies trembling with terror. [The user is under the attack of the Fear skill and her defense dropped by 50% as well as all her stats.] [The Mental Defense skill has withstood the attack and all stats have returned to normal.] Upset at the thought that this thing could rob her of the experience points that would come with the death of thousands of undead surrounding her, Kalysto lunged toward the creature, ready to finish it off. But as she approached it parts of the dark body of the new monster detached from its gelatinous body and were thrown towards the body of the saintess who dodged them in time only to discover that the spot she had just jumped from began to melt upon contact with the black substance. No physical attacks, then. She thought, and jumped back, putting some distance between them, but the nasty creature seemed not to like the idea and began to advance towards her. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! But unlike what she had believed, the summoned creature, like the lich, was immune to her power. Chapter 163 “The Mission” Part 5 Chapter 163 The Mission Part 5 Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! But unlike what she had believed, the summoned creature, as well as the lich, were immune to her power. [You have gained 150 experience points!] x20 [You have gained 250 experience points!] x50 Despite all of Kalystos attempts to get rid of the new monster, all of her attacks seemed in vain and only seemed to give the pesky lich extra time to prepare for more sneak attacks. The only good thing about all this was that it had also given the hundreds of undead surrounding her time to close in on her trying to attack her when they thought she had gotten careless, giving her the opportunity to gain more and more experience points almost effortlessly. Kalysto evaded further attack from what appeared to be a giant slime with a rectangular body and oval head of a glowing black hue that made her doubt whether or not it was actually connected to the black plague. Ezhil Purification, she invoked and again the golden light that came out of her body did not do any damage to the creature, but it did to the hundreds of undead that surrounded her. At least it doesnt have the plague, she consoled herself. [You have gained 250 experience points!] x50 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x150 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 49!] Hundreds of black crystal stakes fell on her and the fairy champion had to strain to evade them as she jumped from side to side, dodging the attacks of what appeared to be an elongated slime with a gigantic mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she could note that on her map the point that indicated Hanna was beginning to approach the kingdom of Balsahty. I need to get rid of these two and get that core as soon as possible. She worried. So Kalysto, forewarned that she would have to miss the opportunity to avoid angering her boss, ran towards the creature with an outstretched hand and while evading another attack, whispered: Lightning! Mana Manipulation! Ice Creation! she said and used much of her mana to freeze the monster after electrocuting it. As soon as she accomplished her goal, she leapt towards the lich, evading the hundreds of undead bodies surrounding it and took advantage of the fact that he was in the middle of chanting a new spell. Ice daggers! Ice stakes! she summoned, breaking the lichs concentration just before leaping at him with her axe raised high, ready to split his head in two. But although the ice daggers wounded one of his arms, the rest of her attacks were completely evaded. Furious, the lich began to attack her, using his staff as a weapon and pulling a slender dagger from his dark tunic. Kalysto managed to evade the blows even though the lichs weight and large stature put her at a disadvantage. However, the circle with which the creature had been summoned or created remained in the air, completely intact. Even so, the lich made sure not to let her get close. If it works like a portal, maybe I can destroy it. She thought as she evaded the lichs next attack at the same time as two green lightning bolts shot out of the old monsters skeletal palm. Kalysto jumped to the left, evading them. Only to approach him from the side and hurl her axe at his arm. The lich immediately tried to block the physical attack but maintained his closeness. Which made the saintess smile. Gotcha! Tundra! The lichs entire body froze, and as the ice surrounding the summoned creature began to fracture, Kalysto put away the axe and pulled the minotaurs mace from her inventory, and immediately cleaved the lichs frozen forearm, causing the frozen staff, even with the ringed hand holding it, to fall to the ground. With a fluid motion, Kalysto lunged towards the staff and put it in her blue inventory, frozen hand and all, convinced that the rings, or even the staff itself, had some kind of magical immunity against her skills. But even though she didnt have time to sit down and inspect them calmly, she could do it later. And with any luck, I might be able to use them... or maybe his jewels. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The thunderous sound of cracking ice caught her attention as the ice containing the summoned monster began to shatter into several fragments. Immediately Kalysto ran up to it, dodging the throng of undead that rushed towards her trying to avoid her advance. Ezhil Purification! She conjured and immediately switched the left panel of her system from the map to the inventory and took out a mana crystal. Absorb! [You have gained 200 experience points!] x50 [You have gained 300 experience points!] x150 [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4500 MP!] Ice Creation! Ice Manipulation! And for the next minute, Kalytso dedicated herself to reinforcing the layer of ice that curved around the monster, making it as thick as she could. But the sound of ice breaking around the lich caught her attention as the remaining undead made a circle around her, the lich and the summoned monster, keeping her separated from the summoning circle. Are they aware that if the summoner dies, in theory, the summoning circle should disappear as well? She thought as she ran towards the lich and took the mace out of her inventory. Even if I am not able to kill him, Dispel Ezhil should be able to destroy that circle! Then she raised the mace and finished shepherding the shoulder of the arm she had cut off earlier. At the same time the lichs glowing red eyes moved, following her movements underneath the layer of ice she had summoned earlier. Tundra! she whispered, but to her great annoyance, as she watched the ice around the lich slowly begin to break into different parts, a violet window appeared to her left. [Warning! The skill Tundra cannot be used at this time. The user must wait 20 seconds before being able to use it again!] Crap! Ezhil Purification! She conjured, just to keep the rest of the undead at bay as she mentally counted the seconds until she could use her skill again while her heart leaped with anticipation each time a new section of the ice began to break. First, it was a thigh, followed shortly by two fingers of the left hand. Ten seconds! She thought, just as the ice around the lichs head began to crack, his glowing red eyes fixed on her. Five seconds! She counted and her heart thumped against her ribs like a runaway horse. Two seconds! And in that same instant the lichs mouth opened, finishing thawing at the same time as a swirl of dark mana rushed towards her. As the lichs ice finished shattering, Kalystos body slammed into the ice column in which the summoned creature was imprisoned. Ouch!...Cough! She coughed a couple of times and as soon as she could recover, she jumped again recovering her weapon and then headed towards the lich. Regeneration! Tundra! This time she didnt waste any time and with all her strength she smashed the lichs head. The heavy sound of Kalystos breathing broke the silence, and she quickly took out a small vial of holy water and drank it in one sip, noticing immediately that not only the summoned creature had not disappeared, nor had the summoning circle. The notification of his death did not reach her. Kalysto clicked her tongue in annoyance and checked her map, noticing that Hanna had already arrived in the kingdom and was heading towards her. She took a deep breath and grabbed the mace with both hands, dedicating herself to breaking not only Lichs other arm but also his shoulder and part of his chest. Seeing this, the rest of the undead ran in a herd towards her. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She called out several times as she continued to break part of the lichs chest until she noticed a green glow shining inside his ribcage. A shiver of pleasure ran through her body as a smile spread across her face. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x100 [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 50!] [You have gained 200 experience points!] x150 [You have gained 100 experience points!] x100 And when he was about to touch it, a wolf bit her arm. Fire blast! She thought as she burned the back of the wolfs head, neck and chest, full of rage. Looking around, she realized that a pack of wolves was coming in her direction. Multi-targets! Lightning! Wind whirlwind! She conjured, and those who were not killed by her lightning bolts were sent against the castle walls. [You have gained 1000 experience points!] x5 [You have gained 800 experience points!] x15 Ice manipulation! She immediately melted the ice around the core and placed the palm of her hand on it. [Does the user wish to absorb this lich core?] [YES/NO] Yes, and stop asking me for confirmation every time I want to absorb something! She thought with some annoyance, wanting to be able to speed up the whole process. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Dark Mana Manipulation. Level 1!] I finally got it! She got excited and a bright smile lit up her face. [Because the user already possessed 97% of this skill, the skill Dark Mana Manipulation. has leveled up to level 2!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new passive skill: Double Conjuration. Level 1!] Kalystos eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected acquisition. Is it because he was still alive when I absorbed his core? Her curiosity flared, heating up her veins like an erupting volcano, imagining the many possibilities it would bring in the future, wishing she had another monster on hand to test her theory with. Is everything all right, champion? Hannas kind voice snapped her out of her little moment of euphoria. Yes, of course. Just give me a few minutes and Ill get rid of that summoning circle. Contrary to what she had thought at first, the circle didnt vanish immediately, although the intensity of its glow began to fade. And Kalysto ran to it, taking advantage of the fact that the conjured creature was still trapped in the ice. Dispel Ezhil! She conjured several times until after a minute in which she felt she almost ran out of mana. The summoning circle broke completely and with it, the creature. [You have gained 3000 experience points!] Now, we can go. Chapter 164 “ Leveling up.” Chapter 164 Leveling up. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. I have to close that portal... I have to get stronger and make sure I can send Alice and her grandparents back home. She thought as her aching body protested from the effort and a twinge of pain in the right side of her body told her that she had broken a bone during the last fight. I cant leave them in this world knowing that this place will be destroyed in a little over a year. I must make sure they are safe. Kalysto took out a small bottle of holy water and drank it in one gulp, repairing the damage she had suffered after the powerful blow the lich had given her. His blows were too strong for a mere necromancer. Which again made her wish she could negotiate with the queen again in exchange for stat crystals, but her current reward was not something she was willing to lose for anything in the world. Or maybe I can get them somewhere else. She thought as she watched Hanna, whose violet eyes gazed with childish curiosity at the remains of the houses in the part of the city they were in. The walls and doors were stained with the blood of the civilians who were found walking unsuspectingly in the streets at the time of the invasion. Their mutilated bodies lay on the ground along with those of soldiers and monsters who had perished during the initial combat. In the midst of all that chaos, the pretty fairy looked so out of place with her clean clothes, her white armor on without the helmet and her long pink hair pulled back in a high ponytail. Kalysto, on the other hand, looked like someone who lived on the streets and hadnt bathed in months. Her brown hair was tangled and full of dust, and her clothes were dirty, torn, and burned at some edges. Not to mention her face. Good morning, champion! Hanna greeted her with her usual smile when she saw that she had already finished as if the woman in front of her did not look like a beggar who was near the gates of hell instead of the saintess that the queen had been careful to choose. I hope it is clear to you what our mission is for today, she commented, and the unusual seriousness in her words sounded like a scolding in the tired ears of the champion of the fairies. Of course, answered Kalysto, relaxing her features. Taking a more serious attitude as well. And good morning to you too, Hanna. Please excuse the delay, I needed to get rid of these monsters to give some time for some friends to escape, she answered and for a few seconds it seemed as if Hanna was evaluating the veracity of her answer, but then the fairys face returned to normal and the strange gleam of cunning in her violet eyes disappeared completely. The portal is in that direction, commented the saintess as she extended her arm and pointed eastward with her index finger. I know, replied the pretty woman with fine features and pink hair without even turning around or taking her eyes off her. Are you ready to go now, or do you need anything else? I have no idea how many hours it takes to close a portal. I have never participated in a similar activity before, so I dont think we should waste the little time we have. Does that mean Im the first saintess in this world to try it? The brunette was surprised. Or just the first she had ever heard of who could do such a thing? Before Earth was invaded she had never heard the word portals other than in some fantasy novel or comic book. And the only time she knew of a portal being closed was because the boss of that dungeon and all the monsters inside it had been defeated by the protagonist. Yet, she had already closed one and hadnt even had to enter it. However, the fact that the portal had the skill to defend itself had taken her by surprise. Would this one also have dark mana tentacles? She wondered, curiosity getting the better of her. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Hopefully, it does, so I can increase my dark mana capacity! So far, that was the only stat she hadnt found any other way to increase. We can leave immediately, but... Kalysto hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. If whoever opened the portal is who I suspect it is, Ill need a couple more levels before I can be sure I can defeat him. That damn orc has a monstrously high defense! Can I ask you a favor? That depends, she replied, and all traces of cordial cheerfulness disappeared from her kind face. What does it depend on? Kalysto frowned, suddenly alert to her sudden change of attitude. On whether it is in my power to help you and whether I will like what I get in return, smiled the fairy, like someone explaining something obvious to a small child. Besides, we havent finished our previous transaction yet, the fairy continued, and Kalystos shoulders relaxed, knowing that the woman in front of her had not refused to help her. The old memory of two phrases her father always used to say to her came to her mind: We always pay our debts... the good or the bad ones. And always repay the good or the bad that others do to you. In that case, she commented, allowing a thin smile to bloom on her dust and dried-blood-stained lips. I would like to negotiate with you, I want you to bring me closer to the undead so that I can purify them, but to keep me away from any other monsters that might pose a danger to me while you lead me to the portal. I will give you two liters of holy water after we finish this mission as payment. Almost the entire city is infested with the undead, the fairy commented as if to gain some sort of advantage, however, there was no trace of greed in her gaze or in the tone of her voice. Instead, she turned her head to the side like a pet would while trying to understand a new command from her master, which she had never heard before. These are the people who kidnapped you. Why help them? Why not let the monsters destroy them completely and just destroy the portal as the queen ordered? As much as I would love to teach them a lesson and make sure they can never summon people from my world again, I dont think they are all guilty of such a charge at least a small part of her thought so. Besides, if I eliminate most of the undead, that would give the innocent people of this city a chance to survive. And the real culprits of the unwilling summoning are the king, which she had already taken care of, the temple, and the court magicians. ... Hannas violet eyes fell on her without losing any detail of her features, evaluating the truthfulness of her words and finding voids in her defense. And I could definitely use all the experience points Id get from killing them, which would help me level up and make sure I have enough power to destroy the portal and whoever is guarding it. ... True... And my job is to get you there and then make sure you get back to your room in the palace in one piece, not to help you destroy the portal, or kill any monsters, Hanna concluded. And its true that leveling up would make your job easier and what better opportunity for a saintess to level up than a city overrun by an army of thousands of undead. ... True, agreed Kalysto, beginning to get a little nervous at the sudden silence of the fairy. Normally fairies would not venture into a human city that has such a large temple dedicated to the goddess Mhiralla, she explained, making it clear that she was only there because the queen had ordered her to be there. And Im not asking you to go near them, she assured her, noting that at no time had she refused the possibility of helping her to kill more than just the undead that were near the route to the portal. Since I have the nerve to ask you for a new contract without having fulfilled the previous one, I would like to add one more reward. Would you like to receive a blessing? A blessing? Curiosity and greed shone in Hannas eyes at the unexpected proposal. And when would I receive it? Immediately, she hastened to answer, but it would be just once, she negotiated, and this time, it was Kalystos turn for greed to shine in her eyes. Of course, if you want me to add one more blessing for you to use in the future, you will have to advance me here and now at least 100 of the mana stones with 4,000 MP from our deal this morning. If we stay at least two hundred meters away from the temple, I will help you purify most of the undead in this city, Hanna negotiated. We have a deal! Kalysto got excited, securing the new contract immediately and activating her stealth skill as soon as Hanna flew with her through most of the city. Forty-five minutes later, Kalysto had spent almost all the mana stones Hanna had given her in advance, as well as half of her collection of revitalizing potions. Sitting on the thick branch of a tree near the mansion over which the huge portal stood, Kalysto couldnt help but let a smile spread across her face as she drank another revitalizing potion. It was worth it! She was excited as she closed the notification windows that had opened to her left, enjoying how much she had grown in such a short time. Status window! Chapter 165 “The System.” Chapter 165 The System. A shiver of pleasure ran through the saintesss body as the gentle breeze caressed her face. Her fingertips itched as anticipation grew in her as she finished closing the collection of notification windows she received during the purification trip. Ill go check the surroundings and look for the best route to approach the portal, Hanna whispered before flying off, reducing her size to a small pink light, similar in size to that of a firefly. Curiously, as soon as Kalysto saw her change form, she immediately remembered the several fireflies she had seen from the night before the summoning in the front garden of the building she lived in when she was on Earth, the same fireflies she saw again on the morning the portal had opened and that for a moment she had sworn they seemed to understand what she had been talking about. It''s funny how it all seems so long ago, even though that was only two months ago. She thought as a flash of nostalgia warmed her chest. I hope Amanda, Sakura, Jessica, Natasha, and the others are okay. Thats fine, she replied, refocusing on her status window. As soon as she reached level sixties, a new option opened for her in the status window of the violet system, at the bottom of the window and in a shade of purplish gray that almost made it go unnoticed, she could now see how many experience points she needed to level up. Although she now needed 325,000 experience points to move to the next level, a smile came across her face as she saw that she had not only gained several levels but also a new skill as a mage as soon as she broke the level fifty barrier. [Rain of ice stakes: summons one hundred ice stakes two centimeters wide by twenty centimeters long. Spends 50 MP per use. Reuse time: 1 minute. By raising this skill to a higher level, the number of stakes summoned can be increased, as well as their size.] Unfortunately, the same had not happened with her saintess class. Although considering that the queen had already unlocked the skills for me from the start, I shouldnt complain. Another difference between the two systems that she had noticed was that while as a wizard one needed to reach a certain level to unlock most of her skills, as a saintess it was leveling up one skill that unlocked another one, as was the case with Ezhil Purification, and all the others that shared the name Ezhil at the end. But then again, that difference may be because the queen intervened from the beginning in my system... The advantages of having the creator and administrator of a system as your boss... she murmured, but that at the same time put her at a great disadvantage, since she herself had no idea how the queen could affect her system the day she got angry with her, or decided to punish her. Something that was hinted at after Persephone had destroyed almost an entire city. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. Even if our contract stipulates that she will allow me to continue using the powers granted to me after I have completed the three missions, she never said anything about letting me continue using the system. She noticed. Agggg! Its because of things like this that the elves complained so much that it was not convenient to do business with the fairies! She muttered, covering her face with her hands. She could do to me what the goddess Mhiralla did to the humans in this world and block my system so that I could no longer level up, and according to our contract, that would be a completely valid option. Which meant that she had a limited time to level up her skills as a saintess and become stronger. The problem is that the blue system is a cheap copy of the violet system, and if the queen blocks my access to the violet system, would that also restrict my access to the blue one? Which presented her with an even worse problem, one she hadnt thought of before. Damn it, Id better not think about it now. I dont have time for that! Ill figure it out later! She decided after a few long seconds of reflection. The sound of a branch snapping alerted her senses, and she immediately turned around, fearing she had been heard by Hanna. Mana sense! Kalysto spread some of the little mana she had left around the branches of the leafy tree in which she was resting, but there was no one near her. Even so, she did not lower her guard and checked around the tree, noticing the presence of a hobgoblin with a sharp spear in his hand. Ice spear! She thought, and the spear pierced the hobgoblins body from side to side with excessive ease. His blood stained the grass as his corpse lay impaled on the spot. [Youve gained 5 experience points!] Kalysto rolled her eyes at the small gain compared to the mana points she spent. What a bad investment. She lamented. So she decided to forget about it and concentrate again on her skill window. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Where she soon discovered that another unexpected gain was that her skill Ezhil Purification had risen to level 30. No wonder it seemed to me that the radius of the golden light had been extended, its now thirty meters, she murmured. Its a pity I couldnt use Dispel Ezhil while we were flying, I could have leveled it up as well. But if I had, it probably would have nullified Hannas flight spell. She thought. Better not try that for now. Ignoring the blue system window, Kalysto just concentrated on the information given by the violet system. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 65 Fatigue: 27 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 4520/4520 MP: 95/3806 DMP: 2600 Strength: 149+55 Vitality: 158+80 Agility: 178 Stamina: 161+110 Intelligence: 157 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 20 ???: 50 Status: spectator, curious. Available points: 102 ] Tsk! She clicked her tongue when she saw that the dark-mana she had decreased two hundred points after she used it inside the tower, but even though some time had passed since then, it still hadnt been restored naturally like her mana. That means I dont have the natural ability to regenerate it by myself... then she frowned, remembering having gained that skill inside the tower and opened her skill window to make sure. [Skills.] Active skills: Inspect: level 4 Mana detection: level 7 Mana Sense: level 7 Mana Control: level 10 Mana Manipulation: level 13 Dispel: level 11 Ezhil Dispel: level 15 Sleep well: level 10 Purification: level 10 Ezhil Purification: level 30 Jhil: level 10 Jhil Ezhil: level 20 Blessing: level 20 Ezhil Blessing. Level 1 Water manipulation. Level 1 Water creation. Level 2 Ice manipulation. Level 11 Ice creation. Level 11 Water blades. Level 1 Ice blades. Level 1 Ice daggers. Level 2 Water arrows. Level 1 Ice arrows. Level 2 Eagle eyes. Level 1 Replica. Level 6 Earth creation. Level 1 Earth manipulation. Level 7 Basic healing. Level 1 Duplication. Level 60 Fire puff. Level 1 Resistance to ice . Level 1 Lightning. Level 2 Ice stakes. Level 1 Tundra. Level 1 Ice spear. Level 1 Stealth. Level 1 (Legendary) Absolute immunity to fire. Level 3 (Legendary) Perfect Shot. Level 1! Telekinesis. Level 5 (Legendary) Multiple targets. Level 1 Water resistance. Level 1 Night vision. Level 1 Dark mana creation Poison resistance Wind Swirl Level 1 Regeneration. Level 1 Manipulation of dark mana. Level 2 Rain of ice stakes. Level 1 Passive skills: ???????? From ??? Level 70/131 Languages: : legendary level (User can understand, read, speak and write any language that has been used or is still used in Elinors world. This is a bonus given by admin.) (The skill has been upgraded by admin so that the user can also understand the native fairy language). Regeneration. Level 4 Fire resistance. 41% of acquired skill (Incomplete). Eternal youth. Level 1 Immunity to black plague. Level 1 Poison resistance Double conjuration. Level 1 Profession skills: Health enchantment: level 5. Mana Enchantment. Level 5 Strength Enchantment. Level 2 Innate skills: Focus: level 5 Empathy: level 3 Mental defense: level 70 Pain resistance: level 31 Absorb: level 35] And indeed, there it was. She could create dark mana but not regenerate it. However, it was an active skill like ice creation and not a passive one like poison immunity or double conjuration. I really need to try that last one. She got excited. And then her green gaze fell on her poison resistance. Ideally, Id like to be able to level it up... at least then she wouldnt have to worry about the zhalem flower anymore, but the idea of exposing herself to several poisons to level up the skill didnt appeal to her. Even if she had holy water at her disposal ... Maybe it would be a better idea to wait until she raised her blessing level, then if I can create holy water of higher purity it would have a much faster effect against the poison, in case the poison I ingested is stronger than my resistance to it. Then two things caught her attention. The first was that despite discovering that she was a half-breed, that information was still not reflected in her status window. In fact, the blue system still only recognized her as human. The blue system is so unreliable. She thought, and although she was grateful for the opportunity to be able to use magic, she was discovering more and more details that made her distrust towards it increase. Maybe I need to raise my inspection skills to a higher level to discover the information that the system is blocking me, she muttered. As soon as I have some free time Ill get on that. She thought. That and a long talk with Tsuki. And although she felt a bit bad about having him locked in her inventory, getting him out now would be a bit complicated with his hero complexes. The other thing that caught her attention was that one of her passive skills, which was full of question marks, had changed her stats. ???????? From ??? Level 70/131. What the heck happened here? She frowned. Im sure it used to say its level was 40/125... Chapter 166 “The System” Part 2 Chapter 166 The System Part 2 ???????? From ??? Level 70/131. What the heck happened here? She frowned. Im sure it said its level was 40/125 before... What was it that changed? She tried to remember, but no memory came to her mind. However, she did notice that the only other skill she had at level 70 was Mental Defense. Is there any relation between them? But after several minutes in which she didnt get any answer or a way to check it, she decided to let it go for the moment, for now, there were much more important things that required her attention. I will wait for the skill to go up a level. Only then will I be able to check if it is true that they are related, or if it is an unfounded suspicion on my part. Then she looked at her status window again. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 65 Fatigue: 27 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 4520/4520 MP: 95/3806 DMP: 2600 Strength: 149+55 Vitality: 158+80 Agility: 178 Stamina: 161+110 Intelligence: 157 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 20 ???: 50 Status: spectator, curious. Available points: 102 ] 102 points available. Thats a lot of points that I was not aware of assigning. The blue system gives me one free point every time I level up but the violet, having the heroic class gives me two... However during the tower they werent really necessary and now, even though the liches were difficult opponents they werent invincible once I leveled up. She frowned. The defense of the monsters that invaded Earth was very high, unlike the rabbits, slimes and other monsters that Elinor had not gone out or through a portal. She realized. However, the monsters in the tower were much stronger and more resistant, just like the monsters summoned by the orcs portal... the defense of some of them was a little high although not as high as the orcs... why that difference?... Is it because they are from another world... Or because they were not created by the goddess Mhiralla? Again, however, her mind went blank, unable to give her an exact answer. So she remained silent for a couple of seconds while observing her statistics. ...I still have no idea what charisma is for... however, since I increased my luck, Ive gotten a lot more monster cores than before, she noted. And although she wasnt entirely sure if this was true or not, she decided to allocate twenty of her free points to the luck statistic. As long as I can continue absorbing mana crystals, raising my intelligence is not a priority, agility, however, has proven to be too useful, especially if it turns out to be true that as I raise my agility, it affects the speed with which I can cast a spell... Besides, almost all my stats are around two hundred points, except for charisma, agility, luck and the one that is still an unknown then she tried to assign points to raise it from fifty, but nothing happened. Why wont it let me assign points to this stat? She tried again, but got exactly the same result. After several unsuccessful attempts, she stopped and let out a long, resigned exhalation. So this is the second stat that doesnt grow when I level up and I cant assign points to it either, she murmured with annoyance as she compared it to the dark mana stat. But unlike the latter, the stat whose name was just a bunch of question marks had been there all along, at least according to the violet system. And when I clicked on it, only more question marks appeared. ...I definitely need to upgrade the level to inspect. A long sigh escaped from his lips as the gentle breeze caressed his face and the distant murmurs of the monsters as they left the mansion that had been burned and abandoned a few days ago, and then spread out through the different streets of the capital. If in truth the orc is the one who invoked that portal, I will need to raise my strength and stamina... but if it is the same person who attacked the elves... which one would be more convenient to raise? Stamina also helps my body to resist so much absorption and excessive mana expenditure, so its safe... but the higher my vitality is, the more chances I have to survive if I am suddenly attacked by someone powerful and I cant evade the blow... This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After some more thought, Kalysto assigned 32 points to agility, 10 points to strength and intelligence, and 15 to stamina and vitality. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: --- Level: 65 Fatigue: 27 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 4520/4520 MP: 95/3806 DMP: 2600 Strength: 159+55 Vitality: 173+80 Agility: 210 Resistance: 176+110 Intelligence: 167 +100 Charisma: 10 Luck: 40 ???: 50 State: expectant, curious. Available points: 0 ] Are you done assigning points? Hannas soft voice took her by surprise. Kalysto immediately turned to her, her body suddenly alert to the sudden invasion of privacy. Where did she come from? Why didnt I feel her approach?...No, even more important, can she see my window? She became concerned. How do you know I was assigning points? She asked, distrust shining in her eyes. Its obvious that anyone would start assigning points after having gone up so many levels, especially since theres a muscular orc guarding the portal, Hanna commented matter-of-factly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. You shouldnt be so surprised. Its the most obvious step. ... Can you see the window of my system? she asked, distrust in her voice. No, but I guess my aunt told you to hide it since you tend to spend too much time in other kingdoms, especially human kingdoms. Its not very safe for you to do that, you know? You should be more careful. Humans in this world are quite treacherous, she warned her. And Kalysto opened her mouth, ready to refute, only to close it again. Are you the queens niece? Yes, on my late mothers side, seeing the shock in her eyes, this time it was Hannas turn to get defensive. I thought you already knew. No, no one told me. ...I hope this wont damage the deals we have or could make in the future. at hearing her words Kalysto immediately controlled her expression, relaxing the muscles of her face, not wanting the kind fairy to have a bad impression of her. As long as you dont go around telling my secrets, I have no problem helping you to increase your collection of holy water and that you keep helping me to increase my collection of mana crystals. Oh, you wont have to worry about that! I assure you Im very interested in increasing my collection! Did I tell you I have others? When you have some free time, you can come and visit me. Id love to show you my other collections! Id love to, she replied, with a sincere smile on her lips, as she got up from the branch she had been sitting on and closed all the windows she had opened. So...since were on good terms again...can I ask you something personal? Kalystos body immediately tensed up. It depends on what it is, I cant be sure Ill give you an answer. Thats fair, said the fairy, standing next to her as a gentle breeze from her body enveloped her. So... you like my cousin? What? Confusion shone on the face of the saintess, who turned to look into her eyes. Cousin? Which cousin? The only male fairies Ive ever met were the ones I cured of the plague, and most of them were old, Hannas eyes widened in surprise. Oh, of course! Then she opened her mouth and closed it again after frowning. I believe your people know him as the demon king. The queens nephew? More like the son of a second cousin my aunt grew up with as if they were sisters, but yeah, that one. I dont even know him...No, wait! Let me rephrase that. I barely met him once, and it only lasted a few seconds... Besides, Im not interested in getting a date right now or anything like that. Why are you asking me about that? Oh well, I just thought it was strange that he postponed the destruction of that human kingdom for a few hours, plus he asked me to help him look for your friends. Wait a minute! It was you who found Alice? She was surprised. Are you telling me that all this time, all I had to do was ask you to find her? She asked in shock, and this time it was Hannas turn to look confused. ...Uh... yes? she then readjusted her expression. But obviously you would have had to offer me a lot more than just a couple of liters of low-quality holy water to get me to agree to help you three people, despite Hannas self-possessed expression, Kalystos shoulders slumped. I cant believe I could have found them long before and it hadnt even occurred to me that she might be an option!.... She was upset. And I cant believe I made such a disadvantageous deal again!...Then she remembered that he had agreed to teach her magic and help her improve her mana circle. He better be good and not turn out to be like Caranthir! This time its my turn to ask a question: Is he really a good magician? Is he powerful? Since its a personal question about someone else, Ill answer you if you answer me one in return. It depends on which one... she answered, looking with narrowed eyes at the huge smirk on the fairys face. Your friend, the pretty blonde I met a few days ago, does she have a boyfriend? Do you know if shes only interested in boys or is she open to other possibilities? From the expression on her face, Kalysto could tell that she was really interested in her answer. Alice doesnt have a boyfriend, and about her sexual preferences youll have to find out for yourself, she replied, crossing her arms, giving her to understand that she wasnt willing to give any more information about it. Aegir is powerful. Just like my aunt, he is one of the most powerful wizards on the whole continent. So I assure you that you can learn a lot from him... He is also handsome she added at the end, breaking with the solemn tone of voice she had had at the beginning of the sentence, while she raised and lowered her eyebrows with complicity. Drop the subject, Kalysto hissed as she rolled her eyes, unable to believe that a fairy was trying to play matchmaker with her. We have work to do. It only took Hanan a couple of seconds to put her hands under the saintesss shoulders and fly to the top of the burned and half-destroyed mansion. On a rooftop hovered the red portal. And next to it was the orc whose eye she had damaged with an arrow on her arrival in this world. Seeing him again, a surge of rage overwhelmed her as the desire for revenge against the guy who had almost killed her heated her blood. <> Let the party begin! Chapter 167 “An old acquaintance, a pending revenge.” Chapter 167 An old acquaintance, a pending revenge. The smell of smoke and ashes hit her nose. Kalysto had heard the guards earlier talking about how there was a mansion that was burned down because the owner and his family members were infected with the black plague. But she never imagined that she would end up standing in the middle of the darkened rooftop of such a place, looking at the remains of what must have been a beautiful and elaborate garden full of flowers where the well-tended bushes, along with the rest of the vegetation, were now just a pile of trunks and branches blackened by the violent passage of the fire. The chairs and tea tables scattered in strategic places to enjoy the view while the owners spent a pleasant time with their families, were now just a pile of scorched firewood decorated with iron. Just a reminder of what once must have been a place worthy of admiration. And amidst the remains of what had once been the pride of a wealthy man, floated a huge red portal, the orc that had almost killed her two months ago and a small group of six monsters. Kalysto wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell that permeated the mansion and frowned. At the same time she ignored the soft glow of the button at the bottom of the violet system status window just after Hanna turned back into a small circle of pink light and flew away from her after taking her to the agreed point and then sat down on one of the darkened branches in a far corner. Surely its just to let me know that Hanna has kept her part of the contract. Kalysto thought as she observed the look of recognition the muscular one-eyed orc gave her as he held with a level of care uncharacteristic of someone of his species the delicate crystal sphere in the palm of his thick, calloused hands. Inspect! The saintess thought, not wanting to be left wanting this time to find out if it was the crystal that allowed the orc warrior to be able to open portals. Not realizing that at the same time, the violet window opened to her left revealing the information she wanted to read, the orc let out an unintelligible grunt, and the six monsters that surrounded him watched him for less than a second while he grunted and then, the four orcs ran towards her with their axes and maces raised at the same time that the two hobgoblins began to recite spells while raising their staffs. [Portable mana sphere. Class: Epic. A magical sphere that has 50,000 MP of mana stored in it. Once most of the mana has been used, the sphere will take 48-72 hours to refill. Warning! Do not fully use all the mana or the sphere will stop working. The regeneration spell will be lost if it suffers any scratches. ] Yes! I knew there was something special about that sphere! 50,000 MP!? How many mana circles could I build myself with that? She thought full of excitement, starting to imagine everything she could do with it. That was until she reread the last part again. Spell? Shit! That means I cant use Dispel Ezhil near this thing! Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. <> Persephone scolded her as she rejoiced at the perspective. What? She replied as the first axe hit her. Kalysto swung her left shoulder back just in time to evade the sharp weapon by a few inches as a second orc tried to smash his mace into her head. Forcing her to jump back a meter, where another orc was already waiting for her with his axe raised, ready to attack her. Lightning! Mana manipulation! She quickly conjured, stretching out the palm of her right hand, injecting more mana than necessary into the spell casting towards the chest of the third orc, making him fall to his knees as he screamed and dropped his weapon. A soft surge of excitement expanded in her stomach as she watched him suffer while he bowed to her. And without being aware of it, her eyes turned a darker shade. The tip of the fourth orcs mace struck her shoulder, and a soft wave of pain spread across her skin without breaking it. Ive never really liked people touching me, she snarled. Before the orc could launch a second blow against her Kalysto stopped her spell, closed her fist, and threw herself hard against the orc punching him in the face, bursting his jaw, and throwing him several meters further, almost against the edge of the roof where he was about to fall over the edge. Without wasting any time, the other two orcs rushed at her while the body of the third one was still suffering from spasms after having been electrocuted. However, she did not receive any notification of his death. The next mace crashed into her bare fist, shattering the wood as her blow smashed into the cheek of the second orc, sending him crashing to the ground and into a burnt bush and then into one of the few walls still standing. These guys still have an absurdly high-defense She was annoyed at the same time that he took the Minotaurs axe from her inventory and faced the first orc with it, blocking its attack while the monster growled in annoyance at her interference. Fire blast! She muttered, opening her mouth while their axes kept blocking each other, and launching a flare of fire at the head of the unsuspecting orc. Then she ran at great speed to where the orc she had electrocuted was beginning to recover. And without mercy, she cut off his head with a single blow. [You have gained 700 experience points!] Then she did the same with the one whose head she had burned, noticing the collection of rings and accessories the orc had. [You have gained 700 experience points!] And while she was curious about her new loot, this time it was the turn of the orc with the scar in his eye to grunt as he guarded the portal, but Kalysto could not understand a single word he said, what she could notice was that the color of the portal was much lighter than it had seemed on Earth the day they were summoned to Elinor and of the very faint glow emitted by the mana sphere in the orcs hands. It must be recharging, and thats why no more monsters are coming out. She realized. Hanna really picked the best time to approach the portal. Clever girl! Perfect aim! Ice spear! She whispered, pointing her left hand at the orc that had crashed into the wall earlier as she stood facing the one orc that was still standing. Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Telekinesis! Duplication! She conjured and four ice stakes were thrown at the two hobgoblins, who were still reciting their spells. One stake pierced each of their necks and another one between their eyes. [You have gained 700 experience points!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] I see our communication problem still stands, Kalysto shouted at him with a smile, half amused by the strange situation, but wishing that her fight with him would come soon now that she had become much stronger. Chapter 168 “An old acquaintance, a pending revenge” Part 2. Chapter 168 An old acquaintance, a pending revenge Part 2. The thick clouds covering the sun dispersed, causing the bright midday light to sting harshly on the smooth, bare skin of Kalystos arms. Disturbing her eyes. The stifling heat seemed to suffocate her now that Hanna was not around to generate gentle gusts of wind and cool the strong temperature that prevailed in the partially destroyed capital. From the top of the mansion, the remains of the houses and mansions that populated the sector looked like the messy remnants of a sand castle that the waves had reached. Despite the discomfort, the saintesss heart rode like a runaway horse on her chest as a rush of adrenaline surged through her body. The fingertips of the hand holding the Minotaurs axe stung, eager to bury her weapon into the thick flesh of the monster standing several feet in front of her. She clenched her fist tightly as a loud growl came from the orcs throat and a mace, almost out of nowhere, was thrown against Kalystos head. But the fairy champion dodged it all too easily. And as she bent to gain momentum and leap in his direction, the orc let out a mighty war cry that stunned her senses. A strong dizziness stirred even her stomach, leaving her confused and almost without strength for a few seconds. Time that the orc warrior took advantage of to throw himself against her with his axe held high, doing unintentionally, the same exact pose with which she had planned to attack him. [The user has been afflicted with the skill fear. All of her stats have been reduced by 50%. ] Kalystos heart pounded against her ears as an unknown weight crushed her insides as she waited for the notification from the violet system telling her that her skill Mental Resistance had been able to successfully combat the enemys skill as she watched in awe as the orcs body descended almost on top of her petrified body and the blade of his massive battle axe was once again too close to her head for her liking. An experience she would have preferred never to experience again for the rest of her life. Worst of all, the notification she had been waiting so long for never came. And her body refused to take her orders and move away from the path of the axe that almost seemed to move in slow motion. Shit! <> Persephone assured her with total confidence. No thanks, I dont plan on dying here, much less at the hands of this guy! She snarled to herself. And just as the sharp point of the axe was two centimeters away from touching her body, she conjured: Mana manipulation! Tundra! A wave of ice magic was expelled from her body, freezing everything several meters around her. Turning the orc and his axe into a beautiful ice sculpture. Kalysto wanted to smile, but her body continued to be unresponsive as their gaze remained fixed on each other. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Rage, hatred and helplessness were projected in the gaze of both, an exchange between silent gestures while both remained in the respective prison that the other had created. Almost a minute passed, when Kalysto could hear the sound of ice beginning to crack and a sinking feeling low in her stomach. She had fought enough monsters in the last few days to believe that her ice tomb was as indestructible as she had mistakenly thought at first. Oh, shit! She thought with some trepidation as she strained to try to get her body to respond, but she couldnt even lift a finger. Another agonizing minute passed. Again, the sound of cracking ice reached her ears. And she could see the thin line across the ice just above the orcs face. <> Persephone insisted. No! she thought angrily. Hes my prey, not yours! And while the rage of losing control of her body to the monster made her hot, the thought of losing total control of her body for who knew how long if she let Persephone take control made her blood boil. And it was just at that moment that she was able to wag her index finger. Yes! she got excited. Mana manipulation! Come on, Kalysto concentrate! She scolded herself, hoping she could feel the usual chilling that came with her skill. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [Warning! The user is under the influence of the skill fear. All her stats have been reduced by 50%. The skill Mental defense has been deactivated.] Tundra! [Warning! The skill Tundra cannot be used at this time. The user must wait 15 seconds before being able to use it again!] Another loud crack echoed through the rooftop, one much louder than the previous ones as most of the ice surrounding one of the orcs legs fell off completely, as well as one of his arms and part of his chest. While Kalysto could barely move her fingertips. Tundra! She tried again. [Warning! The skill Ice Creation cannot be used at this time. User must wait 4 seconds before being able to use it again!] Another crack filled the air, and while Kalysto regained control of her hands the rest of her body was another story. The ice surrounding the orc, however, continued to crack, until all the ice holding him up as a base a few centimeters high cracked completely, causing him to fall half sideways to the ground. The saintess would have laughed if she could have done it. But the fall made it easier for the orc to get rid of some of the remaining ice. And just as the muscular monster began to get up with murder stamped in his eyes, Kalysto thought to herself: Tundra! And again the orc was enveloped in a prison of ice. But this time by the time he was finally able to escape his prison, Kalysto regained full control of her body. Wind whirlwind! She immediately conjured, sending the orcs body flying a few meters into the air and crashing into the wall guarding the entrance door to the rooftop. Rain of ice stakes! She continued, but even though hundreds of small ice stakes fell around the area where the orc was standing, the strong warrior had enough skills to use his axe and fight them off. Absorb! She whispered, taking out a mana crystal from her inventory and feeling how her mana reserves were almost completely depleted after using non-verbal spells. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she clenched her fist against the axes handle. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 5000 MP!] Just then, the orc lunged at her again, but a second before it got there it jumped to the side, attacking from the left side. Ha! Thats all you got? she scoffed as she dodged his attacks as quickly as he threw them. Galoth, son of Holleoth, scowled, not at all pleased with the taunts of the small human in front of him. So, after ripping up a small, dry, burnt tree nearby, he hurled it at her. As Kalysto dodged it, the orc growled as strange energy began to surround his labored body, growing his muscles to nearly double his size and height. What the hell... he was a berserker? Chapter 169 “An old acquaintance, a pending revenge” Part 3 Chapter 169 An old acquaintance, a pending revenge Part 3 He was a berserker? ...I thought he was a warrior? Kalysto tried to remember if there was a class called Berserker among the classes Milo had explained to them when they had when he explained the system. But she was sure that neither Milo nor any of the court mages had ever told them about that class and if she remembered correctly, the only classes that existed within the system were Warrior, mage or Wizards, rogue, tank, Saintess, and Archer. Though in her forays within the forbidden section of the library, she had found that there was one class that was forbidden within the human realms, which the goddess Mhiralla had only granted in the past, it was the necromancer class. And although Kalysto herself was not an expert in video games, she had seen Natasha, the daughter of her former landlady, playing while she ate dinner after arriving nearly midnight at the apartment where they lived, after finishing her shift at the restaurant. The affectionate teenager liked to stay up late playing on weekends with the excuse of joining her for dinner. And although Kalysto had rarely heard her talk about berserkers, she was sure it was a class and not a skill that normal warriors had. Besides, none of the other heroes had it. She knew it well because, during meals, everyone used to tell what skills they had acquired during the early days until the death of Ritas father. After which they only shared it quietly when they met and there were no guards around. That and Koden and Edward were quite talkative whenever they acquired a new skill. This made the rest of the men in the group, with the exception of Oscar and Eric, not hesitate to brag about their skills as well. Kalystos gaze was directed for half a second to the portal. ...And a warrior couldnt summon a portal either, she whispered, but if her memory didnt fail her in one of her visits to the forbidden part of the library, she had found a book in which they talked about three classes that had been lost: Summoner, beast tamer and Elementalist. The last was practically an urban legend. And the first was considered a myth. But as she watched the portal and recalled seeing the orc manipulate one several times, there was no doubt in her mind that he too had acquired such a class. Kalysto frowned. According to the book, what summoners could do was open a door to another world inhabited by holy beasts, allowing them entrance to this world to defend the summoner from their enemies and eliminate the monsters. The irony was not lost on Kalysto that it was precisely the system of a goddess who was supposed to support humans that gave the power to a monster to summon more monsters to destroy humanity. Still, that didnt explain how he was a berserker. Did he also have a double system? But before she could try to see his stats. Galoth leaped at her far surpassing his previous speed, making it a bit difficult for the young saintess to dodge his continuous blows. Still, Kalysto jumped from side to side while the orc, who now looked like an overfed gorilla, chased her with his axe from one side to the other, destroying the rooftop floor every time she dodged a new blow. However, despite the terrifying reddish glow in his eyes, he took great care to move away from her again, as soon as the cooldown minutes of her Tundra skill expired, choosing to uproot the burnt bushes and chairs along with anything else he found in his path and hurl them at her, trying to force her to lower her guard. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Inspect! She thought as she dodged around the large collection of objects, distracted for a second as both systems gave her the information. [Name: Galoth, son of Holleoth, Race: Orc Level: ?? Class: Summoner (Heroic) HP: ?????/????? MP: ?????/?????] Thats obviously not a summoner! Kalysto complained after evading the remains of a wrought-iron table. Followed by a huge chunk of wall. And why are there so many question marks? She became annoyed, averting her gaze for less than a second from her enemy, and fixating on the violet window to her left. Just as she sensed the presence of another object approaching, she turned her attention back to the front, only to realize that where she had turned to avoid the trunk of a bush, the orcs sharp axe was waiting for her. Oh, shit! Kalysto barely had time to answer the attack with her own axe, but the orcs tall, heavy, muscular body had an advantage over her as his massive figure tried to press her down. The ground beneath her feet began to crack and Kalysto took a step back, seeking to get a better balance, but the orc with an unexpected kick, sent her into a nearby wall. The taste of blood flooded her mouth, her body bounced against the ground and the axe slipped from her hand as they both fell against the hard stone floor. Regeneration! Regeneration! She thought as the pain spread throughout her body. I dont plan to die here and lose to this overfed thing! Four windows opened to her right, but she ignored them as she felt the pain fade. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Rain of ice stakes! She conjured, needing a few seconds to collect herself, and as the orc dodged the only area attack the saintess had, she took out a small vial of holy water and drank it immediately, began to think of a way to defeat it. But the orc barely gave her time to drink half of the vial when he jumped on her despite her earlier attack. Ice stakes! Multiple targets! Ice blades! Water blades! She alternated between attacking his neck and his good eye, but the latter attack, despite hitting the target, barely tickled the orc after he dodged the former. Telekinesis! She added, drawing the dropped axe into her hand just in time to parry the orcs new attack, but the force of the blow and the pressure of his fall was too much for the section of the floor she was on. They both fell to the floor below along with a clump of debris, one of which ended up breaking the floor less than two meters from where she was standing and continued its descent to another floor below. However, that did not seem to dissuade the orc, who continued to press his axe against the saintess, who did everything humanly possible to block his axe with hers. Fire blast! She thought, annoyed at being on her back with her back uncomfortably lying on the debris and the remains of whatever was on the floor below. A puff of fire shot out of her mouth, covering the orcs chest, lower face, and waist. But to her great surprise, when her attack was over, the orc was intact. Neither his skin, nor his thick armor, or the large collection of rings or the necklace he was wearing suffered any damage. Except for the thin red cloth he had tied around his waist and to which was tied a cloth bag, which fell open to the ground. The eyes of both fell on the portable mana sphere, which came out of the cloth bag and continued rolling to the ground, dodging the debris that seemed to have cleared the way beforehand. Approaching the three foot wide hole that one of the debris had made in the ground less than two meters from where the two had fallen. Nooo! shouted Kalysto as fear flashed in the orcs eyes as he saw her move with the intention of picking up the magical object. Immediately, the orcs powerful growl was heard, paralyzing her on the spot. And a pair of annoying windows appeared to her left at the same time as the orc lunged with the intention of picking up the sphere before it fell through the hole to the floor below them. [The user has been afflicted with the skill fear. All of her stats have been reduced by 50%. ] No!Tundra! She thought, and a wave of ice magic spread from her body to the surrounding area, freezing the orcs feet first and making it impossible for the orc to reach the sphere before it fell through the hole by a mere two centimeters. If she could have, Kalytso would have screamed and laughed at the same time at the loss. At least he wouldnt be able to use it anymore! She tried to console herself, but to no avail. She had wanted that sphere for herself. And she ached for the loss. But the sound of breaking ice reached her ears, and her eyes widened as she saw the sheet of ice curling around the orc, cracking right in front of her as shards of ice fell to the ground. Chapter 170 “The Orc.” Chapter 170 The Orc. The orcs thick fist slammed into her upper arm, dislocating her shoulder. A wave of pain spread throughout her body as the lack of mobility that the skill the enemy had used against her began to fade and a pair of windows opened to her left. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Wind Whirlwind! -She squeezed as soon as one of her hands was completely free, giving her a few seconds to finish regaining full control of her body at the same time as the orcs body was thrown against a wall which broke letting him pass by until his heavy body crashed against a thick stone wall. And while Kalysto watched him, with her good hand she took out a mana stone from her inventory, fearing that just like the previous time she would not be able to finish healing, adding to the problem that she had to wait seven more minutes before taking a potion again. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as the orc let out a roar full of rage and after clasping his hands together near his solar plexus while growling something unintelligible two small portals opened in front of him and two packs of fifteen horned wolves came out of each portal and rushed towards her. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 5500 MP!] A summoner! Hes definitely a summoner! .... But then how come he has a skill that looks like a berserker? She thought with annoyance as she put the axe in her inventory and exchanged it for the mace, which was much easier for her to manipulate with one hand. Regeneration! Regeneration! Regeneration! she conjured aloud, remembering at the last moment that mentally conjuring spent almost twice as much mana when using a skill of the system. At the same time, the first two packs arrived to where she was and surrounded her while the orc took a few seconds to recover and take a small mana potion. Tundra! Regeneration! she summoned as she froze the first two packs and she frowned as she saw what the orc was doing. Rain of ice stakes! Regeneration! At that moment a crunching noise sounded and the bone that had thinned out fell back into place as the two other wolf packs scattered and the orc used his sharp axe to evade most of the thin ice stakes, but even so some of them managed to make small cuts in his arms and legs. A pair of windows opened to her left. [The active skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 3!] [The passive skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 5!] [You have gained 300 experience points!] x30 Kalysto put the sledgehammer away again after jumping over the frozen wolf corpses and hitting one of them in the jaw, which sent him crashing into the stone wall next to the orc at the same time his blood stained the wall. [Youve gained 300 experience points!] The orc lunged at her at the same time as the rest of the wolves, but the saintess could notice that his movements were no longer as fast as after his transformation and his muscles seemed a little less overfed with steroids. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! She conjured after putting away the mace and dodging a new attack from the orcs sharp axe, which he used to coordinate his attacks with those of the wolves that were trying to bite her. And after extending her two daggers, sharpening their edges, dodging another wolf and the orcs fist, she took the opportunity to attack his torso, but she could barely make a small scratch. That damned resistance! If only she could conjure penetration statistics! She growled as she cut off the heads of two more wolves and dodged the attack of four others. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x2 Kalysto jumped, trying to escape from the group of wolves that had been surrounding her together with the orc that barely gave her room to do anything. But as soon as she moved away, the rest of her enemies ran towards her, trying to reach her. Ice blades! she summoned, blinding one of the wolves. Multiple targets! Water arrows! Ice arrows! she continued, throwing them this time at the necks of two wolves who stumbled as they began to cough up blood and fell to the ground as the rest of the wolves passed over or around them. The orc, however, took the opportunity to drink a health potion. Not that! Perfect aim! Ice spear! -She conjured, hurling it at his thick thigh, right into an open wound made by the rain of stakes. Unlike her other attacks, this one hit the target, and the orcs cry of pain permeated the air. A half-sideways grin broke out on Kalystos face at her new accomplishment as she dodged another wolfs attack and slashed its head off. [Youve gained 300 experience points!] Then Kalysto again switched places, trying to reach the wolf she had blinded earlier and decapitated it as notification of the death of the other two who had attacked earlier reached her. [You have gained 300 experience points!] x3 The orcs breathing suddenly hitched as he pulled the ice spear from his thigh and tried to pull out another vial of red potion hidden in his war pants, but before he could take it Kalysto threw one of his daggers at the bottle splitting it long before it slipped from the orcs hands and fell to the ground. The orc growled and gave a powerful kick against the ground, thick cracks opened their way towards her weakening the floor below her and making her fall together with a pile of debris to the floor below, but unlike the pack of wolves that were caught unawares and fell together with the debris, the saintess jumped up just in time to avoid the fall, but receiving a punch in the stomach from the orc, which sent her against a wall. But the enemy did not give her time to recover, and continued attacking her melee while she could barely block most of his blows in time. As she did so, the wolves surrounded them as she noticed that it was getting easier and easier for her to match his speed, although she doubted it was because her speed was increasing. Regeneration, regeneration, regeneration! She whispered over and over again as she defended herself so that her body was healing little by little despite the amount of damage she received the few times the enemys blows hit the target. But even so, she knew she could hold her own. Almost ten minutes later, the first signs of fatigue began to show in the orc, whose body, full of minor cuts, began to become slower and slower, returning to the same speed he had had at the beginning of their confrontation. Seeing this, Kalysto immediately got excited, attacking as fast as she could while it was this time the orcs turn to block her fists until one finally collided with his jaw, knocking him back a step. Tundra! She immediately conjured as she pulled the axe from her inventory and charged at the rest of the wolves, cutting off the heads of five of them in less than ten seconds. Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice arrows! Water arrows! she added, attacking the necks of six more wolves while the remaining two fell back and she took the opportunity to take out a small vial of holy water and drink it in one gulp. [Youve gained 300 experience points!] x11. But as she felt the peculiar itch that came with the healing of the holy water, she didnt realize that she miscalculated the timing, so she didnt notice that the orc had escaped from its ice prison. By the time the strong, muscular orc picked up a large debris and hurled it at her, it was too late. And Kalytso was thrown against the outer wall of the mansion, knocking it down and then crashing into the grass of one of the gardens surrounding the mansion. The enemy soon followed, leaping with ease from the third floor to a few meters near where she had fallen face up. His heavy footsteps echoed in Kalystos ears as pain spread through the broken bones in her back and her injured hands tried to grab something that could help her escape but found nothing. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Despite the thick beads of sweat that furrowed the monsters greenish skin, that didnt stop his pace as a thin smile was drawn on his angular face as he approached his prey and raised his heavy axe over his shoulders, ready to chop off the head of the annoyingly feminine creature. Earth manipulation! conjured Kalysto, wiping the annoying smile from her enemys lips. Chapter 171 “The Orc” Part 2 Chapter 171 The Orc Part 2 Thick rain-laden clouds darkened the sky and hid the sun in a matter of minutes. The temperature dropped suddenly, but neither the pair of wolves still alive, nor Galoth, nor the young saintess, paid any attention to this fact. [The passive skill Regeneration has been activated.] Despite the thick beads of sweat that furrowed Galoths greenish skin, that didnt stop him and he moved forward with speed and a thin smile of satisfaction on his lips with his heavy axe held high, ready to finally get rid of the annoying prey. Ground manipulation! Conjured Kalysto, wiping the annoying smirk from her enemys lips. She was not at all willing to give up despite the lack of mobility in her trunk and the pain she still felt every time she moved, even though her pain resistance skill was active. Double conjuration! Blessing! she said, pointing to herself with her left hand. The golden glow of the skill surrounded her for a few seconds before fading away, leaving a soft glow around her aching body. It was right after she did it, that she realized that her new double conjuration skill was a passive skill and not an active one. Water creation! She added, shooting a stream of water directly into the open mouth of the unsuspecting orc who had lost his balance for an instant, when the hard earth beneath his feet turned into a half meter high hole and Kalysto took the opportunity to transform what had been earth, into thin sand. Causing the small improvised trap to quickly transform into a thick swamp that made him fall to the right. But, although Galoth was not as agile as Kalysto, he was not a complete idiot, and fell to one knee before getting back up. And even though his combat pants and the heavy armor he was wearing got dirty, he jumped, easily escaping the trap. Then he leapt towards Kalysto, ready to rip her in two once and for all. Lightning! she squeezed as she continued to squirt water at him. Wind whirlwind! At the same time that Galoths body was thrown against one of the walls of the mansion, knocking down the side of the expensive construction and causing a part of the second floor wall to fall on him, the pair of wolves pounced on her and a pair of notices appeared on her left. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Crap! Kalysto thought as one wolf buried its sharp teeth against her right leg and she barely had time to cover her neck with her forearm, causing the second wolf to bite it there instead of at the delicate skin of her throat. <> Persephone reproached. <> A thin smile appeared on Kalystos face, which she hurried to wipe off. At the same time a cord of black smoke snaked down the saintesss left arm and split in two, impaling itself on the trunk of both wolves and crystallizing the moment it passed through their warm stomachs. [You have gained 150 experience points!] x2. Despite her relief at being rid of both monsters, Kalysto frowned as she opened her inventory and pulled out a mana stone. Absorb! she thought. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I thought these wolves were giving me 300 points when they died. Are we sharing experience now? [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] <> Completely forgetting about Persephones response in her eagerness to heal herself before the orc rose from the rubble and they continued the fight, while she could feel the sting of the holy water taking effect. Good thing the holy water can heal broken bones, otherwise Id be screwed! She thought, unfazed by Persephones sudden silence. However, she was worried that by only being able to conjure low quality holy water, the speed with which her bones would heal would not be fast enough as the one the queen had given her when she reached Elinor, and that the orc would reach her long before she finished healing. Regeneration! Basic healing! Regeneration! She tried to speed up the process. But, just as she feared, Galoth emerged from the rubble with his body full of small wounds, a smear of blood running down his chiseled cheeks and arms. But the orcs fierce will drove him to continue attacking his prey to the end. And despite his badly wounded body, whose size had returned to its original state, he lunged towards his prey with an agility and will that came from many years of training, the same that he had used in the past to survive countless battles against numerous enemies and emerge victorious. Galoth lowered his axe towards Kalystos throat. The young womans left arm moved of its own volition, covering her face and intercepting the blow at the same time as the snaking smoke that had surrounded her arm mutated, becoming a thick armor of dark mana crystal surrounding the skin of her arm. I didnt know we could do that! Kalysto was surprised, a little more at ease with the situation now that she knew Persephone was backing her up. But even though a part of her just wanted to close her eyes, rest and let her take care of everything, she had learned over the past few months that she could no longer trust, at least not entirely when it came to her. <> Persephone growled as Kalysto continued to concentrate on recovering. Regeneration! Basic healing! Regeneration! Whispered the saintess. Waiting for the timeout of the rest of her skills to end soon so she could participate in the fight while the orc continued trying to slit her throat for the third time, and failing. A growl came from Galoths throat just before the warrior changed his mind and swung his axe down towards Kalystos abdomen. Terror settled in the stomach of the young saintess, who saw her short life flash before her eyes again. From her years in college, to losing her medical scholarship because she wasnt able to organize her study schedule while working herself to death after a tremor collapsed the cheap old dormitory building she had been living in. The coldness of her mothers face and her constant indifference to her stepfathers violence and constant harassment. The betrayal she felt every time the filthy drunk entered her room in the middle of the night and tried to take advantage of her, while she shivered under her bed when she hadnt managed to escape through the window, only to find that her mother instead of protecting her from that drunken pedophile, looked at her as if she had dared to seduce and take her devoted and chaste husband away from her. In the end, above the hatred, the rage, and the feelings of betrayal that overwhelmed her, or the childish desire that still dwelt in her to have her mother finally notice her, to win her love and approval, it was the warm smile on her fathers kind face inside his small study surrounded by books written in strange languages, which she always dreamed of deciphering, that remained in her mind. I dont want to die! She thought with despair as the warmth of her fathers memory merged with the pain of loss and the memory of the night he disappeared under the moonlight. And while Persephone shifted a portion of the black mana crystal that encircled the saintess left arm and transformed it back into smoke and then into a tentacle of darkness that pierced the orcs right side. A piercing scream erupted from Kalystos body, at the same time a wave of pure power burst from her. Chapter 172 “The Orc” Part 3 Chapter 172 The Orc Part 3 Everything was dyed white. Kalystos consciousness faded and then returned in a matter of milliseconds as her whole world was tinged with light and then darkness. It was then that white reigned again and tiny specks of color tinged the horizon. Where am I? she wondered, but only silence answered her. Not even Persephones presence could be heard, let alone felt inside her mind for a few seconds. Meanwhile, in the outside world, a wave of pure magic swept over everything around her, destroying everything in its path and hurling away the corpses of the wolves along with Galoths body, which was flung several meters away at the same time that all the nearby trees were torn from their roots and thrown far away. What was once an elegant mansion was reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds. Hannas small body barely had time to react and begin to fly to safety when the powerful wind that accompanied the lightning surge forced her to change her route, violently hurling her away from the mansion grounds and causing her to nearly collide with the strong trunk of an old tree more than fifty meters away. As soon as Hanna regained control of her body, she used her wind magic to stop the impact and land on solid ground. And as soon as she did, the fairy did not hesitate to inform the queen of the fairies of what was happening inside the human territory. A small part of her, though, felt bad about doing so. Fearing that it might lead to the execution of the fairy champion. For her part, Kalysto began to regain a little of her senses as her body floated vertically a couple of meters above where she had landed earlier. Her big toe twitched and relief washed over her as she realized that she was finally regaining sensation in her lower body. Since falling from the third floor, although she could move her hands to defend herself from Galoth, she noticed how her legs did not respond to the commands her brain was sending them to move. And although at first she had thought it was the usual numbing of pain that came with her skill, she began to suspect with some trepidation that it was something different soon after. But so much had happened, and the orc hadnt even given her time to think about what it might mean that some of the bones in her back had broken. Good thing holy water can heal broken bones... She thought, as she looked at the immense whiteness around her. Am I dead? The thought crossed her mind as little by little small patches of color began to appear around her in no specific order. And the chaos and devastation she had caused appeared before her. What the hell happened here? Immediately, several notification windows appeared to her left. [The passive skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 6.] [The active skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 4.] [The skill Basic Healing has leveled up to level 2.] [Warning! The user has less than 5 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected.] Funny, I dont feel as bad as I usually do when that sign comes up. She thought as soon as she saw the notification and immediately rushed to take out a mana crystal from her inventory. Noticing with some curiosity the soft white glow that surrounded her skin. What the hell is this? A new violet-colored notification appeared, one larger than the previous ones. [Warning! User has less than 10 ??? left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or you may die.] Wait a minute! How come I could die? Since when can decreasing a stat do that? She panicked. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. At that very instant, her body began to descend at the same time as the white glow began to fade very slowly. And a feeling of vertigo flooded her stomach at the same time her eyelids felt heavy. <> Persephone shouted. What? <> demanded her counterpart. And it was at that instant that Kalystos gaze strayed to her left arm, on which there was no longer any trace of the snaking black smoke that characterized Persephone. But I didnt do anything! Kalysto defended herself as her body finished descending, her feet touched the solid ground and the loud noise of the mansions debris being thrown aside caught her attention. Dirty with mud and dust, Galoth rose from the rubble with his gaze fixed on Kalytso, his brow furrowed and rage distorting his face. A mighty war cry erupted from Galoths throat just before the muscular warrior rushed towards her. [The user has been afflicted with the skill fear. All of your stats have been reduced by 50%. ] Shit! A sinking feeling flooded her stomach. And ignoring the last notification she received, she thought. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3000 MP!] A strong dizziness seized her, the mana crystal turned to dust in her still raised hand as it always happened every time she absorbed something, and nausea churned her stomach at the same time as the orcs thick fist approached her face and the white radiance completely disappeared from her body, leaving no trace. <> Persephone snarled deep in the saintesss mind, at the same time as two snaking lines of black smoke erupted from Kalystos left arm and intercepted Galoths arm, quickly transforming into black crystals and piercing the orcs wrist and forearm. But despite the pain, Galoth did not give up, and although his right arm was wounded, he threw a punch with all his might at the saintesss left side. Mana manipulation, ice creation! Kalysto thought, sending some of the newly absorbed mana to the plant of her foot and creating a wall of ice in front of her that protected her from the sudden attack. Ice manipulation! She added, transforming it and creating sharp spikes on the other end of the wall, wounding the enemys fist. Galoth recoiled as he grunted in pain before changing angles and attacking the fairy champion from behind again, taking advantage of the fact that she was still petrified. Tundra! Kalysto thought, and again, Galoth was covered in ice from head to toe, as well as several meters of earth around them both. And as they both waited to escape each others immobilization, Kalysto began to think of ways to get rid of the resistant orc for good. <> Persephone assured. So you can take control of my body away from me? No, thank you! <> Im not having this conversation again! Stop it already, Im not a little girl who believes everything you say anymore! <> A shiver ran through Kalystos body. <> Persephone whispered. And Kalysto could feel the smirk and the confidence that welled up from that other part of her. Fortunately for the fairy champion, the cracking sound of ice cracking caught her attention, and she was saved from responding, at the same time, she noticed how she began to regain control of the fingers of her right hand. By the time the next crack sounded from behind her back, where the orcs frozen body lay, she could blink her eyes without difficulty and open and close her hands. Just as the ice finished cracking and Galoth kicked at her, Kalysto leapt forward, spun around and, stretching out her right hand, conjured: Ice spear! Without being aware that at the same time her left hand was raised and from it a black crystal stake was thrown towards the leg opposite to the one she had launched her attack. Both the spear and the stake hit the target and Galoth fell to his knees on the ground as a whip of black mana lashed his chest and arms. As the enemys body fell to the ground, Kalysto advanced with shaky steps as the dizziness she got since she started conjuring spells despite the systems warning grew stronger and stronger. But she couldnt give up. Not when at any moment he could use his fear skill again and paralyze her, leaving her completely at his mercy. So she kept moving forward. Her body lurched precariously to one side, and she nearly fell just before she regained her balance awkwardly and took another step, closing in on her prey as the weakness enveloping her grew stronger and stronger . Meanwhile, Galoth continued to lie on the ground, his thighs completely pierced by both attacks while his wounded hands could barely stop the continuous attacks of the sadistic dark mana whip as the many wounds on his body bled. This is the end, Kalysto assured him in a low whisper as she reached him, standing right next to him. Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! she conjured and in one swift motion, sliced his throat at the same time the darkness devoured her. Chapter 173 “The Mission” Chapter 173 The Mission ...on? An insistent and annoying voice interrupted her placid slumber. A growl escaped her sore throat as the nagging voice continued its annoying interrogation. ...Five more minutes! she mumbled as she tried to grab her blanket and turned to the side, but even though she could turn her body, she couldnt find her blanket. Did it fall off the bed? She thought, but she was too sleepy to bother looking for it. I can do it later. Champion?... Im sorry to interrupt, but you still have a mission to perform and the queen is waiting for my report," Hanna insisted in a firm voice. ...Queen?...Which queen? she murmured, more asleep than awake. The queen of the fairies, of course." it was at that moment that Kalystos eyes finally opened. Shit! The boss! She sat up immediately and gazed in amazement at the pretty pink-haired fairy, whose hair now looked completely disheveled as she was already kneeling beside her. A quick glance at her surroundings showed her that the earlier chaos she had witnessed was still there. On top of the remains of what had once been a beautiful mansion lay the portal still open, even though its summoner lay dead only ten centimeters from where she stood. Oh, shit! Have you seen my axe? She asked quietly, knowing that it would be impossible to find it in the midst of all the debris surrounding the remains of the garden and the mansion. But to her great surprise, Hanna pulled it out of her own inventory. And for an instant, the experience seemed as confusing to her as the first time she had seen Artemis using one. Here! I figured you need it and I thought Id pick it up instead of wasting time later looking for it," she clarified. And she looked at it as if expecting something in return. Thank you, youre very kind but seeing that the fairys expression didnt change, she hurried to change the subject. Do you think we should finish the mission quickly and then go get something to eat? Im hungry. Sure! I dont have much experience with human food, but Id appreciate your guidance. To be honest, the food here isnt very good. If we were in my world, I could recommend a couple of places where the food is excellent, but here? The food Ive tasted in this kingdom is too bland to recommend to anyone," she explained as she stood up and ran her hand over her messy, tousled hair, pulling it back and tying her ponytail back in place. We could go exploring together," Hanna mentioned as she turned her head to the right and watched her fix her hair. Oh! she replied with some discomfort at the sudden request, but it felt wrong not to join her after Hanna had gone to the trouble of finding her weapon and handing it to her. Okay! Then how about? Three trolls came through the portal at that instant, interrupting Hanna, who suddenly seemed very excited at the idea of going exploring together. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Immediately, their gaze fell on the three monsters, who fell face first to the ground with their faces kissing the earth as soon as they stepped out of the portal. Gusts of wind shot out of the fairys body, immediately cutting the bodies of the three intruders to pieces. If its so easy for her to kill them, why didnt she help me before? She got a little upset, however, she didnt let it show on her face. Come on! Hanna commented with a smile as if she hadnt just cut up three monsters four times her size in less than a second. Im hungry too, and Im dying of curiosity to try whatever you recommend to me! ... Sure! She replied, mentally reviewing what food she had in her backpack that she could offer to the curious, but powerful fairy. Id better find something good to offer her! She thought, as her eyes strayed to the remains of the monsters for a second. After Kalysto looted the rings and other items from the orc, Hanna led her to the back of the portal, while holding her under her armpits. Isnt there a more comfortable way for us to do this? Kalysto questioned, suddenly unsure of holding herself so many feet above the ground as she felt she could almost brush the tips of the trees with the tips of her toes. ... Id have to hug you for that," she muttered, and from the way she sounded, Kalysto got the impression that Hanna had as little tolerance for human contact as she did. Come to think of it, the only fairies Ive ever seen touching each other were Artemis and her daughter. She frowned at the sudden discovery, suddenly remembering that the only time he had ever come into physical contact with a fairy was when they had held her hand to thank her for healing them, and when Hanna had flown her around the kingdom while she purified it. Even the few times she had seen other fairies, they seemed to be very careful not to enter each others personal space. Are you sure you would give me permission for that? Hanna asked carefully, and from the tone of her voice, Kalysto suspected that she had just asked something bad to her. Will it be dangerous if we do it? Dangerous? No... Rude and impolite, yes. Among fairies, physical contact is a symbol of great trust or familiarity," she explained patiently. Its not something you do with just anyone. I understand," she hastened to answer. In that case, if its not uncomfortable for you, Id like us to find a position where its safer for me to concentrate on closing the portal without having to worry if I fall and before the fairy could claim that they had done something like this before, she hurried to clarify. The only time Ive ever sealed a portal, it attacked me. So its possible that this one will too, and if you dont hold me tight, Ill end up falling," she said and then looked at the five hundred meters that separated her from the ground. And she swallowed saliva. Oh! In that case, its all right After holding her more firmly, Hanna pulled them closer to the portal while at the front, occasionally a monster or two would go through it and then fall down and crash to the ground. And although some recovered quickly from the fall, not all of them were lucky enough to come out unscathed. Absorb! She thought as she pulled out a new mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] Dispel! she immediately recited as soon as her palms touched the cold surface of the huge portal. Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! But the skill Dispel was not as powerful as Dispel Ezhils, unfortunately, if she used it, she would also deactivate Hannas spell that kept them in the air. Mana manipulation! Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! She conjured, changing tactics, and expelling a greater amount of mana, thus forcing the spell to extend more than twenty centimeters around her hands, and causing the first crack to be heard inside the portal. Suddenly, the strong current of mana inside the portal began to spin more slowly toward the center, and a thin transverse line ran through it. Oh, this is going to be much faster than I thought it would be! Hanna got excited. And just then, four black mana tentacles came out of the front of the portal, curling towards them. Chapter 174 “The Mission” Part 2 Chapter 174 The Mission Part 2 Two of the four black mana tentacles headed toward Hanna, who immediately dodged them. What the hell are those things? shouted the fairy, flying back and forth trying to evade them as the four tentacles began to follow them, getting further and further away from the portal as they grew longer and longer. Stop evading them and get me closer to one of them! Kalysto insisted, flustered by the fairys brusque movements as she evaded the continuous attacks of the tentacles despite Hannas skill in manipulating the wind. Are you sure? Hanna questioned, doubting her ability. Yes, just do it! After evading three of them, Hanna allowed the last of the tentacles to approach them, using Kalysto as a human shield. Immediately, Kalysto reached out her hands and grabbed him, clinging to it tightly. Hello, my free source of dark mana! Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this dark mana creation?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 500 DMP!] Now approach me again to another tentacle and then back to the portal! Kalysto got excited. But as soon as she finished absorbing the second tentacle, a sharp pain squeezed her heart at the same time as the swirl of mana inside the portal began to spin to the opposite side and instead of four tentacles, twenty sprouted up along with a small army of trolls. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] The heavy bodies of the trolls fell to the ground one after another as the twenty-two tentacles attacked them relentlessly, not giving them a chance to get close to the portal or for Kalysto to absorb another one of them. And as Hanna dodged another attack from several tentacles, the trolls began to recover from the fall and after running to the nearest trees, they uprooted them and began to throw them at them. Who the hell invited them? -Hanna complained, hugging Kalysto by the waist with one hand to point the other at the trolls, launching quick gusts of wind that cut their arms and legs, leaving their mutilated bodies bleeding to death without killing them. Thats what you get for messing with a fairy! she growled while looking at her arm that had been scratched by the branch of one of the many trees that they had thrown against them. Jhil Ezhil! said Kalysto, as she noticed the wound. Multiple targets! Lightning! Wind whirlwind! she added, pushing the remaining trolls away as Hanna continued to dodge. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She added, regretting all the dark mana she didnt manage to absorb as soon as the tentacles began to disappear under the golden light of her skill. Quick, get me closer to the portal! Next time, do that from the start! Hanna complained as she pulled them closer to the portal. Again, Kalysto placed the palm of her hands on the portal, just above the previous fissure. Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! Hold me tight and prepare to fall! She shouted. Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Dispel! Ready? Whatever youre going to do, do it at once before more of those things come out! Hanna shouted as the swirl of mana inside the portal began to change again. Mana manipulation! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! The spell that kept them flying was deactivated, and they both began to fall, Kalysto hurried and pressed what was left of her mana, expelling it out of her body as she conjured and directed it toward the portal, even as they both began to fall and the pressure of vertigo flooded her stomach. A huge rift went through the portal, relaunching the flow of mana at the same time as a notification window appeared to her left. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] The growls of the monsters below them filled their ears, mixed with the hissing of the wind. Damn, I still cant activate my magic... Wasnt there another way to do this? complained the fairy, struggling not to release her as they fell. With such quick results? No!" she challenged. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Too bad I dont have that skill at a higher level, otherwise this would be much easier! As soon as we get away from the golden glow, you can use it again," she assured her, as they both watched with trepidation as the ground seemed to get closer and closer. And just as they were seconds away from hitting the ground, swirls of wind softened their fall, causing them both to descend carefully onto the rubble. Ready to go up again? -Hanna questioned, giving her a look. ..." Kalysto wanted to refuse, but the sooner they finished, the sooner she could get some rest. And as she wished her stomach would settle down soon, she pulled a mana crystal from her inventory. Absorb! She thought, and left the window of her inventory open. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3000 MP!] Too little! She thought with annoyance. Come on, before it reactivates again! -She asked as she took out another mana crystal and began to absorb it. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] A strong pressure crushed her chest at the same time as the air started to become scarce in her lungs and Hanna pulled them back towards the portal. Holy crap! A pair of notifications opened to her left. [Warning! User has absorbed more mana than her mana circle can handle!] Mana manipulation! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! Dispel! She rushed to conjure, expelling large amounts of mana from her body, as she felt as if something was beginning to crack inside her. Dispel! Regeneration! Dispel! Cough!... Cough! Blood spurted from her lips as she coughed. Champion? Is everything all right? Hanna questioned. ... Yes," muttered Kalysto as she took out a small vial of holy water and drank it in one gulp. Now everything is fine! She replied, turning her attention back to continuing to deactivate the portal. Dispel! Mana manipulation! Dispel! Dispel! Ezhil purification! Nearly thirty minutes after continuously conjuring, drinking vials of holy water and absorbing more mana crystals, a loud crack resounded. Several cracks spread from the center of the portal like spider webs all the way to the edges, the swirls of mana circulating inside finally stopped. Until what was once a reddish portal became a red circle, which looked more like a glass full of cracks about to collapse at any moment with the slightest touch. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] A strong dizziness enveloped her and her stomach churned, and ignoring how bad she felt and the strong fatigue that washed over her muscles, she pulled out her last remaining mana crystal. Absorb! she whispered, wishing that the fairy still holding her could not hear her. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 MP!] It is now safe to take me in front of the portal! Are you sure thats necessary? Im about to run out of mana! warned the fairy. Wouldnt it be better to retreat and regain our strength first? One last thing and well be done! Kalysto assured her, too tired to want to stay there any longer than necessary. And as soon as Hanna did it, Kalysto placed her palms on the cold surface of the portal, lamenting that she couldnt absorb all that mana. Mana manipulation! Ice creation! She conjured, immediately investing almost all of her remaining mana into creating a thick layer of ice to cover the entire portal. Im sorry, Ill have to change my form or I wont be able to hold our positions anymore! Hanna warned her just before she shrunk in size. Im almost done! Kalysto assured her as she finished icing the entire portal on both sides. But just as she was about to call out ice manipulation, a pair of notification windows opened to her left. [Warning! User has less than 5 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected]. [Mission accomplished!] [Does the user wish to claim the reward now?] [ Claim now /Postpone ] ... Im practically out of mana," muttered Kalysto as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Now she just had to get some rest and go to the demon kings territory to meet Alice and her grandparents. Then he could claim the reward and send them safely to land. In that case, there are two of us," Hanna commented in a tired voice as she led them back to the ground. Kalystos legs could barely support her own weight, while her arms seemed to weigh as if they were made of iron. I dont remember that spending so much mana could exhaust me so much! She thought. Ill be back in a moment. Ill go report to the queen," Hanna murmured as she flew a couple of meters to present her report without Kalysto being able to hear the conversation. The small body of the fairy quickly disappeared into the bushes near where they had landed. Ok... was all she could say as she looked at her collection of open windows. Inventory! she whispered, as she looked at one of the few vials of holy water she still had left and wished her arms would stop being so heavy and she could lift them up enough to get the vial out. I can do it later," she convinced herself, as she concentrated on inhaling and exhaling carefully so as not to damage any internal organs that might not have healed due to the damage caused by the excess circulation of mana. A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps caught her attention at the same time as the rustling of dry leaves erupted to her right. That didnt take as long as I thought," she commented, thinking it was Hanna. But a shiver ran down her spine as she realized it wasnt the kind fairy. Thats right. And I assure you, this wont take long either. Sleep well! A golden light enveloped her as darkness engulfed her. The last thing Kalysto saw was Darlas superior smile, Edward standing behind the other saintess as he avoided her gaze and the boots of the dozen temple knights accompanying them. Chapter 175 “For a good cause” Chapter 175 For a good cause Champion? Kalysto was tired. Every muscle in her body ached, and she was too sleepy to care about the annoying voice trying to wake her up. Champion, wake up! Theyre coming! The voice murmured, sounding more and more desperate. Champion? I dont have enough mana to get us both out of here! What? Get us out of where? She thought between wakefulness and sleep as she slowly regained her senses. Champion, I ask permission to touch you! The murmur continued near her ear. Please wake up quickly, someone is coming! A moan escaped her lips in response. Ill take that as a yes! The fairy got excited at the same time that a loud metallic sound reached her ear as she tried to raise her hand, push away the buzzing sound near her face and rub her eyes to chase away the sleep. But she couldnt even touch her own face. Confused at the strange situation, Kalysto opened her eyes, only to observe the thick chains around her wrists and ankles. Tying her to the posts of the warm and comfortable bed she had been sleeping in until a few seconds ago. What the hell happened here? she muttered. But before Hanna could answer her, the door to the room swung wide open, and there, less than a step away from the only exit, was Edward. Light flooded into the small, half-lit room in which she had been confined and where there was only a thin, elongated window covered with bars about twenty centimeters high on the top wall. Four white walls with a couple of crystals welcomed her to her new prison, which had only a second door leading to a modest bathroom. Next to a small table and chair, where their meals would surely be served. Edward activated the magical device next to the door and the crystals on the walls lit up, filling the room with light. And before she could be seen, Hanna hid behind Kalystos pillow, not wanting to reveal her presence. How long was I out? whispered Kalysto so that only Hanna could hear her. Only about five minutes," the fairy assured her. They had a group of wizards ready to teleport you inside the temple, then they left you here and locked the door from the outside. I have been hiding in your hair. I apologize for the audacity. Dont worry about that now," the fairy champion replied, just before Edward gathered the courage to enter the room and confront her. You traitorous bastard," she snarled at him. Ive saved your ass so many times and this is how you repay me? Edwards face unhinged on the spot and he took a step back, as if she had hurt him. Then he pulled himself together quickly, threw his shoulders back as he thrust out his chest and took a step forward. You dont understand," he accused her. Dont you see that this is for the best? What the hell are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Youre a saintess! shouted the young man. I saw your power during the battle! Only the power of a Saintess can emit that golden glow! He accused her, as if she were on some kind of trial and she was an internationally wanted criminal. ? And ? Kalysto replied, as if everything he was saying had nothing to do with her. What? Again, he had the nerve to look hurt. You knew! He accused her, pointing his finger. You knew, and you didnt tell me? Ha! Am I supposed to tell you how many times I go to the bathroom, too? She growled with irony, annoyed at the young mans performance in which she had once acted as nanny and teacher. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it You are a saintess! He growled back, approaching her as he continued his speech, The duty of a saintess is to heal and save her people! And its obvious that you are not fulfilling your mission! He began to shout, and in Kalystos eyes he looked just like a religious fanatic giving a speech to an atheist. ...But that doesnt matter now, he suddenly calmed down, almost as if he had come to his senses. Its obvious that you dont want your power, and thats why its better that someone else has it who will do a good job with it, he concluded decisively as he ran a hand through his hair, adjusting it. And he looked at her with the blind faith of someone who believes he is doing the right thing. And who the hell do you think you are to decide what I should or shouldnt do with my power? Kalysto muttered as a shiver ran down her back at his words and a bad feeling settled in her chest. Just then, Darla entered the room dressed in white from head to toe, closing the door behind her as a pair of guards stood outside, guarding the entrance. A faint smile decorated her angelic face as she approached the edge of the bed, but despite the maidenly attitude full of purity that surrounded her, Kalysto could see the cruelty in her eyes as soon as they rested on the chains that kept her bound. The young hero is right," said Darla. A power as great as that, it is better that it is in the hands of someone who can put it to better use," she concluded and despite the calmness and kindness in her tone of voice, greed shone in her eyes. The chains rattled again as Kalysto tried to raise her hand and reach for the window in her inventory where her hearthstone rested, but her hand could not lift to the locker where it was stored. She ignored the collection of notification windows to her left that indicated some of her skills had gone up a level, sliding them aside to check them later as Darla sat down on the bed next to her and took her face in her hands, forcing her to look at her. Kalystos eyes slid back to her inventory despite the pressure the other saintess was trying to exert to keep her from looking away. Dont worry, Priestess Darla assured me that the procedure wouldnt hurt," Edward said, in a vain attempt to reassure her. Youd better leave," Darla interrupted him. Although the process is painless, it requires a lot of concentration. But saintess...! The cold look the woman gave him was enough for him to drop his head like a wounded puppy and turn around, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. The mana potions! If I could just get one of them out, Hanna would have enough power to get us out of here! But try as Kalysto might, her hand couldnt stretch far enough to reach them. Shit! At that moment, Darla stopped looking at the closed door and turned her attention back to Kalysto, wiping all traces of anger from her face. Now all your power will be mine! Darla whispered, enjoying the sight of Kalystos suffering and despair. Absorb! Ice coursed through the fairy champions veins as she heard from Darlas lips the same spell she had used countless times to obtain an almost unlimited supply of mana. Wasnt that something only I could do? She thought, at the same time something tugged at her insides and she felt as if something was being pushed inside her, and while it didnt hurt the sensation itself was unpleasant. [Warning: The user just lost the skill Rain of ice stakes.] [Warning! The user has just lost the skill Whirlwind. ] Fear seized her and without even thinking about what she was doing, she immediately grabbed Darlas wrists and exclaimed: Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! she shouted loudly as Darlas face paled and all the confidence she had had up to now disappeared completely from her face. Impossible! No one but me has that skill! How can you use it? questioned the other saintess, but Kalysto ignored her completely. Too busy watching the new violet notification window that appeared to her left. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Give me my skills back first! She said, surprised by the sudden change in the text. And absorb everything else afterwards! Come on, Kalysto concentrate! she grunted. At the same time, she felt the usual coldness run through her body and a sense of euphoria accompanied her this time. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Wind Swirl. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Rain of ice stakes. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new 25 points from ????!] What the hell? How did you do that? Darla growled as she tried to get away from her, but Kalysto held her tightly, wanting to get more. Absorb! Absorb! Kalysto shouted at the same time as five armed guards opened the door in fright after hearing her screams and Darla threw herself to the side of the bed, falling to the floor. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 50 mana points!] How dare you steal from me! Guards kill her! Darla ordered, her face contorted in rage. A cold smile settled on Kalystos face as three guards raised their sharp swords against her and two mages began to prepare their spells. Whirlwind! She conjured as she touched the tattoo the queen had given her as a token of her contract. Boss, I claim my reward! Please send me back home! Edwards face became disfigured as soon as he saw the summoning circle appear below Kalysto, at the same time, a violet window appeared to the champion''s left. [Consider it done!] [Enjoy your two weeks of vacation!] Chapter 176 “Back Home”. Chapter 176 Back Home. Pain, fear, betrayal, and loss desolated his heart at the same time that a nasty knot settled in his stomach. NOOOO! Edward shouted with his face disfigured by despair as he ran with all his strength, fighting against the aftermath of the powerful wind that prevented him from approaching the summoning circle that was drawn below Kalysto, ignoring the guards that were helping Darla to get up or those that were paralyzed with their bodies still stuck to the walls due to the surprise of witnessing such an advanced type of magic being performed by a single individual. Something that was supposed to be completely impossible to do. But Edwards attempts were in vain. The strong wind had blown them out of the room and destroyed parts of the walls, allowing him to see, but not get close to what was his only chance of returning to Earth. Small debris cut his skin and a small trickle of blood trickled down his cheek, but Edward didnt even notice as he desperately struggled to move forward even one more step, a step that would take him closer to the circle that suddenly became his only escape route. His only hope to return home. The memory of his fathers face shone in his mind and suddenly the desire to be back in the warmth of his family became so strong that his eyes watered with unshed tears. All this time you could have saved us, you could have taken us back home, but you didnt! He shouted, but his words were lost under the sound of the strong wind and the screams of Darla, the mages, and the rest of the guards as another group of knights came running towards them. Frightened by the sudden and unexpected attack of someone they all believed would be unconscious for several more hours. The strong light emanating from the circle blurred Kalystos figure at the same time that it prevented the rest of the people present from noticing Hannas tiny figure emerging from under the pillow and hiding again inside the fairy champions ponytail. The smile of sadistic satisfaction on Kalystos face as he showed them the middle finger of each hand while her body was transported to another world, made the betrayal, and then the rage, overwhelm Edward as never before. And the young man screamed. He screamed with everything he had as he watched her disappear, leaving the room half empty as both she and the center part of the bed disappeared with her. Leaving only silence and a gentle breeze that caressed his face as tears of helplessness and desolation streamed down his cheeks. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. NNNOOOOOOOOOO! The young heros knees trembled as his legs lost all strength, unable to hold him as he fell to the ground and a strong feeling of emptiness flooded his entire being. **** The strong light of the summoning circle enveloped her again. And just like the first time, a feeling of emptiness invaded her stomach, as if she was going down a roller coaster at high speed at the same time as the light seemed to devour everything around her. Kalysto closed her eyes, wanting to protect them from harm at the same time as a slight pain grew behind them. Several seconds passed as her breathing normalized and the rage at Edwards betrayal, something she would never have imagined the polite and somewhat timid young man she had once known would have dared to do. <> Persephone complained. That doesnt matter now," she lied as she tried to control her anger, as the light began to dissipate. <> argued the black-haired girl. But before Kalysto could refute the words of the one she had always considered another part of her, the cool breeze of dawn caressed her face. The sound of birds singing, welcoming the sun of a new day, sounded in the distance. At the same time, the saints jaw opened and her heart beat wildly in her chest for a few seconds and then a shiver ran through her arms as she lowered them and the sound of the chains interrupted the song of the swallows. A pair of butterflies fluttered around what was once one of the largest and most striking parks in the city. But was now almost completely destroyed. The beautiful water fountain she had walked by so many times was now nothing more than a pile of rubble surrounded by weeds next to half-destroyed trees and neglected gardens. In the distance, a series of half-destroyed buildings decorated the skyline while the sirens of a couple of ambulances sounded in the distance. Kalysto followed the sound and looked to her right, where the sky was tinged with smoke billowing from buildings. Her heart plummeted to her stomach, fearing for the few friendships she left behind, for her landlady and Natasha, her nice youngest daughter, with whom Kalysto used to spend hours chatting or helping her study from time to time. With trepidation she turned around, in the direction where she had first seen the gigantic red portal, only to find it lying dormant, still hovering in the air above the treetops from which thin threads of smoke like campfires were billowing from the thick canopy of trees. Several police sirens sounded near the park entrance, followed by a procession of dozens of trucks and military tanks. And at the end of their route, glowing in the sky, was a green portal. Gate opening alert! Civilians are requested to withdraw to the nearest shelter immediately and evacuate in an orderly manner! This is not an evacuation drill! The male voice from behind the megaphone took her by surprise. All hunters in the sector are requested to join us to fight against the invading monsters! I repeat! This is not an evacuation drill! Where are we? Hannas voice, somewhere between curious and excited at the prospect of a new adventure, snapped Kalysto out of the initial shock and surprise that came over her when she saw what had become of the small but beautiful town she had called home for the past few years. ...In Blasky... my home. Book 3. Chapter 1. “Back Home.” Book 3. Chapter 1. Back Home. A curse escaped Kalysto Lunas dry lips, along with a prolonged exhale. Every muscle in her body ached, protesting overuse as exhaustion weighed on every part of her. I just want to go to sleep. She thought sadly, as her shoulders slumped in defeat at the troubling prospect that opened up before her. Why do things never turn out the way I want them to? She grumbled to herself. She had planned to use this little vacation to rest, sleep late, and catch up with friends. Away from monsters, other dimensions, and any issues related to an invasion by creatures from other worlds. She had even thought about returning to Earth with Alice and her grandparents and spending time together. But all her plans went awry. And she ended up running away from a treacherous friend who had given her to a madwoman who wanted to absorb her powers. Calm down, theres no need to think about that now! She scolded herself as she inhaled deeply, trying to control the rage that the memory of the greed in Darlas eyes and Edwards betrayal brought back. Damn, wasnt absorbing supposed to be an innate ability? How come Darla had it too? Worst of all, she was all too aware that when she used that same ability to absorb mana stones, they always ended up turning to dust. Fucking traitor! How dare he hand me over to the enemy like that after all Ive done for him? Kalysto closed her eyes and concentrated on inhaling and exhaling a couple of times while controlling the urge to hit them both. If only I could turn back time, I would never have gone out of my way to help him! Her throat was dried out after so many hours without anything to drink or eat, and her stomach growled hungrily. But when she opened her eyes, she again came upon the remains of Yerast Park, the largest park in the city of Blasky. And the remains of several destroyed buildings greeted her in the distance, making her stomach shrink from something other than hunger. She, in her eagerness to find Alice and rescue the rest of the heroes, had naively forgotten that normal weapons didnt work against monsters. Just as she had been unable to cut through the tough skin of the three goblins that had attacked Katia and her mother on the day of the summoning with a new knife. And while she had been sure that the military or the government would eventually find a way to keep the population safe, she hadnt thought deeply about all the time it would take them to control the situation or the chaos that would entail. Or of all the people who should have died. Her blood ran cold with dread at the thought of how many people she knew would no longer be alive. Enough, no need to be so negative! She scolded herself as she stroked her forehead and the metallic clanking of chains reached her ears. Too tired to think clearly and devise a plan of action to follow, she decided to set her priorities. So she opened her inventory with the intention of taking out a potion, only to be surprised to find Katias frozen body there. Did she come too? She was surprised to see that the violet system had brought her, and immediately looked for Tsuki, noticing with relief that her pet was also there. Although her first impulse was to take them out of the inventory, she preferred to leave them there until she was in a place where she could take them out without having to worry about their safety. Besides, I need to get in touch with Katias father, and Im sure my cell phone battery wont last long. So she lifted her heavy and sore arm with effort and took out one of the bottles of grade 3 revitalizing potion that Caranthir had given her as part of their deal, the most potent ones he made, and drank it in three long gulps, feeling all the accumulated fatigue from fighting for more than half a day begin to fade from her body as she listened in the background to the masculine voice of the soldier speaking through a powerful megaphone. This is not an evacuation drill! We request that civilians immediately withdraw to the nearest shelter and evacuate in an orderly manner!... Portal opening alert! We request all hunters in the sector to join us in fighting against the invading monsters! Why is that man shouting through that little device? Why isnt he using magic? Hanna questioned, keeping the small figure that Kalysto had seen portrayed in hundreds of childrens stories for her kind. Because before the day the queen summoned me, magic did not exist in my world. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Oh," she murmured with red-tinged cheeks, looking at her with sudden shyness. It had never occurred to me that you lived in a world so different from ours. I thought the summoning worked because there were so many similarities between the two dimensions," she added, as all the butterflies nearby began to flutter excitedly around the fairy, as if greeting an old friend they hadnt seen in a long time. Hello little ones! She greeted them with a smile that made the butterflies flutter faster around her, some landing on her eye-catching pink hair. Kalysto preferred not to ask about the strange phenomenon, though curiosity got the better of her. Instead, she took out one of the special mana regeneration potions Caranthir had given her and held it out to the fairy. I know this isnt the special food I promised you, but youll have to wait a bit until I can give you something to eat. For now, please accept this mana potion. What does the champion wish for me to do in exchange for receiving the potion? Asked the fairy instead of accepting the bottle. And Kalysto was surprised by the sudden distrust and frowned without understanding the reaction of her current traveling companion. It was then that she remembered what the elves had told her about fairies. Fairies will never do something for someone without getting something in return. Caranthir had assured her. It is partly an apology for accidentally bringing you here, while I ask for your patience in delivering my part of our deals. And partly a show of good faith, so that despite the two weeks in which you will have to stay stuck here with me, accompanying me until the queen takes me back and postponing the completion of your mission, you will continue to make deals with me. In that case I accept," concluded the fairy, receiving the bottle with half a liter of potion. The champion need not worry about the continuation of our agreements. Unless you breach the terms of any dealings with me, I am more than happy to continue to perform them and enlarge my collection of holy water. I thank you," Kalysto replied, satisfied that her current source of mana stones would not be bothered by being dragged into another world against her will. Having taken care of those two small details, she pulled her backpack out of inventory, reached for her cell phone, and turned it on. The first thing she did was to set an alarm that would indicate the passage of ten minutes so she could start drinking a mana potion, since hers was still below twelve points. The next thing she did was to call her landlady, Mrs. Tanner, but no one answered the phone. She then called the apartment where they lived but got the same result. Worried about what might have happened to them, she called Natasha, her landladys teenage daughter. But even she didnt answer the phone. Neither did Natashas older brother, Jake. Kalysto frowned as a bad feeling came over her. I hope they are well. She thought as she bit her lower lip and dialed the phone number of Jessica, her friend and Spanish teacher, but she didnt answer either. Neither did Amanda. A knot settled in her stomach when she saw that no one answered, even though she had called her landlady and her children more than three times. The alarm went off, indicating that the ten minutes were up, and she feared that her phone would go off with twenty-two percent of charge left. Then, she called Sakura, her friend and Japanese teacher at the university while drinking half a bottle of mana potion in one gulp. Pick up, come on, please pick up! But just like the rest, Sakura did not answer her call. So she tried again. It was when she was about to hang up the third call that Sakuras frightened voice answered on the other end of the line. Kalysto? A gigantic wave of relief washed over her as she heard a familiar voice. Sakura? Are you okay? Where the hell have you been for the last three weeks? The world has gone crazy! The monsters invaded the city and destroyed the female dormitories of the university, along with a fifth of the city. There are hundreds of dead and missing people! Im fine," she hurries to answer. Look, Im sorry to bother you after disappearing for two months, but Ill tell you that story later. For now, could you do me a favor and come pick me up? she asked hopefully, knowing very well that Sakura lived almost fifteen minutes away from the park by car. Two months? What the hell are you talking about? Its been two and a half weeks since the last day of classes and the appearance of the portals and those monsters! That doesnt matter now Sakura! Im in Yerast Park, theres a group of military asking everyone to evacuate the area and blocking the main exit, I doubt that any car can pass but if you bring your motorcycle, Im sure you can get me out of here! insisted the saint. But if they are evacuating the area, that means there are monsters nearby! The teacher panicked. Monsters are not a problem, at least not if they are as weak as the ones I killed the day the first portal appeared," she assured her. ... Kalysto... Have you killed monsters? Are you by any chance one of those people on the news called hunters? Hunters? As in bear hunters? As in monster hunters! Those people who, for some unknown reason, awakened an extraordinary system and abilities! It was all over the news! Didnt you see the news? No, but... and without giving her time to finish explaining her situation, the Japanese woman continued speaking. The government wants to get hold of them, but since the few that there are worked for some company, many of their bosses simply changed their positions and refused to let them go or give information about them! There was a big problem with that! Then the military wanted to make it mandatory for them to participate in the fight against these things and the government wanted to implement a new law, but there were many protests. Even a hunter who works for a law firm tried to file a lawsuit. It was all chaos. Especially since many parts of the country are intact. But people are afraid because of everything happening in other parts of the world. How come you didnt know about this? Have you been living under a rock? No," she clarified immediately. I was kidnapped and barely escaped. I wanted to ask you if you knew anyone who could help me get out of the chains those idiots put on me," she growled, looking at the annoying chains attached to her wrists. You were what? I was kidnapped," she repeated. But I could escape. So can you come and get me? Book 3. Chapter 2. “Reencounters.” Book 3. Chapter 2. Reencounters. An expensive, flashy black motorcycle parked near the third entrance to the abandoned Yerast Park seven minutes later. Kalysto? A beautiful black-clad Japanese woman greeted her as she removed her motorcycle helmet from her head, releasing her long, silky, straight black hair. Her slanted honey eyes assessed her up and down, inspecting every part of her body as Kalysto approached her. I thought you were dead! Im not! But Im so glad to see youre all right! she greeted her while she hugged her. Taking the porcelain-skinned woman by surprise at the sudden show of affection from the fairy champion. Ive been calling several people but only you answered. I was so worried! Im fine. Scared and depressed, but fine. Have you talked to Jessica? I tried to reach her but I couldnt," Sakura grimaced when she heard her exs name. I doubt very much that she will. What happened? She cheated on me with her ex-husband. I found out two weeks ago, when I found a positive pregnancy test hidden in her things. So we are no longer together, although Kalysto knew that Jessica was not in love with Sakura, she had never expected such a development in their relationship. She opened her mouth, wanting to console her friend, but she didnt know what to say and ended up closing it again. But lets not talk about that now... Look at you! You look terrible, and you smell strange! Oh my God, I cant believe they put you in chains! she added as she saw the chains wrapped around Kalystos arm. How on earth did you manage to escape? Long story. Do you want to go to the police to file a complaint? No, for the moment I dont want to go to the police, it would be a waste of time to file a report with everything thats going on right now... By the way, I thought your motorcycle was red," muttered the saint as soon as she cut the hug, examining the new motorcycle and her friend at the same time. My brother bought it. He said it was much easier to get around the city and run away in case the monsters showed up," she replied. Here, put the helmet on! Despite the loneliness of the street they were on, Sakura did not want to stay longer than necessary. Thank you," commented Kalysto as she began to put it on. I thought your brother lived in London. He had to travel to New York at the end of May on business. And as soon as all this chaos happened, and I refused to return to Japan, my father sent him here to convince me. Do you want to go to a shelter or my house? Although I met a couple of police officers on the way, they hadnt made any announcements in my area yet, so it should be safe to go to my house. Is it possible for you to take me home? Ive been trying to get in touch with Mrs. Tanner, but no one answers the phone. Oh, my God! Dont you know? What little color there was in Sakuras smooth skin disappeared from her face as her eyes widened. Kalystos heart sank as she watched her reaction, knowing beforehand that the next words the beautiful twenty-five-year-old woman would say would not bring good news. ...The building you lived in was one of the first to be destroyed during the first wave of monsters. **** Twenty minutes later, after bypassing a military post and being scolded by a couple of policemen for wandering the streets despite the alert status as they left the southern part of the city, they arrived at the destroyed building she had once lived in. Tears glistened in her eyes as she got off the bike and surveyed the devastated street lined with almost completely destroyed apartment buildings. The entire left side of the block had been partially destroyed, while to her right there was nothing but rubble and heavy machinery finishing the removal. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Half of the building she had lived in no longer existed. In fact, the corner where her room was supposed to be was nothing but a pile of air. Her knees shook as she realized how close she had come to dying. If Alice hadnt stopped me from going home to sleep on the day of the invasion, I would have died," she muttered to herself, not realizing that Sakura had followed her. Better kidnapped than dead," assured the Japanese, but seeing the annoyed look that the young woman gave her, she shrugged her shoulders. What? You know Im right! The black-haired girl defended herself. Kalysto shook her head, not wanting to waste time arguing with the only friend who answered her call and came to her aid despite the danger she was in. So they spent the next ten minutes asking the few neighbors who still lived in the nearby buildings, trying to find out if anyone knew anything about the Tanners. But no one knew anything about them. Desperate, Kalysto continued calling until she had less than ten percent battery left. I think wed better go to my place. You need to take a bath, change your clothes and get rid of those chains that are attracting everyones attention. Arent they too heavy? What? Kalysto was surprised and looked at the chains, ignoring the curious looks that the few people who were willing to give her some information had given her. Youre right, wed better go. Here, put on my jacket Sakura took off the expensive black leather jacket she was wearing and handed it to Kalysto, who felt self-conscious to receive her token of appreciation, knowing beforehand how low Sakuras body temperature was. Thank you," she murmured with some discomfort. ... I dont want to sound like a fowl of ill will, but are you sure you can take on a monster? As long as they dont possess a level higher than sixty, yes, I can fight them. Levels? Sakura felt startled as they both walked back to the bike. Do those things have levels? Like in a video game? Yes. The monsters and the hunters, as you call them, also have levels. Why do you ask? The area where I live is one of the few that is still considered safe, but to get there from here we must either go through an area that right now is not safe, or go back through where we came from, but there is the portal alert and they probably already closed the roads, so the only safe option left is to take a very long ride. When you say we have to go through an area that is not safe at the moment, do you mean the center? Yes. Theres a dungeon in the center of the city along with a tower about ten floors high that literally sprouted out of the ground one day in the middle of the universitys athletics track Kalysto frowned as she listened. No monsters have come out of there yet, but the military has both areas completely surrounded, fearing that the same thing will happen to us that already happened in Los Angeles. And what happened in Los Angeles? she asked as she put her hand on Sakuras shoulder and lifted her leg to get on the motorcycle. A seven-floor tower sprouted out of the ground and two weeks later hundreds of monsters came out of it, and thousands of people died. After the military evacuated as many as they could before bombing it. The city suffered complete devastation... that happened over the weekend. Thats why your father wants you to go back to Japan. In times of crisis, the family must stay together," she added sadly, knowing that if she returned, she would lose the freedom she had fought so hard for over the years. But at the same time, she was afraid to stay. My older brother and my father are pressuring me to return. My brother is leaving in three days, so I have until then to make a decision. Sakura, what if I tell you that I can teach you how to fight them? What? Are you sure of what you are talking about? she questioned, hope shining in her eyes. ... Lets go to a place where we can talk quietly. If I can help her get the blue system, that would give her a chance of surviving no matter where she is. Kalysto thought, remembering that she had gotten such a system after killing three goblins. Then Ill take you to a place where they can remove those chains, and then well order something to eat. Im surprised you havent complained yet that youre hungry," she joked with a smile before putting on her helmet and handing the other to Kalysto to put on. And its because you remember things like that, that we are friends," muttered Kalysto, and just as she put on the helmet, her cell phone and Sakuras rang almost at the same time. Kalystos heart pounded like crazy in her chest as she saw Natashas name on the caller ID. Hello! Nat? Please tell me youre okay! She hurried to say. Kalysto? Oh my God, its really you! We all thought you might be dead! The young teenager sobbed on the other end of the line and Kalystos heart filled with compassion as she listened to her cry. Where the hell were you? You had us so worried! Why didnt you answer the phone? Ive been calling you like crazy to let you know that my mom is in the hospital! I thought I filled up your mailbox with messages... How come your moms in the hospital? Which hospital is she in? What happened to her? She asked, raising her voice without realizing it, but no one answered. Natasha? Why arent you answering? She pulled the phone away from her ear to check if she had hung up on her by accident but discovered that her phones battery was dead. Shit! I ran out of battery at the worst time! Book 3. Chapter 2 “Reencounters” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 2 Reencounters Part 2 Her phone battery was dead, and her charger was under the rubble pile. Ill have to buy a new one! She thought between annoyed at having to worry about something like that at a time like that as her concern for the health of her maternal landlady increased as she listened to Sakura argue. Yes, yes, we are going there... stop nagging me at once! .... Im going with a friend. I told you about her... yes, the one who was missing... stop nagging me! The faster I hang up on you the faster well get there... And please, have something to eat ready, poor Kalysto must be starving!... Of everything, she eats everything and in abundance so have a whole banquet ready, who knows how long those degenerates kept her starving!... Yes...no...Im hanging up, and stop threatening to tell dad everything I do! As soon as Sakura hung up, she let out a prolonged sigh full of exasperation. I swear, one of these days Im going to beat him!... Or hire someone to do it for me! Seeing that Kalysto didnt laugh at her attempt at a joke, she frowned. What happened? My cell phone died. Do you have some minutes you can give me? Yes, sure," she said, immediately handing her cell phone to Kalysto. But Kalysto didnt remember Natashas new cell phone number, which she had changed at the end of April, although she did remember her landladys number. However, no one answered. Can I use your internet for a few minutes? Sure," she replied as she started the motorcycle and put on her helmet. Two minutes after Kalysto entered her Facebook account and left her a message and sent her an email with Sakuras phone number, Natasha called her and gave them the address of the hospital where they were. Kalysto, you are alive! The teenager ran to hug her as soon as she saw her get off the motorcycle near the entrance of the hospital and take off her helmet, twenty minutes later. Youre really alive! I cant believe it! Why are you so thin? Are you eating well? Hows your mom? Kalysto questioned at the same time as she responded to the hug, relieved to see her safe and sound. Ill go look for a place to park the motorcycle. Which room are you in? Sakura interrupted them. Oh! Hi! Sorry, I didnt see you! Natasha apologized with her cheeks dyed red and her pretty gray eyes swollen from so much crying. My mom is in room four hundred three! Less than five minutes later, after the initial excitement and joy following the emotional encounter, Kalystos heart squeezed at the sight of Mary Tanner, Natashas mother, lying on a hospital bed in a room shared with two other women and an elderly man. Marys face had lost what little color it had and her pretty gray eyes, the same shade as her daughters, remained closed as they approached in silence. Whats wrong with her? She asked quietly as she took the hand of one of the few people who had ever really cared about her. Kalysto became even more concerned as she felt the coldness of her skin, and saw her lack of response. Mana detection! she whispered, making sure she wasnt heard. We had no idea that a portal had opened. Mom and I were returning home from shopping when everything happened," Natasha told her as tears began to run greedily down her cheeks and she took her mothers other hand, but still the older woman did not wake up. First the monsters came," she continued, and while we were trying to escape from them and get home quickly, a pterodactyl-like animal and a wyvern began to fight, destroying the surrounding buildings. In the end the wyvern won, but almost the whole block was destroyed and a piece of wall fell on us, my mom instead of escaping pushed me to save me, but the lower half of her body was trapped in the debris, the young woman hugged herself, guilt blurring her face. Kalysto, my mom is paralyzed because of me, she sobbed, her face contorting under the weight of having survived almost unscathed while her mother lay prostrate in a hospital bed. And to make matters worse, the doctors say she also suffers from this new disease, manna contamination, they call it. No one suffering from it has woken up so far. Its all right. Everything will be fine," whispered Kalysto, opening her arms to hug her after her skill had shown her the amount of broken bones and all the internal damage that still affected Marys body, along with small blue patches of mana, like veins that tried to connect, but were cut off halfway. Scattered in various parts of her body. I think I can heal her, at least partially, but Ill need you to cover for me and keep it a secret. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. What are you saying? Are you serious? Natasha asked with hope shining in her beautiful gray eyes, reddened from crying. Yes," she replied, turning to see Sakura standing near them, trying to respect their space and not interrupt them. But Im going to need you both to keep my secrets and sign a contract with me. What are you talking about? Sakura questioned, but Kalysto, instead of answering her, prepared both contracts, fearing that they would not work because the three of them were in another dimension and far away from the queen of the fairies. But when they both jumped in fright as soon as a notification window with the contract appeared in front of each of them, relief seized her heart. What the hell is that? Sakura questioned. Kalysto, on the other hand, smiled. Do you two trust me? *** Sleep well! whispered Kalysto after approaching the last of Marys three roommates and making sure to put them fast asleep so they couldnt tell others about what she was about to do. Are you sure about this? The problem will be the mana contamination. I will need a little more time to be sure she will be out of danger and that the disease wont come back, but... let me try something first. Sakura? You know you can count on me for anything, just never tell my brother the things youve seen me do while Im drunk," the black-haired girl mentioned with some embarrassment before turning around and peeking out of the door of the room. Kalysto frowned for a moment, not sure if she was referring to her exhibitionist tendencies but then remembered the number of times she had seen her throw up and had to help her clean herself up and then come home while Sakura lamented her unrequited love for Jessica. All clear, she mentioned, closing the door and locking it to make sure that nobody interrupted them. What do you need us to do? Just stay where you are and let me know the moment anyone comes near or, in case the others wake up. Bless! She blessed herself and then stood next to Mrs. Tanner, adjusting herself so that her face was facing the door, and spread her hands over Natashas mothers broken knees as the other two women nodded in agreement. Mana detection! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Two rounds later, she could see the improvement inside her body. However, the mana veins were still there without dispersing. Mana manipulation! Dispel Ezhil! And this time as the golden light of her skills left her body, she concentrated the last skill so that it dispersed the mana inside Marys body, forcing it out, but the mana resisted. Mana control! she tried again, and this time while the tips of the mana veins were the only ones to dissolve, the mana began to come out little by little through the pores of Mrs. Tanners skin while several drops of sweat broke out from Kalystos forehead and the noise of the nurses outside her room began to increase. Wheres that light coming from? Whats going on? shouted a nurse from outside the room as someone tried to open the door. Natasha and Sakura looked at each other fearfully as they both leaned against the door, fearing it would be opened while the golden glow still wouldnt go away. Come on, quick! Kalysto muttered, as she continued to rush her mana to speed up the healing of her landlady while expelling as much mana from her weakened body as possible. By the time the nurse managed to open the door, Mrs. Tanners eyes had opened and Natasha was crying at her side as she hugged her tightly. The nurse, surprised by the sudden awakening of a patient who was supposed to be in a coma, quickly forgot about the problem of the door and called the doctor in charge of the case who began to check her after asking them to leave to examine her. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! murmured Natasha as she hugged Kalysto tightly, accidentally brushing the chains on her wrists. Whats this? Long story evaded Kalysto, not wanting to talk about it and just when Natasha was about to lift the sleeve of the jacket to get a better look, Sakura intervened. We should go. My brother has been waiting for us for a while Kalystos stomach took advantage of that moment to growl, calling the attention of the three of them. Havent you eaten? Natasha was surprised, knowing how important mealtime was for Kalysto. The truth is, Im starving," she excused herself. Why dont you call me when the doctor finishes examining her and tells me how everything is going? Are you sure youre all right? Natasha worried, glancing at her covered wrists. I will be, she assured her. You know what number to call me? Yes, Ill keep you informed of what the doctor tells me, she assured him. As soon as they left and got back on the motorcycle, Sakura spoke again. Are you sure it is the best to leave her alone? I think her mother will be fine. For now, I need to take these things off. I cant walk around with these on, she added with discomfort, making sure to keep them hidden, both the ones she had hidden under the boots of her pants and the ones she kept hidden with the black leather jacket. Dont worry, Im sure one of my brothers men can surely help you, then they both headed near the outskirts of the city, to a small building that belonged to her brother and in which there was a motorcycle workshop. They have been looking for a way to create a weapon that can cut through the tough skin of the monsters, but they have not had good results, the idea immediately caught Kalystos attention. How much money would your brother be willing to pay for a weapon that can kill them? Book 3. Chapter 3. “A Temporary Reality.” Book 3. Chapter 3. A Temporary Reality. Removing her chains took longer than she had thought. However, the banquet that Sakuras older brother had prepared for them had been totally worth it, a pity that Satoshi, tall, twenty-nine years old and who shared the same color of hair as Sakura but with black eyes, had stayed to watch her while he scolded his younger sister. Sitting in front of them at the table full of food of different types, but without touching it. Throwing distrustful glances at Kalysto, all the while trying to be intimidating. Keep trying! The fairy queen is much scarier than you, and I havent even seen her in person! She mocked inwardly, giving him a slight smile full of politeness as she picked up another fried chicken thigh and took a bite, after having eaten a bowl of chicken soup, a portion of lasagna and put some mashed potatoes on her plate next to a piece of meat with mushroom gravy. Next to a portion of French fries. Are you her girlfriend? Satoshi asked suddenly, causing Kalysto to choke on the chicken thigh as Satoshis thick voice seemed to spread throughout the room. What? No, of course not! Sakura interjected, annoyed at her brother for not letting them eat in peace. Kalysto may be a kind of cute, but shes not my type! Were just good friends! Whats wrong with you to ask that all of a sudden? Cough! What the hell are you talking about? Where did you get that idea? She answered at the same time as her friend, then turned and looked at her in surprise. You think Im cute? Well, youre not completely ugly," answered the black-haired girl, as if she was stating the obvious. Its just that your personality is a bit complicated and you dont open up to people, so sometimes youre a bit difficult to deal with. Thank you," she replied as she grimaced. You help my low self-esteem so much! she muttered half jokingly. Come on, Kalysto! Youre not serious, are you? Seeing that she seemed annoyed, she kept talking, worried about annoying one of the few people who hadnt approached her to take advantage of her familys money and always listened to her when she complained about her controlling and rigid father. Look, if youd get yourself groomed a little, Im sure youd get yourself a boyfriend and stop being an eternal spinster virgin. Look, even I am very pretty, but with makeup I look fantastic, she tried to make up for her mistake. As I said before, its not that youre not pretty, its just that you never pay attention to your looks. If it were up to you, youd only wear sportswear or pajamas or your baggy black T-shirts! Whats wrong with my pajamas? Theyre comfortable! She replied, starting to get annoyed. ... Just like sportswear! And dont you dare criticize my T-shirts! Besides, black is always in fashion! For a funeral! Sakura, who always dressed fashionably and took great care of her appearance, despaired. Even her house, when she wasnt drunk, was always clean, tidy and with a nice citrus smell. .... Kalysto, how are you supposed to attract the attention of a handsome man if you always dress like that? She said, pointing to her dirty, blood-stained clothes. The only colorful clothes you wear besides your pajamas is your waitress uniform! complained her friend. Wait a minute! What the hell are those stains from? ... Cough! Cough! Satoshi coughed, wanting to get their attention. Back to our original topic, he said, ignoring the fact that his sister just grabbed the bottom of Kalystos shirt to inspect the stains more closely. I am aware of Sakuras sexual preferences, and although I dont share them, I would like to be informed if someone is taking advantage of my sister," he said, throwing a scornful glance at Kalysto. Oh, so you dont like women either? Well, in that case, that makes two of us! The saintess replied with a fake smile that feigned kindness. I think Im spending too much time with Persephone. Im getting too much of her tricks! She thought, while listening to the choked laughter of Sakura who was trying, unsuccessfully, not to openly mock her brother. Oh! That was good! How it had never occurred to me before? Sakura mocked. Stop it, you two! Im completely serious! Satoshi growled, slamming the table hard, putting Kalysto on alert. What kind of insult is this? Of course, Im not a fucking degenerate who likes men! So, are you implying that Im a degenerate, dear brother? Sakura interjected, annoyed by Satoshis words. I... no... Cough! Cough!... Satoshi cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. Back on topic. Are you two a couple, yes or no? he insisted. Kalysto, annoyed by his behavior, placed her palms on the fine dark wood table. Ice daggers! She thought, letting them materialize and let both Sakura and her brother see them. The mans eyes widened, somewhere between surprised and frightened by the sudden appearance of two sharp weapons. I thought it was clear by now that we are not," Kalysto replied in a silky voice. But I hope you dont share the particular form of indoctrination your grandfather used to have with my friend, Mr. Lee. Or we would have a problem. I can assure you, Miss Luna, that I have never hit my sister! he growled with indignation. I must also inform you that according to the laws of your country, it is forbidden for a hunter to attack a civilian! Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Oh! But Im not registered as a hunter," she replied with gentleness and a huge smile on her face, sending shivers down the spine of the unsuspecting manager, who suddenly felt like a prey about to be hunted. He used to throw the cushions at me when we were kids! Sakura accused him, half excited by Kalystos sudden overprotective attitude, but also wanting to break the uncomfortable tension that bathed the room. Sakura! her brother scolded her, his face losing the little color it had. What? Its true! She defended herself, stealing a couple of potato chips from Kalystos plate. Hey! Those are mine! Kalysto complained, completely forgetting about her friends brother. The table is full of food. You can take anything you want! You know? Kalysto was about to refute her, but then she narrowed her eyes, and thought better of it. Are you sure I can take whatever I want from this table? she asked. And Sakura, too curious about the appearance of the ice daggers to notice anything strange, just nodded her head. Are you going to make it disappear right away? Sakura scoffed, but her friend only arched an eyebrow. Sure, you can take whatever you want! But can I touch your daggers? Sure! Kalysto replied, excited about all the delicious food that was now at her disposal. And after passing both daggers to Sakura, she took the two pizza boxes that were still unopened and put them in her blue inventory. Then she took the tray in which the lasagna was and also put it in her inventory. As she was about to do the same with one of the bowls filled with fried chicken thighs, the sound of the chair in front of her falling down caught her attention. What? What the hell are you doing? Satoshi questioned, pointing at her as if she were a witch and they were in the middle ages. She told me I could take whatever I wanted," Kalysto defended herself, as she put the bowl in the inventory. And then she did the same with the one containing the mashed potatoes. Kalysto... you know theres something called shame, right? That doesnt feed you," she replied, this time putting away four hamburgers in the same locker. Sakura was about to refute, but then she closed her mouth, remembering that Kalysto had indeed been hungry during her adolescence. You are absolutely right, she agreed. But could you explain to me where you keep all that food, how much you can fit in there? ... In fact, Ive just run out of room," she muttered, looking sadly at the tray with sushi, the tray with roast beef and two other bowls with fried chicken thighs. Then, after looking back at her two inventories, she suddenly perked up. Let me introduce you to someone! Then she pulled Tsuki out of her inventory. Tsuki, welcome to Earth! she greeted him, and the little guy tilted his head before barking and tried to lick her face. No, not in the face! Ive told you before, Tsuki! Here, you better eat this! she said, giving him a potato chip while waiting for his reaction. Tsuki, instead of sniffing it, looked at the other two people in the room. Master, they are humans! Tsukis voice shouted in her mind. I know this planet is full of them. Master, there is very little mana in the air! The little one was frightened. Before we had no such thing, consider yourself lucky that at least there is some mana in the air now," replied Kalysto, suddenly worrying if that would be a problem for him. Maybe we should train you a bit and level you up, just to make sure you can withstand living in this environment with me for two weeks," she whispered to him. Is that a wolf? Are you sure its safe to touch it? Sakura interrupted them. Her brother opened his mouth to plead, but then closed it again, preferring to be ignored while observing everything that was happening. Actually, Tsuki is a sacred beast that comes from another world called Elinor. Tsuki, this is Sakura! She introduced them. She is a little crazy, but she is reliable, except if she sees a pretty girl because she will forget about you in an instant and leave you in the middle of a restaurant, Tsuki nodded his head, keeping the information for future reference. Sakura, seeing that the little one seemed to understand what they were talking about, was alarmed. Hey, dont talk bad about me. Youre making me look bad in front of my precious nephew! Besides, that only happened once Kalysto, and I invited you to dinner as an apology! The saintess instead of answering her just smiled, and with her free hand she took a potato chip and ate half of it, then she offered the other half to Tsuki, who this time didnt hesitate to eat it, seeing that it was safe. Did you like it? Asked both women at the same time. Tsuki barked satisfied and started wagging her tail, happy to receive so much attention. Can I eat more? Tsuki asked telepathically to her mistress. Sakura, seeing that Kalysto was going to take another potato chip to offer to the cute puppy, immediately took a chicken thigh and offered it to him. Tsuki, excited by the offering, wagged his tail and paws, making Kalysto stop carrying him to put him on Sakuras lap. Who received him with pleasure and fed him. Hes definitely your pet! It only takes some food to tempt him! Thats how I became your friend! commented the black-haired girl, amused. Satoshi, on the other hand, began to feel more confident as he saw that the creature posed no danger to his little sister and his attention was diverted to the two forgotten ice daggers. Hey, Im not that predictable! Kalysto tried to defend herself. But Sakura gave her a look full of distrust, then she looked at the table full of food and then her gaze returned again to Kalysto. Its okay. I can be a bit predictable in certain things. We all have our weak points! she defended herself. Forgetting both of them of Satoshis presence, Kalysto took out one of the swords that were inside her inventory, one without penetration stats, but that increased in ten points the strength of the bearer and put it on her lap, the movement caught Sakuras attention who kept caressing Tsuki and telling him how cute he was. Duplication! she muttered three times, putting the three duplicate swords on the table, immediately catching Satoshis attention. Do those also come from that other world? questioned the only man in the dining room. Thats right. I heard from Sakura that you were interested in getting weapons to fight them," she commented, as if she wasnt interested in the subject. Im interested in creating them, but can they harm the monsters? Curiosity and greed shone in the Japanese mans eyes, and Kalysto smiled, enjoying the show. Of course," she said, pulling out one of the horned rabbit bodies she had saved for Tsuki and buried one of the duplicate swords in the monsters body. As you can see, they are effective," the eyes of both brothers widened, imagining the possibilities that would open up before them. How much do you want for them? Satoshi questioned with a serious look and the businessmans attitude he had learned so much from his father. Book 3. Chapter 4 “Katia.” Book 3. Chapter 4 Katia. Four pairs of ice daggers and four duplicate swords earned Kalysto her first million dollars. Satoshi handed Kalysto a charger. The saintess immediately charged her cell phone and as soon as she was able to turn it on, she checked the message she received from her bank confirming the bank deposit. The young entrepreneur left the room, happy with his new purchase to meet with his bodyguards and figure out a way to take advantage of his new acquisition. Wow, I guess now its your turn to buy me lunch! Sakura mumbled excitedly about her friends luck while they both watched the message from the bank and she kept caressing Tsuki, who was happy to receive so much attention. I will do better than that. Would you like to receive a system? Kalysto questioned in a low voice, this time taking out one of the swords that had ten points of penetration stats, along with ten points of strength. Duplication! She whispered, and then handed the duplicate sword to her friend. Are you serious? Are you giving me a gift? The black-haired girl got excited. I always mean what I say," the saintess replied with a frown, not understanding what her friend was referring to as she struggled to remember if she had ever lied to her. I know that! I mean, this is the first time youve ever given me a gift! She commented with a huge grin from ear to ear. But I gave you a present on your birthday last year," Kalysto protested. My birthday doesnt count! She hastened to correct the black-haired girl, causing Kalysto to roll her eyes. And then she says Im the complicated one! Complained the saintess to herself. Well, thats not important right now! Then she approached her and lowered her voice. I have a business idea to propose to you, she said, giving a glance towards the exit door of Satoshis apartment. How about auctioning weapons? But you are the one who has them and who has the power to duplicate them, not me, Sakura objected. Yes, but you have your familys contacts and it would be much easier for you to get people to give us legal advice or to take care of all the paperwork. Besides, you know I dont like having to be in contact with people for too long. I know! Im still surprised you worked so long as a waitress! It was either that or starve to death, so the choice was easy at least it was most of the time since the security there was very good and there were rarely any customers who tried to touch her. And her main problem lay with the hands of blond men or guys similar to her stepfather. Coming in contact with them somehow kept Persephone on edge and made her lose control over her. ... So what you really want me to represent you? To be your face in front of the public if things get out of control? Sakura questioned. Something like that, yes. Of course, Ill be your pretty representative! How much are you offering me as my salary? Taking into account that technically you are still a university teacher .... I think that the best thing would be that we work by commission per sale. The university is closed until further notice, so unless the tower is destroyed and the two dungeons in the center are closed, I highly doubt they will reopen it. And even if they do, I will most likely have already given in to pressure from my family and be back in Japan. The tower, I can close it, but until I know how powerful these dungeons you are talking about are and what kind of monsters are inside, I cant tell you if its possible for me to help with that or not. Besides, it would be good for me to clean them before I return to Elinor. It would be too dangerous for Katia and Natasha to continue living here with that in the city," she commented while frowning. Suddenly realizing that she wouldnt be able to rest as much as she had wanted in the beginning during her brief vacation, Besides, I can take advantage of it to level up Tsuki, and get more weapons! Wait a moment! How is it that you can close the tower? And who is Katia? And how can you think of making my precious new nephew fight against those horrible monsters? She frowned, worried as she hugged Tsuki, as if she could protect him from Kalystos madness. Can you keep a secret? Kalysto whispered with complicity. You made me sign a magic document that assured that my heart would stop beating if I betray you, or reveal what Ive seen you do or what youve told me to others! And youre seriously asking me that now? Stolen novel; please report. Right!... Then let me tell you a story so, she spent the next ten minutes telling her a short summary of what had happened from the time she came to Elinor until Edwards betrayal. I knew there was a reason I didnt like that brat! Did you know hes in love with you? I dont give a shit! The black-haired girl got angry. How dare he betray you and give you to that crazy psychopath? Ill give him what he deserves when I see him! Kalysto smiled at her reaction, unwillingly remembering that her mother never believed her every time she had tried to tell her about her drunken stepfathers attempts to abuse her, and instead scolded her for always making him angry. Worst of all, the next day, when he was sober, he always acted as if nothing had happened. Kalystos eyes began to mist over with unshed tears and she hugged Sakura, not wanting her to see them. Thank you," she murmured in a broken voice. Thank you for being my friend and taking care of me. Kalysto, are you aware that any normal person would get angry if someone hurt a friend or a loved one? worried the black-haired woman, who always pretended not to remember what they talked about when they were drunk or the few times Kalysto had opened up to her, although she had an excellent memory. ... Its okay. Im sure your friend the little blonde chihuahua would be even more upset than I am," she murmured as she hugged her back. Chihuahua? Yes! Even though shes so cute, Alice always looks at me like she wants to bite me every time she sees us together. Shes just like one of those dogs. All small, but pretending to be intimidating! She commented with a mocking smile as Kalysto cut the hug and wiped off her tears discreetly. So, who is Katia? Oh," Kalysto immediately explained everything that had happened to the little girl before taking her out of the inventory, Katia, were back on Earth! The little girl blinked silently, still frightened by what had happened inside the castle, while she watched her silently noticing Sakura and Tsuki behind the saintess. Are we at home? She whispered, and her voice trembled as she did so. Well, technically we are at my friend Sakuras older brothers apartment. Here I introduce you, this is Sakura! Hi! the teacher greeted, keeping her distance from the little girl. Eh... he...hello. Katia answered shyly, hiding behind Kalysto. Its okay, shes reliable," but seeing that she continued to use her as a human shield, she changed the subject. Why dont you sit at the table with us and have something to eat? Im sure you must be hungry," she commented as she poured her a glass of juice, which Katia drank greedily. Tell me she wasnt starved! whispered Sakura after Kalysto settled the little girl in the chair that Satoshi had abandoned and Katia began to devour the food on her plate as if she hadnt eaten in years. She was sold as a slave and treated as such for weeks! What do you think? She answered in her ear after sitting down next to her friend and set to finishing her late breakfast. Katia, by the time you finish eating, my cell phone will probably have some charge, so we can call your dad. Are you okay with that? The girls eyes watered at the news. Can...can I really see my dad? She asked in fear of being denied the chance to see him. Of course you can! But first eat something and then we call him, okay? Negotiated Kalysto, but before Katia could renegotiate, Sakura intervened. Maybe you both should take a bath first. Her father might get scared if he sees her dressed like that," she interrupted, pointing to the dirty and torn clothes that sweet Katia was wearing. Youre right. Maybe I should buy her a sweatshirt or something to wear in the meantime. Ill ask one of my brothers bodyguards to go buy her something. Wont your brother ask us where she came from? Kalysto worried. Kalysto, you pulled a bunch of swords out of nowhere a few minutes ago! At this point, I dont think anything you do will surprise him! She replied before walking out of the dining room. ...Its... are we safe here? Katia asked suddenly and in a low voice, approaching her silently while she sent glances full of distrust towards where Sakura had gone. If we are not, I will put you back in my inventory. No one will hurt you there and I will take care of the rest," she assured her. Do you know your fathers phone number? The young woman immediately nodded and gave it to her, but after three tries, no one answered. Maybe he is at work and cant answer right now. Do you know the number of the company he works for? My dad is a fireman," she said and lowered her head. But he doesnt like us to call him at work. He said I can only do that in case of emergencies..." she added, her voice losing strength with every word she said. And you dont think this could be considered an emergency? she pressed, but Kalysto could see the confusion in her eyes. Lets do something. Why dont we leave a voicemail on his cell phone and then you can come with me to level up two friends and my pet? Katias gaze immediately turned to Tsuki. This is Tsuki. He is a sacred beast that I met in the world we were in. Would you like to pet him? Immediately the longing was erased from the look of the little one and in its place shone the fear. Kalystos heart shrank with sadness at her reaction. Come here Tsuki, present yourself to the little one! Master? asked the little one in her head. Lick her hand," Kalysto asked, and the puppy did so. See, its completely safe to touch it. And in case someone comes near you, he can throw thin rays from his little body, and help me protect you. Isnt that right, Tsuki? The puppy barked in agreement, and Katia smiled. He tickles me! She mumbled with laughter when Tsuki licked her hand. Did you hear that, Tsuki? She likes it when you lick her, so go ahead! The puppy wasted no time and jumped excitedly towards the frightened girl and started to lick her face, making her laugh and relieving the sadness and sorrow the saintess felt when she looked at her. Are you feeling better? Katia nodded her head and Kalysto took the opportunity to leave a voice message on the girls fathers cell phone. Hello. My name is Kalysto, and I was kidnapped along with your daughter the day the first portal appeared. We managed to escape recently and Katia is safe, but we have not been able to contact you. Please call me at this number as soon as you can she immediately passed the cell phone to the girl who began to talk quickly and to cry while leaving the message until the call was cut off, and then they called again leaving another message when Katia was calmer. Twenty minutes later, Sakura found the girl fast asleep in Kalystos arms. Book 3. Chapter 5 “ Before leveling up Tsuki and Katia “ Book 3. Chapter 5 Before leveling up Tsuki and Katia Kalystos phone rang, and she answered immediately, not wanting to wake Katia. Hello? a female voice greeted her from the other side of the line. Hello, Kalysto! Im calling to inform you that the doctor said they will keep my mom under surveillance for a couple more days because they are afraid she might suffer a relapse. Do you think that will happen to her? Without giving her time to answer, Natasha continued speaking. Otherwise, they said that she was in perfect condition and that they didnt understand how she could recover so fast, but since there were other patients who also recovered miraculously, they are trying to look for the cause of such miracles, so I think you should stay away from here for a few days. Thanks for the heads up, Nat. You dont have to worry about your mother suffering a relapse if you are referring to her broken bones. But I have my doubts about the other disease. If youre afraid there will be after-effects about the accident, I can give you a powerful remedy for that. But for the other, you will have to wait. I have to study the situation a little more, okay? Yes, of course. Now, can you meet me at the third entrance of Yerast Park? Theres something Id like you to participate in and it would give me more peace of mind if you did. Uh... I think the road is closed from here. And I dont think some cab took me there right now, not when a portal opened up two neighborhoods from there about an hour and a half ago. It was on the news didnt you see it? No, but let me see if I can work something out. Its important to me that you participate. I think I could teach you how to protect yourself from those creatures. Would you be interested? Kalysto insisted. But theyre indestructible unless...! Oh! Is that what Im thinking? Natasha got excited. Because if so, count me in! I could use the money to help pay for my moms hospital! Did you know that my brother became a hunter too? But since he hasnt been able to level up, its very difficult for him to get a job. Do you remember my friend? The teacher I introduced you to before? Yes, I do! Ill ask her to help me pick you up. Wait for my message! Ill be waiting Kalysto closed her eyes for a moment after finishing the call and at that moment the sound of the door opening alerted her. Sakura and one bodyguard entered the apartment with several shopping bags and found Katia fast asleep in Kalystos arms, sitting on the saintess thighs. I brought clothes for you to change whispered Sakura, but in that instant Katia woke up, so Kalysto took the opportunity to take a bath and use the new towel that Sakura had bought her. And while Katia bathed, she examined the clothes that Sakura had bought. Since she had raised to level ten in the profession of enchantments, she always wanted to try to enchant her underwear. And although Sakura hadnt bought her new underwear, she did buy her a white T-shirt, a cap, and black sweatpants. Duplication! She conjured ten times on each item of clothing, ensuring she had enough material in case the spell failed and disintegrated them. Then she did the same with Katias clothes. Health enchantment! she conjured. As expected, only three garments of each type survived the first round of incantations. Duplication! She continued, satisfied with her progress. Strength enchantment! Again, only thirty percent of the enchanted garments survived. Duplication! She conjured, duplicating one of the surviving garments of each type ten times, repeating the same process with the mana, stamina, and agility enchantments. Increasing each stat by ten points. Inspection! [T-shirt. Class: N/A. White cotton T-shirt. HP +10 MP +10 Strength +10 Endurance +10 Agility +10] Kalysto, happy with the results of her experiment, put on the new clothes along with the cap, braided her hair and waited for Katia to come out of the shower. But the slim fourteen-year-old girl, who appeared to be only eleven, took much longer than expected to bathe and when she finally came out, her eyes were red from crying, but neither of them said anything about it. Katia, could you check your status window before getting dressed, and after you finish, tell me what has changed? The girl looked at her without understanding but did not hesitate to answer. Of course, Mrs. Kalysto! She answered, and the saintess was glad to see that she was slowly returning to her normal behavior, although it still felt strange to be called Mrs. at her age. I have 20 more points in HP and MP! she exclaimed with surprise when she finished dressing about five minutes later. What about your strength, stamina, and agility? Asked the saintess from outside the room, where she was waiting for the girl to finish. Theres a +20 next to each of them! How is that possible? Katia came out of the room to show her status window, which Sakura took the opportunity to look at. It is a small gift for you, said Kalysto, approaching her to hug her. This way, you will be safer and you will be able to protect yourself. From now on, every time you wear these clothes, your stats will go up to 20 points. Keep this secret between us, okay? Kalysto smiled tenderly and the young girls eyes filled with unshed tears. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Thank you," whispered Katia, as a tear rolled down her cheek. With pleasure. Then well take you up a couple more levels before your father contacts us and you can go with him, so we can make sure that no other idiot can ever kidnap you again, okay? The little girl nodded hopefully, sure that she would be safe, and excited about her future meeting with her father. Hey, what about me? I want one of those too! Sakura complained and Kalysto rolled her eyes at her childish attitude. If you just take twenty percent of the profit of every item you sell or auction for me, Ill enchant your shirt, your jacket and the sword I give you! Do you accept the deal? I accept! Sakura replied, handing her the sword and her jacket at once. Inspection! said the saintess immediately upon receiving the sword. [Sword. Class: common. Strength +10 Penetration +10] After making the magical contract, Kalysto first duplicated the two items of clothing and then the sword before beginning to enchant them. Inspection! she muttered as soon as she was done with the sword. [Sword. Class: common. Strength +20 Penetration +10 HP +10 MP +10 Endurance +10 Agility +10] Duplication! She immediately conjured up when she saw how good the sword was, creating two for herself, one for Natasha, one for Katia and one to give to Alice in the future. In addition to four copies of the jacket, one for her, which she put on immediately, one for Alice, which she kept inside her backpack, one for Natasha and one for Katia, who put it on immediately. Is it normal that I feel stronger? You are stronger and more agile now. Use it whenever you are going to fight monsters, okay? Said Kalysto while she helped Katia to roll up the sleeves of the jacket, which was too big for her. Ready to go? Almost half an hour later, the same bodyguard who had accompanied Sakura on her shopping trip drove a black van that took them to the third entrance of Yerast Park after they passed by an open supermarket. Kalysto got out to buy five plastic jars that had five marks that indicated when they reached the first to the fifth liter. Plus two one-liter bottles of water and they had to take a couple of detours due to a couple of streets that were closed and were being guarded by police or military. Very well! I will go to pick up the other member of your kindergarten, you two wait for us here! Sakura indicated as soon as Kalysto got off near the third entrance of the cleared park, followed by Tsuki. Katia immediately followed her while hugging her new sword, not wanting to be separated from her savior. Shall we go? Asked Kalysto as soon as Sakura and her bodyguard left. Katia nodded her head while she looked carefully at the destroyed walls of the entrance of the park. Drink this is a revitalizing potion, it will help you to get rid of the tiredness! She said, handing her a small vial which the girl did not hesitate to drink and then sent an e-mail message to Natasha, letting her know that Sakura was on her way. Sit there! ordered the saintess, pointing to a group of rubble near a stone with an almost flat surface. There are two other things I want to give you. Remember when Milo taught us how to inject mana into those crystals that looked like the crystal balls of a circus fortune teller? Katia nodded her head. Well, I want you to do the same with this. Duplication! she said, after taking out the quiver the elves had given her, duplicating it and giving the duplicate to Katia. When you do it, an arrow will come out. I want you to do that while the others arrive and let me know if someone comes, okay? Yes, maam! -That caught Katias attention immediately, making the little girl amuse herself trying to create arrows after thanking her for her gift. Kalysto, for her part, took out the two bottles with water and the two juice jugs she bought on the way. First, she duplicated the jars until she had twenty. Then, she poured the water from each bottle into a different jar and doubled the water bottles along with their lids. Blessing! She blessed herself first. Creation of water! She invoked, filling each jar. Ezhil purification! Blessing! Blessing! Ezhil purification! She conjured several times, brushing the water with her fingertips, making sure it was blessed. As soon as she finished, she checked that the job was well done and then opened her map, which showed Hannas, Natashas, Sakuras and Katias points. She looked at Hannas, who had stayed with the butterflies after they arrived in this world, too excited to explore this new world and believing that Kalysto would go home to sleep for a couple of hours. After opening the tab where the two contracts with Hanna were, she put the first jar with five liters in it, then the next one. She took three liters out and put them in three duplicate bottles. Then she put the jar with only two liters inside the window of the first contract, the window released a small glow indicating the fulfillment of the contract and immediately the remaining eleven thousand nine hundred stones of mana that had been agreed upon appeared inside her inventory. [Warning! The inventory is full, the contract cannot be finalized until the necessary boxes are emptied for the shipment of all the agreed materials.] Darn! She thought, annoyed. And she had to take out three of the enchanted bags from the violet inventory in which she had kept part of the books stolen from the library and put in there several weapons that were in the blue inventory and then put the three bags in the blue inventory, thus leaving several empty lockers in both inventories. A minute later, a hundred sealed potion vials appeared in one locker, along with a hundred half-liter ones in the other and a five-liter pot of earthenware in the third. Then she added the two liters of holy water they had agreed upon as payment for giving her in advance one hundred mana stones spent fighting the orc, his gang and the portal. But unlike the previous deal, this one wasnt complete, so it didnt sparkle. I just have to wait for her to ask me for a blessing, but considering it was nothing serious, and they had not set a time limit to deliver the reward, Kalysto decided to wait until they were back in Elinor, surely Hanna would ask for the final reward during one of the continuous sneak attacks that the goddess Mhiralla launched to weaken the defenses of the fairy kingdoms protective spell or spread the plague. Then she opened her map, noticing that Natashas and Sakuras dots were close together and approaching towards where she was, while Hannas was moving farther and farther south, shining over the sea. She touched her dot and sent her a message. Excited to meet a sea that is not plagued by monsters? She asked her. [Good day, champion! I thought Id sleep a little longer.] I havent been able to sleep, but I did get something to eat. I want to send you something to eat, as we agreed, but Im not sure how we can do it. [The champion can use the contract we havent finalized to send as an additional reward. You can use the clay pot I sent you for the finalized contract and make a note attached specifying that I should send the pot back to you.] If I can make modifications to an active contract, does that mean the queen can do the same with mine? She was concerned. Can you also make modifications to the contract while it is active? she asked, trying not to let her sudden concern show. [Of course not! Only the one who establishes the contract can do such a thing! In most cases, you need the consent of the other party to make any modification, unless they have failed or defaulted on some clause in the contract. ] Book 3. Chapter 6 “Leveling up Tsuki, Katia, and the girls.” Book 3. Chapter 6 Leveling up Tsuki, Katia, and the girls. So that was why the system allowed me to modify Caranthirs contract! That was the first thought that crossed her mind when she read Hannas message, but almost immediately a wave of fear swept over her as she realized that if she made a mistake, no matter how small, it would give the queen total freedom to modify the contract between them. Shit, Id better make sure I keep her satisfied... or I might die! She panicked. <> Persephone scolded her. <> Are you out of your mind? She was able to stop time even though I was in a different dimension from her! Did you miss that detail? Dont you remember when I almost died a few months ago and you did nothing to help me? She growled, annoyed at her crazy quip. <<...>> Suddenly, a purple notification window appeared before her. [Champion is everything all right?] Yes, of course! She hastened to reply, putting on her best customer service smile. Ill organize the food and send it to you in a few minutes. [Ill be waiting!] Despite not being able to see her, Kalysto could swear she felt the fairys joy and anticipation for the food. So she hurried to take out the pot she had just received and pulled out a wooden spoon that Alynn had given her with her last meal, summoned water and rinsed them, then walked over to the stone where Katia was sitting, but as she did so she could once again observe the same three strands of smoke, like campfires, that she had seen a few hours ago when she had returned to Earth. But now that she was not so tired, starving, and surprised by her return, she could feel a strange energy coming from there and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A bad feeling settled in her stomach. Id better go investigate this as soon as possible. She thought, and although she had no solid proof, she had a suspicion that those who made those bonfires deep in the forest were part of the group of goblins and orcs she faced when the portal appeared. Surely those who traveled with me to Elinor were not the only ones to come here that day. In fact, she had been surprised to realize that the city was not as destroyed as she had feared, which made her suspect that, unlike the monsters she had seen destroying the elven city, they had other plans. And it had been precisely that which had made her choose this place instead of going to help the military and the other hunters destroy the new portal. Besides, this particular group seemed too organized... what are they planning... why didnt they continue hunting humans...? If theyre setting up campfires, that means theyre creating a settlement, right? Are they planning to stay and live here? <> Persephone suddenly whispered, between surprised and ecstatic at the idea, as if she could recognize the strange energy emanating from that place. <> She insisted, while the pressure in Kalystos mind increased as Persephone tried to take full control of her body and a thread of black smoke came out of her left arm, snaking its way to her elbow. Fear settled in the saintesss stomach at the sight. Who the hell are you talking about? She she questioned, but no one answered her. Frightened at the possibility of losing control of her body again being so close to Katia and her friends who were about to arrive, she scolded herself. Come on, Kalysto focus! Its not the best time to focus on nonsense! But deep down, she feared this was related to the giant eye they had found on the final floor of the tower. A pair of notification windows, one blue and one violet, appeared to her left at the same time as the familiar coldness covered her from head to toe. [The ability Mental Defense has been activated.] The smoke disappeared completely and again silence reigned in her mind as she concentrated on normalizing her agitated breathing. It almost seemed as if she had just run a marathon instead of standing holding a simple pot. Is everything all right, Mrs. Kalysto? commented Katia with concern to see her in that state while she struggled to materialize her first arrow and beads of sweat decorated the foreheads of both of them. Dont worry, everything is fine," she tried to reassure her and controlled the expression on her face so that the girl would not notice anything strange as she stood in front of the stone. You continue with what you are doing, she answered with a smile. However, she frowned when she saw that in spite of everything she herself had done in the last minutes, the sweet Katia was still struggling with the materialization of her first arrow. Kalysto opened her mouth to ask her about it, but suddenly, a new idea crossed her mind. Maybe not having magic makes it harder for the rest of the classes to learn how to manage the little mana they have. So she left it alone so she could concentrate, instead, she put the pot near where Kata was sitting and took out the bowl filled with mashed potatoes and poured some into the pot, then added a fried chicken thigh and left the spoon buried in the mashed potatoes. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As soon as she had everything ready, she added the modification to the contract without any problems and put the pot inside the notification window. I could do it! Katia shouted excitedly with a huge smile on her face, immediately pulling out the first arrow she materialized to show her. Look Mrs. Kalysto, my first arrow! Congratulations, you did a good job! she congratulated her, caressing the little girls soft blonde hair. Here is the other gift I told you about, she added, taking out the bow the elves had given her. Duplication! she said, handing Katia the copy, and keeping the original in her purple inventory. However, the archer refused to receive it. Are you sure its okay to give me so many things? Youve already helped me more than enough," she muttered, ducking her head. Katia, look at me," answered Kalysto, kneeling down in front of the young woman. Things here on Earth have changed. Monsters attack the cities and few humans have awakened a system, yet the weapons of our world cannot harm them as their skin is too tough and conventional weapons have no mana. However Elinors weapons do, so this could save your life. Do you understand what I mean? Katia nodded her head and received the bow shyly. Thank you... although I dont have the means to repay you. Im happy to help you," she replied. Now, keep practicing while my friends arrive. By the way, Im going to need you to promise me to keep secret everything youve seen me do or say and to give me permission to update the previous contract we had made. Katias face lost all the color it had. I really tried to leave the capital as you asked me to, but my mother refused to do it! She said she didnt intend to leave her new boyfriend and that I could go alone if I wanted to! But then... her voice trailed off and the girl again hung her head as she clenched her fists. And Kalysto became alarmed. And then what happened? she insisted. If that guy dared to do anything to her, Ill come back and hunt him down! <> Are you talking to me now? She reproached her, but no one answered her. I... I left the capital for a mission. I was supposed to pick up some plants and take them to another town... but then my moms boyfriend caught me. He sold us as slaves... apparently my mom told him that we came from another world and he decided that he would get very good money for selling two heroes with a system. Goddamn piece of shit! groaned the saintess angrily. <> Persephone insisted, a little more interested in the idea of making Kalysto lose control of her emotions than in the girls sad story. Mrs...Mrs. Kalysto...? Your eyes changed color again..." Katia was startled and Kalysto immediately took a step back, closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. Dont worry, sometimes I lose control of my magic," she excused herself. Just give me a few minutes and everything will be back to normal, okay? Katia nodded her head, but less than a minute later, when Kalysto opened her eyes again, she saw her biting her lip. Whats wrong? Do you think Im going to hurt you? No, of course not! .... What happened is that... I was wondering if among the people you released... you happened to see my mom while we were escaping from the castle. Im sorry Katia. While escaping, we had to split up. There were guards everywhere defending the city from an enemy attack, so I have no idea where the others are. Seeing the sadness in the girls eyes, she hastened to add. I saw that one of the other heroes was with the people in the temple. It is likely that other heroes are also with them. ... Katias face lit up again with some hope and Kalysto did not find in herself the will to extinguish it. Do you really believe that she is safe? Bad herb never dies!. At Thought the saintess, but before she could answer, Katia spoke, at the same time a violet window appeared to her left. [Champion, this food is delicious! Right now I dont have many things in my inventory so I dont have much I can offer you, but is there anything I can do for you so in exchange you can give me more food like this?] Thats good. The people of the temple are a thousand times better than the king and his guards! At least this way my mom will have a good chance of surviving! Kalysto gave her a smile full of politeness, not wanting to kill the little girls hopes as she doubted her mother was alive and with dissimulation closed the window of the conversation with Hanna. Instead, she opened the contract with Katia and erased everything that had gone before, noting that Katia had indeed registered as an adventurer, as they had agreed. This time, she simply made it a condition that Katia had to keep her secrets. What level are you? she asked her, and the little girl was surprised by the sudden change of subject. Im barely level five," she answered, embarrassment decorating her face as she ducked her head. Okay, Ill try to help you get to level ten or higher before you meet your father, okay? Thank you! She perked up again. If I get stronger, I can protect him from the monsters! Thats the attitude, Kalysto congratulated her. Now I need you to pay close attention. Im going on a trip in a few weeks, so we dont have much time. Youre going on a trip? she asked sadly. And Kalysto nodded. With this new contract, whenever Im around I can find you and come visit you," that seemed to cheer her up, but I need you to keep my secrets. You can tell your dad that I helped you escape, but you cant tell anyone what my skills are, okay? Katia nodded her head. If they ask you, just tell them Im some kind of mage, but thats all. You cant tell them what youve seen me do. Just talk about general things like how I helped you escape and came to your rescue, or you could put me in danger, that seemed to scare her. There are a lot of malicious people out there and you dont know who might be listening or who your father might tell what you tell him about me, okay? Ill be very careful! I dont want something bad to happen to you because of me! Katia assured her and the saintess sensed her sincerity. Still within the contract, she stipulated that if she was about to reveal information about her by mistake, that she would fall asleep immediately or lose consciousness if she did it intentionally. Hoping that with that Katia would not be in danger, and neither would she. Anyone could try to kidnap me if they found out I could duplicate weapons! She worried. I thank you. In return, Ill give you this bottle of holy water. Use it only in case of emergencies, okay? This could mean the difference between life and death! It can even heal broken bones! But remember that you cant take more than three drinks every ten minutes! Thats important! Katia nodded her head at everything she said, unable to believe that she was being given something so important just to keep a secret, and immediately accepted the contract. Are you sure that it is enough for me to keep your secrets in exchange for giving me such valuable things? I heard from the guards that something like this was precious and very hard to get. Not just anyone can get it, thats why you shouldnt tell anyone you have it or they might hurt you to take it away. It is better to put it inside the inside pocket of your jacket. It will be uncomfortable, but it will be the safest thing to do at the moment. Okay," she said after doing as she was told and zipping up her jacket, closing it to avoid accidentally dropping the bottle. Kalysto, watch out! Book 3. Chapter 6 “Leveling up Tsuki, Katia, and the girls” Part 2. Book 3. Chapter 6 Leveling up Tsuki, Katia, and the girls Part 2. Kalysto, watch out! Natasha shouted from one of the open windows of the black van in which Natashas bodyguard, the tall and muscular Mr. Chen, was driving. Kalysto looked up immediately and Tsuki, who was lying next to Katia, also stood up in alarm. But the van, instead of parking near the entrance of the park, went straight ahead. Followed a couple of meters behind by a two-meter-tall bird with red feathers. Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Ice spear! She conjured, launching the first attack at its eye and the second at its torso, piercing it through and through, causing the critter to fall onto the second lane of the road, staining it with blood. Tsuki! The puppy as well as his mistress ran to the side of the fallen monster who half tried to get up again, but its body trembled without responding completely to its wishes. Finish him off! She ordered and Tsuki did so, throwing several electric shocks to the monster until it finally stopped moving. [You have gained 3 experience points!] Master! I leveled up! Tsuki shouted in her head while he pushed his chest out, proud of finally being able to help her. Congratulations! Good job! She congratulated him as she could hear the screeching of the vans brakes almost a block away. What the hell was that thing? Inspect!2 [Name: N/A Race: Aevo Level: 13 HP: 0/2,000 MP: 0/30] I hope this one escaped the control of the military and the other hunters is just an exception and there arent more out there wreaking havoc in the city," she murmured as the van turned around and parked next to her and Katia ran to meet her. Mrs. Kalysto, are you okay? What is that thing? Im fine and so is Tsuki. Thats a level thirteen, Aevo. Nothing worth worrying about," she answered, And for future reference, attack the eyes first. They are a vulnerable point for any monster, okay? The little girl looked at her with a mixture of fear, concern, and admiration at the same time, while nodding her head. Kalysto! Are you okay? That thing started chasing us when we passed near one of the closed roads! Natasha shouted as she got out of the van and ran to where they were, hugging her as soon as she was near, making Tsuki alarmed at her sudden proximity and started to growl at her. I cant believe you could kill that thing so easily! Is it really dead? But without giving her time to answer, the teenager continued talking, as it was usual for her. Where did you go before? Oh, you changed your clothes! I didnt know them. Are they new? Have you eaten something? Whose is this cute little dog? Yes, the monster is dead and you dont have to worry about him anymore, commented the saintess, hugging her back. I went to Sakuras older brothers apartment to have my handcuffs removed, then I took a bath and ate something. And yes, the clothes are new, she added while she got rid of the hug and gave a reprimanding look to Tsuki, to stop growling at the other brunette and took out a duplicate black jacket from her inventory. This is for you," she said, handing the jacket to Natasha along with one of the swords she had duplicated from the one she had enchanted for Sakura. Thank you! The teenager got excited and put it on immediately. ...Are we going to go all uniformed? Like in a rock band or something? She asked when she saw that all four women were wearing the same black jacket. Yes, were going into the park, to where the nature reserve is. I noticed something strange there this morning and I want to investigate. Katia, for now, you can stop creating arrows and take this sword. Is it normal that I feel stronger? The sword feels light to me! Natasha was amazed as she swung it from side to side, even pointing it at the birds corpse. Ha! Take this, you monster! Thats what you get for scaring me! She got excited while beating one of its wings. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Its normal," smiled Kalysto. Natasha, this is Katia. She will be under my care for a few days while we find her father. Hi! Im Natasha Tanner. Nice to meet you! She greeted, approaching them again. How did you meet Kalysto? The saintess, seeing that Natashas cheerful personality could serve to make Katia feel better after the horrible experience she had gone through, let them talk and approached Sakura, who had already gotten out of the van. I hope your bodyguard is not thinking of entering with us in the forest, because I wont even let him go in there with the girls she indicated in a low voice, trying not to look with distrust at the tall and muscular man whose dark eyes were hidden behind a pair of black glasses. Sakura blinked, too surprised to see the ease with which Kalysto and the cute puppy had gotten rid of the monster that had frightened her so much a few seconds before. ...Yes, of course," she turned around, still a bit stunned by everything that had happened, and ordered, You may go now, Mr. Chen. Im sorry, Miss Lee, but your brother ordered me to protect you, refused the man with two swords strapped to his back, crossing his arms. After Natasha buried the new sword in the birds corpse a couple more times and tried to get Katia to imitate her without any result, and after Sakura finally convinced her bodyguard to wait for them in a safe place while they returned, the group of girls followed by Tsuki went into the park. Tsuki, Kalysto whispered after picking him up while the girls followed them as silently as they could in the middle of the leafy trees. Do you remember the group of goblins and hobgoblins that attacked your family? The cub growled. I could never forget them, master! he assured her. I think they''re traveling companions are here. Do you think you can track them by scent? They should smell similar to the ones that attacked you before," encouraged with the idea of avenging his family, even though his killers were all dead, Tsuki began to sniff the forest until almost twenty minutes later they found a group of five goblins gathering dry branches behind some bushes. Good job! Whispered the saintess. Then she turned around and gestured to the girls. Each of you approaches one of them after I launch the first attack. Ready? But despite their good intentions, their surprise attack was ruined when Tsuki ran out of the bush they were hiding in and attacked the nearest goblin, biting its neck. Tsuki, no! Water blades, ice blades! she quickly conjured, attacking the eyes of two of the four remaining goblins. Multiple targets! Ice arrows! Duplication! Telekinesis! she added, piercing the thighs of the four monsters while the fifth one tried to shake Tsuki off without any success. Girls cut their necks! What? You want us to attack those things by ourselves? Natasha and Sakura got scared. You want to get a system? Then youll have to kill several of them! Kalysto assured them, making the other two look at each other. I had to kill three of them before I got mine! I call for one of the blind ones! Sakura stepped forward and ran towards her target with her sword held high. The goblin hobbled while trying to pick up one of the few branches it had held in its arms before but dropped due to the surprise of the attack, to use it as a weapon and attack them. But the attractive teacher didnt give it time to defend itself and attacked it, cutting its skull several times until it was able to give it an accurate blow in the neck, cutting it with a single slash. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] And before she could go for a second goblin, Natasha snapped out of it. Wait a minute, the other blind is mine! You cant take both of them! She got annoyed and ran towards the other goblin trying to get to it before the teacher, who was already almost on top of it. Katia, its your turn, said Kalysto, but the young girls hands trembled at the sight of the monster. Its okay, he wont do anything to you while Im here with you. Besides, you better get as strong as you can while Im still here, so you can protect your father, remember? Katia nodded, still with fear reflected in her eyes as she hugged the sword as if it were a teddy bear. The young blonde nodded her head several times in encouragement as the other two goblins, whose thighs were completely pierced by Kalystos arrows, groaned on the ground, as they tried to limp to their feet and run away. Katia approached one of them with doubt still shining in her eyes and the goblin snarled at her, baring its sharp teeth and causing the slender blonde to take a step back in fright. Kalysto immediately pulled the axe from her inventory and chopped off the arms of both goblins mercilessly. Now it will be more difficult for them to escape, but if you dont hurry one of the girls will get ahead of you or they will bleed to death," hearing her words and seeing that indeed the Japanese teacher approached the other fallen goblin and cut its neck, Katia took two steps forward and positioned the sword, and after inhaling hard she dropped it, hitting the monsters back instead of its neck. [You have gained 1 experience point!] x2 But the little girl had to try two more times until she was finally able to pull it off. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] Katias eyes widened in surprise as she looked to the front, watching the notification window. Im going to have to teach her how to lock her system so only she can see it, and how to set the battle mode. Its dangerous that those notifications keep popping up right in front of her face. Kalysto thought. Mrs. Kalysto, I leveled up! Im already level six! Katia shouted, excited. Book 3. Chapter 7 “The Mission.” Book 3. Chapter 7 The Mission. The strong midday sun warmed their faces as several beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads and backs. With each step Kalysto took deeper into the nature reserve, the stronger the feeling grew that they were approaching something dark and dangerous. I shouldnt have brought the girls. She thought with some trepidation. But even though they had encountered only two other monsters besides the first group and physically, she didnt see any danger, how excited Persephone was to meet whatever was ahead of them made her nervous. And the bad feeling she had was getting stronger and stronger. <> Persephone complained. <> Shut the hell up! She muttered angrily, noticing that it was getting faster and faster for that other part of her to deactivate her mental defense skill. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Did you say something, Mrs. Kalysto? Katia asked with her innocent face bathed in sweat. No, little one. Dont worry," she assured her as they went deeper and just behind the foliage of a leafy group of bushes, they found what until now she had thought was just a possibility. A camp," Sakura murmured with surprise as they watched hundreds of goblins going in and out of small huts made of wood while a group of orcs came out with their axes in hand and another pair returned with chopped tree trunks under their arms and entered the clearing they had created. I cant believe those monsters created one, and no one noticed this before. Kalysto was surprised to see that at opposite ends of the small village, there were several cells also made of wood, in which dozens of children and a few adults were imprisoned. And in the center of the cluster of handcrafted huts, there was an altar. Kalystos heart swelled at the memory of what happened to Katia, fearing that it was a plan similar to that of King Medhas to increase the mana capacity of an individual in exchange for eating the hearts of their sacrifices. And rage seized her, but before she could do anything, a violet window appeared before her. [Kalysto, since you have accomplished your first mission much faster than I expected, after you finish your vacation, I want you to prepare for your second mission. I need you to create a second protective barrier around my kingdom with the ability to not only keep the monsters away but also to purify everything that touches it and allow only fairies to pass through. For that you will need to raise your profession to level to one hundred, and also properly raise the glyph inscription profession, so that you can learn runes and other ancient languages so that you can add them to the barrier to give me what I need.] Is that even possible? She worried. Creating a barrier that big is going to take a lot more mana than Im capable of handling. [If you do it the right way, it is possible. Thats why you need Artemis to instruct you so you dont make the same mistakes she did. That way the system wont block those options for you.] [Also, I need you to raise your purification, Ezhil purification, dispel and Ezhil dispel skills to level one hundred. The first two will be useful for your second mission, the others for the third. Ill give you six months to achieve it.] Kalysto perked up when she heard for the first time a hint about the third mission, despite the short time frame she was being given. What is the third mission about? She asked, full of curiosity. However, the queen seemed almost as unwilling to talk about it as ever. [...] [...It is a rescue mission.] Who do I have to rescue... And where is this person? She worried, and a weight settled in her stomach, fearing that her life would be in danger while doing it. If it was something so easy to do, surely the queen or one of her fairies would have done it by now. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [...] [...Shes not a human, shes a fairy. And I have no idea where Mhiralla took her. But since, even after all this time, Mhiralla still hasnt been able to finish copying my system, I figure we have some time. Although Im beginning to desperate.] Hearing this alarmed Kalysto. You want me to face a goddess and survive? she exclaimed angrily. Is she crazy? [... You were going to die anyway when I found you.] And thats why Im supposed to go on a suicide mission? Are you crazy? She became annoyed, and immediately a powerful pressure settled in her chest, preventing her from breathing. [Ive tolerated your indiscretion before Kalysto, but make no mistake.] The saintesss knees trembled and, unable to support her own weight, she fell to her knees. In the distance, she could hear the moans of her friends, Katia and Tsuki, but she could do nothing to help them. She could barely breathe. [I have even tolerated the presence of the monster you carry inside you and despite the danger of having it inside my territory, I have given you a place to sleep, fed you and allowed you to walk around my kingdom without any danger. And yet you still dare to insult me?] ...Im...sorry boss...queen...please...calm down...it wasnt my intention...ins...insult you...its just a human expression...I was too shocked...its just a human way of expressing yourself, she struggled to answer as she fought to get some air into her desperate lungs. [...] [...Humans have such uneducated ways of expressing themselves.] Im sorry," she apologized quickly, taking advantage of the fact that the queens manifestation of anger suddenly ceased. [...] [I dont understand why youre making such a big deal out of this. Youd be dead if it werent for me!] ... She didnt want to accept it, but if she looked at it from a totally practical point of view, the queen was absolutely right. True... but Im not ready for the third mission. [And thats why I hadnt told you about it.] ... Kalysto didnt know what to say about it, so she preferred to keep silent. [...If you succeed with the third mission, I will allow you to heal yourself, but you can never come back to my kingdom and you must leave Elinor forever.] ...I understand although she was finally being offered something she had wanted since the beginning of this whole odyssey, now that it was being offered it didnt seem so important, not when there was a great risk of her dying when facing a goddess. But even if I complain it wont do any good... besides from her point of view, its true that with the third mission or without it, I was already on the verge of death when we met, she just bought me more time... Shit! How can I survive this? But that wasnt the only problem. Since the queen had found out what happened in the city that Persephone destroyed, there was a doubt troubling her mind. ...Why does the queen care so much about a split personality? she questioned, needing to know. In all her years of life, her other side had only gotten out of control on two occasions, and both had been to save her life. That would be three if we counted what happened inside the tower. She thought to herself. But that doesnt mean shes so dangerous when my life isnt at risk. [And who told you that Persephone was such a thing?] What? Surprise ran cold in her veins. But the psychologist at the orphanage thought it was a case of split personality... the case was dismissed after I went to therapy and Persephone kept silent during that time, the words died on her lips as she realized that she had never questioned that theory, she had simply accepted it and lived with it since her mothers death. Clinging to Persephone as if she were a life preserver in the middle of a storm in the deep sea and hiding her presence from everyone else. Seeing her confusion, the queen took pity on her. [Kalysto, I recommend that you take advantage of your visit to Desmonds kingdom. Aegir is a powerful wizard who specializes in mind magic and he is the one I was thinking of recommending to you before you insisted on that weak elf as your teacher.... Aegir might be able to help you find the answers you seek.] All color disappeared from her face as she read those words. ...Thank you..." she replied and her voice failed her as she watched the trembling in her hands. But if what she says is true and Persephone is not a part of me... All this time I have been living with a stranger? She panicked as her stomach churned and her skin began to itch all over, as if thousands of ants were walking all over her body. She shook herself immediately, running her hands up and down her arms. Shaking off the unpleasant sensation that walked under her skin. [... And Kalysto, I would advise you never to trust her... We suspect she has an alliance with him.] Then she remembered what happened to the destroyed city where she had been taken after being kidnapped and the glorious satisfaction Persephone felt when she recognized the energy of that giant eye inside the tower. ...Him? She whispered in confusion as the hairs on the back of her neck and arms stood on end. The saliva felt thick and heavy in her mouth. [...Our enemy, Kalysto.] Now she understood all the distrust the queen had against her. Why she never appeared in front of her or why she was never given all the information... only what was strictly necessary. [He who is conquering all the worlds or destroying all that he cannot conquer...] [The only remaining male child of Ygaerae the god of darkness...] [Seth-Mainyu.] Book 3. Chapter 8 “A Dark Presence” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 8 A Dark Presence Part 1 I cant believe that goblins actually exist! Natasha exclaimed excitedly. Although they are much taller and less snub-nosed than in the video games. Kalysto, Sakura, and Katia turned to look at her, unable to believe what they were hearing as they remained on their knees, hiding behind a group of thick bushes. Didnt you notice that about half an hour ago? Sakura questioned while Kalysto was still too surprised by what the queen had said. I was too busy trying to get out alive after Kalysto said we should kill them! I didnt have time to observe them! The teenager complained, But theyre ugly as hell! Before Sakura could begin to plead with Natasha, Kalysto intervened. Focus! The saintess scolded them with a low hiss, There are people being kidnapped by monsters and you still havent awakened the system even though both of you have killed more than three monsters! Ive already killed seven and nothing. Are you sure we can wake up one? Sakura intervened. I killed three monsters, but I did it alone. Maybe when you receive help, you need to kill many more, she meditated. I will freeze those on my left, decapitate those you can, and let me know later how many monsters you need to wake up the system. Ill take care of the ones on the right and then Ill go to the ones near the altar. Is there an altar? Where? Natasha asked with a frown. In the whole middle of the village. How can you see it? I can hardly see a few houses! The young woman mumbled and squatted down behind her to get a better look. Its a skill I have. Its called eagle eyes. Katia should have it too. the little blonde immediately checked her list of skills and activated it. Oh, thats right, I can see it too! The little blonde girl cheered up, also positioning herself behind the saintess to see better between the space that was between two huts and a group of goblins that were cutting firewood. Im going to get their attention first. Ready? Just as she turned around to confirm that the others were in agreement, Tsuki came out of the bushes and let out a powerful howl that alerted all the monsters in the area to their presence. Tsuki, stop doing that or Ill put you back in the inventory! Kalysto growled as she came out of her hiding place and positioned herself in front of her pet while watching the horde of monsters running toward them. Stay behind me! She ordered as the little Fenrir tried to position itself in front of her. Katia, switch to bow and arrows! Natasha and Sakura, be ready to attack! She shouted as she waited for more monsters to join the fight and pulled out the enormous axe from her inventory. At the same time, she signaled them to come closer to her. The goblins that had been chopping the firewood took their small axes and ran to meet her together with thirty other goblins while a small group raised the alarm and the rest of the population went in search of weapons to attack them. Kalysto clicked her tongue, annoyed at having to waste one of her skills on so few monsters, but seeing that the group of orcs that had brought several tree trunks ran towards them, she could no longer wait for the rest to come and attack them. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She squealed, freezing the bodies of the first thirty goblins to mid-chest. Girls, Im sure youll achieve your goal today with these! Ill get the rest! she shouted and jumped over the wall of ice she just created and rushed at the first of the orcs with her axe raised high. The orc intercepted her attack but to his surprise his axe broke, causing Kalystos axe to easily bury into his head, splitting it in two. [You have gained 10 experience points!] You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. As the body of her enemy fell, the saintess used it as momentum and lunged towards the second orc, but this time the other five that accompanied him also lunged to attack her. Kalysto dodged the blow of one of the axes as it cut off the arm of one orc, and another axe was thrown at her head. The saintess dodged it and threw a punch at her attacker, knocking him back as another orc attacked her from the side. Kalysto dodged it, and while doing so, interrupted another orcs attack, broke his axe and chopped off his head. [You have gained 10 experience points!] [Youve gained 2 experience points!] x6 Water blades! Ice blades! She conjured, blinding two of the remaining five orcs while dodging the continuous attacks of the other three. Tsuki, electrocute the other two! And just as she ordered, her pet electrocuted the two orcs she had blinded while she cut off the heads of the other three. [You have gained 10 experience points!] x3 [You have gained 3 experience points!] x2 [You have gained 2 experience points!] x4 As soon as Kalysto finished with them, she turned around to see how her friends were doing, but they hadnt even killed half of the goblins. Master, Im already level nine! Tsuki reported in her mind. Well done, but dont jump into battle again before I order you to! I dont like to work with those who have hero complexes. We are not here to save the world and its not my intention to do such a thing! Understood? She scolded him as she waited for the next group of goblins armed with shovels, spears, and axes to come out of several huts and run towards her. Yes, master," the little boy muttered, with his head bowed. I only wanted to be of use to the master. Id rather have you alive than playing hero," she clarified, causing Tsuki to shake his head in excitement. Ill make sure I dont die then, master. I wont let you down," he assured her, but before Kalysto could answer, she was interrupted. I finally got it! I have a system! Sakura shouted excitedly as she checked the blue window that appeared in front of her, completely forgetting about the rest of the frozen monsters. Im a warrior! Thats not fair! I want one too! Natasha complained, viciously punching another monsters neck. [Youve gained 2 experience points!] Congratulations, Sakura! But if you want to level up fast, I suggest you take advantage of the banquet I prepared for you! Commented Kalysto, who got tired of waiting for the rest of the goblins to run to where they were and ran to meet them, jumping towards the center of the group. Tundra! she said, freezing them all. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x30 [You have gained 5 experience points!] x20 Tsuki, protect them! Im going to go destroy the altar and get the rest! When youre done here, go free the prisoners! Kalysto shouted with her axe in hand and launched herself against the weakling monsters that ran to meet her, cutting their bodies in two and separating some heads from their bodies as she went deeper into the village. [Youve gained 2 experience points!] [You have gained 5 experience points!] x5 [Youve gained 2 experience points!] Yes! I got it! Now I have a system too! Im not the only one without one anymore! Natasha shouted and Kalysto smiled at her enthusiasm. But her smile was erased when she found more than a hundred goblins and another thirty orcs waiting for her before she reached the middle of the village, where the altar was. Fire Blast! She conjured, burning the monsters and houses alike until she ran out of air and had to stop her attack to answer the onslaught of monsters that rushed at her. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x3 [You have gained 5 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 2 experience points!] x3 Lightning! She squealed after dodging an orcs axe and slicing the bodies of five goblins in two. [You have gained 5 experience points!] x5 Ice creation! She conjured again by throwing a lot of mana into her taunt and freezing most of the monsters in her path. [You have gained 5 experience points!] x85 [You have gained 7 experience points!] x25 She then lunged at one of the two remaining orcs, leaping over its head and plummeting down. Although the orc tried to defend himself, his shield was split in two by Kalystos axe, as was his body. And immediately she swung her axe at the head of the second orc, whose body fell lifeless to the ground shortly thereafter. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x2 Without wasting any more time, Kalysto retrieved her axe and ran towards the center of the village where the screams of a group of girls as they were dragged to the altar where a group of orcs and hobgoblins dressed in tunics and skin painted with strange symbols, some of which were also carved against the stone of the altar whose dark energy bristled the hairs all over her body. Oddly enough, she could have sworn she had seen some of those symbols before, in one of the many books in her fathers study. But she had no time to be distracted. As the little girl sobbed and tried unsuccessfully to free herself, her tear-drenched eyes met hers while they forcibly dragged her onto the altar, her mouth covered with a dirty cloth. At the same instant, another group of orcs, this time armed and dressed in thick armor, equal to that of the orc that almost killed her the day she made the deal with the queen, rushed at her. And the chanting of the monsters under the robes grew louder. Book 3. Chapter 8 “A Dark Presence” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 8 A Dark Presence Part 2 Hey, leave her alone, youd better pick on someone your size! Kalysto shouted, annoyed at the mistreatment the girl was suffering, but the chanting of the monsters under the robes grew louder. Ignoring her completely. [You have gained 2 experience points!] x3 She immediately ran towards the girl, but was intercepted by another group of monsters while ignoring the notification indicating the experience gained thanks to the monsters that the girls were eliminating and that she had frozen earlier. As soon as Kalysto defeated the first group, a second one intercepted her with their thick armor reflecting the sunlight. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x13 [Youve gained 5 experience points!] x10 What annoying things! She grunted as she waited for the cooldown of her skills to pass and ran her forearm across her forehead, wiping off the bloodstains of her enemies. [You have gained 2 experience points!] x3 Multiple targets! Ice stakes! Duplication! Duplication! Telekinesis! She conjured, throwing the three stakes at three of the six hooded men surrounding the altar and piercing their chests. [Youve gained 10 experience points!] x3 Kalysto leapt over the bodies of the tall orcs that had lunged to attack her, her axe raised high, ready to destroy the altar and the orc covered with a tunic and symbols painted on his face, surrounded by two hobgoblins, but when Kalystos axe was less than a meter near them a magic shield blocked her attack completely, taking her by surprise. [You gained 2 experience points!] x5 What the fuck? She muttered as the group of armored orcs let out several war cries behind her, but before they could reach her, she turned around. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She conjured, trying to form the same wall of ice that her other skill allowed her, but instead creating a huge cluster of interconnected black mana crystals that trapped the group of orcs inside. The rest of the goblins that were there fled in terror at the sight. [You have gained 10 experience points!] x60 ?????? Something was shouted from the altar in a language she couldnt recognize, but before she could turn around something hit her back, making her lose her balance at the same time the orc that had been forcibly carrying the girl towards the altar dropped her while pointing at Kalysto, screaming in fright at the sight of what she had just summoned while the girl took advantage of his distraction and ran away from there. [Youve gained 2 experience points!] x5 At that same instant, a violet window appeared before Kalysto. [Warning! The user has been afflicted with a vitality reduction curse. Every ten minutes ten percent of your vitality will be stolen.] What the hell? She grunted, turning around, and noticing the orc standing in front of the altar with his arm stretched out in her direction. The same orc who had conjured the shield earlier. Count yourself dead! She sentenced and threw her axe at him at the same time he conjured his shield again and she jumped in his direction, ignoring the systems warning as she slammed her bare fists into the shield of the annoying orc. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. But the shield remained intact. So she jumped back. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured and saw terror flash in the other mages eyes as the shield began to disintegrate under the golden light of her skill. Rain of ice stakes! She attacked immediately, killing the orc that had brought the girl and the other two hooded wizards. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x3 Now its just you and me! She grunted, retrieving her axe. And guess what? She smiled, I want that fucking shield! Then she jumped again and split the altar with her weapon and then launched herself against the wounded wizard, who tried to escape crawling on the ground and then summoned a strong gust of wind that threw her a couple of meters back. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! She squealed, nullifying the attack as she fell to the ground on her two legs and took off her momentum, launching herself again against the frightened and very surprised orc, who crawled away from her and threw a fireball that she evaded with ease. Kalysto, seeing her fear, smiled. Not so fast! I havent gotten what I want yet! she muttered, lowering her axe and chopping off one of his legs with a single slash. The orc cried out in pain. At least that much I could understand, she muttered, cutting off his right arm, the same one she had seen him throw the shield with, and moved her axe to her left hand and put her right hand over her enemys head. Absorb! [Warning! The skill Absorb has too low a level and cannot be used on this target.] Kalysto clicked her tongue in annoyance at the news, but she didnt give up and slashed the other arm of the orc, which screamed at the sudden attack. And as the monster trembled in front of her, Kalysto pulled a mana crystal from her inventory. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as a pitiful moan escaped from the throat of the orc who looked at her with hatred stamped in his eyes, while he began to mutter in a language she didnt understand. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 4000 MP!] Fire Blast! She conjured directing her attack towards the orcs face, interrupting his spell and making him scream from the pain as she sat on his chest. Jhil! Jhil! She began to heal him, needing him to survive long enough until she could level up her absorb skill so she could get that fucking shield. Purification! Jhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil! Dispel! Jhil! Dispel Ezhil! Jhil! she added at the last moment, remembering the queens request to upgrade those other skills. Inspect! She said, annoyed at having to waste her time to get what she really wanted from this guy. [Name: Holleoth Race: Orc Level: ?? Class: ???? HP: ???/???? MP: ???/????] Shit, I cant even see his stats? Kalysto, seeing that he couldnt even get the basic information of his enemy, continued to repeat her attacks, occasionally switching between spells while using him as a guinea pig to level up her saintess skills for more than twenty minutes. [The skill Fire Blast has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Dispel has leveled up to level 20!] [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up to level 25!] [The skill Sleep Well has leveled up to level 15!] [The skill Purification has leveled up to level 20!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 35!] [The skill Jhil has leveled up to level 25!] [The skill Lightning has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Ice Daggers has leveled up to level 5!] [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 50!] [The skill Inspect has leveled up to level 10!] Inspect! A smile spread across her face as she watched the progress she had made several minutes after sending a message to Sakura warning her to stay away from the center of town and ordering Tsuki to take them and the abductees back to the park entrance, not wanting any of the girls to see her in that state. [Name: Holleoth Race: Orc Level: 50 Class: Shaman HP: 420/4000 MP: 10/4500] Finally! she rejoiced, not noticing the thin strands of black smoke that began to rise from the remains of the altar now that she had stopped purifying the surrounding environment. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Everything! Book 3. Chapter 9 “An enemy presence” Book 3. Chapter 9 An enemy presence [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Everything! I want it all! She affirmed, greed shining in her green eyes. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fireball. Level 25!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 7 strength points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10 points of agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10 points of endurance!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Spirit Communication. Level 55!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Communication with sacred beasts. Level 50!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Communication with plants. Level 35!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Communication with the earth. Level 40!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 4500 MP points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 4000 HP points!] The huge smile laden with satisfaction on Kalystos face only grew bigger as the excitement of acquiring the shield grew in her chest. But as soon as the last notification appeared before her, the hobgoblins body turned to ashes. What the fuck? Wheres my shield? She cried out in shock at the loss, not noticing the tentacles of black mana that continued to shoot out through the remains of the split altar, above which the silhouette of a giant eye began to form. No! NO! It cant be! I wanted that shield! She shouted again, shaking with her hands the small pile of dust that remained of the body while a soft gust of wind finished scattering the remains in the air. Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! She insisted again, but her skill didnt activate. Shit! If I had known it would happen this way, I would have absorbed all his skills first and then his stats! Why the fuck didnt I realize that before? Agg! she wailed, clutching her ash-soiled hands as she continued to kneel against the ground. Too shocked by her loss, Kalysto didnt notice the eye behind her finish forming until a surge of dark mana emanated from it and abruptly scattered around, knocking her to the ground and smearing her face with dirt. What the fuck? She growled angrily as she spat in disgust, wanting to get rid of the unpleasant taste that penetrated her mouth. But as soon as she tried to turn around to look at her attacker, her body stopped responding at the same instant she noticed the gigantic eye in front of the remains of the altar. An identical copy of the gigantic eye she had seen in the tower. And a shiver ran through her body at the same time that Persphones presence came to life violently, trying to steal control of her body. <> Persephone shouted with joy as they both began to fight for control. Come on Kalysto, focus! She scolded herself and a wave of relief washed over her as the familiar coldness flooded her body. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] But the relief was short-lived. [The skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] <> Persephone scoffed as a loud laugh echoed through the camp. It took Kalysto a few seconds to realize it was coming from her own body and her blood ran cold at the thought of losing control in front of the thing. Even when the dark mana had done no harm to her, other than the fall. Come on Kalysto, focus! She tried again. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated]. But he only got the same result. [The skill Mental defense has been deactivated.] Shit! And as she struggled against Persephone, a thick black liquid began to gush out of the eye that remained closed, spreading rapidly over the ground and drying up the life of the small plants it touched in a matter of seconds. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Is that the plague? The saintess was startled, immediately recognizing the thick, shiny black liquid that she had seen coming out of the bodies of some monsters and petrifying parts of the bodies of fairies and elves. Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! She quickly conjured up just before the liquid reached her. But just as the thick liquid stopped, another surge of black mana, one far more powerful than the last, burst from the eye, knocking over the nearby huts and trees, sending her several meters away from the altar. Pain shot through her back as she fell against one hut, knocking it over. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Come on Kalysto, focus! [The skill Mental defense has been activated.] Kalysto repeated the same process until she felt that she had regained full control of her body again, then she began to remove the debris that fell on her and started to stand up, only to see with terror how the liquid had spread to the nearby trees, drying them completely and covering the bodies of the monsters she had killed before, turning them into stone in a matter of seconds. It was then that the eyelid that had so far kept the eye completely covered began to slowly lift at the same time that Kalysto felt the temperature around her drop ten degrees in one fell stroke. Regeneration! Regeneration! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Dispel! She hastened to conjure. <> Persephone screamed inside her head, but Kalysto ignored her. Blessing! She quickly squeezed, pointing at herself and thus raising her chances of success as a faint glow surrounded her body. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! she added, repeating the process more than ten times in a row, as fast as she could. Inwardly grateful that, unlike her skills as a wizard, her skills as a saintess had no cooldown time. And just as the eyelid covering the eye stopped before it reached halfway, a pair of notifications appeared to her left. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP remaining. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again, or your health will be severely affected.] [Warning! User has lost 10% of HP.] Inventory! Kalysto thought as soon as she saw the first notification and raised her hand to take a mana crystal, but when she saw the second notification, her whole body froze. And where did that come from? She immediately tried to remember when she was attacked, but then she remembered the vitality curse. Shit! Then, taking advantage of the fact that the golden light of her skills was still active and that the movements of both the eye and the black liquid had stopped for an instant, she pulled out a mana crystal. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 7000 MP!] Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Dispel! Ezhil Dispel! She immediately squeezed, throwing a second round as she pulled out a health potion Caranthir gave her and took a long drink. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She continued to conjure for another fifteen minutes, having to absorb another crystal of mana until finally the entire camp was completely purified, with no trace of the dark mana, the black plague-spreading liquid, or the gigantic eye. It closed again before turning back into black smoke. Her legs gave way, and she fell to her knees against the ground as several beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, neck, and chest. Half of the shirt under the black leather jacket was almost completely soaked while she struggled to normalize her breathing. Im so tired! She thought as she began to close the set of notifications she received during the fight. I think I did better this time, just because the eye hadnt opened all the way! [Warning! User has lost 10% HP.] [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up to level 27!] [Ezhils Purification skill has leveled up to level 36!] And while she absorbed another mana crystal again, she finished drinking the rest of the health potion bottle. Status window! She muttered, worried about her HP. [Status window] [Status window Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed (????????) Level: 65 Fatigue: 99 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 5964/8520 MP: 4005/8306 DMP: 3600 Strength: 166+55 Vitality: 173+80 Agility: 220 Stamina: 186+110 Intelligence: 167 +100 Charisma: 11 Luck: 40 ???: 75 Status: exhausted. Available points: 0] So from now on, even if I dont get attacked, I can die? She muttered with annoyance, worried about the curse she received. If only I had killed him before he threw it! She complained as she stood up and pulled a thel from her inventory and began to eat it. Then she began to pick up the weapons that looked usable from the enemy. Map! She checked the direction where the girls points were and walked in that direction while checking her new skills as she finished picking up the weapons she thought she could use for her new business after checking that there were no more traces of dark mana or other altars around. [Sacred Beast Communication. Allows the user to communicate verbally or telepathically with any sacred beast (including dragons) within a range of 200 meters. When it is a beast with which one has a magical contract or has been tamed, the range increases to 500 meters. When raised to level 100, the user will be able to communicate with a contracted or tamed sacred beast regardless of the distance. Spends 50 MP per-use.] A smile came to Kalystos face. Well, at least this one isnt too bad. Communication with sacred beasts! Tsuki! Can you hear me? Master? Tsuki answered suspiciously, but then anxiety flooded his voice. Master, we are surrounded! Book 3. Chapter 9 “An Enemy Presence” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 9 An Enemy Presence Part 2 NOTE: I decided to modify the ending of the previous chapter, so take it as it would have ended in the explosion. Before the giant eye closed completely a massive wave of energy escaped from it, completely collapsing what was left of the enemy camp along with the trees surrounding the area and throwing Kalysto back a hundred meters causing her to crash into the thick trunks of several nearby trees as what was left of the eye vanished amidst a swirl of black mana. [Warning! The user has lost 10% HP]. [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled to level 27!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled to level 36!] The shockwave destroyed everything in its path, sinking the earth and leaving an immense crater behind. What the hell was that? Groaned Kalysto as pain invaded the side of her body after she hit the same spot for the fourth time in less than an hour. Shit! Regeneration! Regeneration! She thought as she let out a groan and touched her torso. Does this guy have something against my ribs? Regeneration! Inventory! she muttered. She was about to take out a bottle of holy water and drink it, but then she noticed the notifications and remembered the curse and the restriction of only being able to drink a potion every ten minutes. ... Shit!... Basic healing! She grunted, as she pursed her lips and the pain spread through her body as she tried to turn her body to lean on her forearm and sit up. But the pain stopped her. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as the sharp twinge disappeared and she was able to start breathing normally, however she decided to stay lying down for a couple of seconds more while she finished recovering without the help of the holy water. How long is that curse supposed to be active? She worried. Isnt a curse supposed to disappear as soon as the caster dies? That guy is already dead! Why is it still active? She continued to grumble as she struggled to normalize her breathing. ...How am I supposed to get rid of that thing?... However, as much as she thought about it as she watched the blue sky and the slow drift of the clouds as they passed, she couldnt come up with any ideas. <> Persephone scolded her. <> Yes, of course! She scoffed. And thats why he attacked me in the tower and we almost died? <> Persephone snarled in reply, annoyed at the loss of the hoped-for re-encounter. That annoyed Kalysto. Shut up! Nobody asked for your opinion! she yelled. Besides, I have no intention of killing my boss! Im alive thanks to her and I remind you that if I die, you die with me! She growled, annoyed with the whole situation. Ive been fighting since yesterday without any rest! Im tired and sleepy! I havent had a good nap since God knows when and to top it all off there are four portals in the city, a tower, an altar who knows what the hell dor that I just destroyed and to make matters worse, now Im cursed! Which means that from now on, even if Im not attacked, I can die at any moment! So it will be a problem to sleep for more than an hour no matter how tired I am! And I like to sleep! She shouted in annoyance, worried about the curse she received, So shut the hell up, because Im not in the mood to listen to you! Especially after what the queen had said to her. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She thought before Persephone had time to refute her. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And if you try to take control of my body again in the next few hours, I will purify you! She shouted to the sky with force. After waiting a few seconds in which the only thing she could hear was the loud sound of her breathing as she clenched her fists, no one answered her and no notice announcing that the mental defense skill was disabled appeared to her left. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Kalysto closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sudden silence. If only I had killed that monster before it cast the curse! She complained. And she turned her head to the right, looking at all the devastation left after the fight. Im so tired! She thought as she began to close the set of notifications she received during the fight. I want to go to sleep for a week and get out of bed just to go to the bathroom and take food to bed! A prolonged sigh burst from her lips, knowing that this was something she wouldnt be able to do again for who knows how long. Ive got to find a way to get rid of that curse!... Will the boss know Im going out? She wondered, raising her arm, tempted to touch the tattoo on her left wrist and talk to her. But instead, she pulled out another bottle of health potion and took three long gulps before a notification window appeared before her. [Warning! The user must wait 10 minutes before consuming a potion again or the potions effect will be nullified.] After letting out another sigh, she could finally sit up. Half of the shirt underneath the black leather jacket was almost completely soaked with sweat and the hot summer afternoon only made the situation worse. And how the hell did that giant eye get here? She growled at the sight of the remains of the altar. And most disturbing of all... are there more of those things strewn over there? A shiver swept down her back at the thought. And that eye!... Why the hell was it here? For what purpose were the altars? Kalysto muttered under her breath, worried about what it could mean and all the problems that the presence she had first sensed inside the tower was also on Earth. Doubting that it was as simple a sacrifice as she had first thought. ...Is that a way to summon him? And what kind of god is shaped like a giant eyeball? She scoffed, but then a new possibility occurred to her, one that chilled her blood. What if that eye was just a part of him and they hadnt been able to finish bringing him in completely... What if they just needed more time or more resources to finish the summoning? She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Theres no use worrying about that now. She scolded herself as she tried to get up. Her knees wobbled and her legs almost gave way and she fell to her knees against the ground as several beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, neck and chest. A slight dizziness enveloped her and as she recognized some of the symptoms she pulled out another mana crystal and coated it, then tried again to get up, this time successfully. Leaning her back against the piece of trunk that survived her encounter. No, it cant be a coincidence, she muttered as she remembered that in the book of The Fall of the Hero, whoever was impersonating the demon king was serving someone else. However, it was never said who it was. And after reading such a disastrous ending, Kalysto was unwilling to read more of the authors works, even if they were intertwined. Im going to have to buy all her books and make time to read them. She thought as she pulled a thel from her inventory and took a bite, feeling her over-tiredness slowly begin to subside very slowly, but since she couldnt drink any potions other than the health one as long as she had that curse, she had to make it with what she had at her disposal. Status window! She muttered, worried about the amount of HP the curse was making her lose. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed (????????) Level: 65 Fatigue: 90 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 5964/8520 MP: 4005/8306 DMP: 3600 Strength: 166+55 Vitality: 173+80 Agility: 220 Stamina: 186+110 Intelligence: 167 +100 Charisma: 11 Luck: 40 ???: 75 Status: exhausted. Cursed. Available points: 0] As soon as she finished checking her condition, she ate another thel. Feeling how little by little her body became less and less heavy and easier to move through the rubble of what, until a few hours ago, was a set of enemy huts. And she began to pick up the weapons of the enemy that seemed useful, sure that they could be useful for her future business with Sakura. Map! She checked the direction where the girls points were and walked in that direction while checking her new skills when she finished collecting the weapons, after verifying that there were no more traces of dark mana or other altars around. But she found no more of them. So she tapped on the name of one of the skills she acquired. [Communication with sacred beasts. Allows the user to communicate verbally or telepathically with any sacred beast (including dragons) within a range of 200 meters. When it is a beast with which one has a magical contract or has been tamed, the range increases to 500 meters. When raised to level 100, the user will be able to communicate with a contracted or tamed sacred beast regardless of the distance. Spends 50 MP per use.] Immediately, a smile came to Kalystos face. Well, at least this one isnt too bad. Communication with the sacred beasts! Tsuki! Can you hear me? Master? Tsuki answered with distrust, not at all sure that it was true that he could hear his master in his mind, although he couldnt see her or feel her near. But quickly the anxiety flooded his voice. Master, we are surrounded! Book 3. Chapter 10 “Portals” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 10 Portals Part 1 Im on my way! Kalysto shouted and immediately started running in their direction, away from the camp. But as she looked back at her location on the map on the way, she touched Sakuras spot. Sakura! Whats going on? After she stopped concentrating on her and touched her spot, she focused on her pet. Tsuki! What is she saying? Master, shes saying your name and looks lost while looking up at the sky. Good job. Approach her and tell me everything thats going on. I cant Master, some guys in strange clothes are pointing a strange version of branches at me. The other two are in front of me. Annoyed by what she was hearing, Kalysto touched the Japanese teachers point again. Sakura! I need you to tell me whats going on! Im on my way! Tsuki can tell me everything you say but for now, I have no other way to listen to what you say! The human keeps shouting into the air, Master. She doesnt understand what is happening. She asks how is it possible that you can chat over there. She says its impossible... Kalysto was exasperated to hear that and was picking up her step when the puppy spoke again. Master! The girl with the bow asks if you are talking to her friend! That gave her hope, and she immediately touched Katias point. Katia, I finished destroying the enemy camp, but Tsuki informed me that you are surrounded. Can you please inform me of the situation? Hello, Mrs. Kalysto! Im glad to know that you are well! As we couldnt take so many people, someone called the police and apparently, there was a car nearby, but when we started to report the situation, the two policemen saw Mr. Tsuki and got scared. And just now a van is arriving with a group of armed military. They are upset because we are still inside an area that is supposed to be evacuated. Tsuki reported. Now she is just looking ahead like you do when you are trying to do something with the violet light, but hers is blue and everyone is watching her... is she sick, Master? She is not sick. Her system is blue and the one the queen gave me is violet, she explained as she jumped over a bush and continued running. And I didnt know you could see them. I dont understand what they say, but I see the light. The other fairies also have it, but yours is fainter and more difficult to perceive, the puppy hastened to explain. Thank you, Katia. Please tell them Ill be there in a few minutes and make sure they dont hurt Tsuki. Tell them he is my pet, she asked her, but just before sending the message, a group of three goblins and two hobgoblins appeared before her. Shit! And where did they come from? She muttered before she stopped touching Katias spot on the map. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She immediately conjured, taking them by surprise and freezing a little more than half of their bodies, but leaving their heads free along with the upper part of the trunk of those who were taller. And with a smile on her lips, she murmured: Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Skills! Give me all of his skills first and then all of his stats! [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Knife Throwing. Level 5!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a 10 strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5 points of agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3 points of endurance!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 100 HP points!] Just like the previous time, as soon as she received that notification, the goblin turned to ashes. She performed the same procedure with one of the hobgoblins, but this one only gave her a stat. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 50 HP points!] And the same happened with the next goblin. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 70 HP!] Kalysto clicked her tongue and immediately moved on to the last hobgoblin. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Axe Throwing. Level 25!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 10 points of strength!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 25 points of agility]! [Congratulations! You have acquired 15 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 150 HP!] Again, the creature turned to ashes after giving her the HP points. Is there no way for it to absorb something more before they disappear? She thought as she clicked her tongue. I guess Ill have to raise the skill level more. I need to increase my HP. Then she continued with the last of them. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Dagger Throwing. Level 15!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 20 strength points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 27 points of agility!] Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 21 points of endurance!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 175 HP!] Ice manipulation! She conjured as soon as the last enemy disintegrated, completely melting the ice block she had conjured before, and then ran with all her strength to where her friends were. It took her three minutes to get there, running with all her strength. Im sorry, miss, but well have to take him with us! said one of the armed soldiers who had gotten out of the truck. You cant take him! Hes my friends pet! Sakura interjected, Hes harmless! Its a monster! She was interrupted by one of the three police officers. Mr. Tsuki helped us rescue the kidnapped people! You cant take him away! Katia interrupted, causing some of the freed people to join her and argue with the police officers. Instead of interrupting these good people, you should be doing your job! said one of the few men who had been kidnapped. A group of monsters have been kidnapping people for weeks and you never did anything! And now a group of young girls are doing your job right and you want to steal their pet? The man got angry and stood in front of Katia who was in front of Tsuki. Tsuki, come here! And the little fenrir immediately obeyed his mistress while she approached the group of people. Gentlemen, I hope it wont be a problem that my friends and I rescued these people and destroyed the altar with which a group of monsters planned to sacrifice them. What the hell are you talking about? questioned a police officer. Since when do monsters sacrifice people? If you go into the nature reserve, you will notice a crater. Thats where a camp the monsters were building. Camp? scoffed the man who had defended Katia before. That looked more like a village than anything else. Yeah, well, Kalysto shrugged. It was strange to see a couple of campfires when it is forbidden to make them in this area, so we went to investigate and now we are here, she said, turning to the soldier while carrying her pet. But I see that instead of thanking us for helping these people, you are preventing us from going to help with the situation of the portal that opened a few hours ago. It was my understanding that you asked all the hunters in the area to participate, but I see you seem to prefer to kidnap my pet. Careful what you say, young lady! one police officer scolded her. I doubt that can be considered a dog, muttered one of the two soldiers who had gotten out of the van. Just at that moment, Tsuki started to growl and the two military men pulled out their guns and pointed them at Tsuki, as did the three police officers. Master! Someone is coming! Kalysto immediately raised a hand, asking them to stop silently. Someones coming! Everybody stand back! Kalysto informed them while releasing Tsuki. Mana sense! She conjured and could feel two presences approaching from the opposite street to the entrance. We dont have time! Two monsters are coming! She shouted as she pointed to the corner where they would soon cross and enter the two-way street on the opposite side of which was the park. What are they waiting for? She shouted to them when she saw that no one was doing anything. Everyone, move away! I cant move easily if you are so close! she shouted to the people they had rescued. Sakura and Natasha, stay back! Katia, get your bow and arrows ready! Now! Yes, maam, replied the girl, a little used to what this kind of situation with the saintess meant, and immediately put her sword in the enchanted bag she had given her. Tsuki to the front! Shoot with everything as soon as I give you the signal! Kalysto ordered as she walked a couple of steps and stood in front of the rest of the people while she took out her bow and arrow and aimed at the corner. Katia, shoot at the opposite eye Ill shoot at. Theyre almost at the corner! Remember to activate the eagle eye and perfect aim before shooting! Yes, maam! The little blonde prepared herself, drawing her bow and an arrow. Whats going on? asked one of the military men while the other one led the civilians away. Two monsters are about to cross that corner. I would recommend you to move your cars, they are too close to them! Are you sure? Katia, get ready to shoot. At any moment, they will cross the corner! Kalysto ordered, drawing her bow and with an arrow ready to be shot. The soldier, seeing himself ignored, turned to one of his comrades. Mobilize the vehicles! Monsters are coming! He shouted, at the same instant that a huge red feathered bird, a little bigger than the one she had killed before, flew out of the corner. Its another Aevo! Natasha recognized it immediately. Eagle-eye! Perfect aim! Kalysto muttered at the same time, shooting the arrow into the monsters right eye a second before it turned its head towards them. Katia, shoot! she shouted at the same time as the monster let out a thunderous shriek, as it moved a few meters away from them, crashing into the apartment building behind it and another monster came out from the same direction the first one had come from. Holy shit! Those things are huge! shouted one of the police officers. Dont shoot! Youll only get in our way if you do! Tsuki, your turn! shouted Kalysto while shooting two arrows into the eyes of the second monster, blinding it. Tsuki immediately obeyed his master and attacked the second Aevo, making it fall to the ground, and Kalysto immediately took out her axe from her inventory and put her bow away, then jumped on top of the fallen Aevo and cut its neck. [Youve gained 7 experience points!] Blood stained her face, but she ignored it while in the distance she could hear the frightened murmurs of the group of former kidnap victims and of someone who began to vomit, disgusted by the butchery she had just performed with such ease. Tsuki, take the other one down! She ordered, and the puppy attacked him, but this one, unlike the previous one, did not fall to the ground, but resisted the attack. Its time to test my new skills, she muttered to herself, turning to the new enemy to face him face to face. Perfect aim! Axe throw! She conjured and threw her new favorite toy into the middle of the space between the eyes of the huge red bird, whose body fell hard after the impact. [Youve earned 10 experience points!] Good job, guys! She congratulated them and turned to look at them with a smile on her face without realizing that she was still bathed in the blood of the other monster, which made those who were not her friends recoil in fear of her. Master, Im already level thirteen! Tsuki got excited while running towards her and wagging his tail from one side to the other. Congratulations on that. Youre doing a good job! She congratulated him, kneeling down to pet his head and immediately the puppy stuck out his chest, proud of himself. Making Katia and Natasha smile at his smug attitude. Was that all? No more enemies coming? Asked one of the military men with a communication radio in his fist and Kalysto raised a hand, in a stop sign and closed her eyes. Sense of mana! She whispered, extending her mana as much as she could, but she couldnt sense any presence besides the humans she was observing, and the mall across the street and in front of the park seemed to be empty. Tsuki, do you sense any other enemy nearby? This place is full of enemies, Master, he muttered, giving the military a dirty look. I meant monsters like the one we just killed, she clarified, and the puppy shook his head. Not for the moment, she informed the soldier. But I think it would be convenient to take these people to their homes or to a nearby hospital and escort us to the portal through which those things came. The soldier nodded and brought the radio to his lips. Sir, we will bring reinforcements. Book 3. Chapter 10 “Portals” Part 2
Book 3. Chapter 10 Portals Part 2
Things are worse than I had imagined. Kalysto thought as she opened the van door and glanced at the chaotic situation. Although it was the smallest portal she had seen so far, the twenty hunters fighting two dozen goblins, two hobgoblins, two aevos, a troll, and three bluebirds three to four meters long whose tails ended in a light blue flame, mounted by slender red-skinned humanoid figures, had their hands full. Tired from fighting for several consecutive hours and without any preparation, along with the collection of wounds they had collected, they could hardly protect themselves. It''s a good thing I gave the girls a revitalizing potion on the way and explained to them how to hide their systems. She thought as she got off. Despite the efforts the soldiers were making to control the situation, nothing they were doing was working, other than evacuating the civilian population while continuing to fire shots. Although Kalysto could observe with annoyance, the presence of several journalists and their cameras behind the barricades that the soldiers had set up in an attempt to prevent more monsters from escaping the place, about five blocks from the gate. But the gunfire did as little against the skin of the monsters as a pillow would against the wall of a building. There was little the soldiers could do as the monsters continued to advance and they helped pull five of the critically wounded hunters from the collection of debris and corpses of civilians who had failed to escape in time from nearby buildings. Kalysto thought about healing them while she finished eating a thel. But despite the soldiers efforts, the reporters were not missing any of the details of what was happening as they were making live transmissions. And Natasha had warned her that the people at the hospital were still looking for the person responsible for the massive healing and it was only a matter of time before they discovered her. Its best to be as unnoticed as possible. She concluded as she took a step away from the van and followed one of the soldiers who had escorted them here, whose army van was parked in front of the black one. As she walked away, however, she caught a glimpse of what one of the reporters was saying. Although in the first two waves, few monsters came out and an hour and a half elapsed between the first and the second, the third wave occurred only an hour after the previous one and the number of monsters that came out of the portal tripled, which has given very little time to the hunters to replenish their strength or to fight them, informed the reporter. Sir, we brought reinforcements, reported the soldier who was leading them to the group of soldiers who were stationed behind the barricades. A group of girls and their dog? The soldier next to the one in charge scoffed as he saw Kalysto and her friends approaching them. But just then, the portal glowed brightly again and a new wave of hundreds of monsters came through the portal. Thats my signal, withdraw the reporters, the other hunters, and the wounded! Well take it from here! Make sure no one gets in our way! she announced as she began to move forward, passing the military. And what makes you think were going to follow your orders? The military man in command growled and unfazed by his attitude, Kalysto looked at him as she raised a hand and pointed at one of the aevos. Perfect aim, ice spear! She thought and a long spear of ice manifested from the magic seal that seemed a few centimeters from the palm of her hand and pierced the aevos body. His body fell lifelessly onto the street, crushing three goblins in the process. [You have gained 7 experience points!] This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Because, unlike you, I can kill them. If you want those things to die and not destroy the city, then make sure no one gets in our way, she replied before running through the barricade followed by Tsuki and the girls. Most of the remaining group of fifteen hunters that were still fighting were wounded, although not seriously. However, they were no match for the new wave of hundreds of monsters that came through the portal and rushed towards them. Another wave! shouted one hunter as he fought the troll. Its a stampede! shouted another as he watched in fear as half the group, a mix of warriors and archers, tried to bring the other aevo down. And the rest of the group was fighting the goblins, the two hobgoblins, and the bluebirds. Fall back! Kalysto shouted as she took out her axe from her inventory and split the troll in half. [You have gained 12 experience points!] Too bad I couldnt absorb it, it must have had good strength stats for sure! She lamented. Where did that one come from? shouted one hunter. Hunters fall back! Help is here! announced a soldier over a loudspeaker as they finished evacuating the wounded. Tsuki, take care of the hobgoblins! Sakura, Katia, and Natasha, the rest of the goblins are yours! she ordered while cutting off the head of one goblin that was about to stab one hunter in the back. [You have gained 1 experience point!] Mana Control! Mana Manipulation! Multiple Targets! Perfect Aim! Lightning! She thought as she used almost all the mana at her disposal to kill the other aevo and the three blue birds whose tails had a nice light blue flame, and were piloted by three red creatures that seemed to take turns attacking the group of hunters as they played with their prey. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] The hunters, seeing themselves free of the monsters, took the opportunity to escape, taking the rest of the wounded with them. [You have gained 15 experience points!] [You have gained 7 experience points!] [You have gained 10 experience points!] [Youve gained 12 experience points!] However, the three pilots did not die and Kalysto jumped over the bodies of the bluebirds and decapitated two of the three pilots. The third, however, ran towards the stampede that was getting closer and closer to them. [You have gained 9 experience points!] [Youve gained 9 experience points!] Ha! What a fool! Kalysto scoffed as she saw that the creature thought the numbers would give him more security. The fairy champion opened her inventory and took out a mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she took out a health potion and observed how well the girls were doing this time. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] Good! She thought and was about to drink the potion when a notification window appeared to her left. [Warning! The user has lost 10% of HP.] Shit! How long does this curse last? She thought with a frown and drank the potion immediately. Tsuki, protect the girls and help them if necessary! she ordered. After which she ran a block and a half until she approached the enemy army. Yes, Master! replied the little boy, encouraged by the battle. In front of her, more than two hundred goblins were running in her direction, along with a hundred hobgoblins, fifty trolls, twenty aevos, and five bluebirds piloted by red-skinned riders. Kalysto was curious about the unfamiliar creatures. Inspection! [Name: N/A Race: Azura Level: 20 HP: 15,000/15,000] [Name: N/A Race: Namira Level: 40 HP: 42,000/42,000] Well, the birds and their pilots will be trouble...but the rest, she smiled as she waited for them just a couple of meters away and the shouts of the goblins ahead as they raised their weapons and looked at her only made her smile grow even bigger as she held the axe with her left hands. Aww! Thanks for coming with such enthusiasm, my future stat points! she murmured. And as soon as they were only a few steps away, she conjured: Ice creation! Ice manipulation!
Book 3. Chapter 11 “A mini enemy army” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 11 A mini enemy army Part 1 Blessing! she conjured, pointing to herself. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! Freezing half the army of goblins and hobgoblins in less than a minute, leaving only their heads in the air to facilitate her absorption plans, was simple. However, birds were a problem she was not used to. Especially when namiras, armed with spears, piloted them. Unfortunately for her, the red-skinned men were quite good at piloting the huge blue birds. New weapons to add to my collection, she muttered as she saw them pause to watch her carefully while only two of them descended to throw their spears at her, Kalysto evading the attacks with ease. But the trolls snarled as they saw the street frozen from end to end, blocking their way, so they began to climb the wall of ice, crushing the heads of their allies in their attempt to advance to her. The rest of the enemy army did not hesitate to follow their example. Hey, idiots! What do you think youre doing with my future points? she growled, but when she jumped to meet one of them and prevent him from advancing further, the same two namiras piloted their azuras and intercepted her. Water blades! Ice blades! She conjured, attacking the eyes of both pilots, but one of them easily evaded her, the other one instead, ended up swerving to the left and Kalysto took advantage of his movement and cut the back of the trunk of his bird, but when the azuras tail fell it burned two goblin heads who screamed in pain as they died. Shit, two less for my collection! Upset by the loss while the rest of the army advanced as they stepped on the heads of the other goblins, Kalysto ran towards them, and taking a long leap she landed in the middle of the enemy army while cutting a troll in half, as she finished her descent. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] [You have gained 1 experience point!] [You have gained 15 experience points!] [Youve gained 100 experience points!] Tundra! She growled, freezing all the trolls, and hobgoblins and leaving only a few goblins whose shaking heads she had let free earlier, but who cried in fear at what they had just witnessed as they shivered from the cold and begged for their lives in a language Kalysto did not understand. [You have gained 7 experience points!] x100 [You have gained 10 experience points!] x50 [You have gained 9 experience points!] x 40 [You have gained 8 experience points!] x50 [You have gained 15 experience points!] x49 Now, there were only ten half-frozen goblins, twenty aevos four azuras, and five namiras left. Kalysto scowled at them, anger shining in her eyes as she gripped her axe tightly. You will pay for my loss of points! she snarled, before launching herself at them and hunting them down. But just as she was about to split an aevo in two with her axe, a namira piloting an azura crossed her path, blocking her attack with his spear. Nice spear, muttered Kalysto, surprised by the weapon''s resistance, which did not break despite the force she was imbuing into her attack. But soon it will be mine. Perfect aim! Ice blades! Ice daggers! Ice manipulation! Telekinesis! she added, lengthening them into sharp blades. Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Fireball! She conjured, aiming the spells with her left hand at the azuras neck as she fell to the ground. The blades did little damage to the birds skin, however, the daggers, turned into sharp swords, buried themselves viciously into the animals neck, causing blood to gush down its neck, only to have the edges of the ice left outside the birds skin melted by the fire which burned the open wounds caused by the modified daggers, causing the animal to roar in pain as it flapped in desperation, trying to escape the fire while losing altitude. Despite the namiras efforts to land carefully, the bird fell lifelessly, crashing to the pavement, almost three blocks from the portal. Although the pilot was badly injured by the fall, he survived. [You have gained 70 experience points!] Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice Stakes! Telekinesis! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Less than a second later six ice stakes pierced the chests of six aevos, which had pierced the ice block she had created and tried to fly towards where the girls were, their bodies fell to the ground as they writhed and tried to get up again, but blood was leaking from their wounds. Seeing this, the rest of the azuras retreated, as did the rest of the aevos, but Kalysto managed to jump and cut in two the body of one of them before he finished escaping. [Youve gained 15 experience points!] This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Seeing that the rest flew away, trying to get away, surely thinking that they could turn the corner at the end of the block and escape between the streets of the city, Kalysto passed the axe to her left hand. Blessing! she said, touching her chest and then raised her hand, pointing at the group of birds. Mana manipulation! Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Lightning! She conjured, pouring almost all of her remaining mana into electrocuting them. The remaining fourteen aevos fell lifeless to the ground. However, the azuras and their pilots survived. [The skill Lightning has leveled up to level 6!] [You have gained 15 experience points!] x10 [You have gained 12 experience points!] x4 Why do they have to be so tough?... I need to raise this skill to a higher level! She thought as she clicked her tongue, annoyed that she couldnt kill them all in one hit. A noise nearby made her turn around and look at the aevos that were still alive while in the background she could see Tsukis lightning bolts going back and forth. Kalysto was surprised to see that one of the two namiras she had left earlier, without a bird to pilot, raised his spear and pierced one of the aevos that she had wounded earlier, but it was still fighting for its life. What the fuck was wrong with this guy? Why kill his allies during battle? It was then that a chilling thought crossed her mind. They can level up too? She realized. Perfect aim! Ice spear! She conjured just as the namira once again inserted his spear viciously into the aevos chest. The humanoid, red-skinned creature was so focused on finishing killing the bird that it didnt see the spear coming until it was too late and it pierced his chest. [You have gained 3 experience points!] [Youve gained 150 experience points!] She turned around again, noticing that the other three remaining namiras flew to attack her from behind, taking advantage of her distraction, after one of them picked up the other pilot who had lost his azura. Rain of ice stakes! She summoned, stopping their advance with her right hand and putting her axe in her inventory with her left hand, then pulling out a mana crystal. Absorb! [The passive skill Double Conjure has been activated.] [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought while trying her best to keep the stake rain active. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10,000 MP!] As soon as she finished absorbing the crystal, a wave of pain squeezed her chest, realizing too late that she had absorbed a bit more mana than her body could withstand, inadvertently cutting off her spell. [Passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Shit, Im going to have to create several circles of mana for myself as soon as I can! She thought and immediately ran towards where the Azuras were still flying, almost tripping over several ice stakes that had fallen against the asphalt at the same time as two of the pilots threw their spears in her direction. But she was able to dodge them, although she almost lost her balance when she stood on top of one of the ice stakes and tripped over another that had stuck in the asphalt, but managed to recover in time. Fire blast! She immediately conjured as soon as she got close enough to them, burning first the azura, who was carrying two pilots while the other managed to dodge her attack with ease. Perfect aim! She thought, not quite sure if it would work the way she wanted it to at the same time as she pulled the axe from her inventory. Duplication! Telekinesis! Axe throw! [Youve gained 70 experience points!] The other azura fell to the ground with its head separated from the rest of its body, which crushed one of its pilots legs, preventing him from escaping. While the other azura, its pilot and his companion, were still being devoured by fire. Even after the creature descended to the ground, hurting itself with the ice stakes that had become embedded against the pavement. [Youve gained 150 experience points!] [Youve gained 75 experience points!] When Kalysto finished the attack, she put her axe away in the inventory while she observed that the co-pilots companion was still breathing. Approaching him, she grimaced with disgust as the smell of burning flesh entered her nose and saw the carbonized flesh covering most of the namiras limbs, except for the center of his chest, which had been protected by the first pilot whose body was completely carbonized except for his back. Mana detection! she conjured, looking for where this creatures heart was and how close he was to dying. She quickly realized that just like a human, the namiras heart was in the upper chest, but on the right side. Jhil! she said, touching with the palm of her hand the co-pilots chest, giving him a few more minutes of life. Watching as, little by little, his body began to heal around the golden glow surrounding her hand. Surprise and confusion appeared on the enemys face just before terror swept across his features. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Give me all his skills first, then all his stats except for HP. Leave that one for last, she clarified, wanting to make sure that this time she could absorb all available skills and stats before the enemy died. Im not going to do the hobgoblin thing again and not get a shield! Even if this thing doesnt have one! She promised herself. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Spear Throwing. Level 17!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Axe Throwing. Level 10!] [Warning! Since the user already possesses the same skill, but at a higher level, the newly absorbed skill will be transformed into an experience class! The user will need to absorb more skills of this type to change the class of this skill from normal to heroic!] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] The namira screamed in pain as she absorbed his skills at the same time as a wave of images of an unknown world flashed through Kalystos mind, so fast that she barely had time to distinguish a large valley filled with violet-colored plants. What on earth was that? Book 3. Chapter 11. “A mini enemy army” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 11. A mini enemy army Part 2 What the hell was that? She was surprised, but immediately activated her skill again, not wanting to give Persephone a chance to try to take over her body again. What the hell does it matter? Come on Kalysto, concentrate! [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 25 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 17 points of Agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 24 points of Strength!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 500 points of HP]! At that instant, the namiras body turned to ashes. Another one that didnt have MP, she muttered, realizing that healing her prey a little before absorbing it would help increase the amount of HP she absorbed from them. Lets test that theory. Jhil! Absorb! She whispered as soon as she reached the other namira, whose leg was still stuck under the headless azura, while he was desperately trying to escape while muttering strange words in a language she still didnt understand. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Leave his HP for last and absorb everything else first. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 20 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 27 points of Agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 35 points of Strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 920 HP points!] She then turned back, but among the remaining ten goblins she could only get 500 HP, and while the girls were still fighting the remaining goblins, she looted the few enemies she could and then activated the stealth skill and approached the back of the portal. Dark mana creation! she said, darkening the air around the portal so neither the reporters nor the military could see what was happening. Dispel! Dispel! Dispel Ezhil! Creation of dark mana! Unlike the portals she had seen before, no black tentacles came out of this one for her to absorb. Too bad, I could have increased my dark mana stats. However, that didnt mean she couldnt absorb anything. She took a deep breath before making any attempt and just as she pulled out a health potion, the notification that she had been warned of the curse reappeared again. [Warning! The user has lost 10% HP.] Kalysto clicked her tongue and drank the potion, worried that despite the collection of potions Caranthir had given her, ingesting them did not recover the same amount of points she was losing. I need to find a solution fast!.... But I cant leave this portal frozen in the middle of the street either.... On Elinor, that wouldnt be a problem, but on Earth, so many things could happen that they could even blame her and sue her later. Even threaten and force her to use her powers against her will. Ive used enough mana. It shouldnt be a problem now. She thought, however as she placed her palms on the cold surface of the portal, she hesitated. Damn it, Kalysto, stop being afraid and just get it over with! She scolded herself. Absorb! Unlike the other times, this time no notification came out, however, she could feel the mana that had been dispersed earlier with the previous spells, breaking the chain of spells that kept the portal active, enter her body. Although she suspected that the one who activated it would realize sooner or later, and would activate it again, so freezing it might not be the best option since they could find a way to melt her ice. Blue veins were drawn on her hands and arms as the portal energy entered her body, but unlike when she absorbed it from the mana crystals, it felt like ice water. However, almost ten minutes later, when the edges of the portal finally began to blur, a new notification appeared before her. [Warning! The user has absorbed 15,000 MP, which exceeds the users ability to withstand it. The users health is in danger.] Damn it! Regeneration! Regeneration! Regeneration! Regeneration! She conjured and immediately took out a bottle of holy water, just as the news of the curse was activated again. [Warning! The user has lost 10% HP.] She quickly drank almost half a liter of holy water until she got a new notification. [Warning! The user must wait 10 minutes before consuming a potion again or its effect will be nullified.] Kalysto cursed a couple of times, seeing that despite her efforts, the portal was still active, so she had no choice but to continue conjuring. Mana Manipulation! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Purification! Ezhil Purification! Ezhil Purification! As soon as she realized that the dark mana together with the portal disappeared completely, she activated her stealth ability again, becoming invisible and ran with all her strength, positioning herself right next to the girls after taking her axe out of her inventory and positioning herself right behind Sakura, cutting the head of the hobglobin that was about to attack her friend from behind while they were fighting another one near a corner, almost a block away from where the reporters and the military were. Girls, its time to go! Kalysto announced after disabling the stealth skill when she saw that the reporters were approaching them, running as soon as they finished killing all the monsters nearby. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [Youve gained 1 experience point!] Tsuki, its time to go back inside the inventory! Katia, I need your permission to go back to do the same thing as when I rescued you before! She hurried to say as she saw the reporters running towards them with the cameras on. But I didnt misbehave! Tsuki complained. I did my job well! He assured her. Of course, Mrs. Kalysto, you have my permission to put me in your inventory, said the little blonde as she saw the journalists and a group of soldiers running in her direction. Kalysto put her and Tsuki in the inventory. Whats going on? Natasha asked, exhausted after the fight. Can you put people in there too? asked Sakura at the same time. Hold on, I dont want to have to deal with the million questions from the others, she said before grabbing each of them and hugging them around the waist, then starting to run a couple of meters and then jump over a house, then over a building and away a couple of blocks. I need you to call your driver, she said to Sakura, who didnt hesitate to call him. By the time they reached Sakuras apartment, Kalystos hands were shaking. Are you sure youre okay? You are too pale Sakura worried. Can I use the guest room? Sure, youve stayed here before. You know where everything is, take what you need. Kalysto thanked her for her help, then took Katia and Tsuki out of her inventory. I need to fix something. It will take me a couple of hours. I ask you not to interrupt me. I need to be concentrated, although most of them agreed, Natasha didnt agree to leave her alone. But Kalysto, Sakura is right! You dont look well. Its better not to be alone and go to the doctor! Nat, I dont have time right now and I cant stay to explain the situation to you. Im sorry. As soon as she got to the room, she locked the door and took off her jacket, throwing it on an armchair before throwing herself on the bed. Tsuki, I need your help! Of course, Master! What do you need me to do? commented the puppy, sitting next to her on the bed. I was cursed. I know, I can see the chains surrounding your heart and trying to spread like a disease all over your body, Kalysto was a little scared to hear that. ...Ok... she muttered and her voice broke at the end. Come on Kalysto, concentrate! We need to do this! She scolded herself. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] It wasnt activated already? She worried. Never mind... Ill worry about it later! Ill use dispel on the curse in addition to trying to purify it, she commented, but her expression was full of worry. .... If my purification skill works against something as powerful as the black plague, it should work for this too... right? Even if its a spell in a language I dont understand, a curse is a spell, right? Tsuki kept silent as he turned his head and watched her for a few minutes before answering. The master is talking about the golden glow that you used the other time on the slimes that were contaminated? Yes! she replied, excited and full of hope. ...Mmmm....it could be useful, as long as your skills are above the level of the curse, or the one who cast it. I definitely have a higher level than the idiot who cursed me! However, she couldnt help but worry about the level of the curse. Although she doubted she could remove it completely, she took off her shoes and stockings and settled on the bed. Then she took out a liter bottle of holy water and two vials of health potions and placed them on the nightstand next to the bed. As well as her cell phone, on which she set an alarm to ring every ten minutes for the next two hours. All right! Im ready! And after closing the last notification about the curse, she took another health potion. Mana detection! Mana manipulation! Mana control! She watched as the curse spread all over her body, wrapping itself like black chains around her heart and then spreading like thin branches entangled with each other, almost like spider webs that spread all over her body. But the curse was not the only thing that was there. Kalysto could not help but be frightened at the sight. Take it easy! One step at a time! You just focus on one thing at a time, well worry later about the other! She tried to convince herself, but her fear did not dissipate. Alright Tsuki! Ill need you to help me. You have to make sure I dont screw up! Let me know right away if you see something going wrong! Yes, Master! The little boy was enthusiastic, happy to receive such an important task even though he could never finish learning everything he needed to know as a magical beast from his late mother. Still, Tsuki was willing to do his best. Kalysto sat on the bed and leaned her back against the backrest, then placed the palms of her hands on her right leg, where the roots of the curse were a little thinner and not yet leading to her feet. And sighed deeply before starting. Dispel! Dispel! She conjured, injecting as much mana as she could, taking advantage of the excess she had after the portal and was excited to see that little by little the tips of each line that contained the curse, she decided to take a little risk. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! she added, and to her complete horror, doing that to herself wreaked havoc on her mana circle, destabilizing it. Shit! She panicked. Kalysto spent the next two hours trying to make amends for her mistake. Although she could not use Dispel Ezhil near her heart again without affecting her mana circle, she could use Ezhil Purification without any problems. And after spending the next twenty-four hours straight purifying and using dispel on every part of her body she could touch, except near her heart. She could not remove the curse, but she was able to bring about a change in it. [The skill Mana Detection has leveled up to level 20!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 26!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 25!] [The skill Dispel has leveled up to level 40!] [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up to level 28!] [The skill Purification has leveled up to level 41!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to Level 42!] [ Warning! The user has been afflicted with Holleoths vitality reduction curse. Every hour ten percent of your vitality will be stolen.] Yes, now I will finally be able to sleep! She enthused. After eating a hearty meal while talking to Sakura and Katia, explaining her situation to them, she drank a liter of holy water and drank a good portion of the health potions she had to leave her just above ninety percent. Then finally, she went to bed to sleep. And woke up three days later, with Tsukis screams in her head. Book 3. Chapter 12. “In the News.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 12. In the News. Part 1 The sweet warmth of a comfortable bed enveloped her, lulling her with tenderness and allowing her to rest as much as she hadnt been able to since that Saturday when the semester at the university ended and her life had taken a turn of more than one hundred and eighty degrees. But until today so many things had happened one after another that she had barely been able to sleep a little, although the fatigue was still accumulating despite the large amount of revitalizing potions she consumed in order to keep up with Artemis continuous demands and continue saving the other heroes asses. She had even reached the point where she feared she would develop a dependency on such potions. Good thing Alynn, as well as the rest of the fairies she had cured of the black plague, kept her supplied with plenty of theles. But now that she could finally enjoy her well-deserved summer vacation, Tsukis constant screams interrupted her sacred moment of communion with the bed. Master, you are dying! the puppy continued to scream in her mind while barking and howling near her ear. Kalysto just whimpered and rolled over, covering her head with the blanket. Five more minutes, she whimpered, too sleepy to pay attention to anything but the warm and very seductive comfort of the bed. But the puppy did not relent and instead threw himself on his mistresss face. Master, wake up! Master, youre dying! He yelped again as he let out a prolonged yelp, followed by several annoying barks. As he stuck his nose under the blanket and tried to lick her face, but ended up licking her ear first a couple of times. Master, you must take the potion! Your health is running out! What? she moaned, half asleep. Stop it at once! How many times do I have to tell you not to lick my face? grunted the saintess, tossing him aside along with the top of the warm blanket as she sat up and scrubbed her heavy eyelids. ....What do you want? Half grunted as she yawned. Master, check your health! insisted the little boy as Sakura entered with a black jacket on over sensual pajamas, sword in hand, and no shoes. What happened? Where is the monster? She questioned, frightened, while she checked every part of the room with her eyes. Confusion flooded her face when she saw that everything was in perfect condition. State window! Kalysto muttered, and her face paled at the sight of it. Shit! [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed (????????) Level: 65 Fatigue: 10 Class: Saintess (Heroic) Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of ?????) (?????? of the ??????) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 1982/11015 MP: 8306/8306 DMP: 3600 Strength: 265+55 Vitality: 173+80 Agility: 321 Stamina: 270+110 Intelligence: 167+100 Charisma: 11 Luck: 40 ???: 75 Status: sleepy. Cursed. Available points: 0] What happened? Sakura panicked. I lost eighty-two percent of my health while I was sleeping, she answered and hurried to take out a bottle of health potion from her inventory and drink it in one gulp. Can you count ten minutes? Yes, of course, replied the teacher as she ran out of the room and noticed the clock hanging against the wall of the corridor connecting their rooms. Its half-past six in the morning. What do you need it for? She worried as she went back into the room and sat down next to her. Sorry for barging in, I know you said you needed space and I know how much you value your privacy, but when I heard Tsuki barking like that, I got scared... she whispered when Kalysto didnt answer, thinking that maybe her friend would be upset by her sudden intrusion. Youre going to be all right, arent you? The potion is to fix that, right? Kalysto grimaced before answering. Remember, I told you about getting a curse while destroying the altar and the priests? She murmured and bit her lip afterward, unsure how to explain something she could hardly believe was real. Yes, you told me that before you went to sleep. And you also said I didnt have to worry about it, she commented cautiously, suspecting that Kalysto had not given her all the information, as was usual for her regarding personal matters. Well... it turns out that the curse eats up ten percent of my vitality every hour... and it seems I slept too much... the potions help, but I dont know how long ago the last notification about the curse came out, so I have no way of knowing when the hour will be up. And the ten minutes are for...? A potion can only be taken every ten minutes. Does that mean you could die at any time? Sakura put a hand on Kalystos, wanting to comfort her. Is there anything I can do to help you? At that moment, Katias sleepy voice interrupted them. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Mrs. Kalysto, is everything all right? she asked with some trepidation at seeing them so worried. The blonde head peeked timidly through the open door, while the girl had on an old Sakura T-shirt that she wore as pajamas. Kalysto smiled tenderly at the sight of her and skillfully hid all the concern from her face. Dont worry, she answered with an unusual sweetness in her. My HP is a little low and that scared Tsuki... As the words came out of her mouth, a doubt flooded her mind. How is it that your dog can know those things? Sakura whispered, not wanting Katia to hear them. Thats what I would like to know... she murmured, throwing an accusing look at Tsuki, who didnt take long to answer. Because the master and I are connected, thats why I can see the curse as well as the seal. Seal? What seal? Kalysto immediately asked aloud, drawing the attention of the other two people in the room. Is everything all right? Sakura and Katia asked at the same time as Kalystos stomach roared with hunger and she raised her hand, asking for silence. I think it is better for us to take care of preparing breakfast. I am sure that Kalysto must be starving, intervened Sakura, suspecting that Kalysto and Tsuki had things to discuss. Why dont you accompany me and we wait for her to finish solving her business and accompany us later? Yes? But... protested the young blonde who was having growing problems and although she was fourteen years old, her appearance was still that of a ten-year-old girl. Come on Katia, its not right not to respect the privacy of others, whispered Sakura, taking the attitude of a teacher. As she put a hand on Katias back, she guided her out of the guest room and closed the door. As the door closed, Katia sadly observed that Kalysto never stopped looking at her pet while everything was happening. And an immense sadness seized her as she felt ignored at the same time as she followed the teacher into the kitchen in complete silence and closed the door. Although the little girl could not understand why she felt so bad, the truth was that she felt a great admiration and respect for Kalysto, to the point of wishing they were family, at least sisters. But seeing her ignore her, as her mother always did even after her father demanded a divorce after discovering her in bed with another man, a wound she always tried to keep hidden, reopened again. **** For her part, Kalysto was too preoccupied by Tsukis comment to pay attention to anything else. Communication with the sacred beasts! she invoked. Tsuki, can you hear me? Of course, Master! replied the puppy in her mind. Now, explain! What seal are you talking about? She demanded. Master knows that around your heart is the curse, right? Yes, I see it as chains with roots that try to spread throughout my body. Thats not the only thing that surrounds the Masters heart, the puppy assured. Theres something else there, something that was put there many years ago. Mana detection! She conjured and checked her whole body, centimeter by centimeter. But her own heart was more a mass of shadows surrounded by chains than anything else. I cant see what youre talking about, I only see chains of two colors, she muttered at the same time that Sakuras shout from the kitchen interrupted them. Kalysto, its been ten minutes! Thank you! She shouted and immediately took out another health potion and drank it in two big gulps, then took out her cell phone. Noticing that she had more than fifty missed calls, she ignored them all and set her alarm to ring in another ten minutes. But before she turned off the screen, she noticed that she had about twenty audio messages and another collection of text messages, but only one call was from a known number, Natashas. Ill call her later! She thought, and concentrated on Tsuki. Vaguely remembering that he had mentioned to her earlier that he could sense Persephones presence. Kalysto swallowed saliva before continuing, too nervous about what he might say to her to bother hiding it. You mean her? She?... Tsuki turned his head to the side, confused. ... Is the Master talking about that entity that is sealed inside you? Yes! she thought, keeping the skill of being able to talk to him telepathically active, fearing that Persephone could hear the conversation between them. That thing is very dangerous, Master! the puppy warned her, full of concern. Sometimes she tries to devour the Master from the inside! The Master should never have allowed that seal to be put on you! I didnt allow anything! She assured him, raising her voice in her mind. ...But the seal cant be placed against the guardians will! The Master had to agree to keep that thing inside herself and seal it! Tsuki assured, getting more and more worried about the whole situation. But I dont remember any of that! She refuted, annoyed. And then she stopped, all too aware of the fact that she had no recollection of the first seven years of her life. Shit! Whats wrong? Did the Master finally remember what happened? he hastened to ask. No... its just that my parents told me that I had an accident when I was seven years old, thats why I have no memory of my life before then. She explained. Both remained silent for several minutes until her cell phone alarm went off again and Kalysto took out another health potion and drank it. It was only after she set the alarm to ring ten minutes later that an idea occurred to her. Can you tell me when the seal was set? She asked. Not right now. Maybe when I go up at least two more levels, my perception level will increase and I can give you more information about it or even show you. Show me? Are you sure thats possible? She questioned, and the doubt in her voice annoyed the puppy. Of course! Even if the Master doesnt believe me, I am a sacred beast, and that is something that any bound sacred beast can do with its master! The cubs voice sounded indignant as he said it. Of course, I believe you! Forgive my lack of confidence. Its just that since youve never done it, nor commented anything about it, it took me by surprise. She said without quite believing him, but not wanting to make an issue out of it. I just need to grow a little! As soon as I do, Master will be able to see how strong I am! He assured her proudly. Of course you will. Kalysto replied as she carried him, stroking his furry head, more with the intention of appeasing him than anything else. And Im so grateful that you took care of me while I was sleeping! You did a good job! Hearing those words, the puppys chest puffed out, filling with pride. So, is my cute pet hungry? She asked as she pulled one of Alynns baked breads from her inventory, along with a thel. You must be hungry after protecting me for so long. But as she broke off half of the bread and gave it to the puppy, the apartment doorbell rang and Sakuras shout echoed throughout the place. Kalysto, the food is here! I ordered two boxes of your favorite pizzas! Im coming! She shouted in return, taking a bite of her half of the bread as she got up from the bed with Tsuki in her arms. And thats why were good friends! She whispered to her pet. She always knows how to score points with me, the puppy looked at her blankly as he took another bite of his own piece of bread, being very careful not to bite his mistress by mistake. You have to try them, Tsuki! If theres something Sakura has besides a taste for clothes, its an excellent taste for good food! As soon as they sat down on the huge sofa in front of the TV, Kalysto put two boxes of pizzas, one of chicken with mushrooms and a double portion of cheese and another Hawaiian, along with five servings of French fries, five servings of Takoyaki and three hamburgers on the table in front of the sofa. Sakura brought the glasses, the Coke, and the napkins. While Sakura turned on the TV and put on the news, Kalysto took out two potions of pizza, and after giving her one to Tsuki who was waiting for her to taste it first, the champion of the fairies took a big bite, savoring its delicious taste, until she saw a video of herself together with the girls killing monsters in the seven oclock news. Book 3. Chapter 12. “In the News.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 12. In the News. Part 2 While Sakura turned on the TV and put on the news, Kalysto took out two slices of pizza and gave one to Tsuki. Dont worry, well sneak into the tower that sprouted at the university and youll level up, then we can dig a little deeper into the seal. The fairy champion took a bite of her slice of pizza, enjoying the taste and letting out a soft moan, but she felt Tsukis piercing gaze fixed on her. Its safe to eat it. She assured him, realizing a little late that she generally split the food in two and gave him half of it. The little guy sniffed the pizza in front of him before taking a tentative bite and Kalysto smiled at the sight of him getting excited about the food until she saw herself in a video along with the girls killing monsters on the seven oclock news. What the hell? How come the video looks so good even though they were so far away? And who the fuck gave them permission to film us? growled Kalysto, who didnt even like to have her picture taken. In fact, only Alice, who had begged her for weeks to take a picture together, and Sakura, had a picture of her, though the latter had gotten her drunk first to get it. Is that really the only thing that worries you? Sakura questioned after taking a bite of her hamburger. Did you know about this craziness? Refuted, clearly observing Natashas face on the TV, even though the young girl was still a minor. Since last night. When my dad and older brother started calling me like crazy trying to contact me, my dad has even written me demanding that I come home, she muttered sadly. I guess leaving the country doesnt sound so bad right now, she muttered, as they listened to several people being interviewed, some thankful for being saved, others were angry claiming that they should have arrived earlier and even helped with the disaster that happened two weeks ago in the City of Los Angeles. Why do I suspect that my long-awaited peaceful vacation will not be as peaceful as I had planned? Really? Because if you ask me, the fact that you closed a portal was amazing! Too bad it knocked you out for three days! Sakura assured her, completely excited. Oh, that and you helped me not only get a system and level up, but you saved a lot of people in just a few hours! Thanks, but I dont like having my face in the news. Nobody asked me for permission for that. I dont even like having my picture taken! Dont worry! I doubt they will get your data so fast, she commented just when the face of Jessica, Kalystos Spanish teacher and Sakuras ex appeared on TV. Kalysto is one of my best students! And of course, I have worked with Professor Lee during the last years and she has always been very diligent with her work at the university... Before she could finish the sentence, Sakura threw the hamburger she had been eating against the TV screen next to the Coke can, damaging the TV. Oh, shit! You fucking traitor! Youre nothing but a fucking liar! She shouted, angry at the sight of the womans face, whose pregnancy was already beginning to show. All right, thats it! Katia, go take a bath! I will call your father to see if I can take you with him today. After seeing you in the news, he must be very worried about you, announced Kalysto while she hugged Sakura, comforting her. We were dating for almost seven months! How come she is three months pregnant? sobbed the Japanese teacher while Katia looked at the scene with discomfort and Kalysto had to signal her to take a can of coke and finish her hamburger in the other room. Almost twenty minutes later Sakura could finally stop crying as she cursed her ex-girlfriend. Just then, Kalystos phone rang. How about if I take care of Natasha for a second, and then you come with me to take Katia to her father and then well get drunk like theres no tomorrow? Seeing that her friend nodded her head, Kalysto answered the call. Hi, Kalysto! How are you? Sorry to call you so early in the morning, but Im at the hospital! Are you okay? Where are you hurt? Oh no, Im fine! Its just that we lobbied for my moms discharge because the doctors wanted to do more tests and we decided not to do them! My mom wants to talk to you, but you remember you told me to explore my skills, right? Yes Well, Ive been leveling up the inspection skill like you explained to me what you did when you were in prison. Kalysto was in prison? Natashas mother intervened. Mom, she was kidnapped! And let me finish the story! Kalysto, are you still there?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sure, Im listening. What happened? Its just that I checked my moms stats, and it says she has two of zero mana. Is that normal? ...No, its not," she answered, closing her eyes. Its normal for the second digit to be larger than the first one, not the other way around. That means that she now does not possess the capacity to have mana. ...Is there any way to cure her? she asked, frightened. And Kalysto was silent for almost a minute before looking at Tsuki, who approached her, rubbing his head against his mistress leg to encourage her. ...There is something we can do, but I dont know if it will work. But if it does, it might solve her problem. Is it a potion like the ones youre taking? No... but maybe if she acquires a system that regulates the amount of mana in her body, just like when you level up and manage points, then her body will be able to handle that amount of mana without affecting her," seeing that Natasha and her mother were silent on the other side of the line, she continued speaking. Ill meet you in an hour at the Starbucks near my university. it was strange to refer to herself as a student again, especially since the contract with the queen would not allow her to continue her studies for the next few years. ... See you in an hour," the teenager replied before hanging up the call. And Kalysto turned to her friend, who was looking at her with surprise. So, are you interested in sneaking us into the tower that appeared at the university, or at least taking me there? Youre crazy, you know that? Hearing her answer, Kalysto smiled before answering and taking another bite of his pizza. Whats so exciting about being sane? Forty minutes later, while Sakura was getting dressed and after Kalysto got tired of calling Katias dad without receiving an answer, she gave the phone to the girl to leave a voicemail message, hoping that the man would finally answer the phone. Katia, if he doesnt show up today, tomorrow we call him at work. Do you understand me? Seeing that she was about to refute the rules her father had set, Kalysto interrupted her. Do you know how worried your father must be without hearing from you all this time? Im sure he can forgive you for calling him at work on a Monday. she didnt want to have the talk again about whether this was an emergency or not. It was obvious that hadnt worked last time. Someone needs to explain to her the meaning of an emergency! Obviously, a fire isnt the only emergency thats valid! But Kalysto knew that wasnt her job. So instead of trying to intervene again, she hurried Sakura to get them there on time. Are you going to leave me here alone? interrupted Katia when she saw that they were going to leave without her. I would take you with Sakuras brother but she is ignoring him right now, and I dont think its safe to go the three of us riding a motorcycle, seeing that she seemed to feel rejected while looking at her like a puppy that has been abandoned by its owner, she ventured to say while putting Tsuki in her inventory: do you want me to put you in my inventory while we travel? Yes! Ill definitely be much safer there! And Kalysto did so, feeling a bit strange for locking her in when it wasnt really necessary. An awkward silence fell in the apartment when only the two adults were left. I think we should take her to a psychologist. Something is definitely not right with her," Sakura worried. Kalysto let out a long sigh. Maybe it would be a good idea to suggest it to her father. When they arrived at the Starbucks, Natasha and her mother, Mary, were already there. After a warm reunion with Mrs. Tanner, Kalysto made her sign the same kind of contract she had made with Natasha after explaining a bit of her plan and having them go to the restroom at the mall two blocks away, where Natasha showed her mother the status window of her system before Kalysto pulled Katia out of her inventory. How the hell did you do that? Mrs. Tanner shouted before the rest of the group reminded her to be quiet. I have one too! Natasha perked up, putting the glass with the drink she had ordered in hers as they waited for them. Oh, my God! The world has gone crazy! First alien monsters! Then magic portals, kidnappings, things out of a video game and now this! Mary muttered, feeling too old for everything she was witnessing. Can you connect to the internet with that too? I wish! Natasha scoffed. No, Mrs. Mary. Stop calling me Mrs., Kalysto! How many times do I have to tell you? Im sorry," she replied awkwardly. Shall we go then? Natasha and Katia stayed at the Starbucks while they waited for them and tried to contact the blondes father. After Kalysto put Mrs. Tanner in her inventory, she left with Sakura and they parked two blocks away from the university. Are you sure about this? Sakura questioned as she parked the motorcycle on the side of the street, away from the pair of armed soldiers guarding the corner. Dont panic, and above all, dont scream," Kalysto warned her. Stealth! thought the fairy champion, just before taking off her helmet and getting off the bike. Why would I...? What the fuck...? The Japanese teacher was surprised to see that her friend had disappeared. Kalysto? Please tell me Im not the one who needs to see a psychologist! Or that Im not trapped in the belly of a monster that causes hallucinations! You are not trapped in the belly of a monster, but I do warn you that I have met some that cause hallucinations. If you ever see monsters that look like a small version of a Dementor, run. Are you serious? Are there monsters that cause hallucinations? Yes, I saw some inside a tower. Fire helps against them, she assured her while she left the helmet that her friend had lent her on Sakuras lap, noticing how it stopped being invisible as soon as she stopped touching it. ...I dont know what to say to that... but if you manage to get in, could you please bring the copy of the keys to my apartment that I left in the left drawer of my desk? With everything thats going on, I dont feel safe with them there. Sure. Ill call you as soon as I get out. Three hours later not only had Kalysto managed to infiltrate the university despite the military guarding the place, she rescued Sakuras keys, entered the tower, and helped Mrs. Tanner not only acquire a system but also level up to level six, focusing on her adding the points gained in mana and stamina. It was when she was on floor seven that something out of place happened. Tsuki, whats wrong with you? Kalysto panicked as she saw the strange light that suddenly started to come out of the puppys body, which spread like a wave of energy all over the place. Book 3. Chapter 12. “In the News.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 12. In the News. Part 3 After Kalysto finished absorbing another hobgoblins stats, she watched her two traveling companions, beginning to worry about how safe it was to continue to let Ms. Tanner continue to level up. But at that moment, a strange light began to envelop Tsukis body, drawing her attention immediately. Tsuki, whats wrong with you? Kalysto panicked as she approached him but suddenly dozens of lightning bolts shot out of the puppys body, attacking even the surrounding stones. Mrs. Mary, stay back! shouted Kalysto at the same instant as a wave of energy burst from the puppys body and spread everywhere, accompanied by hundreds of lightning bolts. Earth manipulation! She conjured up a meter high stone wall while pushing Mrs. Tanner behind the wall and both of them took cover from the surprise attack. What the hell is going on? Is your dog turning into a monster? muttered the older woman, her gray eyes full of worry and her brown hair, the same shade as her childrens, in disarray. No," Kalysto answered and immediately tried to connect with him. Communication with the sacred beasts! Tsuki! Are you all right? What the hell happened? Master, I evolved! I thought it happened at level fifteen and I was worried that nothing had happened, but as soon as I reached level twenty, I evolved! He shouted excitedly in his masters mind, sending her a mental image of the partially destroyed wall she had created, from his perspective. What was that? She asked, worried by the sudden mental invasion. Frightened at the possibility that Persephone could also do the same to her despite keeping her mental defenses active. Thats called shared vision, Master! From now on I can show you what Im seeing, so now we can try what we talked about before! Good! Although this is not the safest place to experiment with that. Well go back to Sakuras house and focus on that. Its fine with me, but Master, since there are so many monsters here, can I keep hunting them and leveling up? Before that, I want you to answer me something. How can you show me what you are seeing when I have my shields active? Oh, thats easy! Its because the Masters shield is mental, but our connection is of souls, and therefore takes priority. The problem before was that my level and skill were very low, while the Master had a very high mental defense, so it was difficult for me to connect, but I learned how to do it. So basically the problem was that you didnt know how to use your skill? Our connection was very new and somewhat weak back then! the puppy defended himself. But now weve spent more time together and therefore our connection is stronger! Also, my skills have gone up a level, so its easier for me now. Thats okay! She finally agreed, regretting that she hadnt discovered the trick earlier. It hadnt even occurred to her that she should strengthen the bond between them. Its safe to leave now, Mrs. Mary," Kalysto announced. Are we done with all the monsters? questioned the older woman as she arranged her messy hair into a bun. Yes, you dont have to worry about them anymore. In that case," she commented, picking up the weapon from the corpse of a hobgoblin nearby. Shall I keep them for you like we did with the other floors? Yes, Id appreciate it, she replied as she approached Tsuki, regretting the loss of his former appearance. Tsuki, who before was a small puppy that inspired cuteness just by looking at him, now measured seventy centimeters.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Her hand trembled as she reached out with the intention of touching him, feeling that she was facing a complete stranger. He looked so much better before. She lamented. Her hand stroked the soft white fur, taking comfort in the fact that at least his color was still the same. Master? Why are you sad? I think Im too used to your former appearance... Youre too big to carry now. She changed the subject, uncomfortable with admitting her feelings. Immediately, Tsuki stood on two legs, putting the two front legs in Kalystos arms. But we can still cuddle, Master! -the cub announced excitedly, bringing his face close to hers. Dont even think about licking my face! She scolded him and he let out a pitiful whimper. Didnt you want to keep leveling up? If this tower resembles the one I found in Elinor, if you go down to the first floor and wait a while, the monsters will reappear. Blessing! She conjured while caressing him, giving him a little boost in case something unforeseen came up. Ill be back as soon as Im done! The fenrir announced excitedly. Tell me in case something happens! Kalysto warned him as she watched him return through the portal that had brought them to the seventh floor. You dont know how I love this inventory thing. Its so practical! Ill never have to worry again about how much stuff I buy or if I can convince one of the kids to go with me to carry the bags! Mary interrupted her as she stored another hobgoblins axe. It didnt take long for the older woman to notice the sadness in Kalystos eyes. Is everything all right? she worried. They grow up so fast," Kalysto muttered as she watched Tsuki leave. I know. Nat was such a little girl not long ago, so sweet and cute with those chubby cheeks. And look at her now," she sighed, soon shell be telling me she has a boyfriend and wants to leave home. They grow up so fast! They both sighed as they watched his new figure get lost inside the mana portal. By the way, I wanted to ask you, is it normal for him to grow so fast? Just a minute ago, he was such a little thing and look at him now. It seems so. To tell you the truth, I havent had much time to research about his species. How heavy is your work? The work itself is not heavy. The problem is that there is always something going on that I have to solve as soon as possible, and honestly, I barely have time to sleep. That and my bosss daughter seem to be addicted to fast results and strenuous and super intensive workouts. Someone should teach her what it means to rest and work exploitation! Cant you complain to your boss? Its her daughter! Whose side do you think shell take? Kalysto complained as they approached the portal that would take them to the eighth floor. From what youve told me, despite the length of your contract, it seems to me that your boss tends to listen to your needs. She doesnt seem so bad to me. At least its not like that boss you had in that warehouse, the one who didnt even respect your lunch hours and only gave you twenty minutes for lunch. I still hate that idiot, dont remind me! He was always a problem for everything! she growled. Im so glad I quit! [Warning! User has entered the eighth floor of the dungeon!] I still cant get used to these signs coming out of nowhere! Mrs. Tanner complained. By the way, Id like you to let me know before you go back to work, Id like to bake your boss a cake in thanks for saving you from that horrible killer orc, although Kalysto doubted the fairy queen would like to eat something prepared by a human, the gesture warmed her heart. You mentioned that the fairies liked sweet things, right? Maybe making her a couple of desserts would be good. Ill send one to Mrs. Alynn. She seems like a nice person. Thank you. To you darling, if it wasnt for you Id still be stuck in the hospital, you know I dont like them," Kalysto nodded her head as they walked forward, Oh, look here comes more, dont you think that axe on that one on the right is good for your new business? Do you mind if I tell the kids to try and do the same thing? I know you already gave Nat a good weapon, but my Jake has a dagger and I dont think its very good. Would you mind if after this is over I lend him the sword you gave me to Jake? Kalysto smiled, despite the hundred and fifty orcs and fifty trolls running towards them in a stampede. Blessing! she conjured, touching her former landladys shoulder. Blessing! Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She added, freezing the enemy mini-army and leaving their shoulders and heads free for the two of them to hunt them with complete peace of mind. She also added a pair of ladders to help Mrs. Tanner climb the ice wall she had created. All right, the ones on the left are all yours! It is possible that you might make it to level ten on this floor, but if you dont, Ill put you in the inventory. The last floors are usually dangerous, and if this tower resembles the one I saw in Elinor, the last floor will be dangerous, she announced, remembering the presence of the gigantic eye. Just as she had feared, on the tenth floor, there was an altar. And on top of it a gigantic closed eye. Book 3. Chapter 13. “The smell of death.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 13. The smell of death. Part 1 As soon as Kalysto took a step inside the room on the top floor of the tower, the gigantic eye above the altar opened wide. Revealing the black pupil within, whose fixed gaze was set entirely on the only living person within the spacious but empty floor whose stone walls were stained with thick black ink decorated the walls. The only light in the small room came from the circular crystal above the altar, above which floated the eye. The portal at the entrance closed behind the saintess at the same instant as several tentacles of black mana shot out of the eye and a wave of dark energy swept across the room, knocking her backward. But Kalysto resisted the attack, putting her forearms in front of her to reduce the impact, unfortunately, the strong breeze that came with the energy wave made her close her eyes for a second, time that the tentacles of darkness took the opportunity to surround her arms, legs, and waist. Moving almost as fast as the shockwave without giving her time to react. [Warning! The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated by an unknown entity!] What the fuck? she muttered at the same second as her whole world was filled with pure darkness. ...Its a pleasure to meet you again, little Persephone! The sinister male voice echoed in the middle of the total darkness, raising all the hairs on her body while a shiver ran down her back. And Kalysto lost total control of her body. **** Natasha checked her phone while ignoring another reporters call on Kalystos cell phone. What annoying people! I dont understand how they cant take no for an answer! complained the teenager, as she checked a news website with the latest articles about the hunters and portals. Can you believe it? ... Katia blinked, a little nervous about not knowing what answer Natasha was looking for her to give her, and for a few seconds she didnt know what to answer to the kind young woman who had stayed taking care of her while the others returned while she felt the enormous pressure to give an answer that was satisfactory. Uh... Maybe it would be a good idea for Mrs. Kalysto to change her number? Maybe... Maybe theyll stop bothering her," she answered, but seeing the frown on Natashas face as she sat at the table right in front of her inside the Starbucks, her nerves increased. Ehh...I..." Not knowing what else to say, she ducked her head, embarrassed to make a fool of herself again by giving her opinion, as her mother had always reproached her. I was referring to the news that just came out, but thats a good idea! We should tell her when she gets back! She said, passing her phone to her to see the official notice just released by the government after creating the hunters association two days ago. From now on, all people who wake up a system are obliged to register in the association! Besides, it is now considered mandatory for every hunter to participate in the hunt for monsters! Are they crazy? Dont you think its unfair? ... Do they give us two weeks to register or else it will be considered a crime? She was surprised. Does that mean that if I dont register, Ill go to jail? She panicked. But I dont want to go to jail! At that moment, Kalystos cell phone rang again, but both girls ignored it. Neither do I! But neither do I intend to offer myself as a sacrificial lamb for the government! Natasha muttered. ...I think Ill tell Mom that wed better stay with our grandparents in Mexico. There are a lot of hunters there and although they give a month to register, it is not mandatory to stay active. They even helped with the problem in San Diego when the monsters that came out of the tower in Los Angeles invaded the city.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Do you have family there too? The little blonde was surprised, she was just learning about what had happened in the last few weeks, not quite understanding how she had lived there for two months, while on Earth it had only been a couple of weeks. My paternal grandparents live in Mexico. Yes, my grandmother on my mothers side lives in Guadalajara! answered. Then you should tell your father to move, too. I dont think its safe for us to stay here," she whispered, leaning closer to her. No, if the government plans to force us to fight those things, and with Kalysto having to go back to you-know-where... its not safe for us to come out alive if we face them on our own, the face of both lost all color as they looked worriedly at the screen, frightened by the news. At that moment, Kalystos cell phone rang again. But what the fuck is the problem with these people? Cant they stop calling at once? Natasha complained, and when she was about to turn off the phone, she saw that the name of the number that was calling said Katias Dad. Hello? She answered immediately, trying to hide her anger. Is this the number of the person who have my daughter? A male voice answered, but Natasha was annoyed by his comment. Hey, saying it like that makes it sound like Kalysto kidnapped her! Dont you know how many times she had to save your daughters life from those perverted monsters? Nat? Is everything all right?! the girl questioned, frowning as she saw the young woman pounding the table in anger. Here! Talk to your father! Can you believe hes insinuating that Kalysto kidnapped you after all she did for you! Natasha shouted as she handed the phone to the blonde, who received it in bewilderment. Katia looked at her fathers cell phone number on the screen. Her eyes watered immediately and her hands began to tremble at the sight of it. She couldnt believe she could finally hear her fathers kind voice again, after all she had been through. Daddy? Her voice broke with emotion and the longing to see him again and hug him choked her heart. My little princess! Is that you? sobbed the masculine voice on the other end of the line. *** All was darkness. Kalystos consciousness wandered in the middle of nowhere. She could barely see a soft white glow around her body as she felt as if she was floating on water and the cold was seeping into her bones. Where am I? she wondered, but there was nothing but shadows around her. ... Master! ... Tsukis voice echoed in the middle of the infinite space. But Kalystos body was heavy, as heavy as or heavier than her eyelids. Even so, she struggled to open them again before the constant cries of her pet, which were repeated again and again. ....Master! Can you hear me? Tsuki? She thought, but her mind felt even heavier than her body, as if a thick fog enveloped every one of her senses, preventing her from thinking clearly. ... Master! Can you hear me?... Not getting an answer, the fenrir projected his voice with more force. Master! Im in front of the entrance to the top floor, but I cant get in! Master! Wake up! He despaired. Communication with the sacred beasts! Tsuki! Can you hear me? She asked, and suddenly, all was no longer darkness. A thick fog became visible in front of her as a rippling ground appeared before her feet, and the world spun. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the floor rippled as if it were made of water. And the ripples spread out for several meters before being lost in the infinite darkness. Where are you? Master, now you are trapped inside your mind! You should take advantage of it and look for the seal! Tsuki encouraged. Ill try to help you any way I can! But after almost half an hour of walking through the mist and the sea of darkness, Kalysto found nothing. Theres nothing here but darkness! Kalysto complained. Master, turn left! So Kalysto did, and there at the bottom of the immense darkness, surrounded by fog and a different kind of darkness than the one that covered everything around Kalysto, was a large circle covered with another kind of darkness. Creeper-like lines of darkness ran across the cracked surface of the seal, which glowed in the midst of the black sea. I found it! She thought in disbelief. Recognizing the snaking tendrils of darkness that escaped from the seal. ...Is that Persephone? Book 3. Chapter 13. “The smell of death.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 13. The smell of death. Part 2 ...Is that Persephone? A great wall of cracked gray stone in a circular shape carved with strange symbols that she could not identify, almost three times as high as she was and surrounded by mist, stood before her. Traversed from end to end by dark-root-like crevices from which trails of smoke and slender tentacles of dark mana were rising. Kalysto could recognize the snaking energy immediately. Unlike the darkness around her, the mana escaping from the seal felt different, like when Persephone took control of her body. What the hell does it all mean? Who put that in here? I dont know who put that inside the Masters inner world, but this is a space that some call the soul," Tsuki answered, his voice echoing in the midst of the sea of darkness. You told me before that this was my mind! Kalysto complained, annoyed that he had lied to her. I thought the Master would understand more easily than to say the inner world. Although your mind is also connected to this place," he clarified. A tense silence remained between them, while Kalysto observed the strange stone. Why is it in that state? She asked as she took a step forward. Curious about the subtle light that surrounded the huge stone, one much dimmer than the white glow that surrounded her. I dont think the Master should go near it! Its not safe! Persephone wouldnt hurt me. Shes taken care of me most of my life. She assured him as she took another step and stretched out her hand towards one of the tendrils that sprang up between the cracks. Is the Master completely sure of that? Kalysto was about to answer in the affirmative but paused and moved her hand away from the thin tendril of darkness that had moved away from the seal to approach her as a greeting. Remembering not only the queens words but also the last few times Persephone had refused to give her back control of her body. Then doubt grew within her. Is it safe for me to be here...Tsuki? ...If I am here, where is my body? Master I...I think... Mast...can...can...you...? But her pets voice began to fade away as a large wave of undergrowth tentacles burst through the cracks trying to reach her. <> Persephones tenebrous voice echoed in the surroundings, sending chills down her spine. <> Persephone shouted as the repulsive tentacles caught her, luring her into the seal. Did it ever occur to you that if you are trapped inside me, my body is mine and not yours? Kalysto shouted in response as she struggled to escape from the tentacles, but they seemed to multiply by the second.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. So this is where you are hiding, my dear Persephone! The dark voice that she had heard coming out of the gigantic eye echoed everywhere, causing the wavy water floor beneath Kalystos feet to begin to tremble uncontrollably. Like a strong tide in the middle of a storm, at the same time, an oppressive darkness began to invade the landscape, suffocating Kalysto. Stop! Get out of here! Kalysto panicked as Persephones thunderous laughter echoed amidst the chaos and the invader continued to advance. The oppressive darkness emanating from him felt like living fire, burning every pore of her skin as he came closer to where they were as Kalystos screams of pain competed with the thunderous laughter of her other half. Stop, please stop! She screamed, but neither he nor Persephone stopped. Instead, a tentacle of darkness covered her mouth and nose. Kalystos eyes widened in surprise at Persephones surprise attack. <> Persephone snarled angrily. Damn traitor! growled Kalysto in response. Come on Kalysto concentrate! [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] [Warning! The passive skill Mental Defense has been disabled by an unknown entity!] What the fuck? Then she tried again three times, with the same result. As she watched in despair as the invading darkness drew closer and closer and the pain became more and more unbearable. Ahhh!... Damn it! she growled in frustration, and Persephones laughter boomed in her ears. Kalysto frowned, anger blurring her face as she stared at the seal, resentment, rage and betrayal seizing her as she saw that one of the people she trusted the most had chosen to ally herself with someone else and turn her back on her. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured, and the golden light of her skills spread several meters around her, undoing most of the tentacles of darkness that imprisoned her. But as the cracks inside the stone seal increased, and another shudder ran through her as she realized what a mistake she had just made by accident. Shit! She panicked, but the cracks stopped spreading. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Finally! She rejoiced as soon as the agonizing pain stopped. At least something went right! But she quickly realized that although Persephones darkness had half dissipated, the enemys darkness did not, indeed it did not even stop advancing. Shit! Ezhil Purification! She conjured ten more times, but it only served to slow the enemy advance, not to undo it. Desperate, she tried again. But she got almost the same result. Damn it! What do I have to do to get you out of here? She growled in frustration and then began to run in his direction as she reached out her hand and caught one of the enemys tentacles of darkness. Absorb! She shouted at the top of her lungs. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Everything! She shouted immediately, and the tentacle began to move wildly, trying to get out of her grasp, but she squeezed it harder as the rest of the enemy darkness stopped advancing to where the seal was. [Congratulations! The user has gained 1000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 DMP!] A surge of pain squeezed her chest as the air escaped from her lungs. Still, she refused to let it out. Shit! How much dark mana does this thing have? She worried. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 150 stamina points!] Suddenly, everything around her shuddered again. The whole world full of darkness around her began to crack and cracks of light flooded what should be the sky. Master! Tsukis desperate cry echoed everywhere, but she had to stay focused. And from one moment to the next, the pain spread through her body from her abdomen, stealing all the air from her lungs, and making everything go dark before her again. In the blink of an eye, her world changed. One instant she was on a surface of water near the giant fractured rock of the seal and the next she was back inside the spacious top floor of the tower. The gigantic eye in front of her seemed to be weeping blood, for the hour it appeared to be a little smaller than before as the eyelid seemed half open. Purification Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! She hurried to conjure as she began to cough up blood. As the light of her skills spread throughout the room illuminating the place, she watched in terror at the hole in her stomach. And the bloodied body of Tsuki lying next to her. Book 3. Chapter 13. “The smell of death.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 13. The smell of death. Part 3 Blood gushed from the wound on her side without her being able to contain it while Tsukis body lay beside her, immobile. A cut ran across the fenrirs torso from two fingers below his neck to the beginning of his hind leg. Blue blood gushed from the wound and even more blood lay on the ground. Tsuki? sobbed Kalysto. Her voice trembled and her heart quivered at the precarious state of her pet, which did not respond to her call and immediately the saintess turned her face around, disfigured by anger. Fireball! Ice spear! Ice stakes! Rain of ice stakes! She conjured quickly as she pulled out a one liter bottle of holy water from her inventory that she had left uncapped and took three long gulps as she placed her left hand near her wound. Regeneration! She conjured, casting the spell with her left hand as the itch of the holy water concentrated on her stomach wound, and poured the rest of the holy water on Tsukis wounded paw. Its going to be unpleasant but hang in there, Tsuki! Although the wounded paw was shallower than the one on his torso, she poured the holy water on it, suspecting that it would leave an ugly scar on her pet and as soon as she finished, she put the empty bottle aside and put her right hand on the wound on Tsukis torso. Regeneration! Jhil! Then she continued to recite them mentally while opening her mouth as several tentacles of dark mana began to sprout from the eye. Fire blast! A flame of fire came out of her mouth and covered the eye completely. The creatures shriek echoed all over the floor, making Kalystos ears hurt and Tsuki emitted a pitiful moan. Mana control! Mana manipulation! Regeneration! Jhil! She thought, as she healed him and continued to regenerate the wound on her stomach while directing large amounts of mana into both hands and her mouth to keep all three spells active at the same time while making them as potent as she could, even though it greatly increased the mana consumption. [Warning! User has lost 10% HP.] Do you really think this is a good time for that? She complained, still healing them both while continuing to spew fire from her mouth. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Really? She growled as she pulled a mana crystal from her inventory and looked at the scorched eye turned into a black mass still floating above the dungeon core. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought as she looked at the enemy and then at Tsuki, who was slowly recovering. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1500 MP!] Regeneration! Jhil! She continued to conjure and with relief watched as her own wound finished closing as well as Tsukis, whose blue eyes were fixed on her. Master? He murmured in her mind, and Kalysto smiled at him tenderly while her eyes blurred with tears. Yes, its me," she replied. Master, when I finally got inside they were talking about a plan, and he handed something to her, but it disappeared in an instant and I didnt get to see what it was," the fenrir groaned. Im sorry. That doesnt matter right now," she answered in a whisper. Just dont get in their way again, she replied, turning her attention back to the eye in which several black tentacles began to envelop it. Is it trying to regenerate? Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Lightning! She attacked immediately, preventing him from doing so. Then she lunged at him, pulling her axe out of her inventory and burying it in the middle of the eye, but he was much tougher than he looked and she could only bury a little less than half of her axe. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She added, seeing how most of the black mana tentacles began to disperse, but not all of them. So she stood on top of the altar, being careful not to touch the core, and dropped her axe to lay her palms on the nasty creature. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Everything! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1500 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 230 stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 200 strength points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 150 points of agility]! [Congratulations, the user has acquired 1500 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Fire Creation. Level 10! Class: Divine!]] [Warning! The level of the skill Absorb is too low to acquire the actual level of this skill!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Fire Manipulation. Level 10! Class: Divine] [Warning! The level of the skill Absorb is too low to acquire the real level of this skill!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Black Fire Creation. Level 10! Class: Divine] [Warning! The level of the skill Absorb is too low to acquire the actual level of this skill!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Black Fire Manipulation. Level 20! Class: Divine] [Warning! The level of the skill Absorb is too low to acquire the actual level of this skill!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Dark Mana Manipulation. Level 20! Class: Divine!] [Warning! The user already possesses this skill, but the class of the absorbed skill is of a higher level and will overwrite the previous one!] As soon as the last notification came out, a wave of dark energy shot out from the eye, throwing her against the wall at the same time as a swirl of black mana enveloped the eye and causing it to disappear amidst a swirl of shadows. Only Kalystos heavy breathing echoed throughout the room as poor Tsuki lay on the floor, completely exhausted after all he had experienced. Master? Give me a few minutes and Ill put you in the inventory," she muttered as she stood up and grimaced at the pain in her back. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.]This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Is Master angry with me? Im not punishing you, Tsuki. I just need to get you safe before I leave here," she replied as she approached him and took out a bottle of revitalizing potion from her inventory. Drink this. It will help you regain your strength," she commented as she cupped her left hand and poured the potion with her right so he could drink it. Thank you, Master," he commented as soon as he finished drinking, getting up from the floor and starting to walk towards the altar. What do you think the eye gave to the sealed woman? Whatever it is, it is surely in her inventory. So we have no way of knowing," she replied, feeling relieved that it wasnt Persephone who attacked him. Immediately, she was angry with herself for thinking that. Whoever it was, they shouldnt have touched him! She thought angrily, frowning as she approached the altar, standing next to Tsuki and running a hand over his head, stroking his fur. Ill make you pay for this!... No matter how long it takes me, Ill find you and well settle the score! Enemy of my boss or not, you just made it personal! Are you all right? she asked him, crouching down beside him to check his wounds once more. Apart from the blood that stained his fur despite having used Ezhil Purification several times and the scar left on his hind leg, where she poured holy water, everything seemed fine. Yes, master," replied the fenrir, turning his head to be petted by his mistress on his shins instead of his back. Thank you for taking care of me. We are a team," she added after scratching him a little under his jaw, making Tsukis tail wag from side to side, excited by the attention he was receiving. "Now, lets get out of here," she commented before getting up, standing in front of the altar and taking the core of the tower. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this core?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired the skill Shadow Creation. Level 1] [Congratulations, the user has acquired the skill Shadow Manipulation. Level 1!] The core turned to ashes as soon as she absorbed it, and a blue portal appeared behind the altar. Well, at least the rewards were worth it," she said with a half-smile and they both walked to the portal, but before they reached it, the walls of the tower began to shake and fall apart. Run! She ordered, and they both ran for the exit. Appearing half a block away from where the tower was, and in the middle of a military control station. Intruders! shouted a soldier alerting the rest of the group, who stood up and rushed to draw their weapons, pointing them at them. Shit! She thought, immediately crouching down while she put Tsuki inside her violet inventory. Stealth! Kalysto escaped from the military post and as soon as she had the chance, she jumped further away from there as the tower collapsed. The fairy champion was about to go to the meeting place with Sakura when an idea crossed her mind, and a smile appeared on her face. Two hours and twenty minutes later, Kalysto had conquered the two dungeons that were under the control of the army and in which only authorized personnel or hunters registered in the hunters association were allowed to enter. Here are your keys," muttered Kalysto, deactivating the stealth skills and making herself suddenly visible as she sat across from Sakura at one of the cafeteria tables where her friend had said she would be waiting for her, and placed the key in question on the table. Next to a half-eaten slice of chocolate cake. Shit! Dont ever scare me like that again, Kalysto! Where the hell did you come from? She growled, holding a hand to her heart as she stopped watching the news on the big screen at the back of the room. The rest of the people in the room were too busy paying attention to the breaking news to pay attention to them. A reporter appeared on the screen and the image changed to a video showing the tower from afar as it collapsed and then showed two videos of the two places where the entrances to two dungeons had been before, reporting that no one knew what had happened and comparing the strange phenomenon to the conquest of the tower in London a few days before. After punching Kalysto in the arm, who didnt even flinch from the blow, Sakura approached her friend while caressing the sore hand with which she had hit her. You caused that, didnt you? she whispered. And Kalysto nodded her head as she took out a health potion and drank it. Did everything go well with Natashas mom? Yes, but she only made it to level seven. Ive been researching on the internet, and the few who have acquired a system have said that its not that easy to level up. Many die long before reaching level five. If you do it alone, its a little more difficult, but with the right tools its possible as long as you dont face enemies stronger than you," she answered before pointing to a croissant that was on the table. Can I eat it? Yes, I ordered it for you. I didnt know how long you were going to take and I ended up eating Tsukis. Although I didnt think I would give you for cleaning the city, she whispered, pointing to the TV with the spoon she was eating the chocolate cake with. By the way, Katias dad showed up. Hes in Washington. The only flight he could find gets to Boston in two hours. That means while he gets a bus here, itll be at least another hour and a half. But Im glad hes alive. Katia must be happy for the reunion. After ordering take-out, they met up with Natasha and Katia, who were a couple of blocks away. Half an hour later, the five of them climbed the stairs to the third floor where they now lived while Natasha took the keys out of her inventory and gave them to her mother to open the door. I couldnt get all your things back after half the building was destroyed, but I managed to save a few and put them in a box, despite Natashas mothers kind words, the fact that there was only one box left with all her belongings saddened Kalysto. She was about to comment when the gasps from the rest of the group sounded in unison as Mrs. Tanner opened the door wide and there in front of her, right in the middle of the room was Natashas older brother with his pants down and a blonde, shirtless girl kneeling in front of him. Kalysto? Are you alive? Jake asked as he covered his intimate parts with a sofa cushion, surprised to see the group of women at the entrance of the house. Mom? Jake Tanner! What the hell do you think youre doing in my house, young man? Is this what youve been doing while I was in the hospital? The older woman shouted as she slapped her only male child a couple of times while he hurriedly pulled up his pants. Is that my shirt? Kalysto complained as she immediately recognized the shirt that the unknown blonde had just picked up from the floor and started to put on. Are you stealing her clothes again? How many times do I have to tell you not to do it? Natasha got angry and immediately took the shirt off the young woman and threw it at Kalysto. I warned you that I would throw you out on the street if you did it again! She shouted while she pushed her towards the exit door where Sakura covered Katias eyes so she wouldnt see anything. But I dont have anything else to wear, besides I have nowhere to go! said the young girl. Kalysto burned the shirt immediately, feeling bad about getting rid of a gift from Alice, but the thought of who knows what else those two were doing while she was wearing her shirt upset her stomach. After Mrs. Tanner kicked out the young woman, who apparently had been staying without permission in her house for more than a week, she handed Kalysto two boxes of her things. Then Sakura, Katia and Kalysto, uncomfortable with the tense family situation after that show, went to wait for the little archers father at the bus terminal. Almost an hour after they arrived, Mr. Smith had not arrived, so bored with the wait, Kalysto began to close the notifications she still had open. [Congratulations, the user has acquired the skill Sphere of Light. Level 1!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired the skill Light Creation. Level 1!] Kalysto grimaced as she closed the windows, and just then Katia shouted. Drawing the attention of the other two women as they saw her jump out of her seat and run out to embrace the tall, muscular blond who gathered her in his arms. Daddy! Kalystos heart warmed at the touching scene as Katias dad hugged her and kissed the blondes forehead, tears of joy in his eyes. My little girl! My princess! Thank God youre all right! You dont know how worried I was! sobbed the man as he hugged her tightly. And although she didnt want to, Kalysto couldnt stop her heart from shrinking with envy at the memory of her missing father, who, like this man, had always been attentive and very affectionate with her. Thank you! Truly, thank you for returning my child to me safe and sound! He thanked them. I only helped to bring them here," Sakura assured him. With pleasure, answered Kalysto. After talking some more and refusing to receive an economic reward for helping Katia, they said goodbye to the girl, and while Kalysto said goodbye to Mr. Smith, he whispered: It would be a good idea for her to have psychological help to overcome everything that happened during the kidnapping, her voice trembled at the end of the sentence, which alerted Mr. Smith. What are you not telling me? What happened to my little girl? he worried. Im sorry, Kalystos eyes filled with tears. I... I didnt get there in time to rescue her... the second time and he..." She closed her eyes as she saw the pallor and terror on Mr. Smiths face, who seemed to understand what she couldnt say. What did that bastard do to my daughter? He asked in a broken voice. ...Im sorry... apologized Kalysto with tears in her eyes. Hes dead now, but... I didnt get there in time... Im so sorry" she sobbed and Mr. Smith covered his eyes with a hand while tears ran desperately down his cheeks. Book 3. Chapter 14 “An unexpected visit. The Call Back.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 14 An unexpected visit. The Call Back. Part 1 I know it was you who gave my sister a system the extreme seriousness on the face of Satoshi Lee, Sakuras older brother, was the last thing Kalysto expected to meet after the terrible binge that both had maintained until the wee hours of the morning after the meeting with Katias father, to unburden the sorrows of both women. ...What? she muttered with confusion while she drank some holy water to eliminate the hangover. For a moment she feared that Sakura had given her away, but she came out of the kitchen to join them while she took a pill and walked as if she was carrying the weight of the world and the annoying rays of the midday sun together with the voice of her older brother, were her greatest enemy. Here, drink this," she offered half of her bottle, taking pity on her. It will feel strange for a few minutes, but it will take away the pain. Drink only three gulps if youre really bad, but no more than that, or the system will block it for ten minutes. Thank you! Im dying! She muttered, ignoring her brother completely. Does this count as a potion? She asked with a frown and sat down next to her friend as she received the bottle and took three long gulps. Unfortunately, yes," Kalysto replied as she took out another bottle and handed it to her. Keep it in your inventory, you might need it if youre hurt or something," she whispered so Satoshi wouldnt hear them. ...Cough!... Satoshi cleared his throat several times to get their attention, annoyed at being ignored so easily despite the seriousness of the situation. Before you came, my sister had no system and no chance of getting one, and suddenly you come along and within hours, bam! She not only has a system, but shes on the news killing monsters! He said while pointing his finger at his younger sister, as if accusing her of some crime. And now that the tower and the two dungeons no longer exist, along with the law making it mandatory for hunters to register, its only a matter of time before they organize a raiding party and attack the first portal that appeared in the city since its now the only one left. I dont want my sister involved in something as dangerous as that! he refuted. It is no longer safe for my sister to stay in this country.... Besides, I think its best that I get a system too. That and form a small group of hunters with my most loyal employees or those of the family. So I ask, what do you want in return? Kalysto opened her eyes with surprise at the prolonged speech before turning to Sakura. I dont know what my sister has given you in return, although since you are a couple, I doubt I can match her offer. But since youre interested in money, just tell me your price. How many times do we have to tell you that we are not a couple? Sakura defended herself before the words of her brother, then she turned to her best friend. The only person who was not with her for the power and the money of her family or for all the material things with which she in the past filled those who she had believed her friends. In fact, what she liked most about Kalysto was that every time she gave her something, the young woman always looked for a way to repay her somehow instead of passively waiting for her to give her gifts to buy her friendship. I didnt tell him anything! She assured Kalysto as she raised her hands in surrender, not wanting her to misinterpret things. Kalysto could be very delicate with the strangest things, but especially with everything that had to do with trust. And the last thing she wanted was to lose her only true friend because of her perceptive brothers conclusions. I know, because youre still alive," she assured her, reassuringly. ... Oh, right! Sakura mumbled as she remembered what Kalysto had told her about her new boss and the lengths fairies went to with a simple contract because of their problems to trust others. But her older brother was a completely different story. What does she mean by that? The only man in the room was alarmed. It means that if you want to make deals with me, you must sign a magic contract in which you swear never to reveal my secrets, or your heart will stop beating the moment you betray me. Are you out of your mind? He accused her, but Kalysto only smiled and pulled her hair back as she leaned her arm against the back of the sofa, and leaned towards Sakura with camaraderie. Youre the one who wants you and your group of... what, ten employees? To become hunters and create your own guild," she clarified, knowing that she had every advantage in this negotiation. Satoshi frowned and pursed his lips, before analyzing the situation, calming his expression and speaking again. Twenty... make it twenty. He has an apartment in London." Sakura muttered, amused to see her perfect brother having a hard time getting something he wanted, and that for the first time she had it first. Whose side are you on? Satoshi reproached her, but Sakura shrugged indifferently. And for your information, I own an apartment building in Tokio! He gloated. Tokio, huh? I like Tokyo," Kalysto smiled. Besides, I think Sakura doesnt want to be so close to her father, so I think its a good choice. **** The strong rays of the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains of one of the VIP rooms of the central hospital. Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! whispered Kalysto for the fifth time as she manipulated her mana, concentrating it on the brain of the fifty-one-year-old woman with dark brown hair lying on the bed. After a few seconds, the swelling in the older womans brain disappeared completely, as did the second tumor they had discovered after the surgery. Mana detection! She muttered and then thoroughly inspected the body of Amanda, the woman who had helped her financially several times and thanks to whom she had gotten a well-paid job as a waitress in a fancy restaurant. Half an hour after finishing negotiations with Satoshi, Kalysto went to buy all the authors books and then went to visit Amanda and return the favors she had done her, curing her. But it turned out that the older womans situation had worsened after her operation. Fortunately, Kalysto still had a couple of hours before her next trip. Amandas caramel-colored eyes suddenly opened, surprised to see the missing young woman in front of her as if nothing had happened. Kalysto, is that you? I thought you disappeared during the appearance of the first portal!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yes, it is me. And Im fine, just like you are now. What do you mean by that? I dont know what my husband told you, but Im dying. Not anymore," she assured her with a tender smile. And that settles any debt I owe you. She added, surprising the older woman, but at the same time she felt a great relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and a small light appeared on the violet screen of her system. Just as it had happened with Edward, it now showed how the debt to Amanda was finished. Im glad to know that shes not only cured, but that I can finally cut things clean with her. She thought. For a year now she had been burdened by the kindly older woman who used to use her as her emotional garbage dump, as she complained for hours about the lack of attention her wealthy husband and children gave her. At first she had felt sorry for her, a mixture of pity and gratitude that prevented her from not sacrificing her few free hours to rest instead of listening to her talk for hours on end. But after what Edward did, she no longer wanted anything to do with her family. Maybe Alice was right about her all along. Kalysto, you disappeared the same day as my nephew, didnt you? Do you know where he is? The smile disappeared completely from Kalystos lips. You do know? Dont you? Bring him to me! Seeing that the young woman took a step back and that all kindness disappeared from her face, Amanda hurried to grab her arm before she left. I know you know where he is! If you truly value my friendship, bring him to me! I refuse to help the traitor who gave me to a monster who almost killed me, she snapped, easily slipping from her grip. My Edward would never do such a thing. Hes a good boy! You werent there to see it, were you? Dont talk about what you dont know. But... Our friendship ends here. I appreciate everything you did for me, so I wouldnt starve to death, but Ive already done more than enough to repay my debt to you. After all I did for you, this is how you repay me? After all I did for your nephew, and yet he still handed me over to a psychopath? She returned the question. Goodbye Amanda, I hope you live comfortably all the years you have left, now that you are no longer on the verge of death. She said goodbye, and as soon as he left the room he muttered: Stealth! Twenty hours later, Kalysto was in the middle of an empty apartment in the city of Tokyo, on the eleventh floor. As we had agreed, just sign here and the apartment will be yours," Satoshi informed. Here are the keys. My contacts at the embassy will give you the documents for your permanent residence in two days after you register as a hunter. What did you tell them? As we agreed, I mentioned that you and my sister found a good amount of weapons in your raid in the U.S. and that you are looking for buyers. Good job! What about my apartment? Sakura interrupted, cheerfully. Ill give it to you in two months as soon as the tenants vacate it. If you dont have a place to stay, you can stay with me or at our fathers house. Ill stay with Kalysto in the meantime! She immediately clarified. The next day, they both registered as hunters at the Japanese hunters association and bought some things for the new three-room apartment. The next two days Kalysto spent helping Satoshi and his team, who had bought the land where a dungeon appeared and helped them to awaken the system and climb to level five after a very rigorous training with enchanted weapons. For the next three days, Kalysto dedicated herself to duplicating and enchanting all the weapons she and Sakura had collected, even getting two new skills. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Intelligence Enchantment. Level 1!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Penetration Enchantment. Level 1!] The last one was a skill she had been interested in since she discovered it on the goblin weapons, which made her get excited and go crazy about enchanting weapons in order to level it up. It was much harder than the other skills but in the end it was not only worth all the work, but she also ended up enchanting ten thousand weapons. [The Penetration Enchantment skill has leveled up to level 25!] [The Intelligence Enchantment skill has leveled up to level 15!] [The health enchantment skill has leveled up to level 20!] [Strength Charm skill has leveled up to level 20!] [Stamina Enchantment skill has leveled up to level 20!] [Health Charm skill has leveled up to level 20!] [Agility Charm skill has leveled up to level 20!] There was now a whole room full of weapons, in addition to the living room and dining room, which Sakura took it upon herself to store and start selling, first to her brothers company, then to her father and a few to the hunters association. For the rest, she talked to a well-known auction house to sell them. Our business is a success! Sakura got excited as she finished sealing a box. Im glad," replied Kalysto, still in her pajamas, as she cast a penetration charm on her beloved axe. I will have to take my fathers order personally to his house in Osaka after attending the auction. Are you sure you dont want to go? Id rather go for a walk with Tsuki. You know I dont like crowded events and too many foreign hunters are going to attend. When I get back, we can go for a walk together and continue our tour of the city. Are you okay with that? Sure after that, they bathed, and each one went out on their own. But before Kalysto could catch a cab, a purple, almost black window appeared before her. [Did you miss me, Kalysto?] Sensing it wasnt about her boss, Kalysto frowned before answering, suspicious of who it was. Demon king? [Thats right. Ive finished my part of the contract. Now all that remains is for you to fulfill yours. Im waiting for you in my palace.] Alice and her grandparents are well? She hastened to ask. [In perfect condition. When are you coming? I have prepared a nice room for your long stay in my palace. I hope it will be to your liking.] But Im spending my vacation on Earth, Im not in Elinor. [Give me a moment.] Kalysto waited, but when she got no response ten minutes later, she continued with her plans. Two hours later, she was walking near a lake in Yoyogi Park while eating a delicious ice cream with chunks of fruit, when a black summoning circle appeared at her feet. Black shadows came out of it, rising like the liquid inside a lava lamp, before forming a whirlpool of shadows which transformed into the demon king, dressed in his finest clothes and an elegant cloak. A dark crown decorated with precious gems adorned his head, along with two horns that curved backwards. His long black hair contrasted with his fair skin and his piercing red eyes fixed on her. [ Now it is. Hello Kalysto How long has it been?] He said, as the words appeared in a window to the left of her as he leaned toward her and took her hand, chivalrously kissing her fingers. Kalysto opened her mouth and closed it again, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Hes your bosss godson! Kalysto scolded herself, regaining her composure. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! [The passive ability Mental Defense has been activated.] Kalystos face immediately relaxed and all traces of nerves disappeared completely as the characteristic coolness of her skill coursed through his whole body, bringing her control back to her. Good afternoon, demon king. I see that traveling between dimensions is on your list of skills, any chance you can teach me how to do it? He smiled at her impudence. Please call me Aegir," he replied with a seductive smile, which didnt affect her at all. And its a pity that this is not stipulated in our contract," he answered, but before Kalysto could try to negotiate the possibility of him teaching her, a huge red portal appeared in the sky. And twenty hundred level dragons came out of it. Book 3. Chapter 14 “An unexpected visit. The call back.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 14 An unexpected visit. The call back. Part 2 What the hell? Inspection! She muttered, surprised to see how quickly the portal formed over the beautiful, calm lake. Twenty red, blue, and green dragons emerged from the giant portal in less than six seconds. [Name: Elhyas Race: Dragon (Elite) Level: 100 HP: 1500.000/1500.000 MP: 40,000/40,000] Shit! Powerful roars came from the invaders as they formed into a semicircle, their wings spread wide, flapping as they hovered in the air as they formed a defensive line nearly a hundred and fifty meters from the portal. <> Persephone roared. Perfect aim! Telekinesis! Ice spear! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Penetration spell! She conjured and launched her attack at the back of the dragon closest to them, fearful that her attack would miss due to the large difference between their levels, but still doing her best. But just as she had feared, the attack had no effect. Even worse, the dragon just swung its tail and in one swoop split its spears, blocking her attack too easily. Ice ran through her veins as she saw how weak and helpless she was, despite all she had grown in such a short time. How can I kill those things? Master! Tsuki shouted in her mind, but Kalysto ignored him. The roars of the red and blue dragons ceased and instead transformed into powerful blasts of fire that set the entire park on fire in a matter of seconds as the green dragons formed swirls of wind that fed the fire, helping it spread faster. It all happened too fast. In a matter of mere seconds, the scenery changed from a peaceful and beautiful landscape to an inferno filled with fire. However, the sector inside the demon kings seal remained intact. Fire creation! She quickly conjured as soon as a new dragon, a much larger and black one, came out of the portal. But again, it did not cause any damage. Kalystos heart clenched with fear. If even she who was level sixty-five couldnt cause them a scratch, the other hunters had no hope of saving the city. Even worse, she doubted that the foreign hunters who had come to the auction Sakura had organized were above level thirty. And Hanna, who was level seventy, was too far away, exploring the paradisiacal beaches of Central America. I should never have told her about the lagoon of seven colors in Mexico! She scolded herself as the fat black dragon turned to look at her. Does my aunt know that you are a wizard and that you have a dual system? Asked the demon king as he watched her with open curiosity. Unmoved by all that was going on, as if chaos wasnt breaking out around him. What? She stammered, unable to understand how he could be so calm despite everything that was going on. Dont look at me like that, and I already told you to call me by my name, he answered at the same moment that the huge black dragon launched a flame of fire towards them. The demon king didnt even flinch at that. Kalysto, however, rushed to cover Tsukis body with hers. But the pain didnt come, neither did the notification window announce the pain block. <> Tsuki is not dumb! Kalysto growled, turning her face to the left, a habit she wasnt aware of having every time she spoke to Persephone. To then stare in amazement at the semi-transparent wall of magic that was protecting them from the dragons attack. Though she didnt even see the demon king lift a finger to conjure it.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. What annoying flies! He muttered, looking at the dragon out of the corner of his eye, then raised two fingers and with a simple movement, a curved black line with red edges was drawn in the air, splitting the huge black dragon in half. Now, where were we? he commented with a smile, looking her in the eyes. Kalysto opened her mouth without realizing it, admiring and at the same time fearing the immense power of her bosss godson. <> Persephone coveted. And Kalysto could feel greed and longing gnawing at her insides. Yes, me too! I want to be as strong as him! She agreed. <> Are you crazy? Shut up already, no one asked for your opinion on whether I sleep with someone or not! You want to get us killed? He''s my boss''s godson! The one who can stop time! Remember? Kalysto was alarmed. How interesting, he muttered. Kalysto immediately turned her head to look at him, startled at how close his face was to hers, and immediately pulled away, backing away. Fascinating to see you two getting along, he murmured as he studied her, eliminating what little space she had created between them. A word of advice: stop treating her like an old friend and get rid of her if you want my aunt to remove all restrictions from your system. What? How do you know about that? She was alarmed, but immediately remembered that the queen had mentioned to her that he was an expert in mental magic. And she immediately raised her mental defense. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] A playful smile appeared on the handsome demons face, as if he enjoyed the challenge. If I were you, I would worry more about the broken seal inside you than any intentions I have for you. After all, Im not the one trying to steal control of your body, despite the softness of his voice, Kalystos face lost all color at the warning. How...? But before he could answer her, the rest of the dragons flew towards them, at the same time that another black dragon, as big but a bit fatter than the previous one, came out of the portal. And all twenty-one dragons attacked them at the same time. What a lack of manners, he muttered. Cant you see Im busy chatting with a beautiful lady? He became annoyed and, in that instant, the air pressure changed. The swirls of air and fire in the vicinity were extinguished, as well as the fire in the surroundings. All the oxygen suddenly escaped from her lungs and the pressure in the fairy champions chest, as well as that of the dragons, which began to fall into the lake as if they were dead flies. This pressure...its much worse than the queens! She panicked as she struggled to breathe. Ma...master! Tsuki gurgled, ice coursed through Kalystos veins at the sight of her little one suffering from lack of oxygen and such a display of power. [Warning! An unknown entity has disabled the skill Mental Defense. All the users stats have been reduced by 99%. All magical skills have been reduced by 100%] Pa...stop...please...youre going to kill my...puppy, she begged as she struggled to breathe while her body, like that of every living thing in the vicinity, was lying on the ground. My apologies, he murmured, kneeling beside her, nullifying his magical pressure immediately as he chivalrously extended a hand to help her up. ..."Distrust flashed in Kalystos eyes, and instead of taking the outstretched hand, she muttered, Inventory! In one swift movement, she put Tsuki inside, ensuring his survival. I apologize for my tactlessness. I didnt think Tsuki was so young. How did he know his name if I never told him? She thought, not trusting the sorry face he was showing her. Can he really know his stats? Surprise flashed in the demon kings eyes. Cant you see it? Kalysto got angry when she heard him. Stop reading my mind, she became even more annoyed and immediately conjured her skill again. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] The twenty-one dragons came out of the lake. Rising a couple of meters in the air as the strongest of them, the black dragon, charged at them. Throwing a mighty blast of fire as it approached. But again the fire was blocked by a semitransparent magic wall which extended all around the circle drawn under their feet, but burning all that was left around the circle. It seems I have to apologize again, Kalysto. Let me kill this insect so we can continue talking. Aegir Donovhar extended his hand and from it, a line of mana turned into a beautiful black sword with bright red carved symbols. But despite Kalystos initial relief that he would take care of the dragons in her place and save the city, an idea came to her mind. Wait! She said, stretching out her hand to stop him, but it was too late. Half of the dragons died with the interrupted attack, the rest only survived because Kalysto in her eagerness to stop him, grabbed him by the arm. They both stood watching where she had touched him, and Kalysto recoiled in shame for having touched someone without his consent. Especially since that someone was powerful enough to kill her without leaving a trace. I apologize for that, but could you please not kill them all and just leave them weak enough for me to finish them off? Aegir, used to dealing with fairies, just let out a half smile. What are you willing to offer me? What do you want in return? She answered almost at the same time as the rest of the dragons, except for the black one, flew towards them, crashing against the semi-transparent wall. Desperate to see the continuous attacks while the black dragon watched them carefully as she feared he would realize that the protection only worked on one side, she hurried to answer. Book 3. Chapter 14 “An unexpected visit. The call back.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 14 An unexpected visit. The call back. Part 3 In the book I gave you, it said the black plague contaminated part of the demon territory. I can purify it for you. ... he watched her in silence, from the fear in Kalystos green eyes, which abandoned his figure to focus her attention on the annoying dragons, to the greed he could see in them. Do you want to become stronger? Yes, she answered without hesitation and he smiled, knowing he had found another weakness in her, one he could use to his advantage. When I reread the book you gave me a few days ago, I went to verify what it said there. Imagine my surprise to see that my late uncles lands, which various human kingdoms have been trying to steal for centuries, have been contaminated by the plague, just as you and that book indicate. And no one seems to have noticed that, nor informed me or my two brothers, he clarified. Unlike mine, my brothers kingdoms are on the border with my uncles territory. And that is a problem. I can purify your uncles land for you, she offered, looking sideways at the dragons who were taking turns attacking the barrier. I know. I know you can do it because you already did it with my aunts kingdom... then she smiled and a touch of coldness shone in his eyes. But that would be too easy for you, Kalysto, and you are the one who has the most to lose if I let these dragons live. ... She swallowed, knowing that he had her where he wanted her. She clenched her fists, knowing that with only three weeks since the portals had appeared, there was no way anyone else could help her. Not when there werent as many monsters on Earth as there were in Elinor, so there was no one else she could ask for help. And the fairy queen didnt even like humans. What else do you want me to do for you? She forced a smile, so used to faking them at the annoying customers she sometimes had to deal with that it seemed real, but her clenched fists gave her away, and he noticed. I know you want to learn magic, and Im sure you were attracted not only by the shield youve been admiring so much while ignoring me. But also by the spell to travel between dimensions. Dont you think that purifying my uncles lands alone is too low a price for all that? I will also give you ten liters of holy water and for one day I will cure your sick, she negotiated, surprising him. Immediately, the shield disappeared just as the six dragons stopped attacking and the other four approached to try to attack under the watchful eye of the black dragon. The body of the demon king disappeared. One second it was in front of her and the next it was gone. Instead, the body of one of the dragons, without wings, legs, or tail, fell out of the circle. Followed by another dragon and another one. Finally, the body of the black dragon joined them. Then the figure of Aegir Donovhar reappeared before her with his sword in hand dyed with the blood of dragons. You will eat with me once a day... he announced as the dragons roared in pain for the lost limbs behind his back, but he was not even fazed by it. Once a month, she corrected immediately, surprised by his great speed and power, but not at all willing to expose herself to spending more time than necessary with him. No matter how much of a godson he was to her boss, he was too dangerous to have around. Once a week, he interrupted her and before she could refute him, he said, Id be quick to say yes if I were you, if you take a couple of seconds longer to decide theyll die, and you wont get what you want from them. ... Kalysto pursed her lips, annoyed at having to give in and not being in control of the situation. But as she listened to the roars of the dragons as they bled and writhed on the ground while throwing fire left and right, she knew she had no choice. The dragons would die at any moment. I accept. Blessing! She conjured, pointing to herself. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! She added, injecting most of her mana into freezing the necks and heads of the dragons, knowing that it wouldnt be long before they could break it, just as the orc did. Then she ran to where the first one was and put her hands under where his forelegs were supposed to be, but now it was just an open wound. Absorb!The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Give me first all the skills you can absorb, then its stats, but leave its HP for last! [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Wind Creation. Level 10! Class: legendary!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 90 stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 900 HP!] [The skill Absorb has been leveled up to level 51!] The dragons body turned to ashes after being absorbed, so she continued with the rest, until only two more dragons was left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 40 Stamina points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 70 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 90 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 70 points of Agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 50 points of Agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 70 points of Strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 150 points of Strength!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 300 points of HP]! [Congratulations! User has acquired 500 HP points!] x2 [Congratulations, the user has acquired 700 HP points!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 600 HP points!] x2 [Congratulations, the user has acquired 400 HP points] x2! [Congratulations, the user has acquired 300 HP points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fire creation. Level 20! Class: legendary!] [Warning! The user already possessed this skill but at a lower level. The new skill will overwrite the old one.] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water creation. Level 21! Class: legendary!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Wind creation. Level 21! class: legendary!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Wind manipulation. Level 22! Class: legendary!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Water Manipulation. Level 20! Class: legendary!] Just as she was about to run towards the black dragon, who was moaning less and less loudly, a violet window appeared before her. Completely blocking her view. [Hello, Kalysto. Sorry to interrupt your vacation, but Mhiralla has sent her monsters again and spread the plague. I need you to come back right now.] Hello, boss! Give me five minutes, finish up here, Ill say goodbye and well go! Are there many injured fairies? She asked to buy time as she ran towards the body of the black dragon, the last one left. Absorb! She thought. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Absorb as much as you can as fast as you can! [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fire Manipulation. Level 17! Class: legendary!] [Warning! The user already possessed this skill, but in a higher class. The new skill will be absorbed by the old one]. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 120 Stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1100 points of HP!] [No. My soldiers are perfectly capable of eliminating her monsters. The problem is the black plague and the miasma they spread.] Okay, can you please send all those who are injured or infected to the same place? Galatea knows the procedure. Please ask her to separate the most seriously injured in one room and the rest in the other. And she located the points of the people she was looking for in her map. Boss, Hanna is now on a different continent than I am. [What the hell is my niece doing in your world?] She was with me when the magic circle activated and brought me back. It was when I got here that I realized we had ended up traveling together by accident, she explained. Then Kalysto took out her cell phone and called Sakura, but she didnt answer. Then she called Katias father, but she didnt get an answer either. Can you give me two minutes and Ill send some messages and let Hanna know that we have to go back? [Ill talk to her!] Thank you! Immediately Kalysto touched the points of Sakura, Kata, Natasha, and Mrs. Tanner and sent a message to each of them. Its a pity I cant get their replies, she muttered under her breath. I see you have forgotten my presence again. Its good to know that having fairy blood, even your verbal contracts, are equally valid. Although I would prefer that we have one backed by the system, would you prefer that I be the one to send it to you? Aegir commented, standing next to her. Did you know Im a half-breed? she asked with surprise as she frowned, unable to believe that so many knew about this when she had only recently found out. Of course. Why do you think Im so interested in exploring your healing services? He questioned, surprised at how little she knew about herself. A human saintess could harm my people while trying to heal or purify us, but a half-blood can heal multiple races. The more her blood is mixed, and her ancestors, the more species she can heal. Book 3. Chapter 14 “An unexpected visit. The call back.” Part 4 Book 3. Chapter 14 An unexpected visit. The call back. Part 4 Note: I want to make a small clarification about the differences between the healing spell of the water mages and the Jhil spell of the saintesses. While the basic/intermediate/advanced healing spell only accelerates the natural healing of a wound, it does not remove pain or scars. Nor can it regenerate bones, it only closes wounds that the human body could heal by itself. While the saintess spell, Jhil, can regenerate skin and bones without leaving any scars, as well as regrow a recently amputated limb (like a lizards tail that can regrow after being cut off). The more skin that must be regenerated (as in the case of the black plague), the greater the mana expenditure. *** [Kalysto. After you finish healing my fairies and purifying the forest, I want you to level up the enchantment profession to level 100 and raise the second profession to 50. I want you to create a second barrier to protect my lands. I also want you to raise your Dispel and Dispel Ezhil skills to level 100. Im going to need them soon.] Kalysto frowned at the notification window. What do you want me to level them up for...? What Dispel does is to deactivate spells or disperse mana... That she mentioned it after talking about a barrier... maybe she wants me to deactivate one?... She thought while another window appeared with the continuation of the words of the queen of the fairies. She sure is tired of so many attacks from Mhiralla. Maybe Ill have to help when she returns the favor. Though its strange that she hasnt returned it before... Then she remembered that the temple of light worshipped Mhiralla as its main goddess instead of her mother, the goddess of light, Arharella. Maybe she wants me to destroy the temples defenses. She smiled, remembering Edwards betrayal, and that Darla had tried to absorb her. In that case, Ill gladly do it. I have scores to settle with that madwoman. [I need you to finish quickly with your second mission and start preparing for the third. Youll have five months for this. If you do well, I will terminate our contract, allow you to continue to have the system and you will be free to do with your life as you please.] Kalysto was surprised at the opportunity to terminate her contract earlier than agreed and was thrilled about it. With the amount of sneak attacks Mhiralla launches, its nice to know I wont have to live nine more years of it. But before she could say anything, the violet symbol of the fairy queen was drawn on the ground. [I will bring you back to my kingdom. Galatea will be waiting for you.] [Dont disappoint me Kalysto.] A second later, Galatea was in front of her, accompanied by two more fairies that Kalysto did not recognize. The coffee-with-milk tone of her skin seemed much paler than usual, which made the green tone of Galateas hair much more striking. Good morning, Champion! The brunette hurried to greet her, with a hand on her chest as a sign of respect. The other two fairies soon followed her. Sir, welcome! Galatea greeted, looking at someone behind Kalysto, who turned and met the red eyes of the queens godson. But before she could comment on her unexpected companion, Galatea approached her and continued speaking. I have brought the utensils you asked for last time, she said, handing her the white robe, gloves, and face mask. Galatea, thank you for remembering, she said as she received them, noticing that both Galatea and the other two fairies were wearing the white coats, gloves and face masks. Where are the patients? Did you separate them into two groups as I asked? Im afraid I didnt manage to do it. We barely managed to bring some of them here, but there are still many missing, she apologized as she escorted her to a door. All right, she said as she put on her gown and put the rest of the utensils in her inventory, Bring the new patients to a second room, and only leave the more serious ones in this one, she ordered as she opened the door. Hello everyone! Give me your full attention please! My name is Kalysto Luna and I am here to cure you, but I will need your full cooperation to do it! She announced after giving a resounding applause, to draw the attention of the more than one hundred fairies in the large white room. Those of you who are not in a serious condition please accompany Galatea to another room, I will join you as soon as I finish healing the most affected first! Dont worry, there will be time for everyone, but I need to focus on the most serious cases first! Now, please stay where you are, the rest of you please leave! Come on, lets go! The longer you take to leave, the longer it will take me to treat you! As soon as the first fairies began to leave with the help of Galatea and the other two fairies, Kalysto stood in the middle of the room, noting with sadness the different degrees of petrification that could already be seen in the arms and hands of many of the fairies that were left lying or sitting on the different stretchers. I apologize in advance for what is about to happen, but if you have any spells active, remove them. Right now, it is more important for me to stop the advance of the black plague. Ready? Seeing that no one said anything, while the majority looked at her without understanding what she was talking about, she began to conjure: Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! A hissing sound from behind her warned her that something wasnt right along with the surprised expressions on the faces of several of the fairies who were staring at the door. Kalysto turned before continuing with a second round and noticed the goblet on the floor next to the feet of Aegir Donovhar, whose bare muscular chest was covered in burns. What the hell happened? Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! She conjured and ran to him to check his wounds.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It looks like one of your spells wanted to burn me alive, he said as he watched the blistered skin begin to heal. I doubt the problem is with Dispel Ezhil, although that could be the culprit for him being half naked. I didnt know you could conjure clothes, she muttered, Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! I can do many things, he replied with a coquettish smile that she ignored, too busy trying to heal the damage she had inadvertently caused him. Get dressed and put this on! she said, putting on the mask. You are in the presence of fairies infected with the black plague. You could catch it. Youd better get out, she added, giving him the gloves Galatea had given her earlier but he immediately refused. What about you? he worried. You dont have to worry about me, Im immune to it, she clarified, Now get out of here, Im too busy healing the rest to have to worry about any of my spells affecting you, then she turned and walked away from him without giving him a second glance. Sorry for the interruption. Ill continue immediately! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! About fifteen minutes later, two violet windows appeared before her. [Warning! User has lost 10% HP.] [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skill again or your health will be severely affected.] Did you really have to show up just now? she muttered in annoyance and immediately took out a health potion from her inventory and drank it. After putting the rest of the potion away, she touched the golden tattoo on her wrist with her right hand. Boss, Im out of mana! If you want me to finish healing them today, Im going to need you to provide me with enough mana crystals to continue working. Less than five seconds later, a new purple window appeared before her. [How many do you need? And what the hell is wrong with your health?] Id rather she hadnt noticed that. Kalysto let out a prolonged sigh. Considering that there are at least a hundred fairies whose bodies are partially turned to stone in this room, I will need at least two hundred mana stones with at least eight thousand MP. But Galatea can give you a better idea of how many wounded there are. The others were in the other room with her and she informed me that more were on their way. [How come you have a health curse?] There was an idiot kidnapping girls and using them as sacrifices. When I confronted him, I ended up with the curse. [Dirty humans! Not only do they steal and appropriate other peoples land, but they also kidnap and sacrifice innocent girls? You should stop mixing with those people, Kalysto! Who knows what theyll do to you if you give them another chance!] Kalysto could feel the queens rage through the system. But she wasnt the only one to do so. The rest of the fairies in the room seemed to be able to feel it, cowering on their stretchers. They werent humans, they were hobgoblins, Kalysto hastened to clarify. And boss, I really need those mana stones fast. [Clear your inventory! Theres no room for anything in there!] Kalystos cheeks turned red at the unexpected scolding and she immediately took out Tsuki and her favorite axe and placed them on the only unoccupied stretcher. Stay there, take care of my weapon and dont move! She whispered to Tsuki. Yes, Master! Ready, Ive made some space! She announced and immediately one thousand two hundred mana stones appeared in her inventory. [I hope thats enough.] Ill let you know right away if it isnt, she assured her. Six hours later, Kalysto had finished healing all the fairies that had been infected. Ready boss, Im done here! She announced before drinking another health potion. [Take care of the miasma at the border.] Immediately the queens magic circle appeared under her feet and in less than a second she was in front of the golden barrier that Artemis had recently reinforced. Threads of black vapor known as miasma, seeped between the barrier and the earth as if there was some sort of tiny groove between them. But that wasnt the most shocking thing. The entire forest outside the barrier was completely covered by a thick black miasma mist as the bodies of thousands of monsters lay dismembered on the ground. And Kalystos shoulders slumped in defeat as she saw the forest she had worked so hard to purify, enveloped in a sea of black. I really wont be able to enjoy my vacation, she muttered under her breath before Hanna and another group of fairies guarding the barrier approached her. Book 3. Chapter 15. “Secrets.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 15. Secrets. Part 1 [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up to level 32!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 47!] [The skill Jhil Ezhil has leveled up to level 30!] [The Blessing skill has leveled up to level 25!] Kalysto closed the notification windows and, with Hannas help, finished purifying the surrounding forest at 1 oclock in the morning. Finally! The saintess sighed with relief as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Champion, give me a moment and Ill take a revitalizing potion and a mana potion and take us back, assured Hanna, who could barely stand and whose mana had almost dried up. I thought that instead of taking mana potions you would absorb the mana stones, since you have so many. Absorbing a small mana stone would take me at least a week, trying to do it with one of the ones I normally give you would take me forever, Hanna replied as she drank the first potion. Yet her words took Kalysto by surprise. A week? Isnt that too long? It only takes me a few seconds. She thought, and suddenly remembered Caranthir, who assured her that he had developed a method that reduced the absorption process to four days. Its still too long in comparison. Thats right, its a slow process. But there are those, like for example my cousin Artemis, who have the skill to absorb them faster, but that is sometimes painful for her so even she is careful, That immediately caught Kalystos attention. Like a skill? Thats right, she said, trying to hide a half-smile. I guess the champion has it too, and thats why you are so curious? Kalystos face turned red, revealing herself unintentionally. It already seemed strange to me that the champion would ask for so many mana stones in such a short time. I like to collect them, she excused herself. I thought thats what the slime cores were for. But if the champion also possesses the absorption skill, surely you acquired the regeneration skill in the same way my late cousin Athenea did. My condolences for the death of your cousin.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The champion doesnt have to worry about that. It happened a long time ago, and it wasnt your fault. I thought fairies had very long lives, like hundreds of years. Thats right. The more powerful they are, like my aunt, the more centuries they can live. But Athenea was killed by Seth-Mainyu, her voice cracked with sadness at the memory, at the same time Kalysto was surprised by how communicative the fairy was being. ... So thats why its the war and why the fairies leave this continent at the end of the book. Leaving? Has my aunt said anything to the champion about the possibility of moving back? No, but it is written in the book I exchanged with Aegir Donovhar, the demon king. Could the champion tell me more about this book? Could you tell me more about this god and how he is the enemy of the fairies? ... Thats a long story. After sunrise I will go to King Donovhars territory, so we have a few hours, she murmured as the light of both full moons filtered into the small clearing where they both sat down to rest, sitting on a huge rock. The rays of the moons illuminated the features of both, drawing the shadows away from the silent forest. Kalysto took advantage of the silence to drink a health potion while she waited patiently for Hanna to decide to tell her story. This is not our world, the fairy began. My father told me that a little over a century ago, the fairies who survived the great massacre committed by the mad son of the god of darkness. My cousin Athenea had just given birth to her child at that time but Seth-Mainyu killed her and we escaped to this world thanks to the great power of my aunt. But despite our efforts to continue to prosper peacefully, he is still looking for us. And now one of his warlords is invading and destroying this continent. Even though the one who bothers us most now is the goddess Mhiralla, our enemy is still the same, Seth-Mainyu. It must be horrible to have to live on the run all your life, she commented, understanding why the queens urgency to create a second protective barrier. But I dont understand why he started attacking you for no reason. I dont know if they have told you that when the god of ether was in a sentimental relationship with aunt, she was not a goddess, just a powerful and beautiful fairy. It was after a long time that the goddess of light seduced him, making him believe that her marriage with the god of darkness was over and she became pregnant with twins. After that as a parting gift the god of ether gave my aunt, who is his avatar, divinity as a parting gift, but shortly after that they had another daughter, and being pregnant with her, Arharella went to visit her ex who was with two of her children at the time. There are many conflicting versions of what happened during that night, but both Sejmet, the daughter of the god of darkness and her brother, Seth-Mainyu, opposed the betrayal of the gods who sealed the god Ygaerae. But the rest of the gods wasted almost all their power in that and since then they live hidden in another dimension while they sleep to replenish their power. My aunt, being the avatar of the god of ether, Fieal, was summoned and had no choice but to confront Seth-Mainyu and prevent him from killing the god Fieal during the battle in which the dark god was sealed. I think thats why he hates her, even when she was the one who created the island where the body of the dark god rests and she herself sacrificed her skills to keep the fairies hidden in exchange for making sure that the rest of the gods could never find Ygaerae and finish killing him... she commented sadly. But champion, it is unfair that he blamed my aunt, since no avatar can disobey a direct order from the god they serve. Even if she had died, the god of the ether need only summon her avatar again and she would revive immediately, then her gaze ceased to be lost and focused on Kalysto. Just as it would happen to you, champion, she said, looking at her. Even if my aunt wont allow you to heal yourself because of that shadow inside you that is connected to Seth-Mainyu and because of that my aunt will never fully trust you, in case you die my aunt only needs to summon you again, and both the soul and the body of the champion will come back to life. Book 3. Chapter 15. “Secrets.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 15. Secrets. Part 2 So thats why she wont let me heal myself despite the risk it poses to me. Kalysto closed her eyes at the same time as her shoulders slumped as if she no longer had the strength. She could finally understand the real reason for the whole thing, yet that didnt stop much of her from feeling disappointed. And here I thought that if I worked hard and made fast progress with the quests, I could get her to unlock my healing skill, gain her trust, send the rest of the heroes back, learn the spell to travel between worlds ... maybe even gain her respect ... and so I could find my place ... a home for myself. An unpleasant grimace distorted her face as she kept her eyes from watering with tears, bent her knees, hugged them, and hid her face between the crook of her arms and her knees. Not wanting Hanna to see her crumble. How foolish and delusional I was...why did I ever think she could like me? Ever since the night her father disappeared, she had lost her home. Her mother and she had never really understood each other, not when all her mother cared about was the attention of the man who warmed her bed. Kalysto had lost her deranged attempt at home again that afternoon when her stepfather murdered her mother in the kitchen. I never fit in at the orphanage, she remembered. Always studying so she could make sure she could get into a university while the rest of the kids avoided her, pointing her out as a murderer. Leaving her more and more alone. So, she ran away and moved to another city. Blasky seemed as good a place as any to start from scratch. But when she finally got a scholarship, soon after the dorm she was in was destroyed in an earthquake. She had to take a second job to pay off the debt on the computer she had bought, which was buried in the earthquake rubble, and because of the overwork, her grades dropped. Although she did not lose the semester, her grades were not high enough to keep the scholarship, and she had to drop out. After a couple of low-paying jobs where she was just exploited, she was finally able to get something decent, go back to university, and get a cheap room, thanks to Mrs. Tanner. But she had lost that too now. Even when she had become so attached to Alice, her best friend, she started hanging out more and more with her new friends. And that, coupled with Kalystos limited free time, which didnt match Alices busy social schedule, had caused them to start drifting apart. Even though they had promised to move in together as soon as they finished their respective careers. My whole life has been just one shitty thing after another. She realized suddenly as tears streamed down her cheeks, their warmth contrasting with the cold of the early morning. I get up only to fall again and keep fighting. And now that Im in another world, things dont seem to change. Even when she had a system and was much stronger than before... the blows that life threw at her seemed to get bigger and bigger. And I couldnt even finish enjoying my vacation or sleep as much as I wanted to! <> Persephone complained. << A couple of stumbles here and there are no big deal!... Besides, who the hell said you were alone? Where did I go? Am I painted on the wall? >> Kalysto rolled her eyes, not at all pleased by Persephones poor attempts to comfort her. << Stop whining like a little baby! Just get stronger, kill them all and thats the end of the problem!>> Kalysto frowned. Shut up! Im too tired and hungry to listen to your nonsense! Besides, no one asked for your opinion! she complained. Do you realize its your fault that the queen wont let me heal myself? If she had done it from the beginning, everything would have been so much easier for me! <> And we both would have died at the hands of that orc if it werent for the queen! She refuted, annoyed. Besides, if it werent for me, you would have starved to death! You cant even cook an egg without letting it burn! <<...>> <<...Black is our color, it goes well with us...>> Persephone defended herself at the mention of her disastrous cooking skills. <> Im not in the mood for this! Im not going to argue with you anymore! And before Persephone could argue, she added: Come on, Kalysto, focus! [The passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] The familiar coldness washed over her from head to toe, immediately silencing Persephones voice. A few seconds later, after glancing away from Hanna, Kalysto wiped away her tears discreetly and withdrew two theles from her inventory. She offered one to the fairy and took a bite of the other.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. An eerie silence stretched between them and the silent forest as they both ate, each deep in thought. If I were in the queens place I wouldnt have even given me the chance to have the system, much less prevented my murder, whispered Kalysto without understanding why the queen had helped her in spite of everything, while she watched how the wind gently swayed the treetops and a couple of leaves fell off to be swept away by the soft breeze under the strong light of the two moons. If I were her, I would not have taken the risk, nor would I associate with someone who has a possible accomplice of my daughters murderer inside... Then she turned her head to look at her carefully. Knowing the risk, then why did she choose me as her champion and not someone else? Also, how is it that you are so sure that Persephone serves him or that she works with him? After Tsuki told her that the eye delivered something to Persephone, there was no doubt that they knew each other, but that didnt mean they worked together. ... Hanna looked at her sadly before answering. We know they are related because their energies are similar. Do you remember what happened with the elves who kidnapped you? How could I forget? Its not only that her energy is very similar to his, but that many fairies died under that same spell. Fear shone in Kalystos eyes, who hurried to close them as ice invaded her body when she understood what she implied. He had taught that spell to Persephone. No wonder the queen warned me that she would personally deal with me if I ever lost control of Persephone like that again. Her hands shook as she realized how close she came to dying. But then why didnt she kill me after that? Why keep giving me a chance? ... And about your other question... Im afraid I cant answer it right now... Hanna whispered, but Kalysto could no longer remember what it was about. She was too surprised that the queen had not killed her at that instant to think of anything else. A long and uncomfortable silence stretched between them, until after ten minutes, Hanna clapped her hands and spoke again. Why dont we go back to the previous topic and get away from such shady subjects? She tried to cheer her up while they both made time for the fairy to recover enough mana to take them back to the queens castle. Were we talking about mana circles and the ability to absorb ambient mana, as humans do, or mana crystals, as we fairies and practically everyone else do? Kalysto watched her struggle to change the heavy atmosphere that had been created between them, so she decided to collaborate with the kind fairy. You know you still owe me several enchanted bags, right? She said suddenly, remembering the deal they had made while she was in the tower and had run out of space to store the collection of weapons she collected both in the tower and in both dungeons. Sure! I have them here. Let me give them to you! Then they finished the contracts they had pending. Just as a second awkward silence formed again, Hanna cleared her throat several times, as if to attract attention. And thats why we mages normally work so hard at creating our mana circles to increase our mana storage capacity, she explained. And Kalysto had to try hard not to laugh at how uncomfortable Hanna looked as she forced herself to change the subject. So she decided to play along. ...It is my understanding that when a mana circle is created a crystal protrudes from the skin of the persons chest, she said, worried that maybe the demon king was right and there was something wrong with the method she used to create her mana circle, since she never had such a gem appear to her. In most races it usually happens. However, that is not the case for the fei and fairies. It is said that our queen is the most beautiful creation made by the gods and the favorite of the god of ether, Fieal, and the god of darkness, Ygaerae. So in order not to ruin her beauty, they modified our species so that when we develop magic (which is a gift from the god of ether), the beauty of our species and therefore that of the queen, who is an earth mage, would never be harmed. The same goes for light elves, however I understand that neither humans, nor demons, nor the rest of the other elf classes, have this advantage. If I remember correctly, dwarves dont have this benefit either, but that would be difficult to investigate now, she said, looking very curious all of a sudden. Which caught Kalystos attention. And why is that? Am I sure you can fly into their territory at any time? ... Hanna looked at her and sadness and compassion shone in her eyes. Champion, while we were in your world, the whole dwarven territory was destroyed by monsters. It is said that three portals appeared there. In fact, I heard that portals have been appearing in other territories, she told her in such a low voice that Kalytso had to come closer to hear her. Only a small group of dwarves survived, and that was only because of a deal with our queen. ...What will become of them now? Since my aunt destroyed the capital of Elenium and the elves fled from there after what they did to you, my aunt gave the surviving dwarves permission to settle there. ... I understand that the kingdom of Thagyol, which is just north of Elenium, was destroyed by the monsters a few days before I arrived. Isnt that dangerous for them? As far as I know there are no more monsters in that area, but it is likely that there are remains of miasma or the black plague, so they will probably require your services, champion, she added the last as a smile full of complicity. I tell you this only because I like to make deals with you, she added, as if they were accomplices. Of course, she went along with her. So the dwarves are now vassals of the queen? Mmm, more like they are in great debt to my aunt, she not only brought them here but also provided a good amount of holy water to heal their wounded. How is it that the queen can get so much holy water if there hasnt been another non-human saintess in centuries? Curiosity flooded Kalystos voice when she asked and Hanna smiled, very proud of herself. Although Im left without my nice collection, my aunt gave me a beautiful sword with penetration spells conjured by my cousin Artemis, along with a small mine of mana crystals, she announced proudly, immediately catching Kalystos attention, whose eyes glittered with greed which made Hanna smile. How much do you want for the mine? How much is the champion willing to offer? ... Kalysto observed her silently before speaking again. A lake two meters deep and as wide as the mine. If you dig it or get someone to dig it, Ill fill it with holy water, she bargained, sure that she would give it to her. And Hanna did not disappoint her. Deal! Several hours later, after lunch, Kalysto used the scroll the demon king had given to her and arrived in Desmonds kingdom. A large room decorated in shades of beige, and beautiful landscape paintings with golden frames and large windows welcomed her. It is a pleasure to see that you have finally decided to come and visit me, Kalysto, the sensual voice of Aegir Donovhar echoed throughout the room. The hairs on the back of Kalystos neck stood up, and she immediately turned around to face him while activating her defense. [Passive skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Aegir was wearing red this time, dressed so elegantly that he looked ready to attend an elegant party, instead of just receiving her in a landing room. Thank you for your invitation, she replied, looking away from him to focus on the elderly couple smiling warmly at her, and the young blonde girl who ran up to her with open arms and her flashy blue eyes filled with tears. Youre alive! I cant believe youre really alive! Alice sobbed as she hugged her tightly. Im glad to hear youre okay too, Kalysto whispered, returning her embrace. Im so glad you didnt die this time! Book 3. Chapter 16 “A taste of power.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 16 A taste of power. Part 1 What?... Kalystos face lost all the color she had. Wait a minute! Are you telling me that you really traveled back in time? Is that even possible? She questioned, grabbing her by the shoulders. Because if it is, it means I can save my mother, or even better, stop my father from abandoning me. She couldnt help thinking, realizing at that moment that she would have preferred to leave with him if given the chance than to have to go again through all the scorn, neglect, and abuse she experienced. Then she felt disgusted with herself and guilt engulfed her. Oh my God, Im just like my mother! She reproached herself as she realized that just like her progenitor, who neglected her for trying to gain the attention of a man, a part of her was willing to abandon her to run away with her father and do the same to her. No, I didnt time travel, the blonde clarified, and for the first time since their reunion, Kalysto began to notice small details in her friend that he hadnt noticed before. Only my conscience and my memories did it because my body and everything else were sacrificed for the skill. Thats what its called sacrifice. Did you buy it with the book of shadows? Seeing Alices frown, who looked much more tired and older than usual, she hurried to clarify: I am referring to Alcyones book. Alcyone was the black magician who had created the first book of shadows as his last experiment to extend his life after more than a hundred years of failed experiments. Among the followers of the Lethicia the Huntress trilogy that book was known by those two names, but the fans of the tragic stories of Kassandra Black, the author, called it by another name as it appeared in several of her books, but the character of Alcyone only appeared in one. No, I didnt get it in the skill book, but it was in it that I bought Jhils skill, she clarified, sitting down next to Kalysto and leaning her head against her shoulder. Resurrection is a skill that only appears after Jhil reaches level 80, and sacrifice when it reaches level 100, the blonde commented. Kalysto closed her eyes when she heard that, as she put a hand to her face and pulled her loose hair back. Abruptly, she stood up from the bed, causing Alice to lose her balance and almost fall against the bed mattress. Then the saintess began to walk from the bed until she almost reached the bathroom door, only to turn back again. So thats why the queen has been pressuring me to level up my skills!... If something goes wrong on the third mission, I can simply revive the fairies or go back in time and prevent it. Or in case I die, she can simply revive me by re-summoning me since I am her Avatar. Realizing this didnt help that she wasnt disappointed in the cold way she was being used. I would have appreciated it if she had explained it to me or at least said it to my face. Her shoulders slumped, and she stopped pacing back and forth. Her gaze was lost in nothingness. Even if I felt grateful to her for saving me, being used as a disposable chess piece is not pleasant at all. So this time I made sure to become the owner of the book as soon as I found it in the forest outside the capital while I was on a mission to collect medicinal plants, Alice commented trying to get her attention as she pulled out of a small leather pouch that had been tucked inside her cleavage and was tied to a chain hanging from her neck, and from it she took out a thick old book with a dark red, almost brown cover, with golden letters and decorations. How did you get that greedy merchant or his daughter to give it to you? asked the fairy champion, grateful for the sudden change of focus, needing to get away from her depressing thoughts about the queen and her contract. But as soon as she fixed her attention on the book, her fingers itched to be able to touch it and hold it in her own hands. Kalysto clenched her fists tightly and took a step back as the sweet and kind Alice showed it to her, oblivious to her reaction. They were both dead when I found their bodies a hundred meters down the road. They made it look like a robbery, but the truth is that the assailant seemed to be behind the book and although the merchant managed to defeat him, he bled to death sitting under a leafy old pine-like tree. With the book in his hands. How did you know where to find it? In the book The Hero of a Kingdom in Ruins, the protagonist finds it in the forest outside the capital of Bhallys. I just followed in his footsteps. Im glad I bought all of Kassandras books before returning to Elinor. Ill read it as soon as I have some free time. She thought as the desire to touch the book became more and more uncontrollable. Almost as if the magic inside the book was calling her. But Kalysto knew better. It was just pure greed on her part.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. So she stood firm where she was standing, watching from afar what Alice so kindly wanted to show her. Did you buy the merchant''s skill or the profession? -she questioned, thinking that would be the first thing she would do if she had the book. But Alice kept silent. ... Alice?... Why dont you answer me? ... You know Im not very good at negotiating... I never had a talent for that... and by the time it was finally available to buy it and I decided to do it, someone else bought it just before me, and since then I havent been able to get it... she answered with her head down and a shiver ran down Kalystos back at what her friend wasnt saying. Full of concern, she approached her friend. A quick glance at the page where the book was open told her why she was behaving so strangely. You have only 20,550 points left? Thats how many? 2 and a half years left to live? Kalysto shouted, equal parts angry and frightened at her friend for the foolishness she had committed. Is that why you look older? -She questioned, but she didnt give her time to answer. What the fuck did you spend your life points on? ... Alice ducked her head sheepishly again. In my first life, I was too surprised when I got the book. It was long after I ran away and got to safety that the fear of trading my remaining life hours for points and buying skills stopped overcoming my fear of dying or being eaten by monsters... she excused herself with her eyes red from crying. By the time I did, Jhil, who had been cheap at the beginning, had already disappeared. Terrified of dying at any moment, I spent months checking the book at every instant, waiting for an opportunity to buy it. Sometime later, I bought Jhil the second time I saw it, no matter how expensive it was at the time. And even though this time I managed to buy it in time, how could I leave my grandparents whose vitality and agility were below 10 and stamina was between 5 and 10 points unprotected in a world as dangerous as this one? Fear and despair shone in his eyes as she said it. Did you buy stat crystals? the saintess guessed. Realizing that in her fear of not losing them again, Alice had spent more points than she should have by buying them. Yes, she answered immediately, fear marking her face. I needed to make sure that if I wasnt around, they could survive on their own long enough for me to heal them. As well as having some skills that would help us survive in this world. ...I understand... she answered. And although she wanted to scold her for making such a foolish decision when all she had to do was wait a couple of weeks and find things that sold well, as Lethicia had done in her trilogy. However, it was now too late to regret it. It was your fear that decided for you. She thought as she looked at the other page of the open book, where it showed that the merchant''s skill was worth 20,370 points. Considering that the book charges a commission of twenty percent of the points for each item sold, plus the points it charges for offering an item for sale... its very likely that Alice wont have enough time left in her life to wait for whatever we put on offer to sell, even if I give her holy water and some mana crystals... the chance of it not selling in time is too high for her to consider it as a possibility. If an offer comes up, dont hesitate to buy the merchant skill. Only then the book will allow you to sell something to the owners of the other books. I have a good stock of holy water and mana crystals that we could sell, she said as she hugged her. ...Thank you, Alice whispered between tears clinging to her desperately. ... Kalysto... I dont want to die... Not again, her voice broke as she began to cry harder and hid her face in her friends shoulder as she hugged her friend back. <> Persephone whispered peevishly. Kalystos blood ran cold, listening to her when she wasnt supposed to be able to. Shit, Im going to have to talk to Aegir and move up our classes of mind magic! She immediately pulled it back up and pulled Alice away a bit slyly as she broke the hug, creating some space between her and the book that was still lying on the blondes thighs. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Dont worry, Im sure well find a solution, she assured him, although she couldnt think of anything else. By the way, how did you come up with the idea of ??getting the book? She couldnt help but ask before she realized what she was doing. When I came to this world and realized that the rumors were true that Kassandra is a witch who can see the future of other worlds, I wondered what Kalysto would do if she were in my place? she commented with a smile while wiping her tears. So before Sandra started ranting about refusing to help the king, I acted in the helpful way you told me you did with difficult customers, put on my best customer service smile, and tried to turn the situation in my favor. And then I escaped as soon as I had the opportunity just after I gained their trust and they let their guard down shortly after I acquired the book. After I was able to escape this world thanks to the help of an elf whose people were slaughtered by monsters and the black plague, I was able to return to earth. Only to discover that you were dead and my grandparents were missing. While searching for them, I was stupid enough to trust someone who ended up stealing my book. A year and a half went by while I was able to get an ally to help me get it back and take revenge. But by the time I was able to get it back, I discovered that my grandparents had died shortly after the appearance of the first portal... Alices eyes filled with tears again, which she hurried to wipe away before closing the book. At the same time, Kalysto debated the desire to approach her friend and comfort her, and the desire to touch the magic book. So this time I made sure to bind him to me with my blood and thus become his mistress as the author explained in one of her books, so that no one else but me can use it this time... so that no one else can take advantage of me again. They will kill you if anyone knows you have it. You know, dont you? You cant trust anyone with something as valuable as this, Kalysto whispered, her voice suddenly sounding hoarse. No one knows I have it. Only you, the blonde replied, the confidence and tranquility of knowing she was safe with Kalysto shining on her face. <> Persephone hastened to correct. <> A snaking stain of darkness descended on Kalystos left arm before she could do anything to stop it. At the same time, black smoke came out of her body. Kalysto, whats going on? murmured Alice as the saintess jumped backwards, crashing into the bed frame as she tried to put some distance between them. Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Kalysto hurried to conjure and the golden light of her skills flooded the room, disintegrating the darkness that was there, but not the one that was growing inside her, consuming her. Ice ran through her veins as she realized the danger her dear friend was in as she struggled to maintain control of her body. ALICE! RRRUUUUNNNNNNN! She screamed at the top of her lungs, just before her whole world turned to darkness. Book 3. Chapter 16 “A taste of power.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 16 A taste of power. Part 2 At last we can meet face-to-face, Alice Sanders, a seductive smile shone on Kalystos face, as her cold gaze settled on the blonde. Alice stepped back, knowing instinctively that although her friends body was in front of her, it was not Kalysto who was speaking. Who are you? She asked as she took another step back, closer and closer to the door. Owww! Persephone exclaimed, as if she had just seen a cute puppy do something cute. I think you know what is my name, she purred as she smiled and her seductive voice spread throughout the room as a swirl of darkness formed beneath her bare feet, rising to the level of her knees and slowly spreading away from its owner. ... Alice pursed her lips, her hands clenched tightly around the book, knowing that neither she nor the book was safe. Even though Kalysto had told her about Persephone, who had always acted motherly and protective of Kalysto, she doubted it would be the same with her. Alice had read about cases where a second personality could become jealous of the first personalitys friends, and even become violent. Persephone, she whispered, wanting to buy a little time for the two guards stationed outside the door of her room, who were supposed to be there to prevent her from escaping and ruining the demon kings deal, to hear the commotion. Thats right, she replied complacently. Now be a good girl, she added with feigned sweetness, and give me the damn book! she growled as she saw that the blonde intended to run away. Alice turned and ran for the door as she put the book back into the small leather pouch hanging from her necklace. Tentacles of darkness rose from the ground near Kalystos body, their ends hardening and turning into black mana crystals that shattered the walls and destroyed the door Alice was trying to escape through as the two guards guarding the door tried to enter the room, the body of one of them was pierced by one of the tentacles at the same time as another cut his arm as the guard approached Alice to protect her. The second guard raised his spear and cut off one of the tentacles that tried to attack his co-worker, whose body shielded the blonde, who remained unharmed. The walls around the door collapsed, destroyed by the tentacles as the remains fell to the ground along with the elongated black crystals that the tentacles created and then let them fall apart like a lizard would with its tail cut off, and use them as weapons. Oh, come on! You shouldnt even try to escape anymore, she commented with false innocence. youll only make it more fun for me, an evil smile lit up her face as Persephone raised her hand and created a bubble of darkness. An icy wind ruffled her hair as it swept across the room, and just as she launched her attack, a swirl of shadows appeared in the middle of the remains of the doorway of the room, protecting Alice and the two guards from the attack, which shattered into small pieces that fell to the floor. Without causing any damage. Who the hell are you? Persephone growled, not at all happy that an invader had ruined her fun and stood in her way. Why should I answer you? muttered the demon king. And with a smooth two-fingered wave of his hand, Kalystos body crashed into the floor, then into the ceiling, then into the floor again, breaking her nose with the impact. Damn scum! How dare you? Persephone snarled. Dark mana erupted from her body in continuous waves of pure power, her darkness spreading throughout the room and lashing out at the intruder.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Yet Aegir did not even flinch. With a simple snap of his fingers, all the darkness in the room stopped moving. The same happened with the wind. I knew it would be a problem to bring you in, but I didnt imagine it would be so fast, he muttered, and before she could do anything, he let out a small portion of his power. The magical pressure was so strong that none of the other four individuals in the room could breathe as their bodies were pushed against the cold floor without being able to move a single finger. It was as if gravity itself had turned against them and increased their strength more than tenfold. Aegirs figure faded in the middle of a whirlpool of shadows which advanced rapidly towards where Kalystos body was lying. You know? Youre not the only one who can control the shadows in this room, he whispered against her ear after wagging a finger and causing the body of the fairy champion to float in the air. Nine black crystal stakes formed in the air and pierced Kalystos body, crucifying her against the wall. One stake went through each of her hands, another through her arms and legs, another through her shoulders and the last, the thickest of them all, through her stomach. Persephone could barely gasp from the pain without being able to defend herself from the continuous attacks that changed the whole situation in just a couple of seconds. The reddish eyes of the demon king glowed as he admired his handiwork while hatred shone in Persephones. Whose mouth was covered with a tentacle of dark mana, the same mana she had conjured before, but now turned against her. Mmm! Persephone cursed him again and again, but her words could not be understood as she continued to struggle for breath. Aegir just smiled, and a small trace of tenderness shone in his eyes for a second. Now little and sweet Kalytso, if you dont come out now and regain control of your body, Im going to kiss you, he whispered against her ear as he reached out a hand and touched her forehead. Meanwhile, Kalysto, who had been trapped in the darkness of her consciousness, with her throat burning red hot from screaming nonstop while trying to regain control of her body for what felt like more than nine hours, suddenly heard Aegirs last words. A shiver of terror enveloped her as the dirty memory of her filthy stepfather forcing her to kiss him, the sensation of that nasty tongue licking her cheeks and lips as she struggled to keep them closed and not give in while the stinking smell of alcohol flooded her nostrils, flashed in her mind. And something stirred inside her. Dont you dare touch me! She screamed at the top of her lungs as a white light burst out of her, fading the darkness that reigned in her mind as the rage and displeasure at being touched echoed with Persephone. Dont even think of touching me without my permission, she muttered, suddenly regaining full control of her body as the demon kings body vanished in a swirl of shadows as it was pushed back a bit and the rest of the shadows besides him disappeared from the room. So thats how youve been able to control her all this time. Surprise and admiration shone in his voice as he returned to form right in front of her, his face just inches away from hers. I was curious as to how it was possible that you were so much weaker than her, yet you were able to maintain control of your body most of the time, he murmured, completely fascinated by the discovery. What the hell are you talking about? she muttered, confused and pained. Havent you figured it out yet? Genuine surprise, mixed with curiosity, flooded his face. ... Kalysto wanted to hit him at that moment, but refrained from doing so. Hes your bosss godson, you cant smash his face in, no matter how much of an idiot he is! She reminded herself. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. You mean the seal? She asked, starting to observe the bad state of the room, the little she could see since Aegirs body prevented her from seeing anything but him. What the hell did you do to me? She was surprised to find herself pinned against the wall. Regeneration! Regeneration! She immediately began to conjure mentally. Just a small measure of restraint, he said, vanishing the dark mana crystals on the spot and holding her so that she would not fall while offering her a vial filled with holy water. Seeing that she refrained from drinking, he began to speak. If youre talking about that little cracked stone wall that can barely stand on its own, I doubt its doing much. Book 3. Chapter 17. “Preparing for war.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 17. Preparing for war. Part 1 [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 34!] [The passive skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 35!] [The skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 6!] Finally, Kalysto felt that she could breathe. The piercing pain that had been shooting through her entire body as soon as she regained control of it and hindered her ability to reason finally began to subside until it finally faded away. Regeneration! Regeneration! she conjured in her mind as she concentrated her mana on healing the stomach wound, which was the largest of all the wounds he had inflicted on her. Im sorry for hurting you that way. It was the quickest way to weaken her and help you regain control, apologized Aegir as he took a vial of holy water from his inventory and offered it to her. A potion that Kalysto recognized immediately as she had given it to Hanna as part of a contract. And it will be necessary to touch you during training, especially when it comes to mind magic to help establish a connection, he apologized. Now drink this. I appreciate you helping me regain control of my body, but I dont want you to touch me again she wanted to add, although he seemed to understand what she wasnt telling him. Explain to me what you said before, she alleged with a frown, instead of accepting the offer. Regeneration! Regeneration! She continued to conjure mentally, even though she knew that not doing so verbally increased her mana expenditure, but she didnt want him to guess what she was doing. Drink the potion, Kalysto. He insisted, but when he saw that she didnt give in, he let out a sigh. If youre not emanating any golden light right now, it means you cant use your saintess skills to heal yourself, though I suppose your hand being near your stomach wound means theres some other kind of healing spell you can cast, though I doubt its as efficient as Jhils, he explained and despite the calmness in his tone of voice, it was obvious he wasnt willing to give in either. Drink. [Regeneration skill has leveled up to level 7!] ... Kalysto pursed her lips, anger shining in her green eyes as she realized how easy it had been for him to discover the weak point in her contract. Something she didnt want others to know since they could use it against her. Explain, she insisted stubbornly, needing any information that would give her an advantage so as not to lose control over Persephone. Several seconds passed without either of them giving in. Still, he spoke again. You shouldnt waste so much time. It almost killed two of my guards along with your friend. Do you plan to put her at risk instead of starting training with me at once? Kalysto sighed, it wasnt just the fact that she was annoyed with him that was the reason she didnt want to receive his help, but because she had to take the health potion and didnt want to be indebted to him, plus she knew she wouldnt die from the wounds. Not only would the holy water take care of it, but also because this was a good opportunity for her regeneration skills to level up, something she knew would be necessary in the future. She had gotten so used to rushing to drink holy water every time she was injured that both skills had gone up very little in level since she got them despite how important they were to her survival. In addition, Alice had Jhils skill, which ensured that she could heal herself and the two wounded soldiers. So she could regenerate while trying to get information out of him without any pressure. [The passive skill Regeneration has leveled up to level 8!] I thank the offer, but you can keep it. I have more than enough holy water, she said as she pulled out a liter bottle and took three long gulps. Aegir smiled to see her boasting in front of him with a simple gesture. And he put his small vial back in his inventory.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Since you seem to be Hannas supplier, I would like you to extend that kindness to me as well. If there is anything you need from me or anything I can help you with, please dont hesitate to ask me. Despite his apparent kindness, Kalysto looked at him suspiciously. Why the sudden kindness? You hurt me. I have always been kind to you, Kalysto, he said, approaching her with a soft smile on his lips that she felt more and more tempted to erase by force. And he seemed to be amused, knowing it. Besides, you have... he murmured, looking her up and down and then at the almost full bottle of holy water... something I want. ... I see, she murmured, feeling uncomfortable and uneasy at his nearness. Now Ill touch your forehead... we need to check that seal right now, Kalysto nodded and her body tensed like a bowstring just before shooting an arrow as soon as he placed his fingertip on her forehead. The displeasure at the slight contact was not long in coming, but less than a second later, she was alone and surrounded by infinite darkness. ...Interesting. Aegirs deep voice sounded to her right, making her jump as he appeared out of nowhere near her. Mine is much more colorful, he murmured, surprised by the vast emptiness. Kalysto instead frowned, feeling a little offended by the criticism of her mental world and the lack of things in it as she began to walk. Well have to walk a bit to find the seal, she commented, remembering all the walking she had to do last time. Since when did you get good at this mind magic stuff? She asked, trying to fill the awkward silence that arose as they moved forward and forced herself to stop comparing herself to him as her curiosity about what his mental world would be like began to grow. That, and she needed to know if he was really as good as the queen had implied. Practically since I was born, he answered as he continued to stare in surprise at the deep darkness that surrounded them. It was always natural for me to enter the minds of others. It was understanding that their minds were not my own that took me some time to learn as a child. Although she was surprised to hear that, she couldnt help but think he seemed to gloat. You were able to read my mind yesterday when we were in the park. And you didnt need to touch me to do it, she accused him. I know, but its easier for me to respect your boundaries if Im touching you, he replied, smiling at her, causing her to let out a snort. Youd better close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and concentrate on finding the seal, or well be stuck in here for hours. Kalysto reluctantly stopped and closed her eyes. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] After doing as he had asked, she could feel the seal as a gentle pull to the left and walked in that direction, less than five minutes later they were in front of the giant cracked rock where small tendrils of darkness escaped from the cracks along with thin tentacles of black mana. Kalysto annoyed that Persephone had dared to attack Alice, approached one of them, grabbed it tightly, and muttered. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this target?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought at the same time that Aegirs voice interrupted her thoughts. I wouldnt do that if I were you, he advised her, Although you have a pretty high resistance for someone with such a low level, it is necessary to create mana circles for a physical body to resist such an amount of mana, even when it comes to dark mana, whose characteristics differ from traditional mana. A sharp pain in her chest indicated to Kalysto that he was right. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 2000 DMP!] [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] How do you know my stats? Can you even see my system? No, but I can feel it. Which gives me a rough idea of it, he commented as he caressed the cracks in the big rock. Are you ready? Kalysto nodded her head in approval, though she wasnt entirely sure what they were doing. There are two moments marked in these cracks, one recent and one not. In both, it was your lack of control over your emotions that allowed the cracks in the seal to grow larger. You had so much rage at being betrayed, so much fear of dying... so many emotions, so strong that it has been weakening the seal, he murmured with his eyes closed, concentrating. What are you talking about? she asked quietly, moving closer to him. Let me show you, he whispered and immediately, the rage after the betrayal of the elves, whom she had willingly helped but who had nevertheless ended up selling her to a merchant, flooded her. The image of the blond elven merchant giving the order to cut off her legs flashed into her mind. Rage, fear, and a strong desire to survive, no matter what the situation, completely overwhelmed her. Gradually she could feel those emotions begin to subside, as if a filter was applied between her and the emotions. And the filter became stronger and stronger, until she slowly began to feel some peace and lightness, until the scene changed completely and she found herself once again under the doorframe of the kitchen of the house she grew up in. Her mothers body lying on the floor, covered in blood, her disgusting and violent drunk stepfather sadistically beating her mothers lifeless body. She felt naked and completely unprotected, knowing that Aegir was also witnessing everything she was seeing. Get out of my mind! Book 3. Chapter 17. “Preparing for war.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 17. Preparing for war. Part 2 Get out of my mind! Kalysto shouted with all her strength. ...No, he whispered, increasing the pressure against her mind and forcing her to face him. GET OUT! she insisted, focusing on expelling him, but she could feel him seeping in, touching, scanning and observing memories she didnt want to share with anyone. The harder she tried to push him out, the more he seemed to resist. And she hated every second of it. Suddenly, an image flashed in her mind. A smiling girl with black hair and black eyes was already kneeling in the middle of a field of flowers. But as quickly as the image came, it was gone. At the same time, Kalysto felt as if her skull was split in two and the pain spread strongly through her neck and shoulders. Breaking her concentration. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to 32!] What the hell was that? She panicked for a moment, but quickly recovered. Never mind! I need to get him out of my mind first!... Focus! Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Come out, now! She growled, straining to get him out. But he just smiled. [The skill Mental Defense has leveled up to level 71!] Make me, he whispered, his voice caressing the deepest corners of her mind, making her feel naked and vulnerable. Rage erupted like lava in an erupting volcano, flooding every part of her being, permeating everything. Giving her a momentum she might not otherwise have had and expelling him finally with brute force, at the same time as a faint white light surrounded her mental form and her physical body. [The skill Mental Defense has leveled up to level 72!] ... [The skill Mental Defense has leveled up to level 75!] [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 33!] Sweat was falling freely on Kalystos face, neck, and arms when she finally managed to expel him, her agitated breathing was a sign of the great effort she had made and although it looked as if she had just finished a marathon, her body hadnt moved during the whole process. She felt exhausted, both physically and mentally, as she rested her hands on her knees and tried to normalize her breathing. She could still feel an echo of pain, even though she had the pain resistance skill active. Inventory! She thought, took out a revitalizing potion, and drank it immediately. Interesting, Aegir murmured, pleased. That seems to support my theory, but lets do it once, just to check, he commented. Seconds before invading her mind again, this time with much more force. Making the pressure on Kalystos head almost unbearable, she didnt even have time to prepare for the new attack. [The skill Pain resistance has leveled up to 34!] [The skill Mental Defense has leveled up to level 81!] About seventeen minutes later, Kalysto managed to expel him again. The soft white glow around her body was a little more visible this time, and the fatigue was much more evident. [The skill Mental defense has leveled up to level 82!] [The skill Mental defense has leveled up to level 83!] [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 35!] As soon as she expelled him again, Kalysto fell to the ground completely exhausted and gasping for breath. She immediately pulled out another vial of revitalizing potion from her inventory and gulped it down while glaring at him. Why the hell did you do that? Are you crazy? she scolded him. Did you know that someone erased your memory? He asked instead, taking her by surprise. What? she questioned, not believing what she was hearing. I suspect it is the same entity that put the seal since there is a wall protecting your oldest memories. So it would be more accurate to say that the same entity that put the seal also sealed part of your memories, to force you to forget them. ... She opened her mouth and closed it again. ... I... I supposedly had an accident when I was little, at least thats what my parents told me. That made me lose my memory... I dont have any memories before I was eight years old. ... Aegir observed her in silence for a few seconds, giving her time to assimilate the news. Although I have managed to repair a part of the seal and you have managed to raise your mental defense a little, I suggest you rest a bit before we continue with a new session. I will be back in fifteen minutes. As soon as he left, Kalysto finished healing the wounded guard and gave him a small bottle of holy water as an apology, after making sure that Alice was completely unharmed and promising to explain what happened when they were alone. Then Aegir took her to the beautiful room he had prepared for her on the other side of the castle. But instead of sitting and admiring it, Kalysto sat in an armchair. Shall we begin? she asked, placing her palms on her legs as she tried to hide how nervous she was about having to endure another mental invasion. Ill order the food to be brought to us, he said. Unlike Alices room, hers was guarded by two female demons whose levels she couldnt identify despite using Inspect on both of them. [Name: Lethear Race: Demon Level: ???? Class: ??? HP: ?????/???? MP: ????/???? DMP: ???/?????] [Name: Zakyhar Race: Demon Level: ???? Class: ??? HP: ?????/????This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. PM: ????/????] Damn! Im going to have to level up Inspect! Another thing to add to my to-do list! She reproached herself when she remembered that she had it at level 10. If you need anything, you can ask Lethear and Zakyhar for anything. They can be trusted, Aegir assured her. It would be better to say that they are my jailers! she thought. Im sorry you think that, Aegir interrupted her, causing Kalysto to freeze as she sat on one of the living room couches in her room. They are here both for your protection and that of my people, as well as to help you in any way you need. But I cant deny that I am worried that on your first day here you have already lost control of what lives inside you. Kalysto opened her mouth to say something, but he raised his hand, asking her for silence. I plan to help you improve your defense enough so that we dont have to worry about it for a while. So they will return to the function I assigned them in the beginning, to make sure that no one disturbs you during your stay in my lands, he assured her. Besides, helping you to repair the seal completely will take us more time than we have available and you still have to create at least two magic circles before the rest of the fairies arrive for their training, and I have to prepare everything for their visit. ... Kalysto observed him in silence before speaking again, and although she could feel the sincerity in his words, she could not help but feel uncomfortable. I appreciate you taking so much trouble after what happened. I assure you that I will do my best not to put your people at risk during my stay. I know you will, he reassured her. Now I believe we have a pending contract to sign, although I have already fulfilled part of the deal. Kalysto blushed and immediately drew up the contract they had talked about when he helped her absorb the dragons that had attacked Japan. It was after she gave him the agreed ten liters of holy water that she realized that those were the same dragons that Alice had told her had destroyed all of Asia and part of Russia in the previous timeline. I will add another ten liters of holy water if you agree to take me back for a day to the park where you found me and then bring me back after I check something and do some shopping, she negotiated, wanting to check how things were on Earth and if Sakura was safe. Did you forget something? Curiosity flooded Aegirs voice. I need to check something, besides the food in this world is much simpler and very different from what Im used to, so there are some things I want to buy. That and Im sure Alices grandfather is dying to grow something. She thought. It must be hard for someone who has been farming all his life to stop suddenly, and have nothing to do. Alynn informed me about it. I assure you that all your food has been prepared with a bit of salt. You only have to tell him how much, and my cook will adapt to your taste. Why did Alynn inform him about it? She was curious. I would also like to cook something for Alice and make something for her as a thank you for her sacrifice. Cook for me too, and Ill take you wherever you want. Isnt ten liters of holy water enough? If it makes you feel better, you can cut it down to five. ... Can you stop reading my mind? she questioned uncomfortably. As I said before, its not that easy. But if you like, you can use it as a stimulus to raise your mental defense faster, Kalysto wanted to argue, but at that moment there was a knock at the door. Come in! A couple of maids served dinner on the tea table and they both started to eat while Aegir started to explain the magic theory behind the mana circles when they were alone again. Focusing on more serious matters, as I had explained to you before, a body can not withstand a large amount of mana if you dont increase your stamina and intelligence stats so that your body can withstand the load, he commented as he cut a piece of meat with the knife and used the fork to put the food in his mouth, showing off his table manners while Kalysto took the opportunity to drink a health potion every ten minutes as she ate and added a pinch of salt to the roast beef and salad that was brought to her. I firmly believe that the best way to become stronger and faster is to have a good mana capacity. And for that, it is indispensable to have several circles of mana. Over the years, I have been perfecting a technique to create them so that each of them has at least four thousand MP instead of one thousand MP as usual. Right now Im working on creating a five thousand MP circle, but Im still perfecting that method, so Ill show you the four thousand. After explaining a bit more about it, as soon as they finished eating Kalysto sat down on an unbacked stool while he pulled out several revitalizing, mana and health potions from his shadow for her to drink, along with several fifty centimeter high mana crystals and placed them on the tea table in front of her. How did you do that? Kalysto was immediately interested as she saw how he pulled the objects out of his shadow instead of the system. I have my tricks, he replied with a half-smile. For now, we have to focus on the basics, he excused himself, I will place my hands on your back and destroy the two magic circles you have created, then I will guide you through the process of weaving the mana and creating a new one. Pain erupted in Kalystos chest as he began to destroy the circles. ...Cough! Blood spurted from her lips as the agonizing pain spread throughout her thorax. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Dont resist, he scolded her. I allowed them to be destroyed. The mana will remain active in your body until you learn to weave it together like a weave. Have you ever seen how to weave a scarf or a shirt or braid a braid? ...Yes, she was barely able to answer due to the pain as her eyes filled with tears that she tried hard not to shed. [The skill Pain Resistance has leveled up to level 36!] Good job, he congratulated her. Now try to imitate weaving. Use your mana control skill to do it. It took Kalysto two weeks of working twenty-four hours a day and surviving on potions to get it right when she finally learned to level the skills Mana Sense, Mana Control, and Mana Manipulation. She had developed the last two around level 24, but the first one, she had it at level six, so it took her a long time to level it up to level it with the other two. But while she was doing it, the others were also leveling up, so getting them to be at par and in harmony was difficult and took much longer than she expected. That and Aegir didnt hesitate to undo on the spot the mana she had woven wrong every time she made a mistake, forcing her to reweave it from scratch to maintain harmony. [The skill Mana Sense has leveled up to level 30!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled up to level 30!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 30!] Although she hadnt slept for two weeks, she couldnt help but smile as soon as she managed to get it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and could feel the circle of mana surrounding her heart, much stronger and thicker than the thin line she had created earlier. Aegir left the room as soon as they were done, needing to take care of the matters of state he had put aside during the time of her training when he could not leave her alone while she learned and put into practice what she had learned. Kalysto, as excited as she was, barely registered his departure. Instead, she took Tsuki out of her inventory, drank a health potion, and asked the guards for fruits and food in abundance. After feasting with her pet and leaving some fruits for him to eat later, she tried to replicate the process, this time with Tsukis accompaniment. However, the creation of the Dark Mana circle was much easier for her, and she was able to create two in just eight days. Excited by the progress, Kalysto again feasted together with Tsuki, which included the tray of food that Alynn had prepared for her last time while drinking several health potions to counteract the curse that was still active. I think we should return this, she muttered, pointing to the tray with the fairies plates and flatware. Inventory! She said, and then took out the home stone that the queen had given her, the one she had linked before with the room she had been assigned in the kingdom of Balsahty and unconfigured it, and then assigned the room she was in as her point of arrival. After putting Tsuki back into her inventory and returning to the fairy kingdom to deposit the dirty tray and pick up the new one that Alynn did not forget to leave in her room under a conservation spell, she activated the one that would take her to Desmonds kingdom. But to her surprise, she did not appear in her new room but in the same room, she had arrived in the first time when she used the scroll. What the hell? she muttered when she saw that she was in the wrong place. This room deflects any attempt at teleportation in or around my palace, forcing travelers to appear here. And it sends a signal every time it is activated to the owner of this crown, explained Aegir, pointing to his head where the black crown decorated with jewels began to become visible little by little as he spoke. I didnt think, of my current guests, that you would be the first to activate the defenses of my palace, he reproached her. Im sorry. I didnt think it was a problem. It has never been a problem in the kingdom of Bahram, so I didnt think it would be a problem here, she excused herself. Although my aunts territory is vast, the population is small, less than a tenth of mine, he instructed. I hope you understand that our security is a little tighter, Kalysto nodded. And Aegir looked at her chest before nodding, satisfied with the result of her training. I see youve been doing a good job. Next time, please focus on creating your second circle of mana. Youre going to need it much faster than you think, he added, approaching her, and immediately the surrounding scene suddenly changed. The clear sky welcomed them. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks reached Kalystos ears at the same time as the sea breeze and the smell of the beach reached her. Huge stones covered much of what she thought would be the beach, and as she approached the edge of the stone pathway, she encountered a huge cliff. Several feet below, waves crashed as the immense sea opened up before her. As did the intrepid four-meter-tall octopus that was climbing the rocks, trying to get to where she was. A little one-hundred-and-ten level Kraken is trying to climb my cliff and invade my kingdom and you need to start leveling up quickly so you dont fall behind the fairies coming to train in two weeks. Isnt this what humans call a match made in heaven? Book 3. Chapter 17. “Preparing for war.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 17. Preparing for war. Part 3 Are you out of your mind? Im only level sixty-five! Kalysto was alarmed as she watched the monster continue to climb. lightning! Conjured, trying to stop its advance, but being a level six skill, it didnt have much effect on the creature. Are you sure? Aegir closed her eyes, concentrating as she conjured. Your stats are pretty high for someone who is only level sixty-five... he commented while frowning. When he opened his eyes again, he looked at her. In that case, I apologize. I thought that with those stats it would be possible for you to take care of him, but it seems I was wrong, as he expected, the comment annoyed the saintess, who continued attacking from the corner of the cliff. Perfect aim! Multiple targets! Ice spear! Telekinesis! Penetration enchantment! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Five spears buried themselves in different parts of the Krakens enormous eye, whose eye began to bleed, causing the creature to stiffen and accelerate its advance. Mana control! Mana manipulation! Blast of fire! she added, emptying almost all of her mana in the last attack to increase its power. [The skill Fire Blast has leveled up to level 6!] However, although it hit the target, it didnt do much damage. Isnt a sea animal supposed to be weak to fire? The Kraken with slightly scorched skin on one of its tentacles continued its advance while Kalysto pulled a mana crystal from her inventory. You may be stronger than me, but I have access to an almost unlimited supply of mana!... And an axe! She started to get excited. Lets see who goes down first! Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10,000 MP!] Fireball! she launched, attacking the other eye. Fire creation! She added, concentrating her mana on boosting the pure fire attack that erupted from the palms of her hands, focusing it on the Krakens head. This time, the attack had a better result. Theres a big difference between a normal magic attack and a divine class attack! Even if there are so many levels of difference. She was surprised to see the scorched flesh of the monsters head. The eye she had wounded before was now completely closed and the eyelid was completely scorched. The smell of burning flesh flooded her nose, and she was suddenly curious. Would it be edible? Aegirs laughter let her know that he had heard her. Although most people dont consider it right to feed on monsters for fear of being exposed to the black plague, my species often does. Especially when it comes to sea monsters whose chances of contagion are practically nonexistent, he commented, Although I must warn you that some taste better than others. Thanks for the tip, she murmured, returning to absorb another mana crystal. [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10,000 MP!] By the time she finished absorbing the second crystal, the creature had already reached her. Twelve huge tentacles greeted her, while three of them attacked her. Kalysto dodged them easily, but not the fourth, which smashed into her stomach and sent her into a huge boulder, which shattered on impact. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.]Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. As she stood up, Kalysto pulled out her axe and jumped at him, five tentacles rushed at her, but she managed to cut the tip of one of them, however when the next tentacle attack came, her axe got stuck in one of them and the fairy champion had to jump back and forth, evading the collection of continuous attacks. The Kraken didnt seem to want to give her time to cast a spell. And Kalysto couldnt help but smile at this realization, especially since Aegir was right. Even though there were forty-five levels of difference between them, she was faster than him. Inventory! She took out one of the swords she had enchanted and gave a duplicate to Natasha, Katia, and Sakura. Duplication! She grabbed the original and, after duplicating the copy she had just made of the sword, she began to make as many cuts as she could on the tentacles that insisted on trying to crush her or smash her against any of the rocks nearby. Lightning! Fireball! Fire blast! Then it absorbed another ten thousand MP crystal again. Fire creation! Then she jumped away from the creature, increasing the distance between them, but the Kraken followed her, so she had to move further away. Duplication! she conjured, pulling out a copy of the sword which she put back in her inventory and after dodging three more consecutive attacks, she ran towards him again, and while dodging the strong tentacles she used them as a springboard to jump over the monsters head and stand on the wet orange and half-charred skin. Duplication! she conjured and buried both swords in its skull. She couldnt bury them completely, but still, she pulled out one of them and duplicated it three more times. She had to move away several times due to the annoying tentacles that tried to hinder her feat, but she continued repeating the same pattern several times until the top of the enemys head was partially covered with swords. Duplication! She tried to continue, after evading another pair of tentacles and jumping over the Krakens head again. But unlike the previous times, the sword turned to ashes in her hands. What the heck? She was surprised. I didnt know there was a limit to how many times an object could be duplicated. She moved away again while nimbly dodging several attacks from the multiple tentacles, rescued her axe, cut off the tip of another tentacle, and pulled Tsuki out of the inventory. Aegir, get away from here! Tsuki, get ready! Then she absorbed another 10,000 MP from another mana crystal. Lightning! Tsuki joined her attack, using the collection of spades he had buried in the Krakens body as a lightning rod. [The skill Lightning has been raised to level 7!] She then approached the supercharged kraken again and began slashing at the tips of its tentacles while dodging its attacks. As the fight dragged on for over forty minutes, Kalysto began to feel tempted to use the plague-infected dagger that the goblins had used against her when the day she arrived at Elinor. But Aegir was still nearby, and it might be counterproductive for the demon king to see her using it as a weapon since he could not only tell the fairy queen but also use it against her. Absorb! conjured Kalysto, while touching one of the tentacles. [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Yes! Absorb its vitality, quickly! [Warning! The difference in levels is too big. Only 500HP could be absorbed.] Sensing the change, the Kraken rushed to take her off while Tsuki took advantage of the fact that his mistress was far away from the monster to attack it. Less than five minutes later, after cutting another piece of tentacle, Kalysto managed to absorb 100 strength points, along with another 500 MP. This frightened the Kraken, which, exhausted from the long battle, began to advance again toward the edge of the cliff with its tentacles half severed. Not so fast! Kalysto roared, running after him and cutting another tentacle, this time. Although it was much fatter than the tips she had cut before, her axe didnt get stuck and cut through the tough skin more easily. The monster roared, turning to attack her with the rest of its tentacles. But as Kalytso dodged its blows gracefully, and then pulled a ten thousand MP stone from her inventory and absorbed it. Fire creation! It roared against the Krakens face, blinding it completely. The monster ran back to the edge of the cliff, with Kalysto bathing it in fire. [The skill Fire Creation has been raised to level 12!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fireball. Level 1. Class: divine!] [Warning! The user already possessed this skill in a lower class! The skill of the higher class has absorbed the previous one and the difference in levels has become experience.] [The skill Fireball has leveled up to level 26!] Finally, after much effort, the Kraken reached the cliff''s top. Immediately, both Tsuki and Kalysto attacked it again. Ice Spear! Lightning! Fire Blast! [The skill Fire Blast has leveled up to level 7!] [The skill Lightning has leveled up to level 8!] And the expected notification appeared to her left, just as the lifeless body of the Kraken fell into the sea. [The skill Lightning has leveled up to level 7!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 71!] Kalysto frowned when she saw that despite the big difference between their levels, she had only gone up 5. Where did the rest of my experience points go? She frowned, confused and annoyed that the krakens body fell into the sea and she couldnt get a sample to eat it. A quick glance at the tips of the tentacles she had cut off with her axe showed her that they were unpalatable, not only because of how dirty they were but also because they were burned. Master! Tsuki shouted excitedly in her mind, calling her attention. I went up fourteen levels! Now Im level thirty-four! And thats where all those experience points went! Book 3. Chapter 17. “Preparing for war.” Part 4 Book 3. Chapter 17. Preparing for war. Part 4 After almost an hour of fighting, Kalysto was tired and her fatigue level was hovering around ninety-eight percent. Inventory! she whispered, sitting on a nearby rock and taking out a bottle of revitalizing potion to reduce fifty points of fatigue. After drinking it she took out two theles and offered one to Tsuki. But before both of them could take a second bite, three Krakens appeared and attacked them, throwing them away, and then one of them wrapped Tsuki between its strong tentacles. Fire creation! Fire blast! The fairy champion conjured, attacking half of the Krakens body that trapped Tsuki, while the second spell was used to keep the other two monsters at bay. Half of the body of the creature that trapped Tsuki turned black as it tried to escape from the intense flames and released its prey. Immediately Tsuki attacked it and Kalysto took out his axe from his inventory, duplicated it, stored the original, and jumped on the creature after canceling the first spell. But as soon as she jumped on the Kraken and buried the axe in its head, the third monster caught her, smashing her against the stones twice in quick succession. Master! Tsuki shouted, worried for his mistress, lunging at the tentacle and biting it hard. The Kraken growled but did not release her. It simply used more tentacles to shake him off. ... That gave Kalysto some time to put both hands on the thick tentacle wrapped around her and whisper: Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this targets stats or skills?] Absorb its vitality! Quickly! [Warning! The difference in levels is too big and only 1,500 HP have been absorbed!] Then Kalysto repeated the feat. [Warning! The difference in levels is too big and only 1,500 HP have been absorbed!] This time the kraken released her upon sensing the silent attack, and Kalysto immediately took the opportunity to jump on it, pulled out the original axe from her inventory since the other one was lying somewhere on the ground, and jumped on the kraken, cutting its tentacles while jumping from one to the other until she made a prolonged slash on its head. Tsuki, take care of the wounded one! Kalisto ordered, cutting another tentacle while evading the attack of the third kraken, the largest of the three and the only one whose skin was purple. Yes, Master! Immediately, the Fenrir, which had now grown a little more than thirty centimeters after its level upgrade, continued electrocuting the wounded kraken and biting its tentacles, keeping it busy. Duplication! Perfect aim! Penetration spell! Axe throw! She conjured, throwing it at the third monsters head, then repeating the same set of spells with the second one. [Youve gone up a level!] [The user is now level 72!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 73!] After the death of the first kraken, Tsuki joined the fight, only for the third monster to almost crush him with a tentacle. Tsuki, no! shouted Kalysto scared at the possibility of losing him or not making it in time while watching how the same tentacle started to descend again while she ran with all her strength, grabbing her axe and using it to block the second attack while covering her injured pets body with her body. But despite all the strength points she had, it was obvious that this Kraken was at a much higher level than the other two. Not only was it much larger, but its color was far from the burnt orange of the others. The saintess feet buried themselves in the ground, splitting the thick rock beneath her feet as the Kraken increased the pressure. Shit! I dont have time to waste on this idiot! I need to start healing Tsuki! The pitiful cough that burst from the Fenrirs lips squeezed her heart, urging her to finish them off, just as the second Kraken joined the battle again. Fire blast! She squeezed, burning the tentacle that was previously blocked at the same time that she passed the axe to her left hand and stretching out her right hand she added: Fire creation! A flare of fire, much more powerful than the one coming from her mouth, emanated from the palm of her hand, burning the second Kraken, which snarled and turned away from her as if she had the plague. Then she focused both attacks on the third monster, slowing its advance. Ice creation! Ice manipulation! Then she raised a huge and thick wall, separating them from the enemies, and giving her the necessary time to kneel next to Tsuki and start healing him. Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! Mana detection! she added, checking every broken bone and internal wound of her pet and making sure to heal him.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [Youve gone up a level!] [The user is now level 74!] [You have leveled up!] [The user is now level 75!] By the time she finished healing him, the purple krakens shadow passed over the ice wall, but its body was immediately cut into hundreds of pieces. Sorry for the delay. I had to take care of another matter, apologized Aegir. After that, Aegir returned them to the castle where Kalysto took care of Tsuki, who went back to sleep with her. The next day, Kalysto explained the whole situation about Persephone to her friend after apologizing to her again, and in the afternoon, the mental training continued. Tsuki accompanied them on this occasion. And the three of them stood in front of the half-cracked seal in the middle of the deep darkness. Again tendrils of black mana were sneaking through the cracks, trying to escape. <> Persephone accused her. <> She snarled as Aegir continued to repair the seal while more lost images of Kalystos childhood began to flood her mind. << Traitor! How can you let him do this to us? After all Ive done for you!>> She insisted. Traitor, me? Ha! Kalysto sneered, her face contorted in anger as she grabbed a dark mana tentacle and squeezed it viciously. It was you who attacked Alice! Shes like a sister to me! You know well that shes the closest thing to a family I have left! She accused her, raw rage pouring out of her in waves. And it was also you who allowed that damn shit eye to almost kill Tsuki! she shouted. <> She questioned in disbelief. Tsuki is not stupid! She defended him. And I warned you not to touch him! I told you hes mine, just like Alice is! And yet you put them in danger! She continued shouting. Absorb! Again, the image of the black-haired and black-eyed girl in the middle of a field of flowers appeared in her mind, but this time the flower field was wilted and turning black. [Does the user wish to absorb this target?] Yes! she thought, rage running through her veins instead of blood, along with a strong desire for revenge. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 DMP!] <> Contrary to what Persephone expected, Kalysto did not tremble in fear like a little girl seeking her help from the threat. On the contrary, the saintess felt vindicated. Sleep well! Kalysto murmured with a sadistic smirk on her face as Aegir continued to reinforce the seal. Three months later, Kalysto had not only managed to reach the one hundred and twentieth level demanded by the queen despite the continuous sporadic attacks of the goddess Mhiralla, but she had also managed to level up Dispel, Dispel Ezhil, Purification, Purification Ezhil, Jhil Ezhil, and the enchantment profession. She had even purified the entire territory of Aegirs late uncle, and Aegir had begun to teach her not only magic but also the spell to travel between worlds, although it was quite complicated to fulfill all the necessary requirements to cast it. However, raising Jhils skill level was becoming increasingly difficult. No matter how hard she had worked to level it up while taking advantage of Mhirallas continuous attempts to spread the black plague in the fairy territory, or the days she spent healing demons while fulfilling her part of the deal with Aegir. Unlike the rest of the skills, Jhil was the most difficult to upgrade. [The skill inspection has leveled up to 100!] [The skill Ezhil Blessing has leveled up to level 40!] [The skill Blessing has leveled up to level 50!] [The skill Mana Detection has leveled up to level 70!] [The skill Mana Control has leveled to level 100!] [The skill Mana Sense has leveled to level 100!] [The skill Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 100!] [The skill Dispel Ezhil has leveled up to level 100!] [The skill Dispel has leveled to level 100!] [The skill Ezhil Purification has leveled up to level 100!] [The skill Purification has leveled to level 100!] [The skill Jhil Ezhil has leveled up to level 80!] [The skill Jhil Ezhil has leveled up to level 72!] [The skill Mental Defense has leveled up to level 140!] [Congratulations! The Profession of Enchantment has leveled up to level 40!] A smirk came across Kalystos face at the notification as she finished enchanting the collection of weapons she had obtained and duplicated. She planned to bring them back to Earth to grow her business with Sakura, help the other hunters improve humanitys chances of survival, and thus prevent the future Alice had come from. But it doesnt matter how much this plan can serve others if I fail to learn the spell that will take me back and fulfill the contract with the queen. Again, a flame of insecurity glowed within her despite how hard she had watched the fairies train, how arduously she herself had been training to fulfill her part of the contract. She quickly shook her head. I cant afford to waste time hesitating! I still have so much to do! Its time to visit Artemis! Book 3. Chapter 18. “Barrier.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 18. Barrier. Part 1 Have you got it yet? Artemis asked, somewhere between excited and anxious as the gentle breeze coming through the window of her room stirred the strands of hair escaping from the braid decorating her right shoulder, at the same time as she tightly ruffled the skirt of her dress between her clenched fists. Wait a minute, Kalysto muttered as she displayed all the profession choices the violet system was giving her. Dont you dare choose any other profession! Even if my mother gave you the gift of being able to access a third one, you cant trust it! If you dont do it now, youll lose the gap the system gives to get ancient languages and runes at the same time as enrollment! And its not always easy to learn what the conditions are for these opportunities to happen! She added quickly, but as she did so, Kalysto couldnt help but remember the moment when she chose her magic specialty when the blue system switched between giving her the option to choose ice and water together, and then showing them as individual elements. If you miss this one chance, it will be impossible for you to learn in less than a hundred years to imbue the power in runes, glyphs, and other ancient languages to their full potential! Even if you choose wrong, you would have to lose the freedom to choose a profession or lose the chance to get all three at the same time and have to settle for only two and we need all three! It is essential that it be all three! You cant go wrong! insisted Artemis. The anxiety in her voice was becoming more and more disproportionate, which led Kalysto to think that maybe this was where Artemis had made a mistake in the past and that was why they needed her now. While glyphs could be considered an ancient language, it is lost in most worlds and is difficult to learn! Ancient languages are dominated by sacred beasts, or very ancient creatures, and it is difficult to access such knowledge! Besides, runes were a gift the gods gave to their creation so they could learn magic, but not all worlds have access to them or the combinations needed to make it worthwhile to learn them! Inscription is necessary for you to create barriers of any kind! She ended up shouting. Seeing her like that reminds me of Alices manic behavior the day the first portal appeared. Kalysto thought to herself, boasting that Artemis had no knowledge of mind magic. In fact, according to what she had heard, the fairies were more interested in illusions than in mental magic, so there were only three who had basic knowledge of the subject. Although she had no idea who they were, she suspected that the queen was one of them. [Warning: the user has selected inscription/glyphs/runes/ancient languages as the secondary profession. Are you sure you wish to learn this profession?] [YES/NO] Kalysto selected yes and immediately selected potions as the third one. [Congratulations, the user is now an ancient language apprentice.] [Congratulations! The user is now a runic language apprentice.] [Congratulations! The user is now an apprentice of glyphs.] [Congratulations! The user is now an apprentice of inscription.] [Congratulations! The user is now a potions apprentice.] [The user has learned the following skill: Super reading memory. Level 1.] [The user has learned the following skill: Understanding ancient languages, runes, and glyphs. Level 1.] [The user has learned the following skill: Herbal identification. Level 1.] [The user has learned the following skill: Brewing basic potions. Level 1.] Ready! Kalysto announced to the fairys great relief. Great, now I want you to study and learn these books as soon as possible! Theres no time to waste! Artemis enthused, handing her forty-five thick, heavy books that she pulled from her inventory. The loud thud of the books as they fell onto the delicate wooden table made her wonder if her instructor had enchanted the table to be much more resistant than it looked. What kind of trouble have I gotten myself into? Though her hands itched to touch the books and acquire their knowledge, if there was one thing she had learned about Artemis it was her hellish training sessions. How many months did you say I have to learn these? Kalysto questioned with her voice full of disbelief, fearing the fairys answer as she took the enchanted bag that was on the table and began to store them there. A month? Artemis hesitated with a nervous smile on her face, which she hastened to wipe off. You must learn them as quickly as possible! She added, sounding more confident and a bit more haughty this time. Are you crazy? You want me to learn in a month what normally takes a fairy a hundred years? It only takes that long when you fail to take advantage of the small gap at level forty to get all three professions as one! Now you have them, so it wont take you a hundred years to learn each one! And itll be much faster for you since youre so diligent and hardworking! Thats what I earn to put in the effort to finish the contract fast! Kalysto growled, disappointed by the overwork Artemis always put on her. You dont understand Kalysto! The priestess of Seth-Mainyu has already conquered half the continent! Its only a matter of time before they come to destroy us and with Mhiralla keeping us in their sights at every turn, its impossible for me to prepare everything while I continue repairing the breaches in the barrier I created years ago! Its a gigantic waste of mana! I cant do it all alone! Wait! Have they really destroyed almost the entire continent? Thats supposed to take them a whole year! She worried. And what else is it that youre supposed to do with my help? She asked, suspecting it was about the fairies escape to the neighboring continent, as Kassandra hinted in her book. What the hell was it that changed? They werent supposed to advance so fast! Its barely been seven months since the summoning of the heroes and its supposed to take them a year and a half to destroy the entire continent!This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ...Two more kingdoms and they will have destroyed the eastern half of the continent, not counting the demon territory, of course! I doubt they will be strong enough to defeat them now, but that will only be a matter of time. Im sure theyre saving them for last, Artemis muttered. Making Kalystos face lose all the color it had. Map! she shouted, quickly checking the position of the other heroes with whom she had made a contract. Fortunately, all her dots were glowing, indicating that they were still alive. Kalysto felt a great weight that she didnt know she had lifted from her shoulders as she touched Ritas dot, which was in a different kingdom than the rest of the group, who were still north of Balsahty, and sent her a message. Rita, its Kalysto! Take Oscar and gather everything you need to travel immediately! Ive got a way to send you back, but it must be now! You have one minute to get everything you need! As soon as a summoning symbol is drawn under your feet, dont move! Warn Oscar and make sure you stay away from other people! Then she opened Kodens. Koden, its Kalysto! I found a way to send you back home, but you must make sure you stay away from other people! Pick up everything you need! You will see the same symbol at your feet that you saw under me the day the portals opened! Make sure you are alone and dont move as soon as the symbol is drawn! This is important. Its not me who is casting the spell! She clarified, knowing that he would understand that she was talking about her fussy boss. And dont trust Edward! He betrayed me and handed me over to a temple madwoman to kill me by stealing my power! She added. You have less than a minute, hurry up! Then she saw the two points of Madha and Eric and sent the same message to both of them. Hey, its Kalysto! Stay away from the eastern part of the continent. Its overrun by monsters! Get a map and escape to the north! The West is ruled by fairies and elves, but monsters have already ravaged some of them! I have found a way home but it will take me time to gather all the requirements! Tell no one else and escape, but above all, dont trust Edward! He gave me to the enemy, and I almost died! She warned them. Although she felt bad about leaving the two shadow mages behind, she was all too aware that she couldnt save them all, at least not for now. Even if I manage to get them back to Earth, Eric lives in London and Madha in Edinburgh, so leaving them stranded in the middle of Yerast Park in Blasky, with no one to help them, will be a problem. The champion immediately touched the delicate golden tattoo on her left wrist. Boss, I need to claim the reward you promised me after closing the portal! she said aloud. [The one about sending three of your friends back to the place where I found you?] Thats the one! Koden Scott is in the kingdom of Balsahty! Rita and Oscar are together and Im touching their spot on the map right now! [The other young man also appears on your map?] Yes! [Touch their dots. Ill send them right away!] Ready! She announced as soon as she did as instructed, touching Ritas point with one hand and Kodens with the other. [And Kalysto?] Yes? [Ill have to modify your second mission. Since we are running out of time, it will no longer be necessary for you to make me a second barrier that covers my entire kingdom. Instead, I need one that protects a specific place so that only fairies can enter. Artemis will update you on the situation. You have a month to do so. There is also an experiment I wish you to perform. Aegir and Artemis will explain what you need to know. In return, I will reduce the three years equivalent to the extra year you added to our contract for fear of not having enough time to study the black plague.] Looking back, Kalysto realized how foolish she had been to negotiate her contract. But there was nothing she could do about it now. Anyway, as soon as I successfully complete the third mission, my contract will be terminated, so it doesnt really matter much. Meanwhile, in the northern kingdom of Balsahty, inside the Temple of Light, Koden ran out of the training camp to the room that the people of the temple had assigned him to share with Edward even though the relationship between them had been damaged shortly after Kalystos disappearance. Although Koden himself had suspected Kalystos healing skills along with the ease with which she had on more than one occasion given them holy water to heal his wounds indicated that she was a saintess, he also suspected that Edward had something to do with her sudden disappearance and absolute silence for months, he never imagined that his idiot former best friend would have been able to deliver her to her death. Though with all that Edward had changed, Koden had no way of denying it. As soon as he got to his room, he took the sheet from the bed and in it he stuffed the weapons he had been given at the temple along with half the vial of holy water Kalysto had given him and his cell phone. What am I forgetting? He mumbled, closing the door to the room, remembering at the last second what Kalysto had warned him about her boss and the seal while tying the blanket so that nothing of what he had put inside it would fall out. As he thought about what else he could take from there that was of value, the symbol was drawn under his feet and he stood still, waiting. Fearing that if he moved, Kalystos boss would nullify the spell. But nothing of the sort happened. After the violet light devoured everything around him, blinding him in the process, the cool breeze caressed his face and his heart galloped against his chest as soon as he could recognize Yerast Park, though parts of it looked different. And as he admired how changed everything was, a voice he hadnt heard in months caught his attention from behind his back. Koden? Oh my God, youre alive too! Rita greeted him by running to embrace him and next to where she had been standing was Oscar, with his shirt and shoes off. The scars on the toned brunettes body bore witness to his constant encounters with monsters and his work as a hunter. Im glad to see you too, he greeted her, pulling her into his embrace under Oscars watchful eye. It was when she broke the embrace that Koden noticed something different about her. Rita, did you get fat? Dont be an idiot! She scolded him, slapping him against the arm at the same time that Oscar approached her and grabbed her around the waist. Were pregnant, announced the brunette, to Kodens great surprise. Wow, you guys really dont waste any time! he muttered, not knowing what else to say. At the same time, Rita looked to the side, her gaze lost for a moment as if she was reading something. Kalysto says that we must hurry to register as hunters in the hunters association. She says that the government has passed a law that forces everyone with a system to register, or the government will send them to prison and force them to fight monsters. She also recommends that we go to live in other countries. I have acquaintances in London, Oscar said immediately, ready to get her out of the country and keep his family safe, no matter what he had to do to achieve it. I cant leave without my mother! I need to know if she and my sisters are alive! Koden turned pale. The temple had been using him for months as a war pawn, just like the other heroes who failed to escape the day Kalysto took them out of King Medhas castle dungeons. Longing to finally hear from them, he opened the blanket he had worked so hard to tie up and took out his cell phone, immediately turning it on and praying that it had a signal and some battery life. Is yours still working? Rita was surprised. If theres one thing Ive known about Kalysto during the time she was captain of my track team, its that she always keeps her word. That and its better never to make her angry, she may seem nice sometimes, but she has a hell of a temper when she gets mad and she can be very cruel and vengeful when she wants to be. He explained as he prayed internally that he had enough charge. So as soon as she assured us that she would find a way to bring us back, I knew she would do it. So I turned off my cell phone so that when I could get home, I would still have a charge and be able to call my family. However, when the phone finally picked up a signal, his mother didnt answer. So he started walking back and forth, trying to find more signals until finally his mothers sweet voice rang on the other end of the line and Kodens heart skipped a couple of beats with excitement. Koden? Is that you? Kodens voice trembled and relief washed over him that his mother was alive as his eyes blurred with tears. Mom? Book 3. Chapter 18 ‘Barrier.’ Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 18 Barrier. Part 2 Youve done well this time! Artemis announced a month after forcing Kalysto to train twenty-four hours a day, allowing her to rest only to go heal the fairies that were infected during the three attacks that Mhiralla launched that month, or to go heal the demons in Desmonds kingdom for a day. Kalysto tried to take advantage of this time to level up the skill Jhil, but despite her continued efforts, she was barely able to reach level 78. This is great, Kalysto! The fairy was enthusiastic, finishing reviewing the written test that the fairy champion had written. Now, lets move on to practice. I want you to create a protective barrier around this dessert so that only fairies can touch it, she asked, passing her the plate on which rested a sweet red dessert. I dont think she wants me to eat it, Master! Tsuki commented suspiciously as he watched the training inside the room that the fairies had given to Kalysto. Youre not thinking of making Tsuki check whether it works or not, are you? I would never dare harm a sacred beast, she assured her, pulling out a small blue two-headed lizard from her inventory. This little guy is a different story, though, she assured her as she stroked the head of her little pet. Good, because hes not going to do it, she assured Artemis as she began to conjure the barrier, drawing the sacred symbols in the air for protection, injecting the air with mana. Half an hour later, it was over and Artemis let her pet approach the small golden bubble protecting the desert, only to have it repel the lizard. Perfect, now we can finally start working on what we need! she announced as she reached inside the protective barrier and touched the dessert. Take this and activate it, she said, handing her a home stone similar to the ones the queen had given her earlier. As soon as Kalysto activated it, she appeared in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a forest and in front of two stone stairs that led to a flat surface about ten meters wide. A platform? asked the saintess, walking towards the smooth stone surface. Are they going to put on a play or something? At that moment Artemis appeared near her, accompanied by a fairy that Kalysto did not recognize. Inspect! she thought. [Name: Rafhaela Race: Fairy Level: 305 Class: Warrior HP: 5800.000/5800.000 MP: 15000/15000] Why the hell does she have to bring such a powerful fairy as a guard? A quick glance at her surroundings told her nothing, but since she had started to see fewer and fewer fairies inside the castle, she couldnt help but get suspicious. I want you to help me engrave these symbols on the stone of the first step. Ill take care of the second, Artemis commanded as she engraved the first symbol. Kalysto was quick to imitate her, the stone where she ran her finger imbued with mana to engrave first the glyphs and then the runes mixed with ancient symbols, turned black with the passing of her fingertip, and the smell of burning flooded her nose, but she tried her best to ignore it and continue concentrating on her work.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The next time they went to work on the spell, Kalysto brought Tsuki with her. And even though he was only at level 50, she felt more at ease not being alone with Artemis new guard. While it took Kalysto three days to finish recording her part, it took Artemis a week to finish hers, mainly because her mana was running out all the time. But when they were done, a barrier protected the outside of the stone circle, some twenty meters away, a space in which several meter-high mana crystals had grown overnight, leaving only a small clear path to pass which led to the two steps and the small platform where they had drawn more symbols. On the second step was the barrier created by Artemis and inside it an empty space. But Kalysto could feel a formation of mana inside, though she could not see it with her own eyes. Master, is that a portal? Tsuki asked in her mind. I think so, but I feel its better if we pretend we dont know anything about it. It could be dangerous if they know we know. If that was what she suspected it had to do with the fairies means of escape from the continent, it wouldnt be strange if they were looking for a way to silence them in order to save their race. And she had enough to do with the health curse affecting her and the blocking of Jhils skills, it was best not to give the queen a reason to think that she might be a danger to the salvation of her people. As soon as she finished her part, Kalysto spent the next four days creating her fifth circle of mana and discovered why Artemis complained about the mana expenditure involved in creating a barrier since the one the saintess created ate 10,000 mana just to keep it active. So she had to be absorbing mana crystals at least twice a day to replenish the amount lost. But then, after the pertinent congratulations and sleeping for two days straight as soon as Artemis gave her the go-ahead for the work done by both of them, Kalysto threw himself on the bed in her room in the fairy kingdom, and slept for two days, only to spend the next few days in Desmond, creating the barrier around the kings castle. You are aware that you will lose the teleportation point as soon as I finish creating it, right? Then Ill have to make a new deal with you and wait for you to learn how to create one for me outside the barrier, Aegir replied. While I have studied the subject a bit and find it fascinating, it is beyond my area of expertise. And why do you think I would help you? She said with a hint of haughtiness as she smiled, half-jokingly. Because I have the books and notes of the one who created it over four hundred years ago and I can lend them to you. Kalystos eyes immediately glittered with desire, wanting access to that information. She had secretly duplicated the books Artemis had given her and kept them in her shadow, as Aegir had taught her, but having access to a book that specified how to create a teleportation point was something completely new. Interested? Aegir said with a smile on his lips, convinced that he had her where he wanted her. Teach me to teleport and we have a deal, she replied, arching an eyebrow, unwilling to budge. Agreed. Tsuki stepped out of Kalystos shadow, mimicking what they had seen Aegir do with the spectral dragon when he had taken them to purify his uncles lands. I see youve gotten better at using the shadows. Only as a storage place and for Tsuki to enter and exit at will. I still cant create crystals or do everything you do, she said, remembering the crystals he had to create for the queen, which she had to purify and imbue with the energy of the purification skills with the help of spells and runes taught to her by Artemis, in order to create crystals that when buried in the earth would purify the surrounding area. Ten of them surrounded the barrier that Kalysto had created in the fairy territory, another five hundred bordered the outer barrier that Artemis had created in the past. Preventing the black plague from ever polluting their lands again. It is only a matter of time and practice. You have a great advantage in being able to absorb mana crystals. It usually takes a long time to do so, though as you may have noticed, mana absorbed in this way usually evaporates within a couple of hours. Thats annoying, but true. It took Kalysto four days to finish the barrier around the castle. So, thats a magical barrier? Alices grandfather asked, touching the golden light. I dont sense anything strange. Unless youre a monster, you shouldnt feel anything strange, Kalysto clarified. Thats the second time Ive seen one, Alice muttered, catching Kalystos attention. But before the saintess could ask where she saw one, Aegirs face lost all colour. We have a problem! he announced, pulling a sack full of fruit and a sack full of mana stones from his shadow. What is it? Kalysto questioned as she saw him hurry over to her. Keep this in your shadow! Quickly! And just as she was about to do so, a violet window appeared before her. [Kalysto, come back immediately! Weve found Mhirallas hideout!] Book 3. Chapter 19. "In Enemy Territory." Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 19. "In Enemy Territory." Part 1 Of course, boss," Kalysto replied looking at the violet window before closing it and tucking the sack with mana stones inside her shadow next to the bag of food, feeling the pressure in her shadow and realizing she had reached her limit. Then she looked at Aegir, "You and your people are coming with us? I cannot," the king whispered, impotence marking his face. Our race, unlike the rest, did not have the participation of the goddess of light during our creation, so the power of her descendants hurts us. Mhiralla is the youngest of six children. It would be suicide to send my army there. I''m sorry, I didn''t know," she muttered uncomfortably as she thought it was a pity that the queen could not count on the help of a mage who exceeded the five hundredth level. Although it also meant being indebted to him, and according to what Hanna had told her about fairies, they always paid what they received and tried never to be indebted to anyone. But thanks for the help. I''ll pay you back later before Aegir could say anything Alice stepped forward and ran to hug her friend while looking at her as if she were a soldier about to leave for the third world war, and who she doubts she can come back alive, or in one piece. Please promise me that you will come back safe and sound and stop working on such dangerous missions! ... I can''t promise you that I will return intact but I will return. Besides if everything goes well in this mission the queen promised me that she would terminate my contract and I would be free to do with my life as I please she assured her while she hugged her back. Don''t worry everything will be fine. She wasn''t supposed to choose an avatar, Kalysto. I don''t understand why she chose one now when she didn''t in the book," Alice murmured with tears in her eyes and fear blurring her beautiful, delicate face. Please be very careful, I don''t trust the fairy queen. I don''t know what she is planning, but it must not be anything good," she murmured so low that Kalysto had to strain to hear her but the young saintess had no time to answer as the queen''s summoning circle was drawn under her feet and she immediately hurried her friend away from her so that she would not be involved by accident as had happened with Koden and Edward. I''ll see you soon," she assured her with a shy smile peeking through her lips. "Communication with the sacred beasts," she said. Tsuki, stay alert! Keep the mental connection active and don''t leave my shadow unless I order you to! She thought, preferring to leave her pet living in her shadow since she was able to learn the skill thanks to Aeguir. Yes, Master!" They Fenrir replied, sticking his head out through his master''s shadow to answer and then disappearing back into it, as if he had never been there. The world blurred in front of Kalysto, the golden barrier that she had just created surrounding the palace of the demon king disappeared under the violet light of the queen''s summoning circle and the next second she was in front of another golden barrier which protected the entrance to a cave, and behind it was a whole army of fairies. But contrary to what she had thought at first, there were not as many as she had expected. Only about 300 fairies were there, and that was only a little more than half of those who had gone to train in Desmond''s kingdom.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. What the hell is the queen thinking of sending so many home when a war could break out? She thought suspiciously as she frowned. Hanna and Galatea were soon on their way to meet her. Good afternoon, champion," they greeted her. We hope you can help us disable the Barrier. Once inside, Hanna, our best searcher, will accompany you to perform the rescue while the rest of us will create a distraction. Good afternoon to you too," she replied, "Why are there so few fairies? Mhiralla has just launched a new attack so we had to split up while our group attacks taking advantage of her absence," Galatea hastened to answer. But Kalysto got the impression that for the first time since they met, the fairy was lying to her. So she just nodded her head, turned around and approached the protective barrier guarding the entrance to the cave that was half hidden among the moldy rock and lush bushes that surrounded it. Mana manipulation! Dispel! Dispel Ezhil! She conjured several times, until the barrier began to fade and finally broke, creating a large hole that allowed them to enter. We''ll go first," Galatea assured her. Hanna, you know what to do! Of course!" The pink-haired girl assured them, standing behind Kalysto, and allowing half of the fairy army to enter. Almost a minute later it was the turn of both of them, followed by the rest of the group. A silent blue portal awaited them at the end of the dark cave, but as soon as they stepped through it the intense light hurt their eyes, leaving them helpless for a few seconds as grunts, groans and the sound of swords cutting flesh and clashing claws reached their ears. In front of them, in the midst of a beautiful natural dreamscape leading to the nearby palace entrance, more than ten thousand monsters were fighting. Remember the purification crystals!" Kalysto immediately pointed out, knowing that this would give them some advantage to avoid the contagion of the black plague while fighting the monsters of Mhiralla. But before she had finished speaking, Hanna antoned her through the air and they both flew over the battlefield, infiltrating the palace while Hanna activated her illusion skills. Stelth said Kalysto, turning invisible. Several minutes after entering the white palace, Hanna found the dungeons. The smell of dirt and rot flooded her nose as Hanna had to set her back down on the floor due to the low ceiling. Both of them advanced on foot as Kalysto deactivated her skill, becoming visible again as they walked in silence, observing the empty, half-lit stone cells. It was almost at the end of the only passageway that they found a beautiful blonde with violet eyes. Her haggard face was a sign of hunger, her parched lips, sunken eyes and multiple wounds along with the large collection of purples that decorated her weak body, were a sign of the torture she had been subjected to. Ezhil Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil," Kalysto said quickly while Hanna gasped as she recognized the queen''s eldest daughter as she hurried to conjure her wind and cut the bars into multiple pieces. Cousin! What have they done to you? sobbed Hanna. But just as Kalysto took a step to enter the cell, a masculine voice echoed in the dungeon. Persephone? Kalysto lost all color in her face as she walked to the cell diagonal to the one they were in, following the male voice. One she recognized. There, in the middle of the filthy cell and dressed in rags, a green gaze reflected her silhouette. The same shade of green she saw every day in the mirror. Dad? Book 3. Chapter 19 ‘In Enemy Territory.’ Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 19 In Enemy Territory. Part 2 Persephone? Kalysto lost all color in her face as she heard a voice she soon recognized. Her heart hammered violently against her chest as her stomach shrunk. A strange mixture of anxiety and fear of the unknown enveloped her as she clenched her fists tightly, trying to give herself some courage as her palms began to sweat. Without being aware of what she was doing, her footsteps moved away from the cell where her target was, completely forgetting about the queens mission. Instead, he headed for the penultimate cell that was diagonally across from the one she had just exited. Moving as if she were a sailor lost at sea, mesmerized by the seductive song of a siren. The masculine voice was the same as the one that lived in her memories. Making her breathing accelerate. And when she finally reached her destination, her eyes easily found the trembling, excessively thin figure in the middle of the dirty cell, dressed in tattered rags. A green gaze mirrored hers. It was the same shade of green she saw every day in the mirror. Dad? sobbed the saintess, her eyes suddenly filling with tears as she hurried to press the bars, using all her strength to push the cold metal sideways and make a hole big enough for her to enter. Dad? How come youre here? She questioned in disbelief, kneeling in front of her fathers weakened figure and noting the multiple wounds on his body. If the queens daughter was in bad shape, her father was much, much worse. His dirty cheeks were sunken with hunger. Half of one arm was half bandaged while the other was missing. His ragged clothes and bandages were filthy, with dried bloodstains everywhere. Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Regeneration! Regeneration! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! she conjured again and again without pause as she searched him, her eyes darting from one point to another from his brown hair to the dirty tips of his feet whose toenails had been pulled out. Kalysto dared not touch him for fear of hurting him as they both looked at each other, their eyes misty with tears as she finished regrowing half of the limb he had lost. Dad?...what happened to you? The saintesss hands trembled as she finally dared to touch her fathers chest, feeling his heartbeat as tears of joy ran freely down her cheeks. I thought you had abandoned me... I even thought you were dead, and thats why you never came back to rescue me from that hell, she whispered. ... Confusion shone in the tired green eyes of the man who barely looked a couple of years older than she remembered. Kalysto?... Is that you? Is that really you? he questioned, confused by everything that was going on. But as he was about to touch his daughters face with his trembling hands, he pulled them away. ...Are you real?...Or another game of Mhirallas to torture me? Gathering some courage, the man reached out again. His skeletal fingers stroked Kalystos warm cheek, deflecting one of her tears. Its me, Dad, she sobbed as she hugged him, only to pull him away the next second. Inventory! She immediately pulled out a bottle of holy water at the sight of his parched, chapped lips. Here, drink this! Itll help! Then she took out a thel and a warm loaf of bread, the last of what Alynn had baked for her before she disappeared one day, assuring her that she had to leave to visit some relatives a week ago. Kalysto knew it was a lie, but she said nothing to the poor fairy who looked so guilty at being forced to lie to her. What have you given me? Have you poisoned me? the older man suddenly shouted, spitting out the water that had been in his mouth. Kalysto stopped him just in time to prevent him from spitting the rest of the water inside the bottle onto the ground. Its holy water! she assured him, trying to calm him down. Your body is in bad shape and dehydrated, so I thought it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one stone.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. How can you heal? How can you be here? You were at home! In the town! And now youre here looking older! He questioned suspiciously, then approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders, filled with anxiety. Did Mhiralla force you? That damned bitch? She promised me she wouldnt hurt you if I gave myself up! I came to Elinor a little over seven months ago. I made a contract with the queen the day an interdimensional portal opened in Yerast Park. I have never been in contact with Mhiralla, she assured him. Queen? What queen? What are you talking about? He fretted as he took another long drink of holy water and devoured his bread as if he hadnt eaten in years. Calm down! I still have some food to share, so dont worry! Champion, I need your services here! Now! Hanna insisted. But Kalysto wasnt about to walk away from her father, not when the man wasnt even able to stand on his own and his legs shook more than a newborn fawn when she tried to lift him. So she quickly gave up her attempt and let him finish his meal quietly. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! she conjured several times before reopening her inventory. Telekinesis! she added, sending a piece of bread and a bottle of holy water towards Hanna. As soon as shes done eating, put her in your inventory. Im sure the queen wont be upset about it. Queen? What queen? her father intervened, anguish flooding into his voice. I dont think the queen would like me doing such a thing! Hannas voice sounded terrified at the crazy idea. Ill take care of it, dont worry! Just make sure you open your inventory and ask out loud for the other persons consent so we dont have any problems later! she assured her, not wanting to waste any more time with the mission. Dad, I need to get you out of here! I need your permission to put you in my inventory! Are you out of your mind? her father scolded her. No God would allow anyone to do such a thing! And how come you have an inventory? Dad, we dont have time for this! Absorb! she muttered as she pulled out a mana stone. I need your verbal consent! Now! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 9,000 MP!] But as soon as she pulled the second mana stone from her inventory, her father stopped her. And to Kalystos complete surprise, it was he who absorbed it right in front of her eyes. ... How is that possible? .... Since when did you...? Kalysto could not believe what she was seeing, yet her fathers pallid complexion improved slightly as the mana stone turned to dust in her fathers skeletal right hand. We have much to talk about, the man whispered, placing his hand over his daughters heart. A wave of mana penetrated her, echoing with the seal that contained Persephone. Its true! You really are Kalysto! My little girl! He said. Tears ran down his cheeks after he checked, making Kalysto feel increasingly confused by the unexpected move. ... It was you who put that seal inside me? She reproached him, feeling betrayed and taking a step back, needing to put some distance between them while she assimilated this news. You dont understand; it was the only way to save you! he insisted. Save me from what? she shouted. But Kalysto didnt have time to get an answer. Suddenly, his fathers face lost all color and the stone wall behind him disappeared with a single blow to be devoured by a mighty vortex. Dragging the weak man along with the stone walls, ceiling, and floor inside. Nooo! shouted Kalysto as the strong wind swept her hair from side to side as she struggled to reach her father before he was sucked in, but all her efforts were in vain. The powerful pressure began to drag her too, and she had to use Telekinesis to keep her body glued to what was left of the ground. Then, Kalysto threw herself backward, holding on tightly to the bars of the cell opposite her fathers cell. Telekinesis! she conjured again, trying to draw her fathers body to her, but an invisible force opposed her. And what was at first the center of the vortex quickly became the palm of a gigantic hand. The top of the castle completely disintegrated, fading into ashes in a gentle breeze. Hanna, get her out of here! Now! Kalysto commanded, but as the dust dissipated, the gigantic, imposing figure of a beautiful blonde woman appeared. Her skin was so pale it almost blended in with the white glow that surrounded her slender body. The cold blue eyes, the same shade of blue as the other system, stared at her before scanning the rest of the cells as the magical pressure of her divine power manifested, forcing all the mortals present to fall to their knees. Even the monsters stopped fighting. Their bodies were completely glued to the ground, as well as those of the fairies, as they all struggled to breathe. Only their groans full of despair could be heard all over the place. Well, well, well. But look who we have here, exclaimed Mhiralla with a sinister smile on her face. Book 3. Chapter 20 “The Taste of Fear.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 20 The Taste of Fear. Part 1 Well, well. But look who we have here," exclaimed Mhiralla with a sinister smile plastered on her face. Kalystos stomach cringed in fear, her veins seeming to circulate pure ice instead of blood as the entire prison ceiling disappeared, allowing Mhirallas imposing figure to show herself in all her splendor. A vaporous gown whiter than her pale skin decorated the goddess gigantic body. In her left hand, as if holding a goblet of wine, was Kalystos father, Mhirallas elongated fingers serving as the bars of a cell. Preventing him from escaping his new prison. Kalysto grunted as she struggled not to succumb, preventing her body from sticking to the ground as had happened to the rest of them before the suffocating power of the goddess. At the same time as Mhiralla marveled at her handiwork. No, Kalysto! her father shouted, his green eyes flooded with fear. Dad! Kalysto replied, forcing her head up while her knees were still glued to the ground, as were the palms of her hands. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! [The Mental Defense skill has been activated.] I cant let my father get hurt! Not when we are finally reunited! She scolded herself as she mustered all her strength, trying to stand up. But it was no easy task. Still, she kept trying, despite the painful magical pressure that made breathing an ordeal. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] It seems that someone has had the foolish idea of entering my territory, but I see that they have only walked right into a trap," the goddess rejoiced, as she watched the daughter of the fairy queen they had come to rescue faint shortly after feeling the magical pressure of hers power. Making the goddess delight at the excessive weakness of her rivals daughter. A bit big words for a person who never dares to show her face and always sends her monsters to send the plague and do all the dirty work, but she herself runs away every time the queen is relatively close. Why? Cant one of the daughters of the goddess of light go toe-to-toe with her fathers former mistress? How dare you compare me to that slut? Mhiralla became angry, doubling the pressure of her magic, causing Hanna, as well as the monsters and the rest of the fairies to faint. Thick bolts of lightning lit up the sky as it became covered in thick clouds. But no lightning touched the earth. Kalystos neck veins began to bulge as she struggled against the powerful force of that invisible pressure. And taking advantage of the goddess distraction, she reached into her own shadow and pulled out a Mana crystal from those given to her by the demon king. Tsukis soft whimpering alerted her to her pets desire to come out to help her. Stay still! She scolded him in a low voice, inwardly pleading that the goddess had not heard her. Absorb! She thought, and immediately two windows, one blue and one purple, popped out to her left.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 15,000 MP!] She then absorbed another 15,000 MP again, feeling that she finally regained almost all the mana she had lost healing the queens daughter and her father. Thats the kind of manners you teach your daughter, Lorian! the goddess growled, addressing Kalystos father. Leave my daughter out of this! Refused the man, who despite having disappeared 10 years ago, still looked as young as she was before. My dads name is Nick, not Lorian. At least You should learn the names of the guys you kidnap," Kalysto growled. Making the goddess let out a loud laugh as she mocked her naivety. Ha, poor silly girl, youre the one who doesnt know anything about the man you call father! continued the goddess mocking and although Kalysto was annoyed by her words, she let them pass, allowing Mhiralla to continue mocking her, while a soft white glow began to surround her body, emanating from it. Just as it had happened as she struggled to expel the demon king from her mind. How is it that you can do that? Werent you supposed to be the one who couldnt use ether, or was that your sister? I think your source of information is a little behind the times it was Kalystos turn to scoff. Ive been an only child for 14 years. Insolent!" she snarled, and Kalysto could feel the flow of mana shift around her, feeling it concentrate on the goddess free hand. Apparently, I need to teach you some manners! a gigantic ice spear materialized in Mhirallas hand, who did not hesitate to hurl it at the fairy champion. But unlike what the goddess expected, Kalysto was able to evade the attack while the desperate cries of her father echoed throughout the place. Noooooo! Kalysto! Unlike the saintess, the goddess didnt have to wait for the cooldown time between attacks, so dozens of gigantic ice spears were launched at her, again and again and again. Stop this madness at once, Mhiralla! You promised me that you wouldnt harm my family as long as I willingly surrendered to you! Ha! And you believed me? Mhirallas eerie laughter echoed throughout the sub-dimension they were in. Unlike you, Im not a fairy! So my magic doesnt hold me to kep my promises! ... Lorians face turned even paler than it already was. Unbelieving that a goddess, or rather the daughter of a god, could be such a thing, You lied to me! All this time youve been lying to me, and like a fool I believed you! He accused her, but his words only seemed to amuse her. Yes, I did. And theres nothing you or your grandmothers witch, or even your naive daughter, can do to stop me," she mocked. But Kalysto did not respond to the offense. Instead, during the time they had been arguing, she regained full control of her body, the same way she did with Persephone, then transformed into a cluster of shadows, slithering through the stone cold alone as if she were a snake, approaching the unsuspecting goddess was too busy taunting the little man she held in her left hand. Perfect aim! Ice spear! Telekinesis! Penetration enchantment! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! Duplication! She thought as she was forced to regain her physical form in order to launch the attack. Blessing! She added, pointing to herself with one hand while with the other she took out the axe she had enchanted from her inventory. And she lunged at the goddess, who was still taunting her father, and slashed the wrist of the hand that held him. Mhirallas thunderous scream made the walls of the subdimension they were in rumble, and the sky itself seemed about to be split in two. Spikes of earth erupted everywhere, destroying what little was left of the castle as they tore through monsters and fairies alike. The ground began to crack, and a giant hole, even larger than the body of the goddess, opened up near Kalystos feet. Separating her from her father. The saintess had to jump from one side to the other to avoid falling into the dark abyss while the ground that had previously appeared so firm, will look like a pile of debris from an iceberg that had collapsed. How dare you hurt me using my own system? And with a simple wave of the goddesss hand, the blue window that was open on Kalystos left side disappeared completely. Dad! Despair flooded Kalystos voice, who had completely ignored Mhirallas words, too focused on trying to save her father to pay attention to him. Daughter! replied her father, his body moving farther and farther away from hers thanks to the continuous cracks in the shaking earth. At the same time the goddess severed hand turned into a white energy that caught the body of the only man left alive there, then transformed into wind and lifted him into the air until it carried him back to the goddess, who immediately caught him with her good hand. You will pay for this! Said the goddess with her hate-filled gaze on Kalysto. Then she clenched her fist tightly. All color disappeared from the face of the saintess who watched in terror as rivers of blood gushed from the clenched fist of the goddess as the remains of her fathers body fell to the ground. Dad! Kalysto shouted with all his might. <> Book 3. Chapter 20. “The Taste of Fear.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 20. The Taste of Fear. Part 2 Warning: this chapter contains violent scenes not suitable for minors or susceptible persons. The harrowing sound of bones breaking exploded in Kalystos ears, fracturing something inside her. [The passive skill Mental Defense has been deactivated.] Kalysto ignored the lone violet window that opened to her left, just as she ignored the sadistic, satisfaction-laden look on Mhirallas face as she watched it shatter in front of her blue eyes. The same shade of blue of the system window no longer appeared before the saintess. Time almost seemed to run in slow motion as Kalysto watched in disbelief and torturous despair as the blood and remains of her father escaped from the clenched fist of the goddess, the blood leaking between the pale fingers, like a river. At the same time, Kalystos body seemed to be numb. Everything inside her seemed to be frozen, as if her insides were nothing but an immense and infinite void completely numb while that single second in which everything changed seemed to last an eternity for her. No, this cant be real. She thought, unable to believe what she was seeing. If the memory of her mothers cold body covered in blood as she lay sprawled on the dirty kitchen floor of her childhood home had broken her when she was fourteen, this completely devastated her. Shattering absolutely everything inside her. Then came the rage. And with it, the darkness. A wave of shadows was violently expelled from her body, devastating everything around her. The edges of the wave of darkness turned into sharp black crystal stakes that attacked the goddess, but only managed to tear the skirt of her long white dress. Meanwhile, the white radiance surrounding Mhiralla kept her skin intact. Dad! Kalysto shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran toward him. <> Persephone joined in, as two snaking tentacles of black mana sprouted from Kalystos left shoulder, covering her skin as they descended to her hand, like a three-dimensional relief tattoo.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Wave after wave of darkness attacked the goddess, but to no avail. Silly girl! Mhiralla mocked. You can never defeat me! She mocked as she tossed the remains of Kalystos fathers body aside and raised her outstretched palm toward her. Ten ice spears materialized on the spot, hurling themselves at the fairy champion. Lightning bolts! Hundreds of lightning bolts joined the ice spears, preventing Kalysto from approaching the remains of her father. Then the saintess transformed into shadows. Moving easily across the ground as she evaded the goddesss continuous lightning bolts. Kalysto returned to form behind Mhiralla with her axe held high, ready to slit her throat. But Mhiralla was quicker and threw a punch against her side, smashing her body against the remains of the palace. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] <> Persephone snarled as they rose from the rubble. I agree! But as soon as she finished getting up, Mhiralla blew against the palm of her good hand as if blowing her a kiss, and a whirlwind shot out at the saintess, giving her no time to react. The tip of a thick split glass buried itself in the left side of her hip as her body slammed into several clusters of debris, piercing one wall after another until it came to rest in the wide window that caused a deep gash. Regeneration! Kalysto conjured several times as she stood up, not at all willing to let herself be defeated so easily. Lightning! She added, raising her right hand. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She said, kicking the ground with her right foot and throwing dark crystal spikes at the eyes of the goddess, who evaded them with ease. Fire blast! She launched, taking her by surprise. At the same time, hundreds of black crystal stakes were created and launched from her left hand, at Persephones command. The light emanating from Mhirallas body grew stronger and stronger to defend against Persephones dark attacks, although part of her skirt was burned by the fire before her light began to spread. How dare you burn my dress? And for a second her huge figure disappeared, only to appear again right next to Kalysto, her gigantic foot crashing into the small body of the saintess. Crashing it against several walls that were still half standing. Shit! she grunted as she coughed, the dust that rose from the fall entering her lungs as her fingers trembled as she brought her hand to the unhealed wound caused by the glass. Purification! Regeneration! She conjured several times before pulling out three mana crystals from her inventory as soon as the wound was completely closed. Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 15,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 11,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 14.000 MP!] [The skill Absorb has leveled up to level 111!] Aahhhhh! Kalysto shouted, quickly getting up and then summoning her axe with telekinesis and lunging at Mhiralla again. In contrast, the goddess summoned a spear of light with which she evaded the continuous attacks of Persephones mana tentacles. But even though Kalystos attack struck the goddess forearm, it barely created a small scratch, from which not even blood spurted out. Fire creation! She conjured quickly when she saw that her attack didnt work. But a wave of light emanated from Mhirallas body, launching Kalysto almost a hundred meters away from the goddess. <> Persephone complained as four long tentacles of darkness emanated from Kalystos left hand and launched themselves at the goddess, keeping her busy while they recovered from the last attack. Get her to hold still for two minutes and Ill match the board. Inspection! A violet window opened to her left. [Name: Mhiralla Race: Divine Level: 45 Title: Descendant of the Gods. HP: 30420.999/30420.999 MP: 60990,999/60990,999] A curse escaped Kalystos lips as soon as she read the goddesss stats. Book 3. Chapter 20. “The Taste of Fear.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 20. The Taste of Fear. Part 3 Warning: This chapter contains scenes that are not suitable for minors or susceptible persons. Note: please ignore the inspection part in the previous chapter. [Warning! The user has lost 30% of HP.] Cough!... Cough!.... Blood came out of Kalystos mouth as she struggled to breathe and get up from the large collection of debris that fell on her after Mhirallas last attack. Crap! She thought, as she stared at the violet notice to her left and closed her eyes for a second, avoiding the cloud of dust that rose after her fall from entering her eyes. <> Persephone complained. Shut up! Im thinking! Alleged the saintess, as she watched the goddess and the white glow that protected her from her attacks as she began to remove the debris that had fallen on top of her. Lightning does nothing to her. She realized, however, the small signs of scorched skin here and there along with her severed hand and the way the goddess was jealously guarding herself from Persephones continued attacks showed that not everything she was doing was in vain. But what was it that set them apart? Seeing that her axe had already served once, she used it again. Throwing herself at the goddess again, in a desperate attack to seek out her blind spots. But no matter what angle she used, whether she attacked her left or right arm, or even her back, Mhiralla always matched her speed and dodged her blows, only to move even faster than her and respond to her attacks after blocking them with her spear of light. Telekinesis! she conjured, swinging her axe aside and then throwing it to the side of the goddess, who was quick to dodge the attack. Lightning! Fireball! Mhiralla easily dodged the first one, but not the second one, earning a small burn on her shoulder. Its the class! She realized with some excitement. Lightning is a normal class skill however, fireball and fire creation are among the few divine class skills I have! But Kalysto more than paid for that little moment when she got distracted, as Mhiralla took advantage of that distraction to attack her. A wave of white energy shot out of the goddess body, violently hitting Kalystos body and sending it against a nearby wall. A second wave of light followed the first. Dispel Ezhil! She hastened to conjure. Noting with a bit of disappointment how one of the skills she had already developed was the most failed to completely dispel the goddess attack, even though it was heroic class. Class definitely makes a big difference, she whispered as the pain after crashing into two other walls. My back hurts. She thought as she tried to get up, only to find herself against the tip of Mhirallas spear, burying itself viciously against her left shoulder. The pain came out violently throughout her body despite having the pain resistance skill activated.spear, [Warning! User has lost 15% HP.] The smirk on the goddesss face as she watched her suffer spread. Didnt I tell you that you could never defeat me? She rejoiced as she buried her spear again, then twirled the tip to cause even more damage. Agg! Kalysto groaned, just before grabbing the spear with her left hand from which a pair of black mana tentacles began to surround her, as if they were snakes about to hurl themselves against the goddess'' face. Black fire creation! Fire creation! Fire manipulation! Kalysto took advantage of the fact that Mhiralla was distracted by Persephone''s attack as she launched her own. Black fire engulfed the goddess, consuming the bottom of her dress at the same time as a series of violet windows appeared to her left. Kalysto ignored them however, too focused on her conjuration of divine-class fire, manipulating it to create a giant fire serpent whose jaws opened to devour the goddess.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 500 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 500 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 500 HP!] Shit! It''s too little! And just as she feared the next notification proved it to her. [Warning! The user has lost 10% HP.] Stupid curse that''s still active! She was annoyed. And just as she pulled a health potion from her inventory and brought it to her lips, Mhiralla launched another attack. The potion bottle fell to the ground, its liquid spilling into the rubble as a kick slammed into the saintess''s abdomen. Another ripple of white light was expelled from Mhiralla''s body as she stepped away from black fire and tried to kill the snake Kalysto had conjured. Persephone took the opportunity to join the attack with more tentacles of darkness. At the same time Kalysto rose from the ground. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She conjured, creating an elongated dagger sword. Penetration enchantment! She added, enchanting her new weapon as she joined the attack just as Mhiralla split the fire snake in half. Fire manipulation! She conjured again, throwing half of the fire at the goddess'' left eye while the other half she transformed into a spear that she threw at the arm whose hand she had cut off earlier. Both attacks hit the target. But to her misfortune it was not enough and Mhiralla summoned another spear of light and hurled it at Kalysto, piercing her stomach and burying it against the remains of one of the outer walls of the castle. Kalysto coughed up blood again, and clenched her fist tightly as she punched the wall pressing her against the spear and then grabbed the weapon with her right weapon and conjured several times: Dispel Ezhil! Although the spear did not dissipate, it did become thinner, so Kalysto was able to pull it out of her body. Regeneration! She conjured ten times in a row, and as she cast the spells she took out a bottle of holy water and lived half of it in three long gulps. [Warning! The user has lost 15% of HP.] Shit, at this rate I''m going to die before I can avenge my father''s death! Mhiralla wasted no time in conjuring another spear of light and then burying the tip against the ground, cutting it as easily as cutting butter as the earth around it began to crack. <> Persephone insisted. I need you to distract her! Whispered Kalysto, before conjuring another dagger of dark mana and as several tentacles of dark mana sent by Persephone attacked the goddess, the saintess jumped on her and as she descended a soft white glow surrounded her body except for the areas where Persephone''s black had taken over. The irises of her eyes began to glow, even as the sclera of her left eye was completely black, showing that Persephone had taken partial possession of her body. A war cry escaped Kalysto''s lips as she descended into the air and landed on the goddess'' face, burying her dagger inside the eye she had hurt earlier. Dark mana manipulation! She added, extending the dagger into a long sword into her victim''s eye. The screams of the goddess flooded the entire valley, making the earth tremble under her feet as a wave of power spread out from the Mhiralla''s body as she continued to scream, but as soon as the wave of power passed Kalysto who had moved away from her earlier, came closer again evading again the continuous blows of the goddess, but this time after evading a punch, he pulled from his inventory the dagger infected with the black plague with which the goblins had attacked her the first day she arrived in Elinor, duplicated it and grudgingly buried the duplicate in Mhiralla''s eye, right after throwing another fireball at her. A punch slammed into Kalysto, but the saintess smiled as she fell, knowing that only a saintess could cure the black plague. A disease that the fairy queen herself, who was also a goddess, feared. But then a doubt flooded her mind. Inspection! She whispered as she stood up and healed her wounds. Regeneration! A violet window opened to her left. [Name: Mhiralla Race: Divine Level: 45 Fatigue: 0 Class: N/A (Divine) Professions: N/A Title: Descendant of the gods Affiliation: N/A HP: 30''420.999/30''420.999 MP: 60''990,999/60''990,999 Strength: 490,980 Vitality: 999,000 Agility: 499.000 Endurance: 1''200.000 Intelligence: 900.000 Charisma: 0 Luck: 70 Ether: 150 Status: Annoying. Playful. Available points: 0] A curse escaped Kalysto''s lips as soon as she read the goddess''s stats. This is going to take a lot longer than I thought, she lamented. And before his enemy could finish recovering, she jumped on her back, and after conjuring another duplicate dagger from her inventory and buried it in her, then touched her skin and conjured: Absorb! Book 3. Chapter 21. “Mhiralla.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 21. Mhiralla. Part 1 I hope you guys like it. Glad to see she doesnt have a class. Kalysto thought after seeing the goddesss stats. [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Lightning. Level 50. Class: Divine]] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 7000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 MP!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 5000 strength points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 6000 agility points]! [Congratulations, the user has acquired 7000 stamina points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 10 points of luck!] And to think that before it would have been so difficult for me to absorb such an amount of points. She thought as she saw how easily her stats went up thanks to the goddess, who didnt seem to notice what she was doing. I dont know if its because the skill level went up or shes very lucky, but its the first time I can absorb that stat. She was surprised. Quickly, Mhiralla jerked, knocking Kalysto to the side. But the saintess was able to land with ease. And she lunged at the goddess again, who immediately used her spear to try to pierce her, but Kalysto dodged her blow and used the spear as a springboard, running over her as Persephone attacked, and in an oversight of the goddess she touched her skin again, this time on her arm. Absorb statistics! She thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 9000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 8000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 7000 strength points!] [Congratulations! User has acquired 8000 agility points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 7000 stamina points!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 100 points of intelligence]! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1000 vitality points!] Persephone, your turn, whispered the saintess. <> complained Persephone, who immediately summoned 10 tentacles of dark mana using half of them as whips and the other half to create huge black crystal stakes and shoot them at her target. Unlike Kalysto, Persephones continuous attacks caused a little more damage to the goddess. Although none of them were lethal, some wounds could be seen on Mhirallas legs and arms. How come your attacks can do more damage to her than mine? Whats your class? <> Kalysto rolled her eyes at her comment. <> Of course! <> What? replied the saintess as she duplicated her axe. Duplication! Axe throwing! Although Mhiralla was able to evade the attack, that left her open for one of Persephones tentacles to cut off a finger, while another one gave her a strong whiplash on her back.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. <> Ahhh! How dare a mere inferior being harm a goddess? Mhiralla snarled, launching another wave of light which disintegrated the tentacles, but which also caused the white glow surrounding her skin to weaken. I can take away her luck and lower her defenses if you show me your system. Then we should be able to break her legs, Kalysto whispered. And a cruel smile broke out on her face. <> <> Persephone enthused. <> Kalystos vision changed for an instant, as if she had put on a pair of sunglasses. Then in front of her appeared a black window with golden arabesques around the edges of each corner. And behind the window, Mhiralla continues to send out waves of light as she just summoned her magic pressure and use the counter of it, but unlike the previous times, the faint white glow that surrounded Kalystos skin, helped her to stand and not give in to the enemy. But the information she found in the black window took her by surprise. [Status window] [Name: Persephone Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed Level: 131 Fatigue: 20 Class: Mage (Divine) Professions: N/A Title: Third priestess of Seth-Mainyu (Second avatar of Seth-Mainyu). Affiliation: Dimension of Seth-Mainyu. HP: 2,000/23,000 MP: N/A DMP: 20,000/55,000 Strength: 160 Vitality: 140 Agility: 151 Stamina: 160 Intelligence: 140 Charisma: 0 Luck: 0 Status: Sealed. Annoying. Amusing. Available points: 0] I cant believe your system is a divine class when mine is heroic, Kalysto was surprised. But that was not the only thing. No wonder the fairy queen warned me about her... Not only is her power similar to his, shes his avatar!.... But how? At what point did that happen? She couldnt help but worry, while her counterpart seemed happy to finally have something to gloat about in front of her. <> Persephone boasted. How could you possibly be his priestess? Are you crazy? That guy almost killed Tsuki! Kalysto growled, annoyed at the memory. <> Well talk about it later, but dont even think Im going to forget it! Kalysto assured her as Mhiralla finished sending her last wave. <> Persephone pouted, not at all happy with how stubborn her other half was. Kalysto was about to refute her, but restrained herself. Knowing all too well that such a conversation would lead nowhere. No matter what she said, or how much she believed in him. I highly doubt thats true that hes not going to hurt me. Not when Im the reason, his avatar isnt free to do whatever he wants 24/7...most likely he knows some way to get her out of my body, and is planning to get rid of me at some point. She thought fearfully. Just because Persephone isnt hostile towards me, doesnt mean he isnt. Get ready, weve got a pair of legs to slaughter! Kalysto muttered. <> Persephone got excited, not realizing what the saintess had been thinking. However she again summons 10 tentacles of darkness with which she kept the goddess busy. Fireball! Creation of fire! Conjured Kalysto burning one of the goddess arms while concentrating almost all of her remaining mana on the attack. To her satisfaction, this time, she was able to burn Mhirallas left arm and shoulder this time. Then she pulled three mana crystals from her inventory. Absorb! She thought as she watched Mhiralla and Persephone fight. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 15,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 12,000 MP!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 15,000 MP!] Then, while Mhiralla was busy getting rid of Persephones tentacles, who created two more each time Mhiralla cut them off, Kalysto duplicated a dagger and lunged at the enemy, leaping over the arm she had burned, while evading her attacks, then standing on the goddess burned shoulder and burying a dagger of darkness in her shoulder, and over the open wound, she buried the duplicated dagger with the black plague. Absorb stamina! Absorb agility! Absorb luck! Absorb ether! She thought, and a group of violet windows soon opened to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 9000 points of agility!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10000 stamina points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 60 points of luck!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 70 points of ether!] And it was at that moment that the whole fight changed. Mhirallas face lost all the color it had, as if she had finally realized what Kalysto had been doing every time she approached her. But as the goddess entire body seemed to freeze for a few seconds, Kalystos vision darkened. Losing all connection with reality. Suddenly finding herself somewhere else, far away from there. Book 3. Chapter 21. “Mhiralla.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 21. Mhiralla. Part 2 All Kalysto wanted was to kill her fathers murderer. That, and torture her a bit in the process so she could avenge her progenitors memory. However, putting up with Persephones nonsense to keep her distracted and prevent her from taking full control of her body again was one thing, but getting trapped in Mhirallas memories was quite another. Aside from annoying. As the santeisss body was surrounded by a soft mist, a smaller, younger version of Mhiralla appeared in front of her, as she watched enviously as her mother Arharella, the goddess of light, stroked the hair of one of her older sisters with a gentle smile laden with pride and satisfaction. A smile that Arharella had never intended for her, even though she was the youngest of her six children. She was not counting the baby that still slept inside her mothers womb. That Kalysto could feel the raw envy that was gnawing inside her fathers murderess at the sight of that scene turned her insides inside out. And Im supposed to feel sorry for you after witnessing this? The santeiss scoffed, annoyed that she was wasting her time like that, instead of continuing to burn the goddesss body and reducing her defenses so they could kill her. Why the hell am I watching this? She thought at the same time as a grimace of deep displeasure came over her face. <> Persephone complained. Her voice took the fairy champion by surprise. But even more surprising were her words. Do you have a sister? Kalysto was surprised, half annoyed, why she had never told her such a thing, even though Persephone knew practically everything about her. <<...>> <<...I dont like you very much right now...>> And what did I do? <<...Nothing...Thats the problem...you just forgot about everything, even her...>> Persephone was annoyed. And where is your sister now? she wanted to know. Curiosity piqued her as Mhiralla continued to spy on her mother from afar. <> She assured her, not wishing to expand on her explanation. <> Kalysto wanted to argue, but the instant she opened her mouth to do so, the scene changed. The soft mist suddenly covered all her vision and then began to diminish just as quickly as it had before. The coldness crept up to her knees where the mist ended, allowing her to see another memory unfold. This time there was not only Mhirallas older sister but also her middle sister. Youre so smart and intelligent, youre just like your father, Arharella complimented the first daughter she had had with the god of ether, then turned to look at her second daughter, who was almost as beautiful as she was. Honey, youre so pretty! You took after me! she added proudly, while completely ignoring the presence of Mhiralla, who was neither strong, nor smart like her older sister, nor pretty like the second one.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Do we really have to watch all this stupidity? Kalysto complained. <> Persephone complained in turn. Is that supposed to make me feel better? What kind of support is that? was annoyed Kalysto, who even though she couldnt see Persephone, could feel her. <> Persephone defended herself, somewhere between surprised and annoyed that Kalysto was always getting mad at her for the most outlandish things. Why is it that no matter how hard I try Im never important enough for my mother? The young Mhiralla murmured within the memory, her eyes bathed in tears as she hid her then small figure behind a huge column while spying her mother having fun combing her sisters long hair. The worst part was that the fairy champion could feel every emotion the young Mhiralla felt. It was as if she was living them herself in the flesh instead of being a mere spectator. So a part of her couldnt help but identify as she remembered when she was a child and she strived to be among the top students in her class, but to her mother, the words of a violent drunk were always more important. A man she never defended her against. If I cant surpass my sisters, no matter what I do, then maybe I can surpass the other children my mother had with that nasty god of darkness she always talks so badly about! The little girl suddenly perked up, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement at what she thought was an excellent idea. My father is the most powerful god that exists... at least thats what Ive heard my mother say several times while she looks at my father with a smile full of complicity when they leave their room. Again the scene changed in front of Kalysto, as she watched the little girl travel in hiding from her parents and sisters to what the little girl labeled as the fourth dimension, into which she traveled to a world where she had heard that the goddess of light once lived until shortly after she separated from the god of darkness and night. And although it took much longer than the three expected, so much so that Persephone began to complain about how bored she was, the young version of Mhiralla found a majestic palace, next to the kingdom of the dark elves, where her mothers first husband lived, along with her three half-siblings. It was not easy for the little girl to breach security and it took her several attempts to infiltrate inside the castle while remaining unnoticed by the guards, who could sometimes sense her presence even though she was using the stealth ability. I didnt know she could do that. Id better keep that in mind for next time, Kalysto muttered. <> Just as Kalysto was about to tell her that she agreed with her guess, Mhiralla was finally able to get past the guards and into the depths of the castle. Where an inner garden surrounded by carved columns hid a beautiful young woman with black hair and eyes. Kalysto could not help but notice a certain resemblance to Persephone. But the girl was not alone. At her side, an older man, who seemed to be her father, said goodbye to her. Pure envy once again corroded Mhirallas insides, and this time even Kalysto could identify with her, remembering the times when her loving father played with her and read her books written in other languages she did not understand while they were in the library of their old house. But most surprising of all was how quickly the girl had found Mhirallas presence, her piercing black eyes fixed on the spot where the other daughter of the goddess the light was hiding in the shadows of a leafy bush and a pillar, and with stealth skills active. Faster than they could have thought, a surge of pure power burst forth from the body of the daughter of the god of darkness, surrounding the entire garden and extending far beyond. The intensity of her power far surpassed what Kalysto had felt in the adult version of Mhiralla, almost as powerful as the queen of the fairies. Pure terror coursed through Mhirallas small body as she trembled and fell to her knees on the ground as she struggled to breathe. However, Kalysto and Persephone were absolutely thrilled and fascinated by the discovery. A deep respect for the immense power of the daughter of the god of darkness shone through. If she is this powerful when she is still a child, can you imagine how powerful she will be as an adult? Kalysto marveled. Just then, another boy entered the garden, extending his own power as he tried to counteract that of his own older sister, but falling short. Whats got you in such a bad mood? asked the little boy, and in that instant a wave of fear froze Kalystos insides as soon as she felt the close connection between that boy and Persephone. <> Persephone spoke, delighted with the situation. Kalysto had no doubt at that moment who it was, as she recognized a much smaller version of the giant black eyes she had seen hovering over several altars. Seth-Mainyu. Book 3. Chapter 21. “Mhiralla.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 21. Mhiralla. Part 3 Seth-Mainyu entered the garden, his skin slightly tanned by the summer sun losing a bit of color as he struggled to counteract with his own power the manifestation of his older sisters aura. But still, he wasnt even close to her heels. Even though they were only two years apart. His only consolation was that their older brother couldnt compete against her either. In fact, no one he knew, other than his father, could surpass her. There is an intruder in the garden, whispered Sejmet, the only female child of the god of darkness, and his spoiled little girl. I think its one of that womans other daughters. All youthfulness disappeared completely from the face of the youngest of the three children of the god Ygaerae. Seth-Mainyus face became disfigured with contempt as he looked in the direction his older sister indicated. The shadows around Mhiralla immediately disappeared, and her stealth skill was disabled against her will. How dare one of that lying, traitorous bitchs daughters come to my fathers house? Bursts of pure darkness erupted from Seth-Mainyus body violently. One second he was near the entrance of the garden and half a second later his fist smashed into the pale face of Mhiralla, who did not even have time to defend herself. The body of the young Mhiralla, who was two years younger than Seth-Mainyu, crashed against one of the side walls of the garden, cracking the stone and causing the taste of blood to flood her tongue. Sheer terror was drawn on the face of the only blonde in the garden as the smell of urine wafted into the air and a small puddle of yellow began to grow underneath her. Ha! Apart from infiltrating like a cowardly cockroach, you dare to dirty my fathers house? growled the young man angrily, while his older sister gave her a look of indifference, as if Mhiralla was nothing more than a simple ant in the middle of her beautiful garden. Terrified at the possibility of dying at any moment at the hands of the psychopath who pounced on her, Mhiralla disappeared in a flash of white light and reappeared outside the castle, kneeling against the hard stone as she braced her hands against the earth and coughed blood, her back streaked with bruises. As Mhiralla continued to cough up blood, Kalysto couldnt help the thin smile laden with satisfaction that crept across her face as she reveled in the terror drawn on the face of her fathers assassin. Wishing she had the power to break her even more. I will have my revenge! promised the goddess. I will take revenge for this horrible humiliation, and I will make them eat the dust! She sobbed, tears mingling with the blood she had already spit out. I will make them kneel before me! Youll see! This will not stand! she vowed.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Again, the thick mist that covered the saintesss knees rose up again, obstructing her vision. Until a few seconds later it descended again, allowing her to see a Mhiralla who had lost all traces of her childhood, her chubby cheeks were left behind and now both her face and her body reflected her entrance into adulthood. This time, they were in the middle of a thick forest. While Mhiralla was hiding behind a bush, watching a dark elf dressed in black whose serious wounds began to take their toll after finishing off a dozen monsters, waiting for her chance to attack. The elf fell to the ground, his hands shaking as he tried to pull a home stone from his inventory and activate it, but he lost his grip on it and the stone fell to the ground as his knees lost strength and tripped him. Blood gushed from his last wound like a spring, staining the ground as he struggled to pull a potion from his inventory. But seeing that he was trying to heal himself so he could escape, Mhiralla rushed to take the small glass bottle from him. And who are you? the elf panicked, trying in vain to get away from her. But the young goddess prevented him. And immediately she took his hand and whispered: Thats none of your business... Absorb! for the first time Kalysto could see what her skill looked like from the outside, the energy entering the goddess body at the same time as a black window with golden edges appeared before Mhiralla. Taking them both by surprise. What is this? The goddess was surprised, What kind of magic is this? And as she finished absorbing the young elfs stats and skills, he disintegrated, reducing himself to a lump of ash that was quickly blown away by the wind. Confirming what Kalysto had feared would happen to her if she had allowed Darla to absorb her healing skill. As surprised as Kalysto was at the ease with which Mhiralla had gained a system, a sinister smile tugged at her lips. << And what the heck is wrong with you? What are you thinking about?>> questioned Persephone, whose presence had been completely forgotten by Kalysto. Nothing, the saintess hastened to answer. <> she questioned, her voice full of irony. But Kalysto ignored her. Too fascinated with her new discovery to care what Persephone thought of her. Then, the scene in front of the fairy champion changed again, although this time it didn''t seem so much time had passed. Several of Seth-Mainyu''s followers were killed during the surprise attack caused by the monsters conjured by Mhiralla, however three of them were still alive but seriously wounded. For what the goddess did not miss the opportunity to absorb the first of them. Before the second one screamed at the sight of his comrade in arms being turned to ashes, Mhiralla rushed to absorb his power, but as she was about to do the same to the third one, a whirlpool of shadows appeared before her and Seth-Mainyu''s sword cut off her arm. But look at what we have here, so you are the dirty cockroach that has been killing my warriors? mocked the god, who had become a much more powerful man than Mhiralla had thought. And before the young goddess could do anything to defend herself Seth-Mainyu''s thick hand opened up, encompassing the entire face of the Mhiralla. Absorb! Seth-Mainyu snarled, taking not only the black system that Mhiralla had taken from one of his warriors a few months ago, but also part of his skills and powers. Never ever dare to touch one of mine again or I will kill you! Pure terror such as the goddess had never felt before gripped her, at the same time Kalysto''s heart trembled as she realized that he too had the same skill as she did. What on earth? thought the fairy champion, unable to believe what she was witnessing. It was then that the white glow surrounded Mhiralla''s body just before she disappeared, but it was too late. The goddess had already lost not only the system, but much of her powers, in less than a second. Book 3. Chapter 21. “Mhiralla.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 21. Mhiralla. Part 3 Seth-Mainyu entered the garden, his skin slightly tanned by the summer sun losing a bit of color as he struggled to counteract with his own power the manifestation of his older sisters aura. But still, he wasnt even close to her heels. Even though they were only two years apart. His only consolation was that their older brother couldnt compete against her either. In fact, no one he knew, other than his father, could surpass her. There is an intruder in the garden, whispered Sejmet, the only female child of the god of darkness, and his spoiled little girl. I think its one of that womans other daughters. All youthfulness disappeared completely from the face of the youngest of the three children of the god Ygaerae. Seth-Mainyus face became disfigured with contempt as he looked in the direction his older sister indicated. The shadows around Mhiralla immediately disappeared, and her stealth skill was disabled against her will. How dare one of that lying, traitorous bitchs daughters come to my fathers house? Bursts of pure darkness erupted from Seth-Mainyus body violently. One second he was near the entrance of the garden and half a second later his fist smashed into the pale face of Mhiralla, who did not even have time to defend herself. The body of the young Mhiralla, who was two years younger than Seth-Mainyu, crashed against one of the side walls of the garden, cracking the stone and causing the taste of blood to flood her tongue. Sheer terror was drawn on the face of the only blonde in the garden as the smell of urine wafted into the air and a small puddle of yellow began to grow underneath her. Ha! Apart from infiltrating like a cowardly cockroach, you dare to dirty my fathers house? growled the young man angrily, while his older sister gave her a look of indifference, as if Mhiralla was nothing more than a simple ant in the middle of her beautiful garden. Terrified at the possibility of dying at any moment at the hands of the psychopath who pounced on her, Mhiralla disappeared in a flash of white light and reappeared outside the castle, kneeling against the hard stone as she braced her hands against the earth and coughed blood, her back streaked with bruises. As Mhiralla continued to cough up blood, Kalysto couldnt help the thin smile laden with satisfaction that crept across her face as she reveled in the terror drawn on the face of her fathers assassin. Wishing she had the power to break her even more. I will have my revenge! promised the goddess. I will take revenge for this horrible humiliation, and I will make them eat the dust! She sobbed, tears mingling with the blood she had already spit out. I will make them kneel before me! Youll see! This will not stand! she vowed. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Again, the thick mist that covered the saintesss knees rose up again, obstructing her vision. Until a few seconds later it descended again, allowing her to see a Mhiralla who had lost all traces of her childhood, her chubby cheeks were left behind and now both her face and her body reflected her entrance into adulthood. This time, they were in the middle of a thick forest. While Mhiralla was hiding behind a bush, watching a dark elf dressed in black whose serious wounds began to take their toll after finishing off a dozen monsters, waiting for her chance to attack. The elf fell to the ground, his hands shaking as he tried to pull a home stone from his inventory and activate it, but he lost his grip on it and the stone fell to the ground as his knees lost strength and tripped him. Blood gushed from his last wound like a spring, staining the ground as he struggled to pull a potion from his inventory. But seeing that he was trying to heal himself so he could escape, Mhiralla rushed to take the small glass bottle from him. And who are you? the elf panicked, trying in vain to get away from her. But the young goddess prevented him. And immediately she took his hand and whispered: Thats none of your business... Absorb! for the first time Kalysto could see what her skill looked like from the outside, the energy entering the goddess body at the same time as a black window with golden edges appeared before Mhiralla. Taking them both by surprise. What is this? The goddess was surprised, What kind of magic is this? And as she finished absorbing the young elfs stats and skills, he disintegrated, reducing himself to a lump of ash that was quickly blown away by the wind. Confirming what Kalysto had feared would happen to her if she had allowed Darla to absorb her healing skill. As surprised as Kalysto was at the ease with which Mhiralla had gained a system, a sinister smile tugged at her lips. << And what the heck is wrong with you? What are you thinking about?>> questioned Persephone, whose presence had been completely forgotten by Kalysto. Nothing, the saintess hastened to answer. <> she questioned, her voice full of irony. But Kalysto ignored her. Too fascinated with her new discovery to care what Persephone thought of her. Then, the scene in front of the fairy champion changed again, although this time it didn''t seem so much time had passed. Several of Seth-Mainyu''s followers were killed during the surprise attack caused by the monsters conjured by Mhiralla, however three of them were still alive but seriously wounded. For what the goddess did not miss the opportunity to absorb the first of them. Before the second one screamed at the sight of his comrade in arms being turned to ashes, Mhiralla rushed to absorb his power, but as she was about to do the same to the third one, a whirlpool of shadows appeared before her and Seth-Mainyu''s sword cut off her arm. But look at what we have here, so you are the dirty cockroach that has been killing my warriors? mocked the god, who had become a much more powerful man than Mhiralla had thought. And before the young goddess could do anything to defend herself Seth-Mainyu''s thick hand opened up, encompassing the entire face of the Mhiralla. Absorb! Seth-Mainyu snarled, taking not only the black system that Mhiralla had taken from one of his warriors a few months ago, but also part of his skills and powers. Never ever dare to touch one of mine again or I will kill you! Pure terror such as the goddess had never felt before gripped her, at the same time Kalysto''s heart trembled as she realized that he too had the same skill as she did. What on earth? thought the fairy champion, unable to believe what she was witnessing. It was then that the white glow surrounded Mhiralla''s body just before she disappeared, but it was too late. The goddess had already lost not only the system, but much of her powers, in less than a second. Book 3. Chapter 22 “One less.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 22 One less. Part 1 The second time Mhiralla faced Seth-Mainyu, she didnt do much better. Though at least she put up some fight and despite not doing much damage to him, she couldnt help but feel proud of herself that at least this time he hadnt defeated her so quickly. What happened to you? Her second sister asked her at the same time she ran and started to heal her. Did you fight with Seth-Mainyu again? You know very well that you have no chance of getting over him, especially now that all the gods have gone into hibernation after sealing the power of the god of darkness! And that stupid guardian they created to prevent Seth-Mainyu or Sejmet from invading the seventh dimension where they sleep while they regain their strength wont let any of us in either! So stop bothering them already! If Sejmet wasnt so obsessed with protecting her fathers tomb, she would have killed us all by now! I highly doubt she would. She hasnt even touched the queen of the fairies, Mhiralla growled, suddenly annoyed with the sudden attention from her middle sister, someone who normally ignored her. But ever since the goddess of light had gone off with the rest of the gods for centuries of replenishing sleep, her second sister had begun to pay a bit of attention to her continued escapades. Although they had not yet discovered that she occasionally sneaked into other worlds and absorbed the stats and skills of small populations, pitifully, so far she had only been able to raise her stats. But that didnt mean she had given up already. If she was once lucky enough to absorb the powers of the Seth-Mainyu servant system, maybe someday she could have some luck again. I think you should stop or one of these days he will manage to kill you, just like he did his older brother, she continued to scold her, but Mhiralla ignored her. Suddenly she marveled at the healing power of her second sister, the way her energy entered her body with a slight golden tint, closing each of her wounds and making the bruises disappear in a matter of minutes. It was then that Mhiralla felt jealous. And without being aware of what she was doing, her hand positioned itself on top of her sisters wrist and whispered: Absorb! Although Mhiralla no longer had a system to notify her of the amount of stats or the skills she was absorbing, she could clearly see the white glow around her second sisters body begin to fade completely and her own glow increased. The fear-laden look she gave her sister just before her body turned to ashes at the same time Mhiralla could feel her own strength increase was priceless. It was also in that instant that she realized how Seth-Mainyu had done to get rid of her older brother. He probably wants to defeat his older sister too, she noted, and a smile full of cruelty came across her face. Unfortunately for the young goddess, things did not turn out as she thought. And instead of defeating her older sister who ruled over the light elves and the northern kingdoms of the continent in the fourth dimension, she was defeated and exiled from those lands. The east was already dominated by Sejmet, so between the two older sisters they maintained a balanced and respectful control of the whole territory, without giving any room for Mhiralla or anyone else to conquer it. It was after much wandering in other worlds to increase her power and influence, that she began to hear new rumors about Seth-Mainyu. It was said that he had conquered the first dimension and that all worlds that opposed him were completely destroyed. After a small encounter in the second dimension, made her realize that she had to escape from there and work on expanding her influence elsewhere, so she began to move between worlds of the third and fourth dimension trying not to attract the attention of her brothers, it was then that by accident she discovered the queen of the fairies and her people in Elinor. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Who had not only prospered after fleeing from Seth-Mainyu, but had also created their own system. During all the decades she had spent in hiding, there was very little she had been able to absorb from the humans or from some of the other races that were almost as weak as they were. But the fairies were a completely different story. Not for nothing had their queen been her fathers favorite creation, and his mistress for centuries. If I cant beat my mothers children, then maybe I can beat my fathers, she said quietly. And so she began her hunt. And after absorbing the queens eldest daughter, Mhiralla was able to obtain a system again and begin to study it in order to launch her own version, a blue system that would reflect the color of her eyes, just as the violet system reflected the color of the fairy queens eyes. But luck was not on her side for long, as the fairy queen realized what she was doing and without even touching her or being in her presence, took the system from her. Imperfect as it was, her copy of a system did not allow her to grant powers to herself it only allowed her to grant them to others within certain limitations so she chose several humans on different continents of Elinor for her tests. Allowing them to obtain a system of awakening powers and inciting them to increase their stats and level up so that she could then absorb them and increase her own abilities effortlessly. While she concentrated, for decades, on trying to catch the elusive fairies. Despite her constant efforts, she was only able to catch two in fifty years. One on Elinor and one on Earth. But though she tortured them for years, she couldnt get all the information she wanted out of them. Still, she was finally able to start making advances in her system. So as soon as Seth-Mainyu began to conquer the third dimension, after conquering the second, she decided to put up resistance by selecting thousands of humans and turning them into hunters, a group of warriors who in the future would become part of her personal army and go to war against Seth-Mainyu and his people. It was the perfect plan. **** Again, the scene in front of Kalysto changed. And now they were in the backyard of the house she had grown up in, the flowers she had planted with her father in the garden were blooming and a wave of nostalgia swept over the fairy champion at the sight of the familiar place. The light of the full moon shone in the clear night sky, illuminating the despairing figure of her father, while a semi-transparent version of Mhiralla moved under the shadows of the trees near the entrance to the forest that bordered her yard Youve already lost your wife and your firstborn. Are you willing to lose your only remaining daughter as well? Mhiralla whispered, knowing she had him where she wanted him as she saw the fear and despair flooding the mans face. Will you leave her alone? Will you promise never to hurt my little Kalysto? -He asked as the little girl''s face appeared from the window of her room on the second floor. All color drained from her father as he saw the danger she was in so he signaled her not to come downstairs to play with him and expose herself to great danger without knowing it. Kalysto''s heart clenched with pain as she remembered that scene that had haunted her dreams for years. I''m not like Seth-Mainyu, I don''t go around kidnapping or killing children. Promise me, he insisted, I want you to give me your word, I want you to swear me a sacred oath! ...Of course, come with me voluntarily and not run away or I will come and kill her, she said with a smile loaded with falsehood that he did not seem to notice, not realizing that since she was not a fairy, she was not obliged to keep her promises or commitments. No daddy, don''t go! Don''t leave me! -Kalysto shouted, but to no avail, and as she ran to her father, the whole scene changed. And she was swallowed up by the thick fog. For an instant through the mist she could see Mhiralla torturing her father. You fucking bitch! Leave him alone! -she shouted as she tried to get closer to him, even though she knew it was in vain. But when she approached the dark cell in which her father was being held, the scene changed again. And this time she relived the merciless way in which Mhiralla had murdered him. Feeling her delight as well. You damned monster, I''m going to kill you! -She swore, at the same time that a powerful wave of darkness was expelled from her body devouring everything around her and forcing her to return to the real world, I will not rest until I get rid of your pathetic existence! A bunch of notification windows had opened to her left, but Kalysto ignored them. Too focused on hurting the scum that had dared to steal her only remaining family to stop and look at them. Though she did notice that the white glow that had once surrounded the goddess had diminished quite a bit and that she was in the exact same position she had been in when she began to absorb her. But now, the great surge of darkness that had been unleashed within her mind had also been unleashed in the physical world, forcing Mhiralla to back away, frightened at the fact that the brat in front of her could absorb her skills as well. Just as Seth-Mainyu had done long ago. Book 3. Chapter 22 “One less.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 22 One less. Part 2 [The skill Dark Mana Creation has leveled up to level 26!] Twelve of blasts of darkness were expelled from Kalystos body, creating a wave of violent wind that destroyed some of the surrounding terrain. But Mhiralla simply walked away from her, completely intact. Ahhh! Kalysto ran after the goddess as she screamed, filled with rage. But seeing that she couldnt catch up with her despite running as fast as her stats would allow, she decided to change tactics. Dark Mana Manipulation! Then, she started to imitate what Persephone had done and four huge black tentacles emerged from her shadow. [The skill Dark Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 39!] Kalysto ignored the notification window that appeared to her left. Dark Mana Manipulation! She conjured again, creating a black crystal short sword in her right hand, just as the demon king had taught her to do, using the dark mana residue she had created upon returning from her mental world. Though unlike her training, this time it was much easier and faster for her to conjure the weapon. It even felt much more familiar than when she conjured the ice daggers. [The skill Dark Mana Manipulation has leveled up to level 40!] Now that she was no longer officially a wizard, she could feel how the mana expenditure with each spell cost more than double, while the effort and level of concentration she had to maintain while conjuring also doubled. However, at that moment, she didnt care. All she cared about was tearing apart the woman who had taken her father from her. Just fucking die! She thought, pure rage ruling every part of being, but despite her continued efforts to harm Mhiralla, she not only avoided each of her attacks with excessive ease but also kept well away from Kalysto, preventing her from any chance of getting close to her and retrying to absorb her power as the goddess slashed her tentacles again and again. Is that all you have? Mhiralla scoffed, noting the sudden difference in the power of Kalystos attack, comparing it to the previous dark mana attacks, unaware that it had not been Kalysto who had performed them. But the saintess did not desist, and continued creating more dark mana tentacles and attacking the goddess, looking for an opening in her defense. Though nothing she was doing seemed to do any good. Damn it! [The skill Dark Mana Creation has leveled up to level 27!] <> Then do it! replied Kalysto as she launched a new counterattack. <<...I need you to get rid of that annoying white glow, it weakens me.>> Persephone admitted reluctantly, not wanting to have to admit it out loud, but she had run out of options after seeing that even when Kalysto was making all her effort, it wasnt enough to kill the annoying goddess. ... Curious. In my case, it seems to me that the opposite is true. She thought, noticing how all her dark mana related attacks were much more powerful and resisted better the powerful light of Mhiralla or her continuous attacks when the soft white glow surrounded her body. As the case the part of the tentacles that were closer to her body and uncrystallized. Maybe when I level up my dark mana manipulation skill, Ill be able to better control the crystallization of the tips. She thought, half annoyed that the most she could crystallize was a short sword. <> Youre right, I dont understand how she thinks shes so pretty when Alice is so much prettier than her, Kalysto muttered under his breath, not realizing that Persephone had heard her while dodging another attack from the goddess annoying light spear. <> Kalysto didnt deign to give her an answer, which annoyed Persephone. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. <> Less talk and more action! she scolded her, at the same time as she continued to attack and block Mhirallas attacks, much to the annoyance of the goddess who was beginning to lose what little patience she had. At the same time the soft white glow disappeared from the body of the saintess, allowing Persephone to take full control of the left side of her body and from her left hand sprouted ten two-meter-long tentacles, which transformed into crystals from the middle to the tips, adding to the attack against the goddess, whose smile of superiority was erased on the spot. At the same time Kalysto conjured: Creation of dark Mana! a wave of dark Mana spread across the ground at least ten meters around her, coming to where the goddess was. Dark Mana Manipulation! Kalysto took advantage of the black mist almost one meter high to create dark mana stakes and bury them in the bare feet of the goddess and limit her field of action while Persephone continued with her attack. But Mhiralla threw the spear she had been using against the mist, causing the place where the tip of the spear touched the ground coated with dark mana to evaporate the darkness Kalysto had created. Hundreds of spears of light followed the first one, vanishing almost all the conjured dark mana, and it was Kalystos turn to retreat. Fire creation! She tried, trying to search the meager repertoire of skills she had left for something to hurt her with. But it wasnt enough. She barely managed to burn half of her face. [Warning! User has lost 10% HP.] Shit! Get the fuck off. I dont have time for that stupid curse! She thought with annoyance, but as she closed the window that had appeared right under her nose, a gigantic jet of light almost a meter wide smashed into her body, disintegrating half of her left arm. Regeneration! Regeneration! Regeneration! She rushed to conjure, but the goddess in front of her didnt give her time to finish. She barely managed to pull a bottle of holy water from her inventory and take a drink. How dare you harm my beautiful face! You are nothing but an insect that my parents created to kill their boredom! Mhiralla shouted, as she created another gigantic spear of light, at the same time that the glow surrounding her body increased in size and intensity. Die at once! She added, hurling the spear directly at Kalystos head. The fairy champion barely had time to transform into a pile of shadows when the tip of the spear pierced the spot where her head had been less than half a second before. Do you really think you can stop me? mocked the blonde. Ive been going easy on you for fun, but its too risky to leave you alive...! Then Mhiralla stretched her arms upwards and immediately the sky began to shatter as if it were made of glass, leaving black spaces in its place that began to appear both in the sky and at the edges of the sub-dimension they were in. Die like the insignificant insect you are! The black spaces within the cracks that formed in the walls of the sub-dimension began to suck in everything around them, including the heavy walls of what was left of the castle along with the huge collection of corpses. At that moment, two violet-colored windows appeared before Kalysto, and her blood ran cold as her face paled at the sight of what was written on it. [...I expected so much more from you Kalysto, but you have disappointed me.] [Mission failed! Penalty: loss of contract.] Just like the sky, the violet-colored notification windows shattered as if they were made of glass that began to fall as if they were small pieces of broken glass that vanished into thin air before touching the ground, along with the collection of notification windows to her left that Kalysto had forgotten to close. Wait! Nooooo! the ex-saintess shouted in desperation, stretching what little she had managed to regenerate from her left arm that was still missing fingers, at the same time as the golden tattoo on her wrist vanished as if it had never existed. And behind the broken window in front of her, a gigantic jet of white light, almost a meter wide, attacked her. Kalysto didnt even have enough time to flee and her left arm was completely disintegrated. So was her left leg. Pain exploded throughout her body, robbing her of air. At the same time she noticed blood gushing from her new wounds along with several tentacles of darkness. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] A strong dizziness made her lose her balance as Persephone used tentacles of darkness to replace the missing limbs, causing her to stumble rather than fall to the ground as Kalystos consciousness began to fade. Regeneration! Regeneration!She began to conjure, but she could feel that she would soon run out of mana at the same time she felt weaker and weaker as Mhiralla mocked her situation and continued to destroy the sub-dimension she had worked so long to create. You will die along with my hiding place! she gloated, at the same time as a pair of black tentacles from Persephone along with another from Kalysto pierced the eye that the ex-saintess had burned earlier. You filthy rat! she roared, but in that instant, gigantic pieces of the sky began to fall to the ground and the violent wind that sucked everything inside the sub-dimension became stronger, making Mhirallas body transform into a ball of light that suddenly disappeared without a trace. <> Persephone snarled at the same time that an infinite darkness devoured Kalystos consciousness. **** Her head seemed about to explode from immense pain and her consciousness went back and forth for what seemed like hours, switching between bouts of deep pain to small moments of utter weakness. Where the hell am I? she thought, but could only see immense darkness all around her. Persephone? she asked, but no one answered her. Let me out Persephone! She insisted, suddenly recognizing the place where she was trapped. <<...No>> replied Persephone, who had taken possession of the brunettes body again. Are you out of your mind? Let me out! I need to get stronger and finish that damned goddess! Kalysto shouted, rage serving as fuel for her to sit in the middle of the vast emptiness. Are you planning to interfere with my goal? <<...No>> She muttered, but Kalysto could feel a sea of emotions fluttering near the seal where Persephone was contained. And she began to distrust her. <<...You dont understand... only he has the power to help us get rid of her.>> Book 3. Chapter 23. “Shadows, rage, blood and tears.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 23. Shadows, rage, blood and tears. Part 1 Warning: this chapter contains offensive and obscene language. All was darkness. Rage grows inside Kalysto in gushes just like froth when milk boils non-stop at high temperatures. The brunette clenched her fists tightly and pounded the dark floor. The sound spread through the vast emptiness. Are you out of your mind? She mumbled, unable to believe the stupidity she was hearing. How the hell do you think I''m going to join forces with the same guy who sent an army of monsters to destroy the city I used to live in... Are you crazy? she pressed, but Persephone didn''t answer. That guy almost killed Tsuki last time! It wasn''t until much later when the dizziness finally began to subside that ''her other half'' deigned to answer her. <<...You are always so melodramatic!>> the black-haired girl complained. <> She clarified. <> Kalysto opened her mouth to rebut her, anger getting the worst of her, but then she stopped and frowned, What the hell are you talking about? The only rabbit I ever had was a teddy bear when I was nine. Tsuki is my first living pet. <<...>> ...Persephone? What rabbit were you talking about? she questioned suspiciously. Persephone''s silence only added to her anger, Have you killed any of my pets before and I don''t remember it? <<...>> <<...It was an accident.>> She defended herself, her voice sounding childish and completely unguarded all of a sudden. <>. Kalysto felt the strong desire to throw a punch in her face. You''d better stay away from Tsuki! I''ll never forgive you if you hurt him! Is that clear? <<...>> <> ...You!...Damn you...!...Agg! She screamed. I can''t believe I have to explain something so obvious to you! Here I am pissed off because I wasn''t fast enough to force my father into the damn inventory, nor strong enough to protect him from that fucking shitty goddess that killed him! And you instead of helping me find a way to track her down and finish her off steal control of my body! For what? To call in a serial killer who enjoys destroying worlds just because his whore of a mother didn''t know how to keep her fucking legs closed and went on a rampage to seduce another woman''s husband? <> She excused him. And that gives him the damn right to go around destroying dimensions? she shouted as she scoffed. I''m supposed to feel sorry for that? She mocked, Don''t give me that shit! As far as I know, the god of darkness is asleep and sealed, not dead! My father is dead, after being kidnapped and tortured for ten years by that crazy piece of shit and you don''t see me out there going around killing everyone on this planet just because I want to get rid of one person! <> Persephone shouted. Annoyed that Kalysto never took her side. <> What the fuck are you talking about? she shouted, somewhere between confused and surprised. After her father greeted her by placing a hand on her thorax and sending out a Mana wave that caused the seal to react like an echo, Kalysto suspected that he had been the one to put it there. But there was only one seal within her, not two. Where is the second seal? <<...>> <> <<...I destroyed that one many years ago...>> When? Kalysto pressed, beginning to suspect that perhaps the accident she had as a child in which she lost her memory had something to do with Persephone. But this time, she didn''t answer back. So in anger, Kalysto began to concentrate her mana, but it proved to be extremely difficult to attempt any kind of magical attack now that she had no system to back her up. Shit!... Shit! She screamed feeling frustrated, trapped in the middle of that sea of darkness where the only thing that existed was the strange sensation pointing her in the direction of the seal. And a soft glow around her own body. Shit! Come on, Kalysto! Focus! There must be some way I can get out of this! A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. That''s it! She perked up suddenly, feeling the coldness cover her head, descending to the tips of her toes, shutting off all emotion like a switch and helping her focus. How the hell did I not think of that before, Absorb! The darkness surrounding her outstretched palms against the floor shook. Little by little, small tentacles of darkness began to form and began to cling to her skin, disappearing inside her. Absorb! Absorb! She repeated several times as if it were a mantra, at the same time that slowly the darkness surrounding her hands began to disappear leaving a huge white canvas where before there was only black. A slight half-smile appeared on her face and from that moment on she dedicated herself to continue absorbing the darkness that surrounded her as if her life depended on it for what seemed like hours. Until finally when a large patch of the vast emptiness turned completely white, Persephone spoke to her again. <> Give me back my body! <> I don''t give a shit what you think you''re doing! I want my body back now! And if you don''t hand it over right now I''m going to absorb the seal with you inside! Kalysto threatened her, finally standing up and starting to walk towards the direction where the seal was. But before she could reach it a strong dizziness seized her, causing her mental body to stagger and fall limply to the ground. Shit, the curse must still be active! <> Persephone asked, but this time it was Kalysto who did not deign to answer her. Instead she concentrated on finishing moving forward, as she crawled along the ground, the two meters she needed to get to where the cracked seal was. <> When did you break the first seal? Were you already with me when that happened? she asked instead, trying to connect the dots on her lost memory. Suddenly wary about how long she had really been sealed inside her. But her questions only annoyed Persephone even more. <> ...Right she whispered as cold determination shone in her green eyes as she caught between her hand one of the dark Mana tentacles escaping through the cracks of the seal. That''s no longer important now, absorb! <> Persephone began to shout, but her voice was lost in the vast emptiness as Kalysto''s vision began to clear and change. Until she could see the beautiful clear sky as the first rays of the sun began to brighten the horizon. Where the hell am I, she thought as weakness enveloped her as she regained full control of her body. With effort, she managed to turn her face only to be met with a huge collection of monster bodies frozen in dark mana crystals. ...I shouldn''t even be surprised anymore, she whispered, looking at the remains of Caranthir''s house at the same time as its owner lay inside one of the many black crystals. Shit! I hope I can at least recover a couple of potions from what''s left of his house. She thought, but from the deplorable state of the hut, she doubted it. ...Master! Tsuki shouted. Taking her by surprise and making her turn around, happy that at least he was okay. But then terror came over her as she saw the blood covering Tsuki''s beautiful white fur, and the deep wounds covering his whole body. I''m going to kill her! she thought, with determination. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She shouted immediately and without thinking, as soon as she recognized the black stains starting to spread from his wounds and staining her pet''s blood black. But the golden glow never left her body, and it was at that moment that she with sudden fear remembered that she was no longer a saintess. No! No! No! No, I can''t lose you too! tears welled up in her eyes as despair seized her and her voice trembled, completely terrified at the stark reality that was unfolding before her eyes. Drawing strength from where she had none she crawled, noticing the pool of her own blood she had been lying in, and ignoring the sudden discomfort of moving, not realizing that the skill of pain resistence was active and preventing her from feeling the lack of her left arm and leg. The weakness in her body was getting stronger and stronger as blood poured out of her still open wounds, however all she could think of was to continue crawling and get to where her beloved pet was. Ma...master! sobbed the puppy, who although he had already lost his childish appearance, was still behaving like a child. Master... run away and get to safety, he murmured with a thick tear spilling down his dirty, blood-stained cheek. I''m not going to abandon you, Kalysto resisted, not at all willing to give up, even though she had no potion with which to save him, and no chance to move on her own and start looting the destroyed elf''s hut. Master...run away...more monsters are on their way...the master must...the master must get to safety before they arrive I am sorry I cannot protect you more tears descended down the cold cheeks of the sacred beast and his mistress who continued to crawl to where he was. Can you have share a skill of mine as well as when you share with me what you are seeing? I have immunity to the black plague, she muttered in despair. ...I possess no such ability, master. Nor do I know anyone who does. ... for an instant Kalysto did not know what to say at that, and for a second she stood there frozen, her face bathed in tears as she watched him weaken, death about to claim him. The sound of the growling of another wave of monsters began to echo nearby, confirming the warning Tsuki had given her. It was then that Kalysto remembered the invitation envelope the demon king had given her. And she immediately pulled it out of her shadow and while putting her head on the wounded chest of her beloved pet, making sure she was touching him as much as she could, she tore the invitation with her teeth. Seconds later, they both appeared right in front of the entrance of the demon king''s palace, outside the protective barrier she had finished conjuring a few hours ago. Kalysto! You''re hurt! Alice ran to meet her, her beautiful face disfigured at the thought of losing her again. Jhil! Jhil! She hurried to conjure, as she put her hands near the shoulder where an arm should be. But Kalysto stopped her. Cure him first, not me! He has the black plague! she informed her. But I don''t have any ability to cure it! ...Then just keep using Jhil until he''s cured. Regeneration! Regeneration! Regeneration! Kalysto began to conjure, taking turns healing herself and her pet. At the same time the poor Alice, whose hands were trembling at the sight of her friend''s bad body, continued to heal Tsuki. For several days afterwards Kalysto mourned the loss of her father, completely forgetting the whole affair with Persephone and the loss of both systems. Are you sure you are not hungry? I think you''d better eat at least a little, Alice insisted, but Kalysto didn''t change position, and continued lying on her half side on the bed under a warm blanket while her back was turned to Alice. While Tsuki remained lying next to her like a faithful guardian while sharing the pain of the loss of his mistress. Alice let out a long sigh and put the hot soup aside and lay down on the other side of the bed in complete silence and not knowing what else to say to her, so she started stroking her arm and her messy hair, which since that fateful day, Alice could swear it looked a little lighter. The soft sound of crying soon filled the room and Alice hugged her tightly, trying to bring her some comfort. Book 3. Chapter 23. “Shadows, rage, blood, and tears.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 23. Shadows, rage, blood, and tears. Part 2 Two months had passed since the death of Kalystos father. And neither she nor Aegir or his spies had found any trace of Mhiralla. It was as if she had been swallowed up by the earth. Maybe shes hiding in another dimension, Alice commented just before they both went to sleep as she finished brushing her long blonde hair and began to braid it. ... Its most likely, answered Kalysto, letting out a long annoyed sigh, as she lay on her back on the bed they had been sharing since the ex-saintess had returned wounded and in a pool of her own blood. Maybe thats why it took the fairies so long to find her, she murmured as she stared at the ceiling of Alices room, who suffered from constant nightmares in which she found Kalysto and her grandparents dead again, which had ruined Kalystos plans to sleep alone again on more than one occasion. Dont you think your new boyfriend is annoyed that youd rather sleep with me at night than with him? She commented, trying to sound joking, but in reality, she was already tired of having to spend all her nights in the middle of a sandwich between the blonde and Tsuki. He had decided that if Alice could sleep with his master, so could he. Hes not my boyfriend! Alice defended herself, her cheeks turning an intense reddish color, which made Kalysto smile. And yet you know very well who Im talking about, dont you? Alice was about to plead, but she pressed her lips together and threw her comb against the nightstand. Wed better go to sleep now. After all, you have to get up early to continue with your training, excused the blonde, wishing her friend could drop the subject. But Kalysto had no intention of doing so. Are you really so naive as to believe that a demon is going to help your grandparents to get a leased piece of land at a very good price just so your grandfather could have his own place and land to harvest? ... If there was a skill that would allow Alice to shoot laser beams from her eyes, she would be using them against her friend right now. Youre not going to drop the subject, are you? Why would I? Its the most exciting thing thats happened in the last few weeks, she replied cheekily. Besides, I think your grandfather approves. For heavens sake! she murmured, hiding her delicate, beautiful face in her hands. I dont even know if I like him that way. ...Sure, thats why you were kissing him like you had your soul on it just before dinner, Kalysto answered, half a second before Alices pillow crashed hard against his face. Ouch! she complained, but the smile laden with genuine amusement painted on her face made the blonde not believe her. Dont complain, it didnt even hurt! True, but that doesnt mean I want you to go around hitting me every three seconds. I hope it doesnt become a habit, she said, just before throwing it back at her, smashing it into her friends face. Before the blow, she had been sitting on the bed, and now her head was resting against the soft mattress. Ouch! ...I dont think it hurt you, she said trying to imitate the accent of the blonde, who threw the pillow again but this time Kalysto easily avoided it, making it fall on the floor, where Tsuki didnt hesitate to lie on top of it and use it as a cushion. ... I think youre a bad influence on him, Alice complained. Rushing to remove the sacred beast from her pillow, shaking it to remove the hairs left on it. Of course I am. Im his mistress for a reason, she replied with a mischievous smile, making Alice squint her eyes, and accusing her with her gaze. Youve changed, the blonde murmured as she put the pillow back in its place. Of course, Ive changed... everything in life is prone to change, she commented as she pulled her hair back. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I dont just mean that your hair, although it looks lighter than before. Are you sure you didnt dye it? ... Kalysto rolled her eyes. Alice had insisted on the subject since she came back alive from the third mission. No, for the umpteenth time Alice, I didnt dye my hair... she muttered. You better go to sleep at once she growled, covering herself with the blanket, which made Tsuki interpret it as a signal to get on the bed. Hey, I didnt invite you! Alice tried to pull him down so she could have a little more space in the cramped bed, but all her effort was completely useless. Tsuki didnt move. We come as a pack. If he goes, I go, said Kalysto, making Alice let out a groan full of tiredness and after giving up, she turned off the lights and lay down to sleep. ...Kalysto, are you asleep? asked the blonde 15 minutes later, when Tsukis loud snoring filled the room. ... I know youre still awake, Alice whispered, but got no answer. I know you think Im flirting with Raphael, but I dont think I can give him what he wants. ... Not all men want to start a family, Alice. Some people are too serious about their work, others are fine with adopting. Whatever you choose, remember to ask him what he wants first. Because right now all youre doing is assuming hes just like your ex, and what is he going to want to force you to get pregnant and start a family with him. You werent asleep? One last thought as I enter the world of dreams. ...Right...And among these reflections also enter the demon king? Kalystos body tensed up like the string of a guitar. ...I dont know what youre talking about. It is more than obvious that the only reason he is helping you, helping me and my grandparents, is because he wants something with you. What he wants is for me to keep my end of the deal. The one that says youll create a protective barrier for his brothers castles? Thats the one. Technically speaking, the deadline for you to fulfill it has passed. ...Im well aware of that. Thats why he gave me a time extension, considering that I dont have a system now, which makes it practically impossible for me to fulfill my part. ...So youll be stuck in this place for the rest of your life? Only until you fulfill the contract, and technically, I am a guest, not a prisoner. I can walk out of here anytime I want, Alice. As you can. But you cant go too far away, at least not for too long. It wouldnt be convenient if I dont want to lose your trust. I dont think your trust is the only thing he wants, the blonde insisted, but Kalysto didnt answer her. Two months later, Kalysto was finally able to start mastering the basic spells of dark mana based magic. Her biggest drawback was that although her body could replenish itself the mana she spent, the same didnt happen with dark mana. You shouldnt feel so frustrated. Not everyone has the innate ability to create it, let alone manage it without all the facilities a system gives. When you had a system, was the DMP stat always there? No, it was much later when I started entering the towers that I began to have it, she muttered as she concentrated her energy on crystallizing a pair of dark mana daggers. In other words, you absorbed it, he added, with a half-smirk as he saw that she was still trying to hold back information when it was as easy as breathing for him to enter the minds of others. Whether they had a system or not. Persephone has it, she suddenly muttered. Now thats strange. Two hours after Kalysto finally succeeded a couple of times with the teleportation spell, Aegir spoke again. Thats enough for today. But I cant teleport more than a meter away, the brunette complained. Which made the demon king smile. Youll have to practice a lot more and replenish your mana before you try again Kalysto nodded and immediately extracted a mana crystal from her shadow and began to absorb it. Now that she had no system, she had no way of knowing how much mana she was drawing, or how much she had left to finish filling her entire capacity. However, Aegir was already teaching her to use a method with which she could see in her mind a drawing in the shape of a bar as if it were a video game, the state of her health, and her mana. Come with me. I have something to show you, said Aegir, slipping an arm behind her back, drawing her to him. What...? Before she could ask him, both had already reached the fairy territory. Where the golden light of the barrier that Artemis had created was broken. Mhiralla. I also suspect its her, he muttered, summoning his weapon. Even though we havent found her, one of my trackers found this a few hours ago. However, no matter how hard they searched for hours, there was no trace of Mhiralla or her minions. But the purification crystals that Kalysto had created and placed around the barrier near the portal she suspected the fairies used to escape had disappeared. Does any of this look familiar? Questioned Aegir, but Kalysto ignored him, too surprised to see the barrier she had created still remain intact, and feeling how, even after several months, the barrier was still feeding on her mana. As soon as she approached it, the barrier allowed her to pass, and Kalysto climbed the steps to the small dais, but just as she took the last step, her world changed. Suddenly, she was free-falling into the interior of a volcano about to erupt. Book 3. Chapter 24 “Falling” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 24 Falling Part 1 Vertigo clutched at her insides like the sharp claws of a hungry beast, unwilling to release its prey while the suffocating heat of boiling lava hit her face hard. Shit! Kalysto thought, fearing to die in such a stupid way at the same time as the steam and the strong breeze created as she continued to fall, made it difficult for her to clearly know the terrifying panorama that awaited her several meters below. <> Persephone complained. How the hell was I supposed to know it was a trap? Kalysto defended herself, Come on, Kalysto, focus! She scolded herself as the familiar coldness washed over her entire body allowing her to concentrate enough to teleport a couple of meters higher and repeat the feat twice more until she reached the edge of the active volcano that was not yet close to erupting. But just as her foot touched the ground she lost her balance and fell back down, having to spend almost her last reserve of mana to get to safety and ended up sitting on the edge of the volcanos mouth as her heart pounded violently against her ribs. I thought I was going to die! she shuttered with a completely pale face at the same time that her hands trembled as she clung tightly to the ground. It took a few seconds before she was able to recover sufficiently from the shock and start walking away from the volcano as far as her legs would allow. Who the hell is crazy enough to organize something like this? Artemis face came to her mind remembering that fairies could fly when they changed shape and shrunk in size, allowing them to easily survive the death trap. Annoyed at the suspicion that the fairies had created such a trap for a half-breed like her, as soon as she regained some mana she reached out her shadow and pulled out one of the many invitations Aegir had given her, and after breaking it, she appeared again in front of the castle of the king of Desmond. Her knees trembled at the continuous expenditure of mana causing her to lose her balance, but before she hit the ground, a swirl of shadows enveloped her and the figure of Aegir appeared, holding her from behind. What the hell happened? he questioned her, his face bathed in concern. As he checked her for injuries and handed her one of the last bottles of holy water he had negotiated with Hanna. But Kalysto refused to receive it. And instead she took out a health potion he had given her earlier, drinking the entire contents in one gulp. It was a trap, the first barrier was only supposed to have let fairies through but since the portal leads directly into a volcano with boiling lava, I suspect Artemis made a couple of modifications to my barrier before she and her people fled, she muttered remembering the strange sense of longing and loss she felt as she walked through the empty castle. Then she shook her head, wanting to focus on the present and away from the embrace the king began to give her during her story. Id better get back to training. You should rest. Its been a long day and youre practically out of mana, he commented with concern, but she seemed to resent that overprotective attitude. Have you discovered any clues about Mhirallas whereabouts? ... this time it was the kings turn to be annoyed at her stubbornness and lack of care she had for herself, however since she still did not respond to any of his attempts at seduction, he chose to answer. No, but someone who likes attention as much as she does wont be long in coming back. But contrary to the demon kings assumptions, another month passed without them having any clue about her. The north has finally fallen, its only a matter of time before the priestess of Seth finishes conquering the central part of the continent and finally heads towards us, commented Aegir while they cut in two the body of one of the hundreds of sea monsters that every so often tried to invade his lands. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Absorb! Kalysto muttered, but as it had been happening for some time, no matter how hard she tried, she had not acquired any new power and her stats just kept increasing. Annoyed by the lack of progress, she summoned her shadows and with them she killed another monster, using the tentacles of darkness as simple knives, although before they seemed so difficult to manipulate. You have improved, Aegir congratulated her. But not enough, she replied as she launched a gigantic fireball at another pair of monsters at the same time Aegir killed the rest with a simple swing of his sword, sending a wave of sharp darkness, cutting ninety bodies almost at the same time. You look frustrated, he commented, approaching her. I can assure you that you and your friends will be safe within my kingdom, he promised her, however Kalysto knew that in the end, even Desmonds kingdom would lose the long war. I think it is time to change strategy, she suddenly announced. It was the queen of the fairies who was your main source to maintain a part of your fertile lands, I doubt very much that your kingdom or your brothers can last long if the war is prolonged. I am fully aware that I lost one of my last allies with the fall of the Northern kingdoms, but I too recently resumed a treaty with one of the human kingdoms so we could stock up for a while while I get some talented earth mages. Most of the remaining kingdoms are human and they are hostile against your race. But you are not, he whispered as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, using it as an excuse to approach her. However, Kalysto always kept her mental Barrier active, especially when she was near him, so there was no response from her. Travel with me to Earth, I know people in my world who can help you, you can always bring gold and jewels but if you have a couple of weapons I can duplicate them and my friend Sakura can take care of selling them so we could buy food on a large scale, I cant help you get potions, but at least I can be of help with the food problem. I am honored to see that you care about the welfare of my people. I will make the necessary arrangements and we will leave tonight. Although Kalysto had made the offer partly to shake off the nagging feeling that she was in debt to him, it was also true that she had finally learned the spell to move between worlds. And she had finally acquired the fifty thousand MP needed, along with the thirteen circles of Mana so that her body could support such an amount of mana in her body. Although she had no system, she had not regained her healing skill and she had not advanced as much as she would have liked during her hard and continuous training under Aegirs guidance, it had not all been in vain. After organizing her things for departure, and asking Alice to borrow her cell phone, Kalysto met Aegir outside the palace. Are you sure this is for the best? Alice worried. I will be fine. Don''t worry, was all Kalysto replied as she looked with annoyance at Khara, a demon woman with aspirations of becoming the next queen and who looked at Kalysto as if she was the annoying scum that was ruining her plans of seducing the king. Not knowing why she was doing it, Kalysto approached Aegir, pleased to see Khara''s face become disfigured with rage as she watched her place a hand on the king''s chest. That''s what you get for going around telling me I''m a dirty human every time no one is watching. Kalysto thought, a little pleased to see the woman''s suffering and wounded pride. If I had known it was so easy to make you jealous I would have changed my strategy a long time ago, Aegir murmured against her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her waist. I don''t know what you''re talking about, she replied, raising her mental shields immediately, realizing too late that she had forgotten to raise them again. ... an amused and seductive smile came to the lips of the handsome demon king. Lower your shields, he whispered against her ear, the warm breath caressing the skin of the former saintess. And then tell me again that my closeness doesn''t disturb you and that I don''t interest you at all. He challenged her just before activating the spell and taking them back to the same park where he had appeared before her the last time they were there. As soon as they returned to Japan, Kalysto broke away from him, annoyed at the insinuation. I don''t know what you''re talking about, she insisted stubbornly. You have nothing to worry about Khara, I am well aware of what her true aspirations are. What you do with your former lover is not my problem, she muttered as she pulled out Alice''s phone, turned it on and waited until she got a signal. What she wants is my throne, not me. And to clarify, I never had a serious relationship with her, I only had a couple of casual encounters, and almost all of them while I was drunk, he assured her as he watched her dial her friend''s number. I haven''t touched any other woman since I met you, he whispered against her ear at the same time Sakura''s voice sounded on the other end of the line. Who is this? He... Hello, Kalysto cleared her throat before answering. Sakura, it''s Kalysto, I lost my things, along with my phone and the keys to my apartment. Can you lend me money for the cab and help me get in? Book 3. Chapter 24 “Falling” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 24 Falling Part 2 40 hours later. Kalysto hated to admit it, but Sakura had been right. But now that she had Darla, the head priestess of the temple of light and saint of the goddess Mhiralla, wounded and trembling beneath her, she could feel the truth in her friends words. And the whole situation was fucking exciting. Though a part of her still felt a little strange, and she didnt want to admit, at least not quite, that she was that kind of person. The truth was that having Darla between her legs, with the saints legs half open with two dark mana stakes buried in each thigh along with another two in each arm and one in each hand as she sat with her legs spread just above her chest, giving the ex-saint a fascinating view of the proud and pretentious saint and the terror laden look in her eyes. Along with the bruise on her left cheek and her split lips, stained with blood. Seeing her like this, completely broken and at her mercy, stirred something deep in Kalystos darkness, something she didnt know about herself. And she was enjoying it. And now who will come to save you? Kalysto whispered smirking, the darkness and vengeance shining with perversion in her eyes while her voice was laden with sweet irony. For as long as she could remember, Kalysto had always made sure that no one, especially her father, would ever discover that side of her, or how resentful and vengeful she could be. Always striving to keep that side of her hidden from the kind but curious eyes of her adored father. But after he left she had tried to use the same strategy with her mother and stepfather but it was much more useful to remain invisible than to play the role of a good girl with them if she wanted to survive the constant fights of that pair. But after her fathers death, it was as if something inside her had broken, as if that mask of false kindness she used to wear in front of clients when she worked had shattered. It was as if nothing mattered anymore. Correction, as if nothing but murdering Mhiralla in the most painful way possible, mattered. Feeding, that darkness that had always been half asleep inside her. Making it harder and harder to keep up the appearance that all was well with her in front of her friends, though she tended to worry less about it in front of others. And although it had taken her by surprise that the fairy queen had abandoned her like that and taken the system away, being abandoned again had hurt her much more than she was willing to admit. Increasing that emptiness inside her that only seemed to grow as the days went by. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. You wont get out of this place alive! Darla assured her. Whose spirit, unlike her body, had not yet fully broken. The sadistic smile on Kalystos face only grew bigger as she listened to her. Do you mean the collection of bodies I left behind before I came in here? She informed her, enjoying the surprise that framed the saints face before hopelessness and despair finished breaking her. Darlas eyes turned to the entrance of the chamber, where the bloodied bodies of two priests lay lifeless by the entrance. No! It cant be! she muttered in fright. But unbeknownst to her, dark mana stakes half a meter high and twenty centimeters wide pierced the bodies of at least fifteen others in the corridor that connected to the entrance to that huge room. Although not all of them were priests, Kalysto only attacked those who tried to attack her or stop her advance to the prophecy room, where the statue of Mhiralla decorated the dais at the end of a room filled with holy water that gave off a slight white glow. What the hell have you done to them? the priestess muttered fearfully. Youre a damn monster! She accused her. ... Any trace of amusement disappeared from Kalystos face when she heard her. Its quite hypocritical of you to say that, isnt it worse that you used spells to enter and manipulate our minds, or that you tried to assassinate me after I risked my life closing that portal and fighting the monsters that invaded your city? And worst of all, after that, while I was exhausted and vulnerable, you attacked me, kidnapped me, and using some cheap bullshit excuse, tried to kill me and you still have the nerve to say that Im the monster? She became annoyed as she took Darlas face in her hands. Dont fool yourself with that crap, you are the monsters who summon people from other worlds, use them as your soldiers, forcing them to fight against enemies that you yourselves made but without wanting to get your hands dirty you force us to fight a war that is neither ours nor do we give a shit and all for what? So that later you can poison us with a simple flower after we did all the dirty work for you! She growled, bringing her face closer to his. Absorb Absorb! Absorb Jhil! Absorb Jhil Ezhil! Absorb Purification! With each spell Kalysto cast, she could feel the energy entering the inside of her hands, assuring her without a notification window that the process had been successful. You have no idea how much I trained for this moment, she whispered with delight as Darlas face contorted in terror. No! Let go of me! Darla tried to move but pain flooded her as she tried to do so and the dark mana stakes prevented her from escaping, keeping her pinned to the ground under Kalystos body. Someone! Anyone! Please save me! Get this madwoman off me! She screamed in desperation, wanting to escape from the painful process of losing her abilities. But all her effort was in vain. No one came to help her. Shhh! Stop the drama! After all, you were going to do exactly the same to me a few months ago! The ex-saint remarked, her warm breath mingling with the priestesss. Absorber Purification Ezhil! Absorber Dispel! Absorber Dispel Ezhil! Unlike how it happened with the previous skills, when she tried to absorb Dispel Ezhil, absolutely nothing happened. Making her frown. Absorb Dispel Ezhil! She tried once more, but again no energy entered her body. Absorb Dispel Ezhil!... Did you really never raise Dispels skill enough to be able to awaken its Ezhil version? She was surprised. The goddess froze everyones system because of some idiots putting living creatures into their inventory! Do you think I didnt want to develop all my skills to the max? Darla shouted, annoyed at being accused of being a useless good-for-nothing by someone who didnt belong to the temple. Shed had more than enough of those comments from some priests, and she wasnt happy to hear them from a mere stranger. Right, I forgot about that. she cocked her head to the side, remembering one of the court mages talking about it. "Absorb Mana Detection!" As she did so, a loud explosion sounded in the distance, and the sound of a battle began to be heard. Stretching her shadow on the ground around her feet, Kalysto whispered: Tsuki, go watch the door and try to investigate whats going on! she ordered, and the sacred beast emerged from the shadow of his master, revealing its majestic figure to the surprised saint. How is it possible that you have a sacred beast? Book 3. Chapter 24 “Falling” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 24 Falling Part 3 Kalysto ignored Darla completely, not at all interested in what the saintess had to say. Instead, she concentrated on regaining the skills she had lost, though it was obvious that Darlas skill level was far below what she had lost. She would have to focus on training practically from scratch. No wonder Mhiralla chose another saint. It was more than obvious that this one wasnt doing her job. She thought with annoyance, however, she was eager to regain her lost power. If I hadnt lost it, I could have saved my father. This last phrase was the one that night after night was repeated in her mind like a mantra, which was beginning to border on obsession. If only I could recover his remains, perhaps I could revive him. Although she knew it was an absurd idea, she couldnt get it out of her head. If only he had been stronger.... Despite the time that had passed, she couldnt help but continually reproach herself for how weak she had been, which was why she had dedicated herself body and soul to training after she spent a few days in mourning. Absorb Sleep well! Absorb Blessing! Absorb Blessing Ezhil! she conjured, but just as it had happened with Dispel Ezhil, Blessing Ezhil didnt seem to be in Darlas repertoire either. Another one Ill have to wake up almost from scratch! she muttered to herself. Maybe if you had spent more time fulfilling your duties as a saintess instead of sleeping with the king and who knows how many others, you would have advanced faster! It was too strange for someone as hardworking as Kalysto to see that someone who had been in the same class as her for years had never worked hard enough to advance as far and as fast as she had. No wonder the queen set up such a long contract in the beginning and then was so pleased with how fast I was advancing too bad she planned the attack on Mhiralla so poorly if she had gone in person, we would never have failed. Who the hell would think of sending a bunch of weak mortals to fight a goddess? Just thinking about how poorly organized the rescue had been made her blood run hot, and while she could understand that the queen was too busy organizing escape routes for her people while still spying on the advance of the priestess of Seth-Mainyu and her army as they destroyed other kingdoms, it felt too strange to her. She could almost believe that someone else had taken matters into their own hands. Maybe it was Artemis. With how accelerated she is it wouldnt be strange at all. Not if I take into account what she planned for me when we first met. She thought as Darla continued to scream, the pain from the loss of her abilities clouding her judgment and making her only able to let out a couple of incoherent babbles that made no sense at all. A powerful explosion sounded nearby, causing the earth to tremble beneath their feet and the ceiling to shake along with the walls of the vast room. Master, an army of level 70 goblins along with an army of level 120 undead are attacking the temple! They are led by a level 100 goblin named Arkhas. He is a fire mage! reported Tsuki. The building where the heroes were staying and training has just been destroyed. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. At first, the news didnt mean much to Kalysto. Looks like I wont be able to take my time with you like I wanted to, she whispered, conjuring a dark mana dagger and burying it in Darlas shoulder, making her scream. Jhil! she conjured, only to repeat the same process twice more, checking that the skill had returned to her, albeit much weaker, before continuing with what she had been doing. Absorb luck! Absorb strength! Absorb agility! Absorb charisma! Absorb intelligence! Absorb stamina! More screams came out of the saintesss mouth without anyone being able to stop her aggressor, and a satisfied smile lit up Kalystos face, only to disappear half a second later. Shit! Eric and Madha are still with these people! She suddenly remembered, feeling bad for the pair of shadow mages who had trusted her. Absorb MP! Absorb HP! As soon as Darlas body turned to ashes, Kalysto stood up. Tsuki! Do you know if the two shadow mages managed to escape before the building was destroyed? I heard that the other saintess escaped along with a guard, but I dont know about the two magicians youre talking about, master, he reported. Dont worry, well soon find out, she assured him as she approached the holy water, brushing the surface of the water she conjured: Absorb! The slight white glow that surrounded the water disappeared completely. Then she repeated the same process with the statue of the goddess Mhiralla, but as soon as she began to feel a subtle flow of energy enter her body, it was suddenly cut off and the statue immediately self-destructed, its remains falling on top of her. Kalysto was agile enough to dodge them, but she had no doubt that the goddess had realized what she was doing. Interesting, that means if I find other temples with statues of her, I might acquire something else. She thought, getting excited about the idea. Unfortunately for her, the sound of fighting could be heard closer and closer, so she had to hurry and leave the compound and start searching with the help of her pet for the two shadow mages that had been summoned the same day she had arrived in Elinor. But when she arrived at the place Tsuki had told her about, there was no way she could find any of the survivors in the ruins of the building. However, unlike other times, luck seemed to be on her side this time. Because in the midst of the rubble, a male voice she knew very well called out her name. Kalysto, what are you doing here? I thought you had found a way back to Earth! The surprise on Edwards face was priceless. Kalysto! Help me! The young man shouted, his face full of sweat and dirty with dirt after a long day of training. The sword he had been using was under the rubble, as was the lower half of the young mans body. However, Kalysto did not listen to the brown-haired mans desperate pleas and approached him with a calm step. Have you seen Eric and Madha? she asked, completely ignoring Edwards precarious situation. Why are you asking me about them? Wasnt it you who helped them escape? The confusion marked his face so sincerely that Kalysto had no choice but to believe him. I see, she murmured just before she turned and began to walk away from him as the knights of the temple of light were brutally slaughtered by the horde of monsters. And a group of two hundred of them came up to where Edward stood, their weapons held high, dyed in blood, and ready for battle. Edwards face was disfigured with terror as he watched them advance and, in desperation, he tried to crawl away from the rubble, but in vain. Nothing he tried could help him get his leg out that was stuck under dozens of debris and two columns that had fallen on them just above the piece of wall that was crushing his leg, although he managed to shake off the two pieces of debris that covered his back. Kalysto, please help me! the young man cried, full of desperation. But Kalysto just watched him with a blank stare. Why would I do that? She answered just before ordering Tsuki to enter her shadow again and teleport back to Desmonds kingdom, making several stops along the way, as she was not yet capable of teleporting long distances. At the same time, the sharp blades of two undead and three goblins buried themselves in Edwards body. His screams echoed throughout the temple and even further afield, but no one came to his aid. By nightfall, the capital of the kingdom of Balsahty had been completely destroyed. Book 3. Chapter 25. “Four Weeks.” Book 3. Chapter 25. Four Weeks. It had been four weeks since Kalysto had regained her saintess skills thanks to Darla, four weeks in which she had dedicated herself to leveling up those skills, reawakening Dispel Ezhil and Blessing Ezhil. It was extremely difficult to awaken a new skill without the help of a system, except for the fact that she had had one and already knew the whole process and order of leveling up skills as a saintess, she would never have realized when she acquired the Ezhil versions of Dispel and Blessing. Plus without a system that gave her a numerical indication of the value of the levels of each skill it was difficult to predict the timing of the change. That and she had lost, thanks to Mhiralla, the skills of sense, control and mana manipulation. But thanks to the continuous training she had been doing with Aegir, even when she was alone, that she had regained the skill to sense her own mana and sense that of others around her, and could now control the mana inside her body and that which came out of it. The problem was that the sensation for all three skills, especially for the last two, was practically the same and without a system it was impossible to be able to develop one of them separately. Kalysto closed her eyes and concentrated, allowing the image of a video game like bar to come to her mind. When Aegir had explained how to do it he had told her to use a large box as a mental reference. But even though Kalysto was not a big video game player, she had seen Natasha play them countless times, so it was much more familiar to her to use the bar that indicated a characters health or life level to do so. The image came to her mind and then the shadows formed by the branches of the trees in the forest she was in merged under her feet, rising up to her shoulder and then down her right arm to her hand, and there sliding back down to the ground drawing on the ground the bar and the small portion of it that represented how far Kalysto had advanced in leveling up the Blessing skill. Damn, Im still halfway through the bar! She thought with annoyance as she looked at the drawing. Blessing Ezhil there was no need to raise it, not when her allies were demons and were more likely to die if she used it in their presence, rather than giving them a power boost and making them temporarily stronger as would have happened with any of the other races. After taking several deep breaths, Kalysto closed her eyes again. Concentrating this time on Jhils ability and then repeated the same process. Almost two minutes later, the shadow tentacle whose tip had crystallized drew a second bar, then traced small oblique lines that went a little further to the middle of the entire width of the bar, but not more than two-thirds. I still have a long way to go! She groaned, feeling frustrated that even though she had spent the last four weeks living on revitalizing potions and had even reduced the number of hours,concentrated, she was taking potions lessons each week with a light elf named Rozheinlo, the best potionist on the entire continent, she hadnt made as much progress as she wanted to. The 570-year-old elf, with long white hair and green eyes, had been surprised by the sudden lack of enthusiasm in his classes, but after she insisted that it was only a temporary issue, he had let it go. It also meant four weeks since she had last slept, since she had regained her skills she had been using ''Sleep Well'' with Alice, thus avoiding hearing her friend''s continuous screams as she had nightmares where she lost them all again, or where she witnessed their deaths and screamed Kalysto''s name as she begged her not to die and then woke up with her hands shaking, crying inconsolably and clinging to her more violently than a desperate koala would cling to a branch to keep from falling into a raging river. To the complete annoyance of her plans to go back to sleeping alone instead of being trapped every night in a strange sandwich between Alice and Tsuki, who seemed to have trouble staying apart from her. A pounding headache, something that had become habitual in the last few weeks, spread throughout her skull and immediately, Kalysto stretched her left hand against her forehead and whispered: Jhil! Jhil! a golden light shot out of her palm and all traces of pain disappeared in a matter of seconds. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A small smile tugged at her lips, feeling relieved again and somewhat vindicated that she could finally heal herself. As she should have been from the beginning. Blessing! she murmured, touching herself, and after letting out a long sigh she began to bless the collection of leaves Tsuki had brought with his tail as if it were a broom. Thank you, you did a good job, congratulated him and Tsuki puffed out his chest, proud of himself and then lay down next to his mistress and waited for the training to end. Blessing! Jhil! She conjured, and although the second spell didn''t work as well with the leaf that was taken from the pile clumped on the floor of the lush forest outside Desmond''s kingdom and almost reaching the fairy domain, the first one was a complete success. Nearly half an hour later, when she was close to running out of mana again, Kalysto pulls a mana stone from her shadow, after absorbing it, the pretty semi-transparent and very light blue crystal turned to ashes. She then began to spread her mana, doing a light reconnaissance of the surroundings before retreating making sure once again that the lands bordering the kingdom were safe. And with the intention of then leaving to visit Forhemed, kingdom of Queen Whanda Donovhar, Aegir''s younger sister. Whom she had been helping her lately by grouping wounded and sick to lead her to raise her ''Jhil'' skill faster. She had been doing the same with Sakura on earth, and with Xhavier Donovhar, the other younger brother of Aegir, king of the kingdom of Solvenyhr. But contrary to what Kalysto had expected during her usual reconnaissance scan, two mana footprints one larger than the other appeared on her radar, and behind them another twenty came chasing after them. Tsuki, get ready, looks like we''ve got company! The Sacred beast immediately stood next to his mistress who absorbed him in her shadow before disappearing and reappearing right in front of the first two mana footprints she had sensed. And huge was her surprise to find her potions teacher with torn and bloody clothes, running beside a little girl whom she carried in his arms while he limped. The kingdom of Farha has fallen! shouted the elf as he ran towards her. The entire north is now under the control of the priestess of Seth-Mainyu or contaminated with the black plague! He announced, terror shining on his face as he clung tightly to the body of the girl he carried in his arms. As if she were his most precious treasure. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Kalysto immediately conjured and golden light burst from her body starting the healing process on both elves at the same time Tsuki stepped out of the shadow of his mistress and began to growl, ready to fight the small group of monsters. Dark rain! Whispered Kalysto, extending her right hand causing a magic seal to be drawn a meter in front of her and from it sprouted stakes of black mana that pierced the bodies of the orcs that had been chasing the pair, at the same time that the elf and his granddaughter positioned themselves behind her, as if Kalysto was a human shield, while they were catching their breath. Behind the first group of enemies she had sensed, came a second group. Tsuki, take care of them! content that it was his turn again, a powerful group of lightning bolts were expelled from the furry Sacred Beast''s body, easily electrocuting all of his enemies. Mana detection! she muttered, checking them both and noticing on the little girl''s body traces of the black plague. Jhil Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Kalysto continued to conjure, until they were completely healed. Then she took an invitation out of her shadow and extended it to the potions professor. I suppose you ran out of one of these for you to have run all this way. I''m afraid I lost it on the way and someone else may have it, he replied, the fear in his voice showing that he dreaded the possibility of being denied entry after making such a mistake during these times. Report the situation to Aegir as soon as you arrive, the strict function teacher nodded his head, and as soon as he ripped the invitation while holding his granddaughter so as not to lose her, they both disappeared in front of Kalysto, who spent another 20 minutes searching the forest for more enemies but found no one else. After spending a couple of hours in the kingdom of Aegir''s younger sister healing the sick after informing her of what had happened with the potions teacher, Kalysto returned for a few hours to Earth and met her friend. Don''t you think you are trying too hard? You also need to rest, you know? Sakura worried as they both left the hospital that she had coordinated to help Kalysto to level up her healing skill faster. But Kalysto did not answer her immediately. It was only after she had teleported them both to her own apartment that she felt it was safe to continue the conversation. If I can get his remains I might be able to regenerate and revive him, she murmured, referring to her father. I don''t mean to sound rude or pessimistic, she replied carefully, too surprised at the insanity she was hearing from her best friend''s lips, .... but that sounds disgusting and rather implausible. ... Kalysto let out a long sigh before answering. And if a few years ago I had told you that interdimensional portals would open everywhere in the world making monsters from other dimensions come to our planet to destroy it and that some people would gain a system that would give them magical powers or superhuman strength, would you have believed me then? ... Sakura pursed her lips before answering. I honestly would have thought you were crazy, the black-haired girl admitted calmly. But unlike her friend, Kalysto was certain that the fairy queen could not have retired so easily, not without having found some way to recover the body of her daughter and niece. She just had the strong hope that with any luck, the queen would also have taken her father''s remains with her. Book 3. Chapter 26 “The Beginning of the Darkness” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 26 The Beginning of the Darkness Part 1 I need to talk to you, Aegir commented as soon as he saw Kalysto arrive outside the castle and outside the protective magical barrier she had created just before leaving for the third trial. Unaware that she had just returned from Earth after spending a couple of hours healing wounds in the emergency section at a hospital of which Sakura''s father was one of the shareholders, taking the opportunity to raise Jhil''s skill level faster. The former saintess stopped her pace and frowned, looking at the demon king quizzically. Yes, of course, she replied, not knowing what else to say. Not here. Come with me, he added, approaching her and placing his hand behind her back. Before Kalysto could protest the sudden contact and unnecessary closeness, he had already teleported them to the outskirts of the kingdom, into a beautiful field of colorful flowers at the end of a forest, and just before a steep cliff that gave a beautiful view of the immense sea surrounding the four demonic kingdoms, which occupied the entire southern part of the continent. Desmond being the largest of the three that were inhabited. Here, Aegir took off the cloak he was wearing and put it on a rock. Please sit down, he added chivalrously, pointing to the royal cloak extended to prevent her from soiling her clothes. Kalysto didn''t know what to make with the sudden attention. And for four full seconds her gaze traveled from the cloak to him, and back again. Unsure of what to do in such a situation. Suddenly remembering Alice''s insistence that he was romantically interested in her, something Kalysto had been insisting on denying. Did you finally find any information about Mhiralla''s whereabouts? she asked, wanting to keep the conversation on topics that were safe. No, he answered with a thin smile, knowing full well what she was doing. But I found a way to help you with your problem, he added, sitting down right next to her, making her all too aware of his sudden closeness. The most effective way to kill a goddess? She perked up immediately, turning to look at him hopefully. Aegir watched her silently, half disappointed at her lack of reaction to his nearness, especially since he had never had to work hard for female attention before. Not only because of the title he held, but because of his very pleasing appearance and immense power. Aegir cleared his throat before continuing, uncomfortable at the little progress he had made after months of courting her. Not yet, but I''ve figured out a way for you to have a system, contrary to what he expected, Kalysto''s shoulders slumped, obviously disappointed at his words. It wouldn''t do any good to have a new system, even if I had absorbed it from Darla, the same thing that happened to me with Mhiralla would happen again. She will take it from me as soon as we meet again, although in Darla''s case, her system was frozen, so it was of no use to her either. There would be no problem if you use the darkness god''s system since he is sealed. And even if he is awakened, the dark god gifted us demons, a select group actually, a system as an advantage against the rest of the races since the goddess of light refused to participate in our creation. Besides, I am a member of the royal family. You, but not me. She thought, arching an eyebrow. And while I suspect there are fairies and elves somewhere in my family line, I doubt there is demon blood. Where are you going with that? she asked suspiciously. The god of darkness would not take away your system even if he woke up, not if you are my mate," he proposed with complete seriousness Kalysto stood up immediately and took a step back, needing some distance between them as she looked at him with utter surprise. Are you telling me that in exchange for having a system I must be with you?... sleep with you? She say, feeling insulted. No," he assured her, standing up and stopping right in front of her, preventing her from escaping. I''m not stupid Kalysto, I know you''re attracted to me even if it''s not as strong as what I feel for you," he clarified, "I''m just asking you to give me a chance, asking you to not kissing, no touching and no sleeping with anyone else but me. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. All I''m interested in right now is destroying Mhiralla and making her suffer no matter what," she changed the subject, not at all willing to agree with him. I''m fine with that," he assured her, "I''m willing to wait for you and I''ll support you every step of the way," he promised. Ha! And you expect only me to do this while you sleep with others? she refuted, trying to find an excuse to refuse and extinguish the strange, small, terrifying flare of an unknown emotion that glowed in her chest. Along with the rage at the very thought that he would have the total freedom to bed Khara, something it was obvious the demon woman desired. A low, soft, seductive chuckle echoed in the air. Of course you have my total loyalty and chastity," he replied. I doubt very much that you are chaste," she reproached him. Disbelief shining in her voice, as she stepped back again, away from him. For you I will be from now on," he assured her, stepping closer to her again. Still the memory of her mother''s lovesick look, with her face full of bruises due to her stepfather''s violence, shone in Kalysto''s memory and her body immediately tensed. And her stomach churned with disgust at the thought of becoming like her mother. You are not like your mother, Kalysto," he assured her in a low voice as he stroked the back of her knuckles across the ex-saintess face. I will never treat you the way he treated your mother, and I would never let you treat me that way either. His words took her by surprise, causing her to look up and meet his ruby eyes. ...Get out of my head. I''ll try, but you''re asking me to do something as hard as stop breathing," he replied as he did so, and pulled his hand away from her, suddenly aware of how unpleasant male contact was for her, despite the growing attraction and curiosity she denied feeling for him. Kalysto cleared her throat and folded her arms, somewhere between bewildered and confused by the direction the conversation had taken. She had never considered herself to be a romantic person, and although her father had always been very attentive to her he had never been that way with her mother. Besides she had never been in a relationship and had never felt the need to be in one. So she had absolutely no idea what to do next. Aegir seemed to notice the confusion in her gaze, so he hastened to clarify. I won''t force you to do anything you don''t want to do and as I said before I am willing to wait for you to complete your revenge, he said at the same time that a simple black window, without any arabesque or colored decorations given at the ends like Persephone''s, appeared before her. ...How long would the contract last? she asked curiously, suddenly interested to see the look of bewilderment and anger that would appear on Khara''s face as soon as she found out. Until our souls cease to exist, or until we both agree to cancel it. Fifteen minutes later they were both back in the castle and inside the room where the throne was. This is Rezhor, one of my warriors. His wife recently became pregnant with their second child, commented Aegir, introducing her to a demon who was missing half of his right arm and whose bandages were stained with blood. It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Kalysto. The honor is all mine my lady, the look of complicity that the demon gave to his king implied that it did not seem to be a secret that the king was interested in her. Are you sure you wish to do this? The process may be a bit painful, she said, not wanting him to refuse at the last moment. My lady, as you can see I recently lost my arm and without it I no longer serve as a Warrior. Besides, my wife wants me to retire, with the times we live in, she is afraid of becoming a widow and having to raise our children on her own. I assure you that my king has promised to compensate me enough so that I can buy a piece of land on which my brother-in-law can help me build my own house and thus have a legacy to leave to my children. I understand, she said even though she couldn''t shake the feeling that there was something strange about his arm. Has your wound healed yet? The muscular demon seemed uncomfortable with her question. Your friend Alice tried to heal it, but being human her skill is not compatible with us and only made the wound worse, answered the king. Come on, Kalysto, focus! she thought, as she felt the familiar coldness run through her from head to toe. I see, she replied as she nodded her head and approached the other demon, after placing her hand on both of his cheeks, she whispered, Absorb system! Again, Kalysto could feel the energy entering her through her fingertips and palm. A few seconds later a simple black window appeared before her. Making her heart beat wildly against her chest, excited at what she was seeing. [Status window] [Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed Level: 150 Fatigue: 90 Class: N/A Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of Anissha) (Guardian of the seal.) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 140,000/140,000 MP: 175,800/175,800 DMP: 17.000 Strength: 37.000+55 Vitality: 3,800+80 Agility: 50.000 Stamina: 42,520+110 Intelligence: 4,050+100 Charisma: 50 Luck: 70 Ether: 135 Status: Cursed. Tired. Excited. Available points: 0] Book 3. Chapter 26 “The Beginning of the Darkness” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 26 The Beginning of the Darkness Part 2 Despite having raised her mental barriers to not feel sorry for the warrior in front of her, Kalysto couldnt help but be thrilled to see the notification window of a system in front of her again. Even when it was black and a much simpler and more plain version of the one she had before. A quick glance told her that there wasnt even a tab for the map, as there was in the purple system. And she didnt notice the skills tab either. Where the heck are they? She thought as they reviewed the data in the status window, But before she could press the small button at the bottom right of the window, which she had overlooked, Rezhor groaned in pain, hunching his muscular body as he coughed, as if she had punched him hard in the stomach. At the same time, a gentle pressure, like a burden, settled in the former saintess heart. A debt. She immediately recognized the sensation, and without wasting any time, she approached the demon. Is your wound properly disinfected? she asked, and the demon nodded. Yes, madam. It is, he assured her as he straightened up again, not wanting to show weakness to anyone present. Then Kalysto removed the bandage from his arm and dropped it on the floor. Regeneration! Regeneration! Jhil! She thought, concentrating on letting out the energy of the first skill in greater quantity than the second, but as the demon king had assured her earlier since she was a half-breed, her skills were compatible with different races, which would never happen with a pure human. Not wanting to think about the possibilities of what this could mean for her and her bloodlines, she concentrated on finishing regenerating the warriors arm. Whose eyes were bathed in tears as he saw that he had fully regained the lost limb. Now you can help build a home for your family. the demon fell to his knees in front of her when he heard those words. Thank you, thank you! I will be eternally grateful to you, my lady! Anything you want from me or my family, please dont hesitate to ask me. Thank you! He sobbed with tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he could now properly hold and embrace his unborn daughter, the little girl he had long dreamed of having. Kalysto instinctively recoiled, but this time, it was not due to his closeness. It was the sudden and very unexpected arousal she felt at having a man on his knees in front of her. Even more unexpected was the sudden surge of magical power and pressure that came from Aegir. Leave now! The warrior, noticing his kings anger, bowed in respect. As you command, my lord. My lady, he lowered his head again and without taking his eyes off the ground, he advanced to the door. Dont forget your reward, growled Aegir between his teeth, throwing a bag full of precious gems to the warrior who left immediately after picking up the bag and bowing his head again to the king. Aegir approached Kalysto, who was now too shocked by what had just happened. It was the second time something like that had happened to her, and she had attributed the first time to both her and Sakura having been too drunk. But this time, she had been completely sober. Shit, I hate it when Sakura is right! She thought, remembering her very experienced friends insistence in assuring her that what she liked was to be in control. I didnt know it turns you on to have a man on his knees in front of you, Aegir whispered in her ear. Making her nervous and making the former saintess heart ride madly against her chest. She swallowed saliva before answering. Well, we all have our preferences, she replied, turning away from him and starting to walk towards the door. Running away? asked the king, half amused by her reaction. Tempted by the rosy hue on her cheeks. Not at all, she replied as she opened the door, putting distance between them. I just have other things to do, she added, trying not to show how nervous she was. But just before she left, she stopped. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A tentacle of darkness rose from her shadow, clutching a small bottle of holy water. By the way, I forgot to tell you, but there are no potions on Earth. So now that you have an experienced potion master, it would be very convenient for both parties to trade them in exchange for food for your kingdom and of your brothers. Im sure the hunters'' agencies of various governments would be more than happy to trade with you. Especially if you add this into the negotiations, she commented, causing the tentacle of darkness to extend halfway across the room, where he was standing, and handed him two delicate, enchanted glass bottles filled with holy water. One of low quality and the other of medium quality. Aegir did not hesitate to examine them as soon as he received them. Surprised by the gift. So, this is what youve been doing every afternoon after our training sessions? She just shrugged her shoulders in response, and just as she was about to finish leaving the room, Aegir appeared in front of her, his face just inches from hers. May I kiss you? He asked, enjoying watching her fidget and the increasing intensity of the color in her cheeks. ...No, she replied, fading into a swirl of shadows. The kings loud laughter echoed down the hall, but still she did not return. The next morning, a magic circle was drawn near where the king sat having a meeting with several high-ranking nobles and his brothers. A black sphere, created at the tip of dark mana tentacles, emerged from the seal, revealing a wooden box filled with vials of low-grade holy water. Contrary to how alert everyone else at the meeting had been to the unexpected appearance, Aegir let out a long laugh. Have you finally lost what little sanity you have left, dear brother? questioned Whanda, queen of Forhemed. But instead of answering her, the king of Desmond sent a short letter to Kalysto. Who did not take long to receive it. Are you ready to go? Alice asked her best friend as soon as she saw her arrive. While she, Rozheinlo, three warriors and three hooded wizards were waiting for her. Yes, I had to take care of something before we left, but just as Kalysto stepped out of the barrier protecting the castle, a cluster of shadows materialized beside her, and out of it came a folded letter. Kalysto took it, recognizing the feel of Aegirs dark mana magic signature. I see youre still hiding from me. P.S.: thank you for the gift. Ill start preparing my thank you gift. Kalysto rolled her eyes, half annoyed at the last part. Being the nephew of the fairy queen it was more than obvious that he knew that fairies didnt like to feel indebted to someone, and since he had been taking care of feeding her, Alice and her grandparents for the past few months, it was necessary to give him something in return. Especially since Alice flatly refused to return to Earth and expose her grandparents to the danger posed by Seths dark saintess, who she claimed was somewhere in London, and because Kalysto still hadnt finished keeping her part of the deal. Is everything all right? Alice worried. Yes, dont worry, replied Kalysto, burning the letter with black fire. As the fairy champion approached the rest of the group, the three mages began their chanting, teleporting the group to the capital of the Zeer kingdom, where they rushed into the market and began to buy all the necessary materials to start mass producing health, mana, and revitalizing potions to start trading with the Japanese hunters association. Kalysto took the opportunity to not only learn from her mentor, but to stock up on a nice collection of enchanted potion bottles of different sizes. And thus have enough material to duplicate later. But after an hour and a half of walking around the market, looking for everything they needed, Alice was bored. Can we go buy some seeds for my grandfather to grow? Alice whispered to her. Kalysto nodded and told the potions master. Dont be long. Well leave in ten minutes. Its not safe to stay here too long, commented Rozheinlo. One of the wizards went with them to the store that was diagonal to the one they had been in before, and Alice entered with a smile on her lips, excited to find something that was to her grandfathers taste, and a couple of flowers for her grandmother to grow, taking advantage that they were in one of the few kingdoms that opened the doors to all the races of the other kingdoms in the continent, without any kind of restriction. But just as they were about to leave the premises, a loud explosion sounded close to where they were. Take Alice with you! ordered Kalysto immediately to the wizard who was accompanying them. But...! began to plead the blonde, worried about her. Now! The wizard obeyed her, taking the blonde away and returning with the rest of the group, teleporting them all back to the safety of Desmonds realm. Kalysto, however, remained. Feeling a strange familiarity in the air, as if something was pulling at her. Stealth! She thought, hiding her presence and pushing through the crowd of former shoppers who were fleeing the source of the explosion. It was no surprise to find Arkhas again, along with an army of goblins and undead at the end of the street. What did surprise her was to see the same black dragon that had come with them to Elinor when the summoning of the heroes happened. Although he was now undead, she could recognize the wound on his neck, in the same place she had seen it when she was on Earth. On the dragon stood the same orc she had killed, and next to him, the same hobgoblin she had seen before, holding a huge sphere of black crystal. Im going to kill it once and for all, and this time Ill make sure they cant revive it again! She thought, her gaze fixed on the orc, but again the large black sphere caught her attention. Forcing her to avert her gaze to the particular object. The hobgoblin looked her straight in the eyes as he smiled. A pleasure to meet again, old friend, he said, and this time Kalysto could understand his words. But just as she was about to attack them, her whole world was tinted with shadows. And this time, it wasnt hers. Persephone, give me back my body! she shouted, annoyed by the sudden and unwanted interruption. However, nothing changed. And little by little, her consciousness was plunging deeper and deeper into infinite darkness. <> Persephone replied. <> Book 3. Chapter 27 “Darkness” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 27 Darkness Part 1 By the time Kalysto was able to regain consciousness, it felt as if an eternity had passed. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on her back in her mental space, so awash in darkness that she doubted she had ever been in that same sector before. This time she appeared much farther away from where she felt the seal was and there was no trace of the small blank space she had absorbed earlier. The thin thread of energy connecting her to the seal felt so faint, she could barely feel it, as if she were miles away from it. Something similar was happening with her connection to Tsuki. Tsuki? She asked to nothing, but she only heard silence. Communication with the sacred beasts! Tsuki! Can you hear me? She tried once more, but got no answer. Annoyed at being trapped in that huge place again, she stood up. Persephone give me back my body! She shouted, but again no one answered her. Persephone, stop ignoring me and give me my body back, now! But only silence answered her. Annoyed by the lack of response Kalysto began to walk through the vast darkness towards the direction she felt the seal was in, until her feet hurt. What the hell was that all about? She muttered in disbelief that she was trapped there again when it had only been a few days ago that the demon king had helped her re-strengthen the seal after the whole fiasco of the third mission. She herself had checked every little crack making sure they had been sealed properly and thus avoiding what was happening to her. Or Persephone attacking Alice again. How the hell did the seal reopen if all the cracks were closed? she muttered. It was then that she remembered the huge black crystal in the necromancer''s hands. That must have been it. She thought, finding no other logical explanation for the strange phenomenon. After almost half an hour of walking in the same direction, she had the slight impression that she had been walking in circles. So she stopped and frowned, sensing that something wasn''t right. There was something that felt different in her mental space, something out of place. But she had no idea what it was. And though she tried to look for it, she could see nothing but darkness and her own mental body, the only thing she could see, apart from the shadows and thick black mist that seemed to dissipate every time she felt she was approaching the seal, only to increase again when she suddenly seemed to be, without explanation, far away again. Once again, she tried to contact Persephone and Tsuki, but got the same result. Tired of such darkness, she sat up and placed her palms on the ground. Absorb! She thought, and a simple black window appeared before her, taking her by surprise. [Does the user wish to absorb this dark mana?] Despite the simple notification, she was glad to know that the black system worked much better than the other two, there. Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 DMP!] From that moment on, she spent the next hour absorbing the darkness around her, leaving a large blank space in the middle of the gigantic darkness. She then walked to the edge where the blank space ended and the shadows began, and started again. A couple of hours later she noticed a change in her system window that immediately caught her attention. [Status window] [Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-breed Level: 150 Fatigue: 70 Class: N/A Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies. Avatar of Anissha. Guardian of the seal. Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram HP: 140,000/140,000 MP: 175.800/175.800 You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. DMP: 213.000/213.000 Strength: 37.000+55 Vitality: 3,800+80 Agility: 50.000 Stamina: 42.520+110 Intelligence: 4.050+100 Charisma: 50 Luck: 70 Ether: 135 Status: Cursed. Tired. Curious. Available points: 0] Strange. She thought as she looked at her DMP stat, which unlike her other stats, had always had a single value. Like a resource which would cease to be available to her as soon as the score reached zero. But now, like her MP and HP, it was a renewable resource with a limit. Immediately, her gaze shifted to the huge white patch that stained the infinite darkness. Maybe it wasn''t so bad that I was trapped here. She realized. While the darkness is not an element that would serve me well in a fight against Mhiralla, maybe it can serve me well to get something that I can actually fight her with. She encouraged herself. And she continued to move determinedly for hours towards the seal as she continued to absorb more and more DMP, until she finally reached her destination. But to her great annoyance a red colored energy barrier prevented her from moving forward. Where the hell did this come from? she questioned with a frown as she reached out her hand to touch the thin protective layer of red colored energy, which rippled as she touched it, releasing a small electric shock as a warning to stay away. Kalysto arched an eyebrow, half amused at the brazenness of whoever it was that had put it there. Because she was sure it hadn''t been Persephone. Not when she could finally realize that that strange feeling she had been having that something was out of place when she woke up in her mental world, it was because there was something else besides her, the bond with Tsuki, the two contracts with Aegir, the contract with Sakura and her brother''s, Natasha''s and her mother''s, Katia''s and the ones she had made with some of the heroes, the bond as avatar of the fairy queen, the seal and Persephone. The energy that linked her to each of these contracts was becoming easier and easier for her to identify without the aid of a system. But apart from them, there was a new one, one that did not have Kalysto''s magical signature, nor did it resonate with her the way Aegir''s energy or her father''s did. Who the hell are you? She shouted in annoyance at the intrusion she hadn''t been able to detect before. And contrary to what had happened so far, when she had tried to contact Persephone or Tsuki, a male voice boomed in the middle of the vast darkness. You can''t stop us! You can''t stop his awakening! For an instant, a surge of unreasonable fear seized her before she could regain her composure. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself and immediately the familiar coldness completely covered her mental body. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Oh! Really? She scoffed, irony flooding her voice. Watch me do it! She challenged him and immediately conjured: Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! The golden light burst forth from her, disintegrating the barrier and giving her access to the tentacles of darkness that sprouted from within the new cracks that appeared in the seal. Kalysto hastily grabbed a tentacle in each hand before continuing to conjure. Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! Nooo! the male voice shouted, but it was too late. Kalysto could feel the energy entering her. And just to make sure that the intruder could not interrupt her, she surrounded her mental body with that soft white glow, which was now much brighter than before. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 4000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 DMP!] But as she did so, her vision darkened. To then light up seconds later, allowing her to see a beautiful field of flowers in the middle of a thick forest. And in the center, a little girl of about six years old with long black hair and dark eyes, who greeted her with a huge smile as she was surrounded by a soft black mist. Dark mana. Kalysto thought as she stepped forward and tried to remove a tree branch that obstructed her vision, noticing that she herself was no longer an adult. But a child. Kalysto, look, I was able to save him! The black-haired girl shouted excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, waiting for her reaction. Her congratulations on a job well done. What the hell? She was surprised. Even though my ability to absorb has sometimes allowed me to see other people''s memories, I''m sure I didn''t meet Persephone until a few days after my father left us. As confused as she was, her little child-like body moved on its own. And by the time she was finally able to get out of the group of trees and into the pretty field of flowers, she could see a white rabbit with a wounded leg, trapped inside a semi-transparent black mana crystal that was in Persephone''s hands. What did you do to Mr. Rabbit? The voice that came from her lips was too childish to be her own. Still, she couldn''t stop it, it was as if her body was running on autopilot from the instant she entered the flower field. You won''t have to be sad because he was dying anymore! And then you can keep him forever! Persephone said, her big black eyes shining with excitement as she smiled, making her chubby cheeks look a little bigger than they were. Is she crazy? Kalysto thought, terrified at the unpleasant idea. Feeling repulsed at the excitement and longing Persephone showed in her eyes as she spoke. Are you sure he''s alive? asked her childish body, instead. I''m sure! When you grow up and become a great veterinarian, I''ll get him out of the crystal, so you can cure him yourself! She assured her, completely convinced of what she was saying. Little Kalysto nodded and received the gift, satisfied that she had found a way to save her pet while her father was away on a work trip and her caretaker had refused to spend money on a simple rabbit that ''that woman'' said they should eat. The adult version of her, however, couldn''t help but compare the little girl''s attitude to her to that of a religious fanatic as she tried to convince someone to join her cult. That, and the spark of madness that shone in the little girl''s eyes. Making her uncomfortable. I better make sure to keep Tsuki away from this crazy, who knows what she''s capable of doing to him? She thought fearfully, looking again at the frozen rabbit inside the crystal. There''s no way that poor rabbit can breathe inside that thing. Thank you Persephone, said her body. And the black-haired girl''s smile grew, completely filled with pride. The image turned the stomach of the adult version of Kalysto. Wanting to step back and away from the crazy woman in front of her, however, her body didn''t move. Don''t worry, you know I''d do anything for you, she replied, her eyes shining with adoration. And there she is again looking like a religious fanatic receiving praise from the people of her cult. She thought with distaste as the desire to get out of there grew vehemently. Then give me my body back, she growled, finally able to regain control of a part of her body. And to her great surprise, Persephone blinked. Looking slightly confused at her unexpected words. Why would I listen to you? The black-haired girl answered, turning her head to one side as the childish innocence on her face disappeared completely. You''re not even my Kalysto, she accused her. Book 3. Chapter 27 “Darkness” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 27 Darkness Part 2 What the hell are you talking about? Kalysto questioned uncomprehendingly, I am Kalysto! No, you''re not! Kalysto closed her eyes for a second as she inhaled harshly, only to open them again and look at the little girl about to throw a tantrum. If this is because of the accident in which I lost my memory when I was seven... she started to say but was quickly interrupted. I told you it was an accident! It wasn''t my fault! She defended herself, while kicking the ground with one leg. Just like a little girl would do. So it was. Kalysto realized. Suddenly feeling very curious. What happened? Kalysto questioned, trying to keep the girl''s attention diverted to something else as she began to regain control of the rest of her body. What did you do? But her strategy backfired as her words seemed to anger Persephone, causing the mist that had been peacefully surrounding the field of flowers to gather and form a circle around its owner, at the same time a swirl of wind enveloped her and began to spread, attacking Kalysto. Shut up! She shouted angrily as soon as the attack began. You''re not even my Kalysto! My Kalysto would never see me as if I were a monster! She would always take my side no matter what I did! You''re nothing but a cheap and empty copy of her! But contrary to Persephone''s expectations, Kalysto was able to defend herself against her, summoning her own darkness, using it as a shield and creating her own swirl of darkness, countering hers. That seemed to take her by surprise. So Kalysto took advantage and approached her whirlpool. Absorb! Absorb! Absorb! She counterattacked, stretching out her palm, taking the blow while absorbing Persephone''s dark mana, letting her passive regeneration skill take care of healing any damage her stamina stat couldn''t cover. I don''t give a shit about your spoiled brat tantrums, Persephone! Give me back my body, now! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 9,000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 11,000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5,000 DMP!] Why would I do such a thing when I''m so close to getting her back? She replied with a maniacal smile loaded with madness, while a couple of beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. However, Persephone didn''t seem to notice and instead only increased her terrifying smile, sending shivers of fear throughout Kalysto''s mental body. Persephone increased the power of her attack and jumped back, putting a good distance between them. Much of the black-haired girl''s darkness followed her owner giving Kalysto a couple of seconds to think of a new plan to confront her and get out of there before the intruder did something again that would leave her forever trapped inside her own mind at the same time she dodged Persephone''s last attack. A quick glance around assured her that they were both completely alone within the small clearing and the surrounding forest. A dark mana tentacle lunged at her, but Kalysto was able to avoid it, as well as the other four that followed, managing to absorb two of them and causing Persephone to move a little further away from her again. Before Persephone attacked her a second time, Kalysto crouched down and placed her palms on the field of flowers. Absorb! she shouted, absorbing all the memory they were in, watching with fascination as the flowers, grass and trees seemed to be swallowed by the palms of her hands, while Persephone''s desperate screams pierced her ears as the beautiful landscape and the clear blue sky disappeared. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Noooooo! shouted the black-haired as a new tentacle of dark mana crystallized and pierced the stomach of Kalysto who had been too focused on her task to dodge it. Don''t do it, don''t take her away from me! However, both her pleas and her last attack were in vain as Kalysto did not stop despite the pain, and everything turned white. Then silence reigned. **** As soon as Aegir finished negotiations with the Japanese, German and Russian hunter associations, he stowed the immense amount of food he had procured inside his shadow to then appear in the empty room inside Kalysto''s Tokyo apartment, surprised that she had not yet put a protective barrier in place. He had not wanted to spend two days on Earth, but before arriving at the meeting with the president of the Japanese hunters'' association, Sakura informed him the German and Russian hunters'' associations had heard about his deal with the Japanese association and wanted to participate. So he had to wait until the morning of the next day when the other two presidents arrived in the country. And another one more until the rest of the food arrived. However the wait had been worth it, not only because he learned a little more about Kalysto and her world thanks to the black-haired woman, but also because he was able to make several online purchases, thus increasing the amount of food he could bring, that and learn a lot of culinary recipes thanks to several YouTube tutorials. How much stuff can you fit in there? Sakura had asked him the night before when one of the domiciles he had ordered arrived and watched him spread his shadow as boxes of food disappeared inside, as did several sacks of potatoes. Much more than could fit in your small inventory, he replied. However when he returned to the room that Kalysto started using as a landing point when they teleported, all was silent. So the demon king spent seventy thousand MP as he recited the spell that would take him back to his kingdom. But as soon as he appeared outside his palace, the pallor he saw on his younger sister''s face told him that something was not right. What happened? He demanded as he approached her, stepping through the barrier Kalysto had created, which protected them from the monsters. Aegir! Your future queen has disappeared! announced his sister. The soft mockery he heard to his right made him realize they were not alone, next to the guards he had seen when he arrived was the Duke of Eash along with Khara next to the two guards he had overlooked in his eagerness to get to his sister. Anything to say Duke of Eash? No my lord, replied the older man, however the young woman next to him took it as an invitation. She probably ran away, it''s more than obvious she doesn''t want the position, before she could continue and the older man at her side could scold her, a tentacle of darkness wrapped around Khara''s neck, choking her as it lifted her into the air. I have tolerated enough nonsense from your niece Eash, if you do not discipline her properly I will take it as the duchy has decided to rebel against my rule and I will eliminate all of you for treason. All color drained from the face of the old man who hastened to kneel before the king despite his advanced age. I apologize, my lord. I will see to it that she is properly disciplined. After throwing the slender demon''s body away as if it were a mere piece of paper, Aegir and his sister entered the palace, leaving them behind. What happened? You know she went with Master Rozheinlo and a group of our warriors to fetch supplies from the kingdom of Zeer, the place was attacked. They all returned except her. I have already sent troops in search of her, but we have not been able to find her, nine days have already passed. Five days later, Aegir had not been able to locate Kalysto either, not even with the help of the Violet system. It was as if she had completely disappeared from Elinor, or from Earth. **** Being attacked by Persephone took Kalysto by surprise, but what she saw in front of her when she finally regained control of her body, surprised her even more. A low-cut black ceremonial gown decorated her body, along with a delicate black cape that degraded to red at the tips, fell over her shoulders. On the same platform she was standing on, there was a throne and in front of it another woman who was finishing a speech. Tall, with hair and eyes as black as night, but something about her was familiar. Not only because she was wearing a ceremonial dress similar to the one she was wearing although her cloak seemed to be a bit more elaborate than hers. There was something in her mind that seemed to find a certain familiarity in her presence. A clear blue sky glowed on the horizon, behind the other woman Kalysto recognized the hobgoblin who had led the undead, but this time he held no black crystal in his hands, his gaze seemed enraptured on the woman who continued to give the speech, as if it was the most important moment of their lives. Next to him was a young man she didn''t recognize, however near where she was standing, as well as the rest of the six people on top of the dais, was the orc she had killed. And next to him the goblin Tsuki had told her about in the temple. But unlike Arkhas whose fear was evident in his bulging eyes, the orc who had almost killed her the day she signed a contract with the fairy queen was now undead. And in front of them, an army of millions of monsters lay prostrate, waiting at the command of the priestess of Seth-Mainyu. Book 3. Chapter 28 “An Unexpected Encounter” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 28 An Unexpected Encounter Part 1 Kalysto''s face lost all color as she saw the sheer number of enemies surrounding her. The wide beige dais on which she and the other five were standing was three feet off the ground, allowing her to see absolutely clearly all around her. But everywhere her eyes looked, there was an abundance of monsters. Even what she estimated should be at least seven blocks away from the front of where she was standing, and at least three blocks to either side of her. That''s too many! Where on earth did they get so many monsters? She thought, somewhere between surprised and frightened to see them on their knees and silent. So tame and calm it was hard to believe. Although she had previously come face to face with at least a thousand, she had never seen so many together in the same place, let alone with such a servile and submissive attitude. Would they be under some kind of spell? Because if so, I want to know too. She thought greedily as she imagined how easy it would be to absorb all the stats and powers of so many monsters if she had control over them, or their minds. Death to our enemies! Death to the traitor gods who dared to seal the power of the dark father and tried to steal the power of our lord! shouted the black-haired woman, continuing her speech. We will use the bodies of our enemies as a sacrifice for our lord! We will spill the blood of every creature on this continent to prepare for the advent of our lord and with him at our side conquer Elinor and lay it at our feet! Then he will ascend to the heavens and exterminate the traitors! The monsters suddenly rose up, raising their weapons and joining her in a war-cry. Death to our enemies! Glory to our lord! Kalysto''s second of distraction died the instant she realized that the speech was apparently over and she suddenly felt the weight of three gazes upon her, forcing her to focus on the woman who had been giving the speech. Whose cold black eyes were fixed on her. It seems that an unwanted guest has just arrived, she commented with haughtiness and in perfect calm. Allow me to take charge, Lady Eris, the hobgoblin spoke in a solemn voice, but the woman ignored him. Rikshon, take care of her, she commanded as she unleashed a surge of her magical power. And though it did not feel as powerful as the fairy queen''s, it knocked her to the ground immediately, along with Arkhas and Gal''oth, who stood beside her. Even the hobgoblin seemed to suffer at the sudden display of magical pressure, making it difficult for him to breathe. But in the midst of all that hustle and bustle, Kalysto managed to recognize the voice of the man who began to approach her to comply with the commander''s orders. It was the same voice she had heard when she was trapped inside her mind. And a wave of pure fear swept over her. Come on, Kalysto, focus! She scolded herself, recognizing the mental attack and alarmed at the possibility of losing control of her body again. Then she began to calm down as soon as she felt the familiar coldness run through her body again as a black notification appeared to her left. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] As soon as her mind cleared and her fear had passed into the background, she immediately began to recite the teleportation spell, expanding the magic seal enough to be able to take the orc with her, though she wasn''t sure it would work. But seeing Rikshon rushing towards her as soon as he saw the seal under her feet, while he tried to tear down her mental shield, made her desperately push her own limits to get away from there as fast as possible while struggling to breathe. Just as she finished activating the spell, she extended the seal at the last second to make sure the orc didn''t escape and appeared them both outside the castle of Desmond''s king, right in front of the golden protective barrier she herself had conjured, not realizing that unwittingly, both Arkhas and Rikshon had been dragged with her. A slight dizziness seized her from the excess ''baggage'' and her body swayed sideways, immediately drawing Rikshon''s attention. Communication with the sacred beasts! She thought, activating the spell. Tsuki, protect me but don''t kill them! She ordered at the same time Rikshon tried to approach her as he again tested the strength of her mental defenses now that she had expended a good portion of her mana at the same time Kalysto coughed expelling some blood that stained the floor. Yes, master. Immediately her pet stepped out of her shadow and began to throw electric shocks at the three enemies. Arkhas, who was too scared and disoriented by the sudden change of location, did not manage to dodge the attack, and fell to the ground, his screams echoed in the surroundings calling the attention of the guards guarding the entrance door to the castle. Gal''oth on the other hand, looked more like a hypnotized ghost than an undead, who despite receiving the attack without even bothering to defend himself, remained in the same position. Waiting for his absent master to give him orders. Rikshon, however, was a completely different story. After evading Tsuki''s attack, which alerted the guards who started to approach them, he put them under his spell, making them wield their swords against Kalysto who was still coughing blood. Regeneration! Jhil! Jhil! she conjured as soon as she could, immediately taking out a vial of holy water and drinking it in one gulp. I see you are quite prepared, Rikshon commented from a safe distance, far enough away to easily evade Tsuki''s attacks. But in his eyes she could see that he was up to something while acting casual. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She thought at the same time as she spread her shadow as covertly as she could to hide her attack. However, Tsuki, used to living inside his mistress''s shadow, did notice it. Six dark mana tentacles sprouted from Kalysto''s shadow, one pierced the shoulder of Arkhas who lay hunched on the ground, another pierced the orc''s side, the third was easily dodged by Rikshon, as were the fourth and fifth, but the sixth pierced his leg, making him scream and lose mental control over the two guards who were surprised to see that they had moved from their posts and crossed the protective barrier without realizing what they had been doing at the last minute. More mana tentacles came out of Kalysto''s shadow, wrapping around the bodies of Arkhas and Gal''oth like a snake wrapping around its prey to prevent its escape, and then throwing herself against the mind mage. At the same time Rikshon tried to control the minds of the two guards again, causing them to kill each other and continued attacking Kalysto''s mind. But just as he launched a second attack against her, causing her mental barriers to tremble and she fell to her knees under the immense pressure inside her head, halting her advance, and inadvertently causing her shadow to stop spreading and inadvertently stopping the merging of her shadow with that of the castle to reach him in preparation for a surprise attack. Then his head fell rolling to the ground at the same time as his masculine body was shattered into small pieces and his blood spread across the floor. Book 3. Chapter 28 “An Unexpected Encounter” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 28 An Unexpected Encounter Part 2 Noooo!!! Kalysto screamed, annoyed by the loss as she saw the remains of the mind mage''s body fall and blood stain the floor. I wanted that power! She growled in frustration as the body of the orc next to her was about to be equally torn apart, if not for the black crystal barrier she created around the dark mana tentacles that wrapped around the orc. What the hell do you think you''re doing? I had a strong suspicion that he''s the one behind the monsters'' apparent submissive state! And now because of you I can''t prove it! Aegir stopped his advance for a few seconds and looked at her blankly. Running his eyes over the low-cut black dress she was wearing, and although he saw blood races at her feet and couldn''t find any wounds. Kalysto, you disappeared for two weeks and then showed up with three monsters attacking you! What did you expect me to do? he questioned immediately. His figure disappeared in a swirl of shadows and then reappeared in front of her to check if she was all right. And what monsters are you talking about? Are you sure you''re all right? What happened? I can heal myself so you don''t have to worry about that, she answered reluctantly, taking a step back to put some distance between them at the same time that with a simple wave of her hand the shadows surrounding Arkhas'' body brought him to her. Absorb skills! Absorb luck! Absorb strength! Absorb agility! Absorb stamina! A collection of black notification windows appeared to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fire Arrows. Level 100. Heroic class!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Fire resistance. Level 100. Heroic class!] Immediately seeing the class of his skills caught the attention of the former saintess. How does a simple goblin have heroic class? She thought, somewhat puzzled by the discovery while ignoring Aegir who was still checking if she was injured. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: fireball. Level 80. Heroic class!] [Warning! The user already set that skill to a lower level but with a Superior class so the absorbed skill will be converted to experience!] [The skill Fireball has been raised to level 50!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fire creation. Level 70. Heroic class]] [Warning! The user already set this skill to a lower level but with a higher class so the absorbed skill will be converted to experience!]] [The skill Fire creation has been raised to level 45!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Fire Manipulation. Level 70. Heroic class]] [Warning! The user already set this skill to a lower level but with a Superior class so the absorbed skill will be converted to experience!] [The skill Fire Manipulation has been raised to level 42!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 1 Luck point!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Stamina!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 100 points of Agility!] Suspecting that he had a classy system, she added: Absorb everything except HP and MP! A few seconds later her suspicion was rewarded when a new notification window, one she wasn''t expecting, appeared to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new system. Class: heroic!] Kalysto What did you mean by that? Aegir asked, but Kalysto was too surprised by her discovery, so much so that she had completely forgotten about his presence. What? She questioned, as she used the black mana tentacles to bring the orc''s body to where she was. You said monsters. Where are they? I don''t know, but Eris, the priestess of Seth is commanding an army of over a million monsters, preparing to attack, she commented, downplaying the importance. How far away are they? I don''t know, I just woke up in their temple and escaped, right after they announced that they plan to bring the son of the god of darkness to this world. Are you sure? Yes. Absorb! She thought, and repeated exactly the same process she had already done with the goblin. This time, the blue system notification window joined the black ones. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Portal Creation. Level 100. Heroic class!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Monster Summoning. Level 100. Heroic class!] So that''s how they got so many monsters. She realized, happy at her new discovery. Completely ignoring Aegir who had started giving orders, preparing for the imminent battle. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 25 Luck points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Strength!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Stamina!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 100 points of Agility!] Why doesn''t either of them go over 100 points? She wondered, finding the coincidence strange, especially considering how strong the orc looked compared to the goblin. Doesn''t their system allow them to pass level 100? [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new system. Class: heroic!] [Warning! The user already put this system, the absorption will be canceled!] Then finally, she absorbed the MP and HP of both of them and they both turned to ashes. For the next two days everyone inside the Castle was on high alert, but nothing happened. Still, both Kalysto and Aegir were living on potions and no sleep, he while coordinating everything and she concentrated on leveling up while continuing her training. The good news was that Jhil''s skill had leveled up after regenerating all the damage she took when she was finally able to get rid of the curse. Portal creation! she muttered after slaying hundreds of thousands of monsters during the last 24 hours inside the dimension the portal led to. But now, as exhausted as she was, she just wanted to go back to her room and sleep for a couple of hours. I just hope the war hasn''t started yet while I was gone, although she doubted it since to reach Desmond''s kingdom a vast desert had to be crossed, and before that the kingdoms of Aegir''s two younger brothers had to be crossed. A beautiful blue portal opened before her, consuming seventy thousand MP in a matter of seconds. Now I understand why that orc was using that big mana sphere, she murmured to no one in particular as she stepped through it and appeared again near the palace''s back garden, making sure to close the portal again. Status window, she whispered as she walked towards where the cottage Alice''s grandparents lived in was, and where her friend had recently moved to, no longer wanting to live in the palace away from her family. Two windows appeared to her left, one blue and one black. At the same time Kalysto remembered the words of Whanda, Aegir''s younger sister when she was informed of the enemy''s plan. Are they crazy? Do they know how many people they have to sacrifice in order to get it?she growled, and without giving them time to answer, she continued with her diatribe. Hundreds of thousands! And the more powerful the god, or the descendant of a god, the more sacrifices must be made! And how do you know that? Kalysto asked curiously, being the first time he had heard the term ''descendant of the gods''. It''s in one of the books in the palace library. When they looked for the book, there was barely even a reference to what the other woman had said, as the following pages were torn out, much to the annoyance of Aegir, who never believed that someone would dare to enter his library and tear pages out of books. ''...in order to materialize one of the gods and allow his full power to enter a world, offerings and large amounts of sacrifices must be made for a couple of weeks, because if not, what would enter that world would be a weakened version of that god and he would not be able to access all his powers, which would put him in danger in case of encountering an enemy god, or one of his descendants, who...'' Unfortunately, it was the only copy they had of the book and they did not have the time to look for more information about it, not with the possibility of being attacked at any moment. So they continued with preparations, making sure they had enough supplies in case the war lasted longer than they expected, at the same time as the ex-saintess dedicated herself to leveling up. Kalysto continued to ignore the blue notification, as she tried to concentrate on the present, though she would have liked to be able to know what the pages that were torn off said. So she forced herself to fix her attention on the black window. Not wanting to have any relation to Mhiralla or her system, but noting that her theory was true, as the blue system stopped giving bonus points after a user reached level 100, as well as no longer allowing them to level up once that limit was reached. Quite a contrast compared to the black and violet systems. [Status window] Name: Kalysto Luna Age: 21 years old Race: Half-Blood Level: 200 Fatigue: 95 Class: N/A Professions: Enchantments Title: Champion of the fairies (avatar of Anissha) (Keeper of the seal.) Affiliation: Kingdom of Bahram/Desmond HP: 170.000/190.000 MP: 1,250/195,800 DMP: 347.000/347.000 Strength: 37,200+55 Vitality: 3,800+80 Agility: 50.200 Stamina: 42.720+110 Intelligence: 4.050+100 Charisma: 50 Luck: 96 Ether: 135 Status: Tired. Available Points: 50.] Kalysto pulled a mana crystal from her shadow, after what had happened with the fairy queen and the goddess Mhiralla, she had grown accustomed to stop relying so much on a system''s inventory. Even one from a sealed god. Maybe I should undo the barrier I create for the queen? she wondered. Since she had created the barriers for the palaces of Aegir''s two younger siblings, the amount of mana she was losing daily by keeping four barriers active was quite high. Absorb! the mana crystal turned to ashes at the same time as a pair of different colored notifications appeared to her left. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 15,000 MP!] Kalysto repeated the same process five more times before exhaustion forced her to stop. Beginning to think that the couple of blocks to Alice and her grandparents'' house were too far. I should create a protective barrier for her new home. She thought, as she pulled a revitalizing potion from her shadow, drinking half of it in two gulps. But before she could put it away, an annoying female voice appeared behind her. I knew you''d stop by sooner or later! Khara gloated, her gaze brimming with haughtiness as she folded her arms. It was at that moment that Kalysto realized how unusually lonely that street was. Just as Kalysto turned around, two hooded men stood beside the tall demon woman. The fairy champion was surprised to see the blonde hair under the hoods of both men, recognizing them immediately. Gideon and Gabriel Black. Two of the heroes who like Koden, and the rest of the heroes, had been summoned the same day as her. Long time no see, Gideon greeted her while holding a round black crystal almost as tall as half of his masculine chest. Book 3. Chapter 29. “Touching the bottom of the abyss.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 29. Touching the bottom of the abyss. Part 1 Note: Hey guys, that chapter is short, but remember what I had told you about how I was going to put some scenes I had planned for the next book in this one because I had this super idea that changed the ending of this book? Well, get ready, because there are some very strong scenes coming up. By the way, we are already in the final stage of this book. I hope you like what I have in store for you... and how Kalysto finishes breaking. How did she manage to infiltrate two humans into the demonic kingdom without anyone discovering them? That was Kalysto''s last conscious thought before the darkness devoured her completely. What seemed like an eternity later, the former saintess was able to reopen her eyes to find herself once again submerged in a sea of darkness. Her body seemed as heavy and sore as if she had overexercised herself the day before. I''m here again, Kalysto growled and tried to get up, but could not. Unlike the other times she had been forced to wake up deep in the darkness of her mind, this time she was lying over a giant endless puddle, a shallow one. The thin clothes she was wearing were partially soaked and the cold was seeping through her bones. Her arms, as well as her legs, were shackled with thin green energy rings. Kalysto raised her eyebrows, somewhere between surprised and annoyed at what she was seeing. Where did this come from? She knew that mana wasn''t hers, and it didn''t bear Persephone''s signature either. How many mental magicians do these people have? she thought. But unlike last time, she couldn''t feel his presence anywhere, nothing seemed out of place beyond the feeling of extreme tiredness and exhaustion. She was also very sleepy, but she had also been sleepy before her annoying encounter with the black crystal sphere, so she didn''t pay much attention to it. I can''t afford to fall asleep! She scolded herself, concentrating on moving her hands and wrists by changing the angle so that her fingertips could touch the nearest mana ring. Absorb! She thought as soon as she achieves her goal watching the Mana from the bow disappear as she felt it enter her body. And in part notification windows, one black and one blue, appeared to her left. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1,000 MP!] X2 However, getting rid of the second pair took much more work and it took almost 10 minutes to move her arms and upper back and shoulders so that she could turn her body slightly to the side and manage to get rid of one ring at a time. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it [Congratulations, the user has acquired 1,000 MP! X2 After much effort and almost feeling like an acrobat while performing strange positions in order to get rid of the restraints on her arms, Kalysto continues to absorb the ones that were imprisoning her legs. It was only after she finished all that work that she realized what a foolish thing she had just done. Why the hell didn''t I use Dispel Ezhil from the beginning? She scolded herself. Realizing that the time she had been without those skills as a Saintess had caused her to lose the habit of using them as a first choice. Absorb! She thought devoting herself to absorbing all the darkness and everything around her until there was nothing left but a giant pure white stain. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 1,000 DMP!] X100 This time when she stood in front of the seal the Barrier protecting her was green in color. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! She continued to conjure, until it finally dissolved, allowing her to see again the nasty cracks that the demon king had helped her seal a short while ago. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that you are behind my second and third kidnappings, dear Persephone? She snarled in annoyance, at the same time grabbing two tentacles of the dark mana escaping from inside the seal. Give me back my body! She said angrily, sounding more like a threat than a request. <> Persephone answered, who, unlike the previous times, did not take long to answer her. If it were really yours, it would not be you who would be here sealed inside my mind, but me. <> Persephone, I''m starting to get tired of this crap! I''ve tolerated your spoiled brat attitude just because you''ve helped me in the past! But it ends here! Either you hand over my body to me nicely or I''ll make you do it! However, contrary to what Kalysto believed, that only served to make Persephone angry as well, causing the darkness coming out of the seal to start enveloping her, as if it wanted to attack her. <> She sneered. <<...Someone who isn''t even capable of avenging her father''s death or killing her mother''s murderer without my help... You''re not even a saintess anymore! >> And I think your little moment of freedom went to your head! she mocked. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Kalysto continued to conjure swiftly, weakening Persephone''s attack. <> she shouted, annoyed that she hadn''t realized when it happened. And why should I answer you? she added haughtily. Absorb! she said as she grabbed a tentacle of mana escaping from the seal in each of her hands again. Just as the notification windows began to appear warning her of the amount of dark mana she had just absorbed, her entire vision became tinged with shadows. But soon after they dispersed, showing her another memory. In front of her, the little black-haired girl reappeared again, but this time, although she retained the same black eyes that she was now able to recognize, her hair was brown. Exactly the same shade of brown that Kalysto had always had since she was a little girl. And to her great surprise, her father was kneeling in front of a grave she had seen a couple of times when she was little, but was forbidden to go near. Thick tears were falling from her progenitor''s eyes, which were shining with a mixture of rage and determination, at the same time he refused to look at Persephone. Where is my Kalysto? her innocent voice was mixed with the desperation of a child who has lost sight of her favorite toy. However, her father did not answer her. He continued to ignore her presence. Where is Kalysto? Is she sick again? Why won''t you let me see her? her voice began to rise as her demands did. Dad? Why won''t you answer me? What the hell did she just say? Kalysto thought, losing all color from her face. But before she could ask, or do anything, the vision changed again. Book 3. Chapter 29. “Touching the bottom of the abyss.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 29. Touching the bottom of the abyss. Part 2 Again, Kalysto was inside her childhood home, but unlike how she remembered it this time there were two beds instead of only one. And in each was a little girl, in one sat Persephone with her black hair and eyes, playing with a small black crystal. And in the other, a girl with green eyes, the same shade as Kalysto''s, but with white hair, so light that with the sunlight filtering through the window it gave golden highlights. You should stop calling her mother too! That woman is not our mother! You''re just mad because she didn''t want to help you save Mr. Rabbit, Persephone reproached calmly. I told you not to worry, as your big sister, I already solved that problem. Now you just have to become a great veterinarian. And Mr. Rabbit will be cured, good as new. The other girl pouted, hugging a rabbit-shaped stuffed animal, which Kalysto recognized immediately, as it had been the one the social worker brought to her at the orphanage, after her mother was killed along with her stepfather. Her heart squeezed as she recognized the one who had been her only friend when the children at the orphanage avoided her, and despite the differences between the girl sitting on the bed and her, she couldn''t deny the resemblance. You still shouldn''t call her mother! Our mother died giving birth to me! she murmured with infinite sadness, guilt vibrating in her voice as she squeezed the cuddly stuffed bunny tightly. Stop saying that! It''s not true! She got upset and got up from the bed, leaving the black crystal on it, completely forgotten. And devoting all her attention to running to hug her younger sister to comfort her. Whoever told you that lied to you. Mom was sick long before she had us. It''s dad''s fault for not taking good care of her, for always being traveling instead of staying to take care of her while we were born... if he had done his job well, our mother wouldn''t have died a couple of hours after our birth! she said as she tried to hide the tears in her eyes at the loss of something she never knew, along with anger at her absent father. It''s not like things have changed much over time, now most of the time he''s always traveling... I think that''s why he got together with our new mother. She''s just the nanny, Kalysto insisted. She has always been our nanny and will always remain just a nanny. ...Persephone smiled, but made sure to hide her smile in her sister''s hair. Whatever you say, my Kalysto. ...And you''re only my big sister for five minutes, she pleaded. ... Persephone broke the embrace and looked at her little sister''s forest green eyes, with little emerald flecks glittering here and there inside them. You like to argue with me, don''t you she accused her with her eyes. And it''s precisely because you don''t accept her as daddy''s new wife that she doesn''t treat you as well as she treats me, she assured her with some pride, while she pulled back a lock of her long black hair in a gesture full of vanity. Before little Kalysto could respond, the whole memory changed again. It was night time. A torrential downpour was pounding violently on the bedroom window. And inside, the two beds that were once separate now lay side by side, with no space between them. On the warm sheets, two little girls were lying. One with her face pale, almost green, bathed in sweat as her teeth chattered from the cold. Next to her, little Kalysto removed the damp cloth from her older sister''s forehead and put it into a basin of water and then squeezed it out and put it back on Persephone''s forehead. Your fever still hasn''t gone down, she murmured with concern. That woman took advantage of Dad''s trip to go out with her friends again, she growled angrily. It''s not her fault that I Cough! Cough! I have the flu she tried to defend her. This is her fault! It''s supposed to be her job to take care of us, not to party! And I doubt you have a simple cold! I''ve already given you all the medicine we had and your fever won''t come down! she was worried. I think I''d better go to one of the neighbors and ask for help. One of them may be able to take us to the hospital, Pers. However the noisy sound of the rain hitting hard against the window never diminished, on the contrary, it only seemed to get louder as Kalysto seemed more determined to go out and get help. Don''t go! Persephone begged, completely terrified at the thought of being abandoned and dying, just like her mother. Don''t leave me alone! ...But Pers, I''d better go find someone who can help us. I don''t want anything bad to happen to you, she tried to explain. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It''s just a cold, it will pass, she assured her, but several hours later, the situation only got worse. And Persephone looked worse and worse, as did the inclement weather outside the house. ...Just do what you know how to do, she whispered, her voice sounding hoarse and somewhat broken, yet she refused to let go of Kalysto and let her leave the room to ask for help. But Pers, I''m not as good as you at magic tricks. Besides, Dad forbade you to do it, so he surely won''t like to find me doing it either. Dad didn''t forbid me, Dad took away my system! As well as my magic! she growled angrily before another coughing fit prevented her from continuing to speak. That''s because he''s mad at you, for what you did last time. But I''m sure he''ll get over it eventually and take away your punishment, she tried to console her, as she stroked her hair and wiped away the sweat with a towel. Pers, what do you mean by a system? what''s that? Do you mean that black thing that only you could see? ...Yes, she answered between whispers and another coughing fit. But daddy took it away from me, she added sadly but quickly her whole expression changed and was filled with pure anxiety and fear, I''ve already lost so much, I can''t lose you too! I couldn''t bear to lose you too, Kalysto! Then Persephone took her wrist and squeezed it tightly, yet little Kalysto didn''t complain even though it was obvious it must hurt. Don''t leave me! Never leave me! Never ever leave me! Never abandon me! A new attack of coughing, one so strong that it seemed not to let her breathe, seized her, and then her fever grew stronger. Scarcely fifteen minutes did pass while they waited for their father who should not be long in returning, but to the pair of girls it felt like an eternity, during which little Kalysto watched in despair as life began to pay out in her sister''s dark eyes. ... Tears flooded little Kalysto''s eyes and cheeks. I don''t want to lose you either, Pers! We have always been together! she added as she sobbed and hugged her tightly as Persephone''s embrace grew weaker and weaker. You promised me that we would always be together and that you would never leave me! You have to resist, you can''t die now!... she sobbed as a soft white glow burst from her body. Persephone''s hand fell without any strength at the same time that Kalysto''s loud cry drowned Persephone''s soft breathing, so much so that the little girl did not notice the moment when the other girl stopped breathing. I would do anything to save you, I would even sacrifice Mr. Rabbit, she murmured in tears at the same moment when Persephone''s heart stopped beating and the white glow around Kalysto''s body intensified. That was also the moment when Kalysto lost her magic. And in return her white hair with golden highlights turned brown. What the hell is going on here? her father growled, his clothes completely wet due to the heavy rain, and in his hand a bag with medicine for his sick daughter along with food. Little Kalysto lost consciousness at that instant, and her memory dimmed. The last thing the adult version of Kalysto saw was her father screaming at the same time his voice began to fade while darkness and weakness devoured her. My little ones! What happened? And once again the memory changed. Now they were in her father''s study, and once again Persephone''s hair had gone back to brown, instead of black. Though this time it was a bit darker than her current color. Still, she appeared to be at least a year older, and a tiny bit taller. Her dark black eyes were red from crying and her body looked thinner, as did her father''s, whose black bags under his eyes stood out from his gaunt face. Several times the same scene was repeated, but each time Persephone was wearing different clothes. But whenever she tried to enter her father''s study and get his attention he continued to ignore her, too deep in his books, searching desperately for something in them, but couldn''t seem to find it. But this time, Persephone had had enough. Where is my Kalysto? she demanded, slamming the study door and entering without asking permission, throwing a tantrum. What did you do to her? Did you take her away from me too, just like you did with my mother? That seemed to do the trick, and for the first time in what seemed like months, her father turned around, anger flashing in his eyes. No, that was you! He snarled angrily, Because of you I lost Kalysto! What did you do to her this time, Persephone? he accused her. I... I didn''t do anything she got scared, it was the first time she saw him so angry with her, she unintentionally took a step back. ... I swear!... I would never hurt Kalysto! I''m sorry, but I can''t trust you anymore, not after I found you chatting with a specter of Seth-Mainyu after you destroyed an entire village and took over his system! You killed all those people and you didn''t even care! But I would never do something like that to Kalysto! Besides I was just testing my new power and things got out of control! she tried to excuse herself. The only reason you didn''t kill your sister that day was because she had been traveling with me to get medicine, if I had left her at home you would have killed her along with the rest! Although Persephone''s face lost all the color it had When she heard that, she couldn''t help but get angry. It was an accident! she shouted, needing to defend herself against the accusation that she might have hurt her little sister by accident. And I''m tired of cleaning up your accidents! he shouted back, tired of having to move again and again every time Persephone disobeyed him and went back to playing with her magic only to lose control and cause damage again. But this will be the last time I clean up your mess Persephone, and I''ll take care of bringing Kalysto back, he added, this time more calmly. As if it had taken him a long time to come to that conclusion, and in the end he had to resign himself to it as the only way out. Then her father turned around and picked up a book he had been reading and approached Persephone again, placing a hand over her heart. And as a soft glow burst from her father''s body, he muttered a spell that neither of them managed to understand. As thick tears ran freely from her father''s cheeks. And when it was all over, Persephone''s dark hair lightened a little, though not completely, and the little girl fainted, falling into the arms of her father who was quick to whisper lovingly as he clung to her in desperation. Come on Kalysto, wake up! Come back to daddy! his father says to her. At that moment the memory ended completely and Kalysto was back in front of the huge seal. Her face covered with tears as she remembered that for her, those were the first words she heard from her father and where the memories of her childhood began. Book 3. Chapter 29. “Touching the bottom of the abyss.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 29. Touching the bottom of the abyss. Part 3 Note 1: Kalysto''s dislike of blond men does not reflect the author''s preferences. Note 2: Sensitive content warning at the beginning of the chapter. You may skip to the bolded dialogue if you wish to avoid it. A violent surge of darkness erupted from Kalysto''s body attacking the seal, seeping her own darkness between the slots and gaps Persephone had initially made to escape. Despite the emotional images she had just observed in that memory, she could not feel emotionally connected to it. Except for the part where her father was trying to wake her up amidst a sea of tears. The rest, although it clarified many things like that she was the true owner of the body she was in and that apparently she was born with mana but lost it when she inadvertently absorbed who for years she thought was just another personality, meant nothing to her right now. She just wanted to get out of there, throw herself on her warm comfortable bed, rest from so much trouble, so much shit, and just relax and sleep for a good couple of hours. I want my body back! Kalysto growled as she watched the cracks in the seal crack even more, but just as she stopped her attack, between being tempted to destroy the seal once and for all or risk going back to repair it, Persephone''s darkness attacked her back. Tentacles of darkness became spikes of black crystals that tried to tear apart her mental body. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She conjured, and just as she did before with the ice, she created two elongated black crystal daggers, and with them she countered Persephone''s attacks with great agility. At the same time, as stealthy as a snake in the middle of a thicket, another tentacle of darkness seeped through the fairy champion''s defenses and wrapped around her neck from behind, trying to choke her, while Kalysto was too focused avoiding the continuous frontal attacks. Absorb! Immediately thought the former saintess, being trapped for less than three seconds in a memory that froze her blood. But this time the memory was not in third person. A thin sheet covered her naked body, next to her was Gabriel sitting, under the same sheet reading a book. As naked as she was. And with a hickey mark on his neck. The fairy champion''s body went completely cold as she re-lived an event she had no memory of, bile rose in her throat as her insides churned in utter disgust, but just as she conjured a dagger to attack him, Gideon entered, wearing only a pair of black boxers and holding an open book he had been reading as he pulled a few strands of his hair as blond as his brother''s, back. A couple of hickeys on his neck showed that he had also participated in the encounter. Pers, I think I found it! He announced excitedly as he entered the room. We just have to find a compatible body, and if we use your sister''s remains, we can bring her back! his smile was erased the instant he noticed the dagger in Kalysto''s hand and the pure hatred in her gaze, at the same time Gabriel rushed to pick up a black crystal that had been on the dresser, next to the bed and without wasting any time, while she was focused looking at her twin brother, Gabriel threw with black crystal at Kalysto''s face. Making the entire vision of the former saintess go dark just as she was about to slit Gideon''s throat. At that very instant the memory ended. You fucking traitor, I''ll never forgive you for this! She screamed in disgust, rage clouding every other emotion. And without thinking of the consequences, she viciously attacked the seal, destroying it completely. How dare you let them touch me? When the hell did that happen? Why the hell didn''t I remember? What else happened that I can''t remember? A shiver ran down her spine at the endless possibilities of everything that could have happened the number of times she lost control of her body. As she caught her breath and enjoyed the destruction she had caused for less than a second, hundreds of pieces of the seal fell to the white ground and Persephone''s dark energy escaped her prison, obstructing her vision. Stolen story; please report. Shadows swirled around the remains of the broken seal, forming a faceless female silhouette. Only the subtle shapes of what could be a copy of a Kalysto-like figure, but completely bathed in black paint and with longer hair, were visible. <> Persephone mocked as she escaped her prison, dyeing black a small part of the giant blank space of the mental world Kalysto had already finished absorbing. Without giving her time to continue, Kalysto lashed out at her, transforming the dagger in her right hand into mere shadows and smashing her fist into the unguarded face of Persephone, who fell to the ground, shattering it with the force of the fall. <> Persephone complained, just before receiving another punch to the face, followed by another, and another, and another, and one more. Good, because I never thought of you as my fucking sister! she replied spitefully, just before she tried to throw another punch and Persephone stopped her before it touched her sore face again. Then Kalysto opened her fist and viciously whispered: Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! enjoying to see how half of the female silhouette''s head, disappeared. The golden light spread through every pore of her body and Persephone had to flee, transforming into a whirlpool of shadows, of which only a part could survive the attack. To then regroup again and form again a female figure made of shadows, away from the golden light. Yes, that definitely feels much better. She thought sadistically. <> She answered cynically. <> She growled angrily. <> She added with a cruel smile. This time it was her turn to attack, taking advantage of the fact that Kalysto herself moved away from the protection of the golden light after her verbal provocation. Just as she had expected. And as Kalysto conjured her daggers again, Persephone created a spear. The two collided, their weapons meeting in the middle and though Persephone seemed quite skilled wielding a spear, Kalysto wasn''t far behind. <> She murmured, somewhere between surprised and excited by the discovery. And I think you''re fucking crazy! she shouted. <> She growled, angrily. Kalysto didn''t even bother to clarify what it was obvious Persephone didn''t know. However, as soon as ten tentacles of dark mana sprouted from Persephone''s back and joined the battle, she changed her mind. At least when I''m inside someone''s mind I can keep my form, instead you''re nothing more than the echo of someone''s soul who isn''t even alive, she rallied, trying to distract her as she approached her again. <> She argued, with a manic smile. One that Kalysto had seen her do in one of the memories. Her stomach churned. And immediately transformed into shadows. Surrounding her opponent to then materialize right behind her and whisper in her ear. Do you really think I''m going to stand still while you find a way to kill me? From all over the front of Kalysto''s body, dozens of tentacles of darkness sprouted transforming into black crystal stakes that mercilessly pierced Persephone''s body. Two can play this game. In that instant, Kalysto regained control of her body and was finally able to escape from her own mental world. But when she opened her eyes, what she found was a wide room, the smell of blood and death greeted her. And to her complete horror, right in front of her was an altar and on it lay the corpse of Alice. Worse, in her blood-stained hands, was the book of shadows that belonged to her blonde friend, and from her own lips, came a phrase. At last it''s mine! The blood in her veins turned to ice as she realized what Persephone had done. Still, from the small cut on her right hand, blood gushed out, staining a blank page in the book. And causing a few lines of text to suddenly appear on it. ''This book belongs to Perseph...'' But before that other name was finished being written, it began to fade away. And instead, it was replaced by ''Kalisto Luna.'' Indicating the death of its previous owner, Alice Sanders. No...no she murmured, her eyes filling with warm tears that began to fall freely down her cheeks at the unexpected loss. But then, the owner''s name began to change again, at the same time Kalysto''s vision darkened. <> Book 3. Chapter 30. “Broken.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 30. Broken. Part 1 Kalysto could not believe what she was seeing. She carelessly dropped the magic book on the floor and yet, he opened it on the same page where he announced to the world the name of his new mistress. Her hands trembled as she tried to touch the cold corpse in front of her, wishing fervently to feel Alice''s soft pulse in a desperate attempt to deny the stark reality. But there was none. No...no she murmured in shock with a trembling voice and her face as pale as the walls of a hospital. The former saintess'' eyes filled with warm tears that began to fall freely down her cheeks at the unexpected loss. Jhil! she whispered several times, still knowing it was in vain, but trying anyway as her hands continued to tremble and she pressed her lips tightly together to keep from bursting into tears. Mana detection. She thought as a last attempt to find traces of life in the body of one of her best friends. But what the skill showed her were not signs of life, but the large collection of half-healed internal wounds, along with traces of the little mana that still remained in the immense amount of blood she had shed after her last breath, mana that was about to finish evaporating. But it was not the only trace of blood Kalysto noticed in the room. Around the altar there were many more. What the hell have you done this time, Persephone? Her voice broke at last as she followed the blood trail with her eyes until her heart stopped when she saw the bodies of Katia, Natasha and her mother, even Alice''s grandparents, scattered around the room, thrown away as if they were just worthless old dolls. Completely discarded. Her vision blurred with tears, blurring her sight at the same instant she noticed the long, straight, shiny black hair lying on the floor, and on its owner''s body, a black leather jacket. One that she herself had enchanted and that she was quick to recognize. Sakura! No! she screamed as she ran to the body of her other best friend and knelt down in front of her, turning her cold corpse face up so she could see her face. But her bluish lips and vacant gaze was all she found. And her heart clenched, then finished breaking. Her mind went blank for a few seconds as grief overwhelmed her as she tightly embraced the cold lifeless body, crying inconsolably. Completely devastated at the loss. Pers, love, I''m not sure if this is going to do you any good, but I found... Gideon began to say as he entered the room, after opening a side door she had overlooked, just before a tentacle of darkness sprouted from Kalysto''s back and severed the unwanted guest''s head in a move so fast that he didn''t even have a chance to defend himself. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. What the hell? Brother! Gabriel shouted at the same instant he started to run to the aid of his late twin, but it was too late. Just as Kalysto, whose hate-filled gaze was fixed on the other blond on the verge of killing him, her vision began to darken. And the metallic taste of blood washed over her tongue. But before her whole world was tinged with shadows she caught a glimpse of her left hand, which was covered in blood and whose wound she didn''t remember making, pressed against her mouth. What...? She thought, as the familiar weakness of when she was about to lose control of her body seized her. At the same time, the name of the owner of the book of shadows, began to change again. <> Persephone whispered, and Kalysto could almost swear that she spoke in her ear as lovingly as a child would speak to her favorite doll. <> she teased. <> Then, as soon as Kalysto reappeared inside her mental world, Persephone pierced her stomach from behind with a huge black crystal. <> She greeted her with a sadistic smile on her face. Immediately, Kalysto returned the favor. And at least twelve dark crystal stakes sprouted from her back, piercing Persephone''s front. <> She accused her. But Kalysto wasn''t finished. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! The golden light of her skills spread several meters around, forcing Persephone to lose her form and escape away from the attack. But this time, when the shadows came together again, the darkness was not only that of a female silhouette, but now it was clearly seen as a woman. Long, glossy black hair fell down her back. Her pale skin contrasted against her cold black eyes, fixed on her. A long black dress covered her delicate body. And as Kalysto healed from the wound she had just received, Persephone began to regenerate. I didn''t know you could heal yourself, Kalysto remarked with apparent calmness, observing her with absolute casualness just before she launched herself at great speed against her, materializing two long black daggers in less than half a second and with the tip of one of them she was half a centimeter away from cutting her neck with a single slash. But Persephone vanished again in a swirl of shadows, moving away from her again. Then Kalysto followed her, using exactly the same technique. Forcing her to fade again and again without giving her time to launch a counterattack. Every time her figure re-emerged from a swirl of shadows, Kalysto was already there, her daggers ready to split her in two. <> And for that it was necessary to kill all my friends? She growled, her daggers meeting Persephone''s newly created spear again as they argued. <> She defended herself, just so that a second later a sadistic smile was plastered on her face as she dodged another attack again, only to lose her form, escape and then regain her form a few feet away. <> She assured her as she dodged another attack and prepared to launch a counterattack. <> She commented, carefully observing every little detail of Kalysto''s face muscles, looking for a reaction. Trying to weaken her. But she didn''t succeed. <> She continued as a resounding laugh echoed in the empty mental space. Before Persephone could stop her Kalysto''s hand had already grabbed her face. Ezhil Purification! Dispel Ezhil! She hissed against her face, sadistically enjoying watching as half of it disintegrated before she could escape into another swirl of shadows and get over a hundred yards away from her. <> She snarled, angered at the audacity of her younger sister''s copy as she struggled to try to reconstruct her appearance, though half of her head looks like a pile of melted shadows. This time it was Kalysto''s turn to quickly disappear in a swirl of shadows to reappear right behind Persephone and whisper in her ear. You know what, Persephone? We fairies always pay our debts. Book 3. Chapter 30. “Broken.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 30. Broken. Part 2 The fight continued for at least another ten minutes more, the rage getting the best of her for the first five minutes and draining almost half her mana in the process. I need to change my focus! Come on, Kalysto! Focus! Jhil! Jhil! She scolded herself, realizing too late that as long as she was locked inside her mental world she had no access to the mana crystals that were stored inside her physical shadow. The usual coldness enveloped her completely, causing all her anger and resentment to freeze, shutting down any emotion within her and allowing her to think clearly. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] And for the next few minutes, though both were hurt, Kalysto studied the movements of her new enemy in silence, not falling for any of her provocations as she continued her attack. A giant of combined black mana crystals was created by Persephone to fight Kalysto and buy time while she concentrated on regenerating the wounds received. The giant fist tried to smash into the fairy champion''s face but she easily dodged it. Still the giant did not give up and tried again. But this time it crashed into the white glow surrounding Kalysto''s body. Protecting her from any physical attack, mimicking what she had seen the goddess Mhiralla do during their battle, a couple of months ago. A pair of tentacles of darkness sprouted from Kalysto''s shadow, their sharp tips turning into crystals that pierced the giant''s arm and fist, shattering them completely. The huge crystal golem took a step to the side losing its balance for a moment before steadying itself again, but giving Kalysto a perfect view of Persephone, who cast a new spell against her, drawing a magic circle from which a rain of black crystal spears were hurled at Kalysto, mimicking one of the goddess Mhiralla''s attacks. In one swift move, Kalysto used the giant Golem as a human shield at the same time as she turned into a cumulus of shadows that took shape again right behind Persephone''s body. Absorb system! She thought, as she tightened her grip on Persephone''s neck with one hand while holding her torso and arms with her free arm, imprisoning her. [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new system. Class: Divine!] A small smile laden with satisfaction tugged at Kalystoal''s lips as the coldness that kept her emotions subdued began to grow fainter and fainter. Absorb DMP! She added quickly, just before her prey turned back into a pile of shadows. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 20,000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 15,000 DMP!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 35,000 DMP!] A black crystal sprouted from Persephone''s back, piercing Kalysto''s stomach. Still, the former saintess did not stop. Quite the contrary, she pressed it harder against her body despite the pain. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated]. <> Persephone accused her between screams, suddenly feeling a strange weakness at the same time that the hairs on her arms stood up warning her of a danger she couldn''t see. But before she could escape, Kalysto stopped her. Lightning! Creation of black fire! An extensive flare of black fire spread several meters around both of them, beginning to absorb Persephone''s HP, regardless of the fact that she had transformed into a mass of shadows that began to crawl on the ground, moving away from the attack. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 600 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 550 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 750 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 900 HP!] You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 1000 HP!] Kalysto watched her silently as she saw her escape, until Persephone moved far enough far away from the attack to try again to regain her form, at which point Kalysto transformed into shadows, hiding in the midst of the high black flames of fire, going unnoticed. Fire blast! She muttered as soon as they both finished regaining their human forms. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! Two daggers appeared in her hands which she turned into sharp swords. Telekinesis! She thought, as she kept the fire breath spell active, and sent both blades piercing Persephone''s body, preventing her escape and anchoring her to the ground. <> Persephone shouted. Absorb DMP! Kalysto thought approaching her, not even bothering to give her an answer. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 35,000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 32,000 DMP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 18,000 DMP!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 15,000 DMPs!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 10,000 DMPs!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 1,000 DMPs!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 950 DMP!] Persephone stretched out her hand, her pretty face disfigured with rage, but not a single tentacle of black mana sprouted from it. <> she screamed. <> Kalysto turned her head to the side, as if she were a small bird, and whispered: I doubt I will, because the next time we meet Persephone, I swear to you I will kill, she sentenced with absolute certainty. "Sleep well! she added just before she began to imitate the same spell she had seen her father cast in the memory, modifying it a bit and adding what she had learned with the demon king to strengthen the seal. And once she created the first one, she locked that one inside nine more seals. Let''s see how you escape from this, she whispered before leaving her mental world and regaining full control of her physical body. Once again, she found herself inside a room with the corpses of her acquaintances. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she conjured several times, approaching Katia with a heavy heart at the loss of such a sweet and innocent girl. Thick tears ran down her cheeks as she healed the little girl''s body, feeling guilty for everything that had happened. I should have listened to the queen from the beginning, she murmured, before returning to Alice and continuing to close her wounds. A strong dizziness weakened her, forcing her to stop healing Alice and instead concentrate on healing herself first. Noticing that all the wounds Persephone had caused her in the mental world had transferred to her physical body as well. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! She spent the next few minutes healing herself before returning to heal Alice''s body, wanting to finish what she had started, but to her surprise a group of notifications, appeared before her. Two black and one blue. One of the black notification windows was surrounded with gold-colored arabesques. That must be Seth-Mainyu''s system. She thought. [Jhil''s skill has leveled up to level 80!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired a new skill: Resurrection. Level 1!] She immediately ran to use it. Resurrection! And with horror she noticed how her friend''s heart began to beat again, expelling the rest of the blood that remained from her still open wounds. Shit! Jhil! What the... was all Alice managed to say before she bled to death again. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she obsessed over healing all her wounds first, and when she was sure she had succeeded she forced her to drink a health potion. Which was the only position she knew of that could regenerate lost blood. Resurrection! Ah! a loud groan erupted from Alice''s throat as she tried to move. Don''t do it! Stay still! I could barely bring you back! tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as she hugged her tightly while trying not to hurt her. What happened? I lost control of my body and Persephone locked me in my mind. But I was finally able to fix it, she cut the hug short and looked into her eyes. I''m sorry, she apologized, her voice cracking as she spoke. I couldn''t protect them in time, she said, glancing at Alice''s grandparents'' corpse. Noooooo! The blonde''s heartbreaking scream broke her heart but helped her get to where her grandparents were. While she was shaking like a leaf in the wind unable to stand on her own as she wept inconsolably. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Resurrection! Kalysto tried, but instead of the old man''s heart beating again despite his wounds that were finishing closing, a pair of notices appeared before her. [Warning! The death time of the selected target exceeds one hour. The user cannot use the Resurrection skill on this target.] Startled by the unexpected news, Kalysto ran to where Sakura''s body was. Kalysto, try to revive my grandmother first, please! Alice begged, but Kalysto ignored her. With trembling hands Kalysto touched Sakura''s cold body. Resurrection! she murmured in a trembling voice as she did so. Her heart squeezed with pain when instead of hearing a loud inhale from Sakura''s throat, a group of notification windows, black and blue, appeared before her. [Warning! The death time of the selected target exceeds one hour. The user cannot use the skill Resurrection on this target.] No!...No!...It can''t be! then ran to where Katia''s body was exactly the same process. Resurrection! But her hopes were shattered when she received another notification window. [Warning! The death time of the selected target exceeds one hour. The user cannot use the Resurrection skill on this target.] Then she rushed to where Natasha and her mother were. But she only got the same result. Book 3. Chapter 31. “The Awakening of Darkness.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 31. The Awakening of Darkness. Part 1 [The skill Jhil has leveled up to level 85!] [The skill Jhil has leveled up to level 86!] [The skill Jhil has leveled up to level 87!] After trying to resurrect Alice''s grandmother and failing miserably in the attempt, Kalysto tried again with Sakura at the same time as Alice''s crying sounded throughout the room. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! Kalysto conjured, desperate to make it work while she watched as the huge collection of wounds that still remained on her friend''s body finished closing completely, and then gave her a health potion with the firm desire to repeat the same miracle that happened with Alice. Resurrection! she murmured with her heart hanging by a thread wishing that by some kind of miracle this time the outcome would be different, although in the back of her mind she feared the worst would happen. Kalysto''s heart roared violently against her chest as she waited for an answer which seemed to come an eternity later, only for dozens of tears to run down her cheeks as she hugged the cold body when three notification windows appeared to her left. [Warning! The death time of the selected target exceeds one hour. User cannot use the Resurrection skill on this target.] All her hopes were shattered in that instant as her heart clenched in pain and tears streamed down her face. I''m sorry! They were right, I should never have trusted her! she murmured through her tears remembering the warning the demon king had given her when he first came to visit her in Japan. I''m so sorry! She added, knowing that no matter how much she apologized, nothing she did could bring her friend back. And a great shame enveloped her as she thought of what she would have to say to Sakura''s older brother as soon as she returned to return the body to her family. She spent the next few minutes saying goodbye to her as she continued to apologize, before pulling her body into her shadow and walking over to where Katia''s body lay. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she muttered, at the same time Tsuki came out of her shadow. Master, you''re back at last! I missed you! exclaimed the fenrir caressing with his furry head the arm of his mistress. Kalysto immediately began to heal him while checking him part by part, making sure he was unharmed. I''m fine, master, he informed her. For the entire month that ''that woman'' took control of your body, I was trapped inside her shadow and could not get out. Although she was glad to know that he was not in any danger, Kalysto frowned as she listened to his words. How come it''s been a month? she asked in confusion as she continued to heal Katia''s torn body, making her arm grow back and her broken bones heal again. Persephone had really gone to the effort of tearing their bodies apart, but leaving their faces intact so that she could recognize them. Leaving them with a countless amount of wounds and cuts, all their bones were completely broken, their fingers, hands and toes were torn off along with their nails and teeth. However, the bodies of Alice and Sakura were the ones that had been in the worst condition. As if they had personally offended her and she had made sure to make them suffer a lot before killing them. Kalysto could barely contain the rage boiling inside her, wanting to return to her mental world and torture her to exhaustion. But she had to restrain herself and keep trying. She needed to get Alice and Tsuki out of there alive while she took all the bodies. It was curious to note that Gideon''s body was nowhere to be seen. Nor was there any trace of the door he had used to enter the room, or of Gabriel. [Jhil''s skill has leveled up to level 88!] [Jhil''s skill has leveled up to level 89!] Are you sure it''s been that long? asked the former saintess. It had been a week last time, but since the feeling of time passing inside her mental world was completely different from what was happening outside, she couldn''t help but be surprised at the news. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I''m sure, Master! When I''m inside your shadow I''m aware of what''s going on outside of it, unlike how it happens when you send me to the punishment zone! It''s called inventory, she corrected him, before realizing what she was doing. But its name is not important now. What really matters is that you''re okay, she murmured as she hugged him tightly, the fear of losing him growing inside her spreading faster than the plague or a petrification spell. I am, and I''m glad the master is too, Tsuki added as he returned the hug with his front paws. I''m sorry, master. I couldn''t do anything to stop ''that woman'' locked inside you from hurting your friends. ... for a few seconds Kalysto couldn''t answer as she hid her tears in the soft fur of her pet. What matters is that at least you''re alive, she whispered before cutting the hug and looking him in the eyes. If something like this happens again, hide until we can meet again! Stay safe, no matter what happens around you! Do you understand me? she added in desperation. Yes, ma''am! Almost half an hour later, when Kalysto was finishing healing Alice''s grandparents to put them in her shadow, Tsuki interrupted her. Master, the barrier protecting this place from the outside world has weakened and is about to break, it seems the battle going on outside has weakened it, that, or the wizard who conjured it is dead. [Jhil''s skill has leveled up to level 93!] Then, Kalysto drew five mana crystals from her shadow. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb this mana crystal?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 15,000 MP!] Then, Kalysto repeated the same process with the other four crystals. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 22,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 20,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 17,000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 25,000 MP!] Alice, we have to go! She said, at the same time a loud explosion shook the wall in front of them. And the noises of a battle began to be heard on the other side of the wall. I can''t go and leave their bodies here! cried the blonde, refusing to part from her beloved grandfather, whose lifeless body lay in her arms. ... Kalysto pursed her lips, although the dark god was sealed and asleep somewhere in the universe, she was unsure about putting the bodies into the inventory of the black system, even knowing that before there had been no problem in putting the corpses of horned rabbits into the inventory of the violet system. And while it was safest to get them all into her shadow, she could already feel the resistance in it, refusing to accept any more bodies. Tsuki, get out! She said, at the same time that a pair of dark mana tentacles sprouted from her shadow and took Alice''s grandmother''s body inside it and then did the same with the body of her friend''s grandfather, who immediately sobbed at the loss while Tsuki approached her to comfort her. We don''t have time for that, Alice! We have to get out of here! She said, still on her knees. Pulling out of her shadow an invitation that would take her friend directly in front of Aegir''s palace. Though for the second she doubted if it was safe to take them there. But they didn''t have time to think about it. The wall that had trembled earlier was completely collapsed as a sickle of black mana with a red border smashed into it, cutting through everything in its path, passing just inches above their heads to then destroy the altar and the back wall. Above the rubble, Kalysto could see Aegir with his brothers and an army of demons fighting fiercely against an army of monsters. And in front of them, an altar with a gigantic closed eye, in front of which Eris together with another woman Kalysto did not recognize, seemed to protect with their slender bodies covered with sensual ceremonial dresses of black with gold. Alice began to tremble as she sobbed and her face lost all color. It can''t be! Morrigan can''t be here! We''re going to die! she began to scream. Kalysto immediately transformed into a whirlpool of shadow and appeared behind her, covering her mouth with one hand as soon as she regained her human form. Who is she? That''s the woman I told you about before! she commented in despair. The one who destroyed almost all of humanity and killed all the hunters to bring her god to Earth! she began to scream as her whole body trembled, completely terrified. She can''t be here! How is it that she is here and not on Earth? Sleep well! Kalysto whispered as she saw how hysterical her friend was starting to become and immediately forced her into her shadow. At the same time a familiar presence touched her mind. I''m glad to know you''re still alive, you had me worried, where were you? whispered a voice in her head at the same time the demon king cut the body of another monster that stood between him and Eris. Tsuki, kill as many enemies as you can but stay away from that eye and those two women! She ordered while pointing at Eris and Morrigan. Then she transformed into a swirl of shadows and appeared right behind the demon king, and cut off the head of another monster while conjuring the two black crystal daggers. Fire blast! A powerful flare of fire erupted from her mouth in the direction of the eye and the two women, but a protective barrier shielded them from the attack. Tsk! So, you attack the one on the left and I attack the one on the right? commented Aegir. No. The one on the right is mine! We have unfinished business! she muttered, looking at Eris. Who materialized a huge black spear while looking at her with hatred. How dare you betray our lord and attack him? she shouted angrily. That''s not Persephone, Eris the other priestess corrected her calmly, her melodious voice stretching out smoothly over the fight. I know! A dozen black bolts of lightning shot from the tip of her spear and shot toward Kalysto. Book 3. Chapter 31. “The awakening of darkness.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 31. The awakening of darkness. Part 2 Aegir raised a protective shield preventing the attack. But that did not stop Eris. Who did not hesitate to throw herself against her prey at the same time that Tsuki launched a great amount of lightning towards her, but Eris erected her own shield quickly deflecting the lightning towards the monsters that were fighting in the surroundings against the army of demons. However, Kalysto managed to notice a small fracture in her shield before Eris finished deflecting the attack. At the same time the fairy champion turned herself into a cluster of shadows prolonged the two daggers she had conjured earlier, and materialized behind a monster, cutting off its head, only to lose her form again and re-form right behind Eris. [You have gained 7000 experience points!] But the dark priestess could feel the attack, activating her shield again, but this time on her back, reflecting Kalysto''s surprise attack. Did you really think you could hurt me with an attack as insignificant as that? Eris mocked. Who knows? she replied with a shrug, pretending not to care as she enjoyed watching her opponent''s face contort in anger. Eris launched herself against Kalysto, trying to cut her head or her arms with each thrust of her strong spear, but despite her apparent weakness, the former saintess dodged each of her blows while analyzing her every move. At the same time that they continued their confrontation, the Demon King''s brothers were facing a black dragon while Aegir was fighting Morrigan. But as powerful as the demon king was, Morgan didn''t even seem to have to strain to block his attacks. In fact she seemed somewhat bored. Which angered Aegir who expanded his magical pressure to most of the vast battlefield, the monsters trembled at the display of his power as the air began to run short in their lungs but neither Eris nor Morrigan faltered. Quite the contrary. A soft white glow began to surround their bodies allowing them to stand, immune to his attack. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Unlike Tsuki whom Kalysto had to make an effort to save, extending her shadow and pulling him inside it to protect him. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself forcing familiar coldness to spread throughout her body. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Eris ignored her completely, concentrating on attacking the demon king and giving Kalysto all the time she needed to save her pet while she lay on her knees and watched the situation silently as she fought against the manifestation of Aegir''s power. However, the black dragon did take a hit, his young and resistant body fell to the ground as he tried to flap his wings and move away from the earth, but was unable to. Meanwhile, Morrigan remained standing by the altar, like a silent guardian not at all willing to walk away from her master. Watching them all as if they were nothing more than simple insects that did not deserve her attention, but at the same time making sure that none of them could approach the altar. It was then that Kalysto noticed the symbols scattered on the ground, drawn with a gray ink so light that it resembled the color of the gigantic stone courtyard in front of the altar and on which both armies were fighting. A long, slightly curved line caught the attention of the former saintess, and right next to it, half covered by the remains of a monster''s head was half of a figure very similar to one of the many symbols Artemis had forced her to learn by heart a few months before. Kalysto''s curiosity was piqued as she noticed how the blood of a fallen monster, slain by a demon of Aegir''s army, touched the curved line near what she could swear was a letter of an ancient language and glyph, the lines released a soft reddish glow that then faded. Kalysto frowned. The hairs on her arms stood on end as a crazy theory echoed in her head. She immediately transformed into shadows noting how easy it was to move between bodies when she didn''t have a solid one, despite the magical pressure. She materialized only her hand and one of her elongated daggers, cutting the necks of two monsters to then stand over the corpse of the black dragon, with a scar on its neck that she had seen the day they arrived in Elinor. [You have gained 9,500 experience points!] [You''ve gained 12,700 experience points!] Her blood ran cold as she realized she had not been mistaken, at the same time Aegir cancelled his magic pressure, allowing his army to recover, launching into charging at the unsuspecting monsters who were not used to this type of attack. With trepidation she watched as the newly spilled blood fell to the ground, feeding little by little the lines, glyphs and magical symbols drawn on it, hidden with careful care. They are only buying time. She suddenly realized. Stop! Stop killing them! It''s a trap! Kalysto shouted, but no one seemed to hear her. Everyone seemed too busy with the counter-attack to pay attention. At that very instant, a gigantic sickle of black light was drawn in front of Morrigan, and with a simple wave of her hand the sickle of darkness split in two the bodies of half the army fighting a couple of steps down on the battlefield. Monsters and demons alike were destroyed. Their blood fed the symbols on the floor of a gigantic magic circle, whose energy was carried to the altar. Immediately Kalysto''s gaze was drawn to the altar where the gigantic eye that was once closed was now slowly beginning to open. Book 3. Chapter 31. “The awakening of darkness.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 31. The awakening of darkness. Part 2 Aegir raised a protective shield preventing the attack. But that did not stop Eris. Who did not hesitate to throw herself against her prey at the same time that Tsuki launched a great amount of lightning towards her, but Eris erected her own shield quickly deflecting the lightning towards the monsters that were fighting in the surroundings against the army of demons. However, Kalysto managed to notice a small fracture in her shield before Eris finished deflecting the attack. At the same time the fairy champion turned herself into a cluster of shadows prolonged the two daggers she had conjured earlier, and materialized behind a monster, cutting off its head, only to lose her form again and re-form right behind Eris. [You have gained 7000 experience points!] But the dark priestess could feel the attack, activating her shield again, but this time on her back, reflecting Kalysto''s surprise attack. Did you really think you could hurt me with an attack as insignificant as that? Eris mocked. Who knows? she replied with a shrug, pretending not to care as she enjoyed watching her opponent''s face contort in anger. Eris launched herself against Kalysto, trying to cut her head or her arms with each thrust of her strong spear, but despite her apparent weakness, the former saintess dodged each of her blows while analyzing her every move. At the same time that they continued their confrontation, the Demon King''s brothers were facing a black dragon while Aegir was fighting Morrigan. But as powerful as the demon king was, Morgan didn''t even seem to have to strain to block his attacks. In fact she seemed somewhat bored. Which angered Aegir who expanded his magical pressure to most of the vast battlefield, the monsters trembled at the display of his power as the air began to run short in their lungs but neither Eris nor Morrigan faltered. Quite the contrary. A soft white glow began to surround their bodies allowing them to stand, immune to his attack. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Unlike Tsuki whom Kalysto had to make an effort to save, extending her shadow and pulling him inside it to protect him. Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself forcing familiar coldness to spread throughout her body. [The skill Mental Defense has been activated.] Eris ignored her completely, concentrating on attacking the demon king and giving Kalysto all the time she needed to save her pet while she lay on her knees and watched the situation silently as she fought against the manifestation of Aegir''s power. However, the black dragon did take a hit, his young and resistant body fell to the ground as he tried to flap his wings and move away from the earth, but was unable to. Meanwhile, Morrigan remained standing by the altar, like a silent guardian not at all willing to walk away from her master. Watching them all as if they were nothing more than simple insects that did not deserve her attention, but at the same time making sure that none of them could approach the altar. It was then that Kalysto noticed the symbols scattered on the ground, drawn with a gray ink so light that it resembled the color of the gigantic stone courtyard in front of the altar and on which both armies were fighting. A long, slightly curved line caught the attention of the former saintess, and right next to it, half covered by the remains of a monster''s head was half of a figure very similar to one of the many symbols Artemis had forced her to learn by heart a few months before. Kalysto''s curiosity was piqued as she noticed how the blood of a fallen monster, slain by a demon of Aegir''s army, touched the curved line near what she could swear was a letter of an ancient language and glyph, the lines released a soft reddish glow that then faded. Kalysto frowned. The hairs on her arms stood on end as a crazy theory echoed in her head. She immediately transformed into shadows noting how easy it was to move between bodies when she didn''t have a solid one, despite the magical pressure. She materialized only her hand and one of her elongated daggers, cutting the necks of two monsters to then stand over the corpse of the black dragon, with a scar on its neck that she had seen the day they arrived in Elinor. [You have gained 9,500 experience points!] [You''ve gained 12,700 experience points!] Her blood ran cold as she realized she had not been mistaken, at the same time Aegir cancelled his magic pressure, allowing his army to recover, launching into charging at the unsuspecting monsters who were not used to this type of attack. With trepidation she watched as the newly spilled blood fell to the ground, feeding little by little the lines, glyphs and magical symbols drawn on it, hidden with careful care. They are only buying time. She suddenly realized. Stop! Stop killing them! It''s a trap! Kalysto shouted, but no one seemed to hear her. Everyone seemed too busy with the counter-attack to pay attention. At that very instant, a gigantic sickle of black light was drawn in front of Morrigan, and with a simple wave of her hand the sickle of darkness split in two the bodies of half the army fighting a couple of steps down on the battlefield. Monsters and demons alike were destroyed. Their blood fed the symbols on the floor of a gigantic magic circle, whose energy was carried to the altar. Immediately Kalysto''s gaze was drawn to the altar where the gigantic eye that was once closed was now slowly beginning to open. Book 3. Chapter 31. “The Awakening of Darkness.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 31. The Awakening of Darkness. Part 3 Standing over the dragon corpse of the huge Black dragon she had seen a couple of times since coming to Elinor, Kalysto watched in awe as the gigantic eyes above the altar began to slowly open. As the young hatchling of the late black dragon struggled to escape, a pair of red and green lights, matching those of the mental walls that had been protecting the seal within her mental world, glowed in the dark eyes of the young dragon who struggled to fly away from it, even as Aegir''s magical pressure no longer pressed him to the ground. But something else seemed to be preventing him from fleeing the place. But Kalysto ignored it, too focused on the giant eye to pay attention to the young dragon''s struggle. I can''t let him wake up! She thought desperately, looking for a way to delay his awakening. Watching as Morrigan never left the vicinity of the altar, not even when she had engaged in a hand-to-hand confrontation with Aegir. Who had to retreat thanks to Eris'' continuous attacks, approaching the place where the rest of his army was fighting. Fireball! said Kalysto, throwing it against Eris'' face, obstructing her vision. And turning into a cluster of shadows to travel much faster to where they were. Positioning herself right next to the demon king. What''s the matter? he asked, his voice echoing in her mind. Aegir! Order your army to retreat! The blood of all who fall is feeding a magic circle hidden in the ground which is feeding the eye above the altar! She thought, knowing that although she didn''t have the skill to project her thoughts he could read them. Shit! So that''s what they were making time for! Retreat! Retreat at once to the rendezvous point! He muttered, at the same time as he threw a sickle of dark energy at Eris'' front shield and another at Morrigan, keeping them busy. I thought you could read everyone''s mind? Kalysto asked curiously as she transformed her two daggers into two spears. Do you see the gems in the necklaces each of them has? They are enchanted and I can''t get into their minds, and the rest of the ones I killed didn''t have much information. And I can''t read the dragons'' minds, so.... Kalysto hadn''t noticed the necklaces before, but now that he had warned her about them she could notice the strange green glow in the gems on both women''s necklaces. But now that her attention was on them she couldn''t help but notice the white glow on their bodies. Eris''s, though, was much fainter than Morrigan''s. A slight smile tugged at Kalysto''s lips at the sight of them, coveting to steal from them the ether that caused that glow and increased their defenses. Do you really think we''ll let you escape so easily? Eris scoffed, at the same time Morrigan raised her hand again, beginning to draw a second sickle of dark energy. While a magical seal was drawn in front of Eris and hundreds of black crystal spears were directed against the two of them, and some others against the rest of the demonic army who had not yet finished escaping and continued fighting against the monsters of the enemy army. Sphere of light! Creation of light! She thought, casting both spells, the first against Eris'' eyes, and the second against Morrigan''s. Although she knew that both of them could erect wall-like barriers that could prevent her attack despite being of divine class, she was able to blind them for a few seconds. Enough time to continue with her attack. Black fire creation! Black fire manipulation! Fire creation! Fire manipulation! Fire manipulation! She mentally added more attacks. The first two she directed towards Eris'' feet and Morrigan''s feet covering the entire altar, so that it also covered the gigantic eye. [You have gained 700 HP points!] [You have gained 900 HP points!] [You have gained 1500 HP points!] However, the second pair of spells sent them exclusively towards Seth-Mainyu''s eye, transforming the divine fire into a gigantic snake that opened its mouth to devour him, just then she cast the two black crystal spears she had conjured earlier. Fire arrows! She added, wounding the eye. Only a third of the demonic army had managed to escape just before Morrigan''s attack was launched. Wiping out half of the remaining army, the demon king''s shield was able to withstand Morrigan''s attack, but it did not withstand Eris'' third that followed right after. [You have gained 900 points of HP!] [You''ve gained 500 HP points!] If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Shattering into small pieces as if it were split glass, forcing Kalysto and Aegir to move away. Ahhh! a thunderous scream resounded behind their backs when one of Eris'' spears pierced the body of Xhavier Donovhar, Aegir''s younger brother, and Kalysto couldn''t notice how ironic it was that he died at Eris'' hands, when according to the book she had given to the demon king, Eris and Thomas were the cause of his death. What she didn''t expect was to find the body of Whanda, the demon king''s other younger sister, split in two, thanks to Morrigan''s attack. Nooo! shouted Aegir, his magical power surging out of him in violent waves at the pain of the double loss. Forcing Kalysto to cover her body with the same white glow as Eris and Morrigan in order to resist the attack. At the same time several bursts of dark energy with red edges were launched against the altar and others against Morrigan. Who was careful to protect her eye from the attack, stopping trying to extinguish the black fire that Kalysto had summoned, which was still burning and stealing HP from her enemies. So the sneaky little rat can do it too, huh? commented Eris, increasing the white glow that protected her from the demon king''s magical pressure, just behind her wall-shaped shield. Just before she materialized a black crystal spear and launched herself at high speed against Kalysto, who managed to dodge the first two thrusts. And although she seemed to surpass Eris in agility by just a couple of points, the strength of the dark priestess'' attacks were a completely different story. [You''ve gained 1700 HP points!] [You''ve gained 1300 HP points!] With legs splayed Kalysto could barely parry a new vertical attack from Eris, the enemy''s spear was obstructed by the former saintess'' two daggers, but the attack was powerful enough for the ground beneath Kalysto''s feet to shatter. Making Eris smile with satisfaction as soon as she saw that despite the fairy champion''s effort, the latter could not bear to do anything against her. It was then that one of the side edges of the sharp spear suddenly transformed into a sickle, the curved tip of which buried itself in Kalysto''s back and came out in front of her, piercing her chest on the right side. Agg! Kalysto groaned, causing Eris''s malicious grin to spread across her face as the demon king embraced his older brother''s dying body while giving him healing potions and pouring a couple more on the wound. Regeneration! Regeneration! She thought just before transforming into a swirl of shadows and moving away from her attacker. To then take form right in front of the demon king and his severely wounded brother. [You''ve gained 1700 HP points!] [You have gained 1300 HP points!] Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! The golden light shot out from her body extending just enough to cover the three of them as Aegir rushed to pull the enemy spear out of his brother''s body so he could be healed while raising a shield around them. Quick, get them into your inventory! I''ll be able to heal them when we''re done with this! But Whanda! He replied, still shocked by the loss. I can revive her later, as long as less than an hour has passed since her death! And inventory is the only thing I know that can freeze someone''s time for a long period! she thought. And the demon king hurried to store them in his inventory, although he feared the wrath of the god of darkness when he learned of that offense, he secretly prayed that the sealed god of darkness would at least allow him to protect his younger siblings, the only blood family he had left. [You have gained 1500 HP points!] [You have gained 1400 HP points!] Although Morrigan was able to stop the demon king''s attack in time by building several shields one after the other, the part of the magic circle drawn on the ground that carried the energy to the altar was completely destroyed, breaking the circuit. Completely angered by the loss of the sacrifices she needed so much for the awakening of her lord, she shouted full of hatred: Dark Jhil Ezhil! A surge of black energy shot out of her body and spread across the battlefield at the same instant that the king finished storing the bodies of his two brothers in his inventory. Hundreds of wounds sprouted from the bodies of monsters and demons alike. Eris and Kalysto were the only ones saved by the white glow surrounding their bodies, but even Aegir fell to the ground, blood gushing from wounds that appeared out of nowhere. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! Kalysto immediately countered, noticing that some of Aegir''s wounds were exactly in the same place she had healed him a few minutes before. But Kalysto could not continue healing him as Eris threw herself on them, as did Morrigan, who descended from the altar like a vengeful queen ready to eliminate the enemies of her king. Aegir easily parried Eris'' attack, but Morrigan interposed herself with a black sickle in her hand instead of the spear that Eris wielded so nimbly. While Kalysto transformed into a cluster of shadows materializing only her hands to place them on the Demon King''s back, for a couple of seconds. Jhil! Regeneration! she managed to conjure a couple of times before Morrigan stepped in, preventing her from continuing. Her sickle pierced through that Aegir had conjured to protect her, severing the fingers of Kalysto''s hand. Her blood fell to the ground inadvertently touching a pair of glyphs that began to light up, absorbing her power. Earth manipulation! she immediately gasped, annoyed at the thought of that foul eye feeding on her, causing the ground beneath their feet to crack, as well as at least half of the ground around them, damaging several parts of the intricate magic circle. At the same time Aegir launched a sickle of dark energy at Eris and lunged at Morrigan, pulling her away from Kalysto. Jhil! Regeneration! she conjured several times making his left hand grow back while noticing how none of Aegir''s attacks managed to damage either of Seth''s priestesses, who was overpowered when both women attacked him at the same time. Perfect aim! Fire arrows! Perfect aim! Fire creation! Fire manipulation! she thought, launching the first attack towards Eris, but creating another gigantic fire snake which she directed towards the eye, putting both priestesses in a bind, as neither of them was protecting the altar. As Kalysto expected, Eris barely managed to conjure a magical shield to protect herself from her fire arrows. Morrigan on the other hand, watched with despair as the giant fire serpent advanced towards her master, and ran to meet it trying to destroy it, but although she split it in two with her sickle, the fire was not extinguished, but continued to be manipulated by its summoner transforming into two snakes that headed towards its target. The first one broke the seal that Morrigan herself had created earlier, which had been weakened by the previous attacks of the demon king, but could not stop the second snake. Who hit the target. Nooo! cried Morrigan, the pain reflected in her voice and her beautiful gray eyes bathed in worry. Jhil! Jhil! she conjured. And Kalysto watched in surprise as the familiar golden energy spewed out of the dark priestess'' hands as the pretty woman began to heal all the damage she had caused to the giant eye. Book 3. Chapter 31. “The Awakening of Darkness.” Part 4 Book 3. Chapter 31. The Awakening of Darkness. Part 4 Aegir wasted no time and with his sword raised high attacked Eris'' shield, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Immediately, Kalysto extended her shadow and dozens of black crystal stakes sprouted from the ground breaking one of Eris'' legs, whose thunderous scream spread throughout the battlefield. You fucking bitch! You''re going to pay for this as soon as I get my hands on you! She screamed, her face disfigured with rage as she countered with her spear another attack from Aegir''s sword, just before transforming into a pile of shadows and sliding across the ground and then resuming her form in front of Kalysto. Fire dragon! She attacked, not knowing that Kalysto was immune to that element and without realizing that the demon king had also turned into a cluster of shadows and had followed her, materializing right behind her. At the same time the silhouette of an elongated fire dragon was launched against the ex-saintess, without harming her. Lightning! Fireball! But as the fairy champion launched her counter-attack, Eris slashed her legs with a single slash as Aegir spoke. You will be the one who paid for the death of my brothers! he sentenced with a vertical lunge. Unfortunately, the dark priestess was able to dodge the attack just before he split her in two, but lost her entire left arm in the process. Eris transformed back into a whirlpool of shadows and turned away from both of them, fleeing despite the wounds. Regeneration! Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! Kalysto thought, as Aegir continued to chase after Eris, trying to kill her. But his efforts were interrupted by the attack of the other dark priestess. My lord! Take their insignificant mortal lives as a sacrifice for your divine awakening! Sentenced Morrigan, who finished casting the spell and a wave of dark energy burst from her body crashing into everyone inside the battlefield. Tens of thousands of monsters and demons that were still fighting in the extensive battlefield died equally. Their bodies were slowly turning to ashes without them being able to do anything to avoid their impending deaths. Even the body of the young black dragon turned to dust at the same time as its energy was channeled into Morrigan''s hands and from there into the gigantic partially burned eye that still floated above the altar. [You have gained 1900 points of HP!] [You have gained 1500 HP points!] [You''ve lost 1000 HP points!] Immediately, Kalysto transformed back into shadows and regained her form right next to the demon king, whose hands began to disintegrate causing his sword to fall to the ground. Blessing! said Kalysto, pointing to herself. Dispel Ezhil! she added and the golden light of her skill surrounded them both, protecting them from the dark saintess'' attack while she intensified the use of her ether, just as Eris did, avoiding being victims of Morrigan''s attack. Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! Regeneration! Thank you, muttered the only demon King left alive inside the battlefield as his hands regenerated again and relief invaded his face as he saw that Kalysto''s legs had grown back. Though now she was barefoot, so he conjured a pair of strong black boots made from his dark mana, protecting her feet. As she finished healing them both a tentacle of darkness approached her with an enchanted pouch filled with mana crystals. Why are you giving this to me?:whispered Kalysto. Because I need to know that even if I''m not around you have what you need to protect yourself. Besides you need them more than I do, he murmured, concern shining in his ruby eyes. Let''s get this over with quickly. I need to get my brothers back. He muttered in her mind. ...And Kalysto, don''t forget who you owe me four dates. Before she could reproach him for worrying about something as absurd as that when she had been kidnapped inside her own mind for a month and now they were in the middle of a battle, Aegir had already launched another attack on Morrigan to then continue attacking Eris who still hadn''t finished regenerating after her last attack. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Master? Tsuki muttered, wanting to go out to fight and help her master. Stay inside! scolded Kalysto immediately, preventing him from going out as she feared he would get hurt during the battle. Absorb! whispered taking five of the crystals that Aegir had just given her. [Does the user wish to absorb these mana crystals?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought [Congratulations, the user has acquired 25000 MP!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 17000 MP]! [Congratulations! User has acquired 24000 MP!] [Congratulations! User has acquired 22000 MP!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 18000 MP!] Taking advantage of the fact that Eris was busy escaping from Aegir''s continuous attacks, Kalysto observed the altar. Fireball! Perfect aim! Fire arrows! Penetration enchantment! she muttered, using the first set of attacks to break through the shield protecting the altar. Fire creation! Fire manipulation! she whispered, creating three gigantic snakes. Penetration Enchantment! She then launched them against the giant eye, knowing that at least one of them would be stopped by Morrigan, but as Dark Saintess did so, the champion of the fairies deflected the path of the other two, preventing her from blocking them, and then launched a third attack. Black fire manipulation! Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! with the first spell Kalysto raised the black flames a couple of meters and thus obstructing the vision of the dark saintess while with the last two attacks dozens of stakes of two and three meters high rose from the ground and pierced the eye at different angles, just as they did with Morrigan''s body, but the white glow around her body blocked most of the attacks, although some of them managed to cause shallow wounds in her arms and legs. Noooooo! Grandfather! shouted Morrigan. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! she hurried to conjure, however unlike her other skills, the level of that skill seemed to be much lower than Kalysto''s. Jhil! Jhil! she went about conjuring with frenzied dedication, completely ignoring Eris''s struggle while she erected new shields and devoted herself to healing the giant eye and extinguishing Kalysto''s black fire. Meanwhile, the champion of the fairies did not wait and see if her attack had been successful, on the contrary, as soon as she finished launching her attacks, she joined the demon king against Eris, who seemed to be losing that battle despite the white glow that protected her body, but whose light was getting weaker and weaker. Eris, after dodging Aegir''s sword, reached out to touch him. Absorb! Eris growled, annoyed at how hard it was for her to finish him off, not realizing that at the same time the words came out of her mouth, Kalysto materialized behind her and placed her hands on either side of the dark priestess'' face. Absorb absorb! Absorb ether! Absorb HP! Kalysto quickly conjured. Catching Eris completely off guard. Memories of Eris'' life flashed before her, focusing especially on all that she had done and the cities she had conquered since coming to Elinor, all the glory she dreamed of delivering to her lord when she awoke him in new world ready for him to take under his control, and all the resentment she felt the moment her entry into the demonic kingdom was overshadowed with Morrigan''s appearance because Persephone''s sudden disappearance had reached the ears of the other priestess thanks to the cursed hobgoblin Ereshkigal, a necromancer she should never have allowed to join her army, although she knew the necromancer was loyal to her lord, she had the suspicion that he was secretly informing them of all her advances. Eris never imagined that he would also inform them of the situation with Persephone, or that Seth-Mainyu''s avatar and chief priestess, Morrigan, would come in person to investigate what had happened. [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Absorb. Level 55!] [Warning! Because the user already possesses this same skill at a higher level, the newly absorbed skill will be transformed into class experience! The user will need to absorb more skills of this type in order to change the class of this skill from normal to heroic!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 6000 MP!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired 50 ether points!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 50,000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 40,000 HP!] What the hell do you think you''re doing? Eris shouted as she tried to escape but dozens of tentacles of darkness, summoned by both Kalysto and the demon king kept her trapped, at the same time Aegir cut off both her arms. Absorb HP! Kalysto conjured again while Aegir cut off Eris'' legs. Absorb HP! No! You bastards! You''ll pay for this! Darkness lightning! Cursed fire! she conjured as a last resort and thousands of black lightning bolts fell on both of them while a puff of black fire came out of her mouth and hit Aegir''s face, who had been too close to avoid the whole attack. And even though Kalysto received the lightning attack in full, she gritted her teeth, enduring the pain so as not to lose the chance to finish her off before Morrigan intervened and saved her. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated]. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 80,000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 70,000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 60.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 50.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 40.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 30.000 HP!] Absorb HP! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 30.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 20.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 10.000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3,940 HP!] As Eris'' body finally began to turn to ashes and Kalysto could finally let out a sigh of relief, a gigantic sword with a white glow pierced her stomach from behind, and despite having the skill of pain resistance activated, she could feel it spreading throughout her body as she felt the air escaping from her lungs. To then watch in horror as the blade of the sword protruding from her body rotated, from vertical to horizontal and immediately finish cutting the rest of her abdomen until the glowing blade came out of the side, tearing her flesh. Book 3. Chapter 32. “The Awakening of Darkness 2.” Part 1 Book 3. Chapter 32. The Awakening of Darkness 2. Part 1 The bright glow of the sword exceeded that of Kalysto''s body by a small amount, yet it cut through her abdomen as easily as the tip of a spoon would cut through cream cheese. Holy shit! Her face lost all the color it had at the sight of the wound as blood gushed like a spring. And for the second time since coming to Elinor the raw possibility of dying without an escape route stole her breath. Her insides shrank in terror at the thought of dying. She no longer had a home stone that activated almost immediately, and teleportation spells took more than thirty seconds to activate. Regeneration! Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! She thought full of desperation investing a large amount of mana to heal herself and speed up the process, but before she could finish doing so Morrigan''s sword pierced her hips from one side to the other, cutting her in two. Suddenly the world changed angles as her upper body fell to the left. [The passive skill Regeneration has been activated.] Kalysto! Aegir shouted, materializing at her back. The shield he had just created cracked before the white light surrounding the dark priestess'' sword. Leaving Aegir''s sword as the only obstacle to stop the next attack of Morrigan who tried to pierce Kalysto''s heart and finish off the fairy champion quickly. And although the demon king''s sword was a gift that the dark god himself had made for the first king of the demon race, small lines were created around the point where the two swords met. Aegir extended his shadow, pulling Kalysto''s lower body into it and then transforming into a swirl of shadows, enveloping the upper body of the former saintess and pulling them both away. But Morrigan followed them, running after them, giving them no room for respite. So Aegir extended his shadow as he stopped, tucking the other part of Kalysto inside it, giving her a chance to regenerate and heal herself while he gave her some time as he faced Morrigan. And that was exactly what she did. Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! she whispered, unsure if her voice could be heard outside the vast darkness that constituted Aegir''s shadow. Now I understand why Tsuki would rather go into mine than into the inventory. She realized as she finished healing and could observe how the different objects that Aeguir kept there floated in the void, allowing her to interact with them at the same time that at the top, she could observe everything that was happening in the outside world, as if it was a gigantic glass door that was closed. It was a little over five minutes before she was able to finish healing herself, drink a health potion and swim to the surface, transforming into shadows. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Aegir''s devastated body welcomed her, while he could barely support himself thanks to his sword, which was about to break. I''m actually surprised he survived this long. She thought. Inspect! [Sword. Name: Dragon Destroyer Class: Divine. Strength +100 Penetration +50 HP +100 MP +100 Stamina +100 Agility +100] Ether +100] Jhil! Regeneration! she whispered as she regained her physical form and positioned herself right behind Aegir at the same time she began to heal him and read the specs of Morrigan''s sword. Being surprised to find for the first time a weapon that was not only divine class, but also had ether in it. How the hell did she get it? She couldn''t help but think about it, wanting to have one, or at least find out the way they had managed to enchant it with ether. Morrigan''s cold gray gaze bore into her, rage drawing on her face as soon as she realized that Kalysto was healing the demon king. Dark Jhil Ezhil! she shouted immediately. A wave of dark energy erupted from her body, reopening the wounds that had previously closed. Dispel Ezhil! countered Kalysto. Quickly covering her body with ether, she continued to heal herself and the demon king. Then, she had to duplicate the copy she had of Aegir''s sword, so he could continue fighting. For the next three hours, more or less the same pattern was repeated. As Aegir protected Kalysto each time her body was damaged enough that she had to hide back inside his shadow and recover, then come back out and heal him, then hand him a duplicate of the sword he had allowed her to duplicate months ago and which she had enchanted to help her level up her profession. It was long after Kalysto, who was used to fighting for hours, that she began to notice the signs of exhaustion in Morrigan. Of course being a Saintess she is not used to keeping up this pace. She thought with satisfaction as she saw that the continuous expenditure of mana was starting to take its toll on someone else, just as it was happening to her in the beginning. So far only the skills with divine class had been able to cause any damage to the giant eye or Morrigan. She thought. Beginning to hope that they might finally have a chance to defeat her and prevent Seth''s awakening, she approached Aegir. I have a plan. She thought right after looking at him and pointing to her own forehead, indicating for him to read it. I''m all ears. But before she could tell him, a giant spear of light appeared out of nowhere, piercing the altar along with the giant eye that had finally finished regenerating from the damage caused by Kalysto. And over the remains of the altar, holding a second spear of light that pierced the eye, Mhiralla appeared. Get away from him! Morrigan shouted, throwing her sword with all her might. Mhiralla instead, only smiled. Surrounding her body with ether, allowing the white radiance to protect her, she still created a protective barrier in the form of a wall. But to the goddess'' great surprise, the Barrier shattered into thousands of pieces before the sword''s ether. And right after that, her abdomen was pierced by the sharp object. Her face contorted at the unexpected pain just before a pair of black tentacles sprouted from the eye and tried to reach her. But she quickly got rid of them, cutting them off with a new spear of light, which she buried in the large eye. Nooooo! Morrigan shouted, her voice laden with despair as Mhiralla stretched out her hand and a rain of hundreds of light spears were hurled at the three fighters still on the battlefield. A shower of lightning followed. Then Mhiralla pulled the sword out of her body, absorbed its ether and then destroyed it. Book 3. Chapter 32. “The Awakening of Darkness 2.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 32. The Awakening of Darkness 2. Part 2 Kalysto''s eyes widened with sadistic satisfaction as soon as she saw the sword pierce the abdomen of the goddess Mhiralla. How the hell did they manage to enchant a weapon with ether? How high do I need to raise my profession to be able to do the same? Seeing the blood gushing from the wound staining the delicate white dress only made the desire to dismember her grow stronger inside her. But from her being able to join in the attack, her excitement was curbed the moment she observed the ease with which Mhiralla broke the sword. Nooo! her cry of protest at the loss of the coveted weapon went unnoticed in the midst of Morrigan''s screams. The spears of light that the goddess sent against them crashed into Morrigan and Aegir''s barriers, destroying them as if they were simple soap bombs. Turning back into shadows, she was able to dodge hundreds of light lances, one after another. At the same time Mhiralla clicked her tongue in annoyance as a faint golden glow erupted from her palm. She didn''t have that skill before. Kalysto thought as she heard her mutter. Stupid human, what does she think I gave her power for if not to level it up? And she couldn''t even do her job right! She growled under her breath but still the fairy champion was close enough to hear her. What the hell are you talking about...? She frowned But before she could finish the sentence in her mind, she remembered that Mhiralla had a second saintess besides Darla, one who had escaped from the temple the same day she absorbed Darla''s powers. So that''s what you''ve been doing all this time. She realized, and though she could not consider the kindly Clarissa Bor a great friend, she could not help but be angered by the realization that surely the goddess had killed her to take away the power she herself had given her and thus heal the damage Kalysto herself had caused her. At that moment, Mhiralla looked up, staring greedily at the white glow surrounding Morrigan''s body. A split second later, she left the altar to run and stand in front of Morrigan, holding her beautiful face with one hand. Well, well, well. But look what we have here. If it isn''t that monster''s saintess, she waved. And Morriga''s face became disfigured with rage. And I think the only monster is right in front of me right now, she replied spitefully. But before she could do anything the former saintess beat her to it. Fireball! Despite the danger of the situation Kalysto was in, having her father''s murderer so close to her again made her blood run hot. Making her forget to continue healing her own wounds, and instead she attacked without thinking. But the goddess was able to block it. What, are you planning to steal her power just like you did with innocent Clarissa? she snarled angrily, knowing that Mhiralla would not have hesitated to get rid of the young girl even though she was to blame for ruining the happy marriage Clarissa had dreamed of so long ago. Oh, don''t tell me you were friends? she muttered with a smile laden with cynicism as she licked her lips, as if the young saintess had been a meal she enjoyed. You''re nothing but a bloody murderer! Morrigan joined in, conjuring her huge scythe. You killed her friend just as you killed my mother? Ha, poor silly girl! The goddess mocked, creating a spear of light to block the dark saintess''s scythe attack. I may have killed her friend, but do you really think I was the only one who attacked your mother that day? she continued viciously. Because as I recall your dear grandfather had already absorbed all the ether she had and much of her mana by the time I came to finish the job and eat only the leftovers. You''re lying! Morrigan shouted, continuing to attack with a fluid series of blows, though it was becoming obvious that she was tired. Causing the superiority-laden smile on the goddess''s face to only grow larger and larger. Angering the two avatars. Perfect aim! Arrows of fire! Kalysto thought, taking advantage of the fact that they were both fighting hand-to-hand to aim for the goddess'' eyes while she was too distracted. But just as she had expected, the glowing ether emanating from the goddess'' body managed to shield her. Is that all you can do, little Kalysto? she scoffed, not taking her eyes off Morrigan. And you rude brat, she snarled, all her attention back on Seth''s saintess. In case you haven''t noticed, instead of Seth fighting and absorbing the power of his sister Sejmet, he has dedicated himself to procreate and increase his offspring so he can steal their ether and become stronger so he can finally face Sejmet, or the guardian who guards the dimension where the gods sleep while they regain the power they lost after sealing the god Ygaerae. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lies! You tell nothing but lies! shouted Morrigan, continuing her attacks, allowing her rage to guide her, accelerating her blows. Even though Mhiralla blocked each one as she enjoyed watching her deny reality. How else would he be able to increase the amount of ether he possesses over the past centuries, if not by creating more descendants to take it from? She mocked. Didn''t it ever seem strange to you that they always tend to disappear in mysterious ways? Even in places where even I don''t have access? Surprise and confusion shone on Morrigan''s face whose body froze for half a second in shock as her she seemed to process what she had just heard. Time, that was enough for Mhiralla to launch a new attack, lethally wounding the dark saintess. But just like the goddess, Kalysto had also been waiting for the ideal moment to strike. Perfect aim! Fire creation! Fire manipulation! She thought, spending more mana than necessary to forge a series of fire arrows, just like the ones she had launched earlier. And just like what had happened inside the dimension they had fought in before, the attacks of divine class skills were able to damage her. Ahh! Morrigan shouted before falling backwards with a huge diagonal slash across her torso, from her shoulder to her hip. Ahh! shouted Mhiralla at the same time, as two of Kalysto''s arrows buried themselves in her right eye, and the others that the ether could not stop, in her cheeks. Nooo! My beautiful face! She sobbed, You damned bitch! You''ll pay for this! Jhil! Jhil! her last two spells were conjured at almost the same time as Morrigan''s, who had also begun to heal. Sorry to bring you down from your crystal cloud full of stupid illusions, but you''re not that pretty. Even Morrigan is much prettier than you. In fact, I think you look much better the way you are now, at least this way there is something interesting to look at when I look at you, Kalysto mocked just before launching herself at the goddess. Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She thought, conjuring two black crystal swords and attacking her opponent. Despite having lost visibility in one eye, the goddess was able to defend herself and block Kalysto''s continuous attacks. However, unlike the previous time they had clashed, this time the goddess'' body was only a few centimeters taller than the former saintess. What happened to you to make you shrink? she mocked. Fire blast! She thought, the moment their faces were close and their weapons blocking each other, letting fire come out of her mouth as if she were a dragon, just as Mhiralla was about to speak, bathing her face in fire. You and your damn tricks! complained the goddess, annoyed at not having been able to finish healing her wounds and having her vision blocked by the fire. And despite the protection provided by the ether, the wound in her eye burned from the heat of the fire. But before she could attack the fairy champion, Seth''s saintess, who had already finished healing her wound, joined the battle. Ahh! Damn cockroaches! Mhiralla complained, annoyed at being outmatched by both women in the close combat. Lightning bolts! she conjured and hundreds of thick bolts of lightning fell on both of them, Stop throwing yourselves at me like hungry wild beasts! Immediately, Kalysto transformed into shadows evading the attack, while out of the corner of her eye she saw how Seth''s gigantic eye locked itself in a bubble of darkness to regenerate and at the other end of the battlefield, she saw the demon king taking potions to recover from the wounds he had received from Morrigan. So the former saintess, feeling sorry for her small oversight continued to advance as a mass of shadows towards the opposite end and approached Aegir. Positioning herself behind his back while keeping her gaze fixed on the other two women. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! She conjured, concentrating on keeping the range of her skill surrounding only the two of them, as she pulled seven mana crystals from her shadow. Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb these mana crystals?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 34000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 32000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 25000 MP!] [Congratulations! User has acquired 19000 MP!] [Congratulations! User has acquired 27000 MP!] [Congratulations! User has acquired 24000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 23000 MP!] Sorry, I completely forgot to finish healing you as soon as I saw her she apologized, her face revealing how bad she felt for abandoning someone who had painstakingly taken care of her for months. I''m more concerned about the fact that you didn''t finish healing yourself, Aegir replied, his voice full of concern for her as he watched the wounds Morrigan had caused earlier finish closing. Just because your mental shield and your skill at resisting pain make you unaware of how injured you are doesn''t mean you shouldn''t take care of your body. One of these days Kalysto, I''m afraid you''ll end up bleeding out and you won''t even realize it until it''s too late, he told her, as he handed her a health potion to regenerate the blood she had lost during the battle prior to the goddess'' arrival. Kalysto let out a great sigh before accepting it and drinking it. At the same time she extended her left hand towards Mhiralla. Lightning! She thought, annoyed at how little damage she could cause her. I wish I had more spells that could get through that glow! What surprises me is that you were able to hurt her when her body is protected with ether, the only substance in the universe that is more powerful than mana. Aegir''s voice echoed in her mind. That''s because some of my fire attacks are of divine class. She defended herself. Kalysto, only ether can damage ether. He clarified, looking at her with affection and a slight smile plastered on his lips. In the same way one would look at a small child when he has said a strange idea with which he explains something everyday and common knowledge. In fact it is said to be a force so powerful that it can alter reality itself and create miracles. Or create something as complex as a system. Oh... she thought, not knowing what else to say, right now the only thing she was interested in was to steal Mhiralla''s ether to lower her defenses and then kill her in the most painful way possible. So... can you create weapons with that? How? How should I know... only the gods and some of their descendants possess ether. He answered. Book 3. Chapter 32. “The Awakening of Darkness 2.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 32. The Awakening of Darkness 2. Part 3 Are you implying that I am also a descendant of the gods? she questioned in her mind, unable to believe what she was hearing at the same time she remembered that she had seen the white glow of the ether long before she obtained a system, in the memory of the younger version of her when Persephone died and she began to absorb her. A small smile laden with fondness came across the demon king''s face as he watched her create a sharp black crystal stake. Kalysto, why do you think my aunt chose you as her Avatar despite having within you the avatar of her enemy? He replied. ...I thought I was no longer her avatar. She thought, wanting to change the subject, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation and its implications about her ancestry. At the same time, annoyed that such a title never appeared in any of her systems. A god can only choose one avatar every hundred years, and after that they must wait a certain number of years after their death before they can choose others.... It is not easy to choose a new avatar since there are certain requirements that must be met, that is why the gods tend to revive them. He clarified, though it struck him as odd how little Kalysto knew about herself. Master, watch out! Tsuki shouted suddenly, stepping out of his mistress'' shadow of his own volition at the same time one of Mhiralla''s spears of light was hurled towards her. The barrier Aegir had created shattered into a thousand pieces half a second before Kalysto managed to grab her pet, turn into shadows and move away from danger. Aegir also managed to escape in time, but dozens of lightning bolts shot out from the spear, burning one of his legs. Creation of light! the fairy champion conjured, casting the spell right into the eyes of the goddess, completely crapping her out for a few seconds, taking the advantage to throw the stake she just created and giving her time to push the demon king away and heal his wounds. Jhil! Jhil! Three notification windows appeared before her, two black and one blue. [Jhil''s skill has been leveled up to level 99!] You know, for someone of level 550, you look out of shape today, Kalysto muttered as she finished healing him. Kalysto, I''ve been fighting almost non-stop for a whole month, since the day you disappeared. Plus I haven''t slept for two weeks. Give a man a break, he said, pulling out a mana potion, but Kalysto handed him the last of the revitalizing potion she had left. Better keep it for yourself. Perfect aim! Fire arrows! she conjured, attacking the goddess again and giving Morrigan a small advantage so she could hurt her. How long ago did you run out of revitalizing potions? ...A week ago, he answered with some embarrassment, as he received the potion and drank it, watching as she and her pet joined the dark saintess in their fight. A few seconds later, he joined them in battle. If it was difficult to break through the ether surrounding Morrigan and cause her physical harm before, in Mhiralla''s case it seemed to be impossible. Even with Kalysto and Morrigan giving their best effort, along with Aeguir, who was doing his best to protect the former saintess despite the disadvantage he was at by having an attribute opposite to that of the goddess, they could not cause her enough damage for the next ten minutes. A wave of light was expelled from Mhiralla''s body, pushing her three attackers, along with Tsuki, away from her. The smell of scorched flesh filled the air as Kalysto realized that the previous attack had burned Aegir''s body, charring it. But before Kalysto could reach him and heal him, another wave of light, followed by another wave of fire and another wave of light, burst from the goddess'' body. Immediately afterwards a shower of lightning accompanied with thousands of spears of light and fire fell upon them. Fearing for the life of Tsuki, the weakest of them all, Kalysto diverted her course, but before she could approach Tsuki, Aegir was pierced by several spears after materializing in front of her, using his body as a shield to protect her as soon as his magic shield was destroyed. Go to him! Quickly! he urged her, knowing full well how attached she was to the puppy. But his sacrifice was in vain. A spear of light cut through one of Kalysto''s feet before she could reach her pet and almost immediately three spears of fire buried themselves in her right thigh, preventing her from saving Tsuki. Making her watch in horror as four spears pierced deep into the white fur. Noooooo! Tsuki! She screamed and a wave of darkness burst from her body without her being aware of it, completely forgetting the demon king and her own pain, turning into shadows and materializing right in front of her pet. Jhil Ezhil! Jhil Ezhil! she conjured dozens of times as she pulled the spears out of his body, burning the palms of her hands in the process. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] Kalysto ignored the notification windows and continued healing herself and her pet. Regeneration! Jhil! Jhil Ezhil! It was almost a minute later when Tsuki''s wounds finished closing that she noticed he wasn''t breathing. Tsuki? Her eyes filled with tears at the pain of loss a second before she regained her composure. Mana detection! Her chest sank as the spell confirmed what she feared. Tsuki''s heart was no longer functioning. Resurrection! Resurrection! She growled, injecting nearly all her remaining mana into bringing him back. I can''t lose you too! Not after losing my father again by that piece of shit! She thought, at the same time as thick tears ran down her cheeks. But instead of getting what she was looking for, a pair of windows appeared before her. [Warning! User has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected.] Shit! Annoyed by the untimely interruption at such an important time, she pulled out five Mana crystals, realizing she had barely twenty-five left Absorb! [Does the user wish to absorb these mana crystals?] [YES/NO] Yes! she thought, and do it quickly, I don''t have all day! [Congratulations! The user has acquired 36000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 25000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 32000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 37000 MP!] [Congratulations! the user has acquired 39000 MP!] [The skill Absorb has been leveled up to level 121!] Resurrection! Resurrection! she continued to conjure until Tsuki started to move, then she returned and absorbed ten more crystals. Ma...master? Tsuki''s weak voice echoed in her mind filling her with joy as she took out an empty plate and poured a health potion in it so Tsuki could drink it and replenish from all the blood he lost, then she drank another one. All my skills are back to level 1! Don''t worry about it! Everything is going to be fine! Drink this, I''ll be back in a few minutes, she murmured lovingly as she stroked his soft fur. After she finished healing herself, with her eyes charged with anger she turned to Mhiralla, who was fighting Morrigan. Fire creation! Fire manipulation! this time she created four fire snakes, which she hurled at her enemy''s head. Distracting her and finally breaking the shield that the goddess had created to protect herself. The fire of the last snake burned her face. Ahhh! Damn beast, you''ll pay for this! she cried out in pain, but before she could begin to heal, Kalysto threw herself against her as if she were a sea of shadows, enveloping her. Regaining her form right behind the goddess. Shadow creation! Shadow manipulation! Black fire creation! Black fire manipulation! Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! With the first pair of spells she surrounded the feet of the goddess, creating a dark mist from which a pair of black stakes came out, which did not harm her, but served as a smokescreen for the following spells. The black fire remained hidden behind the previously summoned shadows, stealing the goddess'' HP, while several dark mana crystal stakes ripped through Mhiralla''s legs, at the same time Kalysto created a pointed stake which she grabbed with both hands and while her body glowed surrounded by ether and drove the stake again and again against her enemy''s back. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 3000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 5000 HP!] Meanwhile Morrigan was trying with all her might to make her sickle pierce the ether surrounding the goddess'' body, but to no avail. [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 8000 HP!] But despite the poor results that both were getting, neither of them gave up and continued trying to break the protection that the ether was giving to their common enemy. [Congratulations, the user has acquired 7000 HP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 6000 HP!] Die! Die at once, damn it! Kalysto snarled as she continued to try to bury her stake into her enemy''s body over and over again, at the same time her legs were turned into shadows, wrapped around the goddess'' waist. Before Mhiralla could shake her off and could begin to heal herself as she tried to evade the continued attacks of both, two thin lines of ether extended from each hand of the fairy champion towards the dark mana crystal stake she held, encircling its tip and allowing her to finally pierce through the ether surrounding the goddess'' body, piercing the back of her back, between her neck and shoulder, burying her weapon deep into Mhiralla''s skin. The goddess'' screams echoed throughout, causing a smile laden with dark satisfaction and sadism to creep across Kalysto''s face. But before the fairy champion could finish conjuring a new stake, several waves of wind, fire and light erupted from the goddess'' body, driving the two avatars away from her and hurling them away. Meanwhile, Mhiralla inadvertently moved a little closer to the altar in her attempt to get away from them as she began to heal herself. Kalysto was about to throw himself at her when she noticed that she couldn''t stand up and had fallen close to Aegir''s motionless body. Shit, I forgot about him! She thought and immediately felt guilty for abandoning him after all he had done for her. Jhil! Jhil! Regeneration! she conjured several times, restoring the damage done to her legs before transforming into a pile of shadows and reaching Aegir, whose body had been pierced by several spears. Resurrection! Jhil! Jhil! she murmured after pulling them out, healing as quickly as she could his biggest wounds and then offering him a health potion. Please take care of Tsuki and make sure he doesn''t try anything stupid, she asked before she moved away from him. Before he could answer Morrigan''s scream reached their ears. And as Kalysto turned, she watched with apprehension as Mhiralla held Morrigan by the neck, a smirk plastered on the goddess'' face as she absorbed the dark saintess'' powers. Transforming again in shadows, Kalysto approached them in absolute silence, materializing just behind Morrigan, placing one hand over Mhiralla''s and the other touching the saintess''s body. Absorb absorb! Absorb ether! She thought and immediately several notification windows appeared before her. But before she could read them, just as she noticed how the white glow disappeared from the body of both women, giant tentacles of darkness sprouted from the eye above the altar. Piercing through Mhiralla''s body as if it were made of mist and cutting through the lower part of Morrigan''s and Kalysto''s bodies. Then wrapping the body of the goddess in a thick pile of shadows along with the lower part of the bodies of the other two women. While the upper bodies of the two avatars fell to the cold ground at the same time that the screams of the goddess full of terror echoed loudly throughout the battlefield while her power and her whole body were absorbed by Seth. Book 3. Chapter 33 “When things dont go the way you want them to.” Book 3. Chapter 33 When things don''t go the way you want them to. Mhiralla''s bloodcurdling screams of pain made her skin crawl as the pain from the loss of the lower half of her body barely allowed her to think or process what had just happened. In a matter of seconds she went from being close to avenging her father''s death, gaining a huge advantage so she could win the battle against Morrigan and prevent Seth''s awakening, only to have the whole situation change in just a couple of seconds. The weakness began to stun her thanks to the enormous amount of blood she was losing, staining the palms of her hands with the dark, thick liquid that warmed her cold fingertips a bit. [The skill Mental Defense had been activated.] As soon as the familiar coldness enveloped her body, Kalysto could begin to think clearly as she watched the huge black circle that the giant eye had transformed into as it tried to absorb Mhiralla, along with the lower parts of Morrigan''s body and hers. Making the former saintess'' stomach twist with disgust at the knowledge that the thing was eating part of her body. Jhil! Jhil! She whispered, too weak to do anything else as the pain spread through every part of her. Belatedly noticing that as soon as the lower part of her body was severed, the white glow in it faded. Inspect! She thought, observing the large black mass that the eye had become. Needing information about her enemy. Three windows opened to her left. [Name: Seth-Mainyu Race: Divine Level: 750 Fatigue: 0 Class: Warrior (Divine) Professions: N/A Title: Descendant of the gods. Conqueror of worlds. Destroyer of worlds. Affiliation: Sixth dimension, island of the god Ygaerae. HP: 350''780.999/390''987.908 MP: 458''570.759/470''770.890 Strength: 59''798.500 Vitality: 50''999.000 Agility: 2''299.000 Stamina: 4''200.000 Intelligence: 40''700.000 Charisma: 30 Luck: 50 Ether: 350 Status: Annoyed. Wounded. Recovering. Available points: 0] Seeing Seth''s high stats, it was like all hope of getting out alive and escaping were completely extinguished. Kalysto knew there was no escape. That place would be the death of her. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I don''t want to die! Her eyes filled with unshed tears at the thought of dying like that. In a war that wasn''t even hers. [The passive skill Pain Resistance has been activated.] If only I had been stronger none of this would have happened! But she had been too naive to think that she could escape with Alice from that room where she had woken up wearing a strange dress, believing that the only danger that awaited them outside the room was something she could easily handle. If only I could teleport someone with me we could have escaped together! But she couldn''t, and the little instant she thought of using it, it didn''t even respond, as if the barrier outside the room prevented anyone from getting in or out of there. But since the twins seemed to be able to enter and leave at will there must be some kind of secret code or special key to do so. Jhil! Jhil! Regeneration! she continued to whisper, injecting a large amount of mana into the first two spells to make sure everything went well, while thousands of ideas ran through her mind as the black sphere that was once the eye, continued to grow. Since her arrival in Elinor, all she had wanted was to rest and fulfill her part of her contract with the queen. The only reason she had been bent on helping the rest of the heroes was out of pity, because she knew they would die in the tower and in the hypothetical case that they did survive, she knew beforehand that they would be poisoned. However, everything had gone downhill from there. From Persephone trying to steal her body every chance she got, to the death of her father. How the hell did my life come down to this? Until a few months ago, her only concern was to finish her university degree quickly and become a freelance translator so she could quit her job as a waitress once and for all. But all she had gotten was a job change. A much more dangerous one than she had thought when she accepted the contract. [The passive skill Regeneration has been activated.] Though for an instant she saw her life flash before her eyes, Kalysto frowned. Angry at herself for the sudden moment of weakness when Tsuki and Aegir''s lives hung in the balance. Stop it! Stop acting like a loser! There are more important things to do than licking my wounds! She scolded herself. Jhil! Jhil! She continued to heal herself, regenerating the flesh, bones and skin of her hip, legs and feet. Injecting as much mana as she could to heal quickly as her body lay on the ground, almost without strength. By the time she finished healing she had to summon a small group of shadows to cover her private parts, since although she was able to regenerate the rest of her hips and legs, she could not conjure clothes. So a simple black stain covered her front and back. Kalysto extended her shadow, pulling out with a slender tentacle of dark mana with a health potion, using the newly created tentacle to help herself drink it. Thanks to that the physical weakness began to wane little by little, allowing her to move her body freely again. Then she took out the rest of the mana crystals she had and absorbed them. [Congratulations, The user has acquired 26000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 35000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 39000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 41000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 49000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 36000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 45000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 42000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 43000 MP!] [Congratulations! The user has acquired 39000 MP!] Then she transformed into a pile of shadows and slid across the ground to where the demon king''s body was lying. Jhil! Jhil! she conjured, surprised to find him still alive. Jhil! Jhil! Kalysto, stop! You''re running out of mana and we''d better escape before his awakening ends, Aegir whispered, handing her the last ten mana crystals he had left. Even if we escape there is nowhere to go. You read the book too, you know Seth will destroy this world soon. It''s only a matter of time, probably the same will happen to Earth. I have to do something to save my people, he muttered as he sat down with her help. They both watched in awe as the spherical figure began to change and elongate into a humanoid figure, barely two meters taller than a human. The green eyes of the fairy champion met Seth''s cold, dark gaze. On whose face was a slight half-smile as he saw the deplorable state they were in. As she stood in anticipation, trying to hide the fear in her gaze, she struggled to think of a way to reach Tsuki in time and get them out of there. But even though Aegir had the power and experience to do so, they were both too far away from her pet. And as she remembered from what Tsuki told her, surely the demon king''s skills also returned to level one after she revived him, as it had happened to Fenrir. Where are my two avatars? his piercing voice echoed throughout the battlefield. Instilling fear in the few that remained there. A quick glance to where she had fallen earlier revealed to Kalysto the location of the dark saintess. But Morrigan was unable to respond to the god''s demands, the upper half of the dark saintess'' body lay completely motionless on the ground. On top of a pool of her own blood. Book 3. Chapter 33 “When things dont go your way.” Part 2 Book 3. Chapter 33 When things don''t go your way. Part 2 ***** She probably ran out of mana. Kalysto thought, noting that at no time did she see Morrigan absorbing mana crystals as she had been doing on several occasions during the battle. Seth, with his long black hair and eyes of the same color, frowned as he saw where his audience was looking, noticing half of the dark priestess'' body lying on the ground. He closed his eyes for a second and let out a prolonged sigh, before opening them again. I Seth-Mainyu, son of the god Ygaerae, conqueror and destroyer of worlds, summon you my avatars. Come to me, hear my voice, and follow my call. Let death not be your end but a little rest that has just ended, as he recited the spell. His pale body began to glow, the ether within him glowing brightly. Hear my call, my avatars, I summon you! Morrigan''s body began to tremble before transforming into a swirl of shadows that traveled to position itself directly in front of its master. Thin strands of light that belonged to the glow that streamed from the god''s body, detached from it, slithering through the air like tiny water snakes until they reached the mass of shadows that were once the remains of Morrigan''s body. The glowing threads of ether connected with the black formless mass and slowly, very slowly, began to shape it. The mass began to lengthen, gaining height. Then the subtle curves of a female figure began to become visible followed by her long hair. A few seconds earlier, as Seth began to recite his spell, Kalysto watched everything with open curiosity, while she felt a kind of tug, a strange joy vibrating inside her. Aegir for his part, was not so calm. I can''t take us both, but I can send you back and get you to safety, he whispered suddenly next to her, making her jump with fright. What? she whispered until she noticed the soft lines of mana that began to slowly draw on the ground beneath them. Take Tsuki! Get him in your shadow and run away! She insisted, more worried for them than for her. I just have to wait for my mana to charge up. 170,000 MP will be enough to get me the hell out of here! She thought, excited at the prospect of the three of them being able to survive despite the enormous amount of mana she had been spending to heal them. I''ll buy you some time, she said, thinking that at least they could save themselves in case she died before they could escape. But contrary to her sudden excitement, Aegir didn''t seem at all happy with her answer. ...I can''t, he apologized looking at her with infinite regret, In order to use my shadow as storage I need to have the shadow manipulation skill at least at level ten, and all my skills are at level one right now. ...Then leave, go somewhere safe, and get to safety! I''m not going anywhere until I know you''re safe! He murmured taking her hand, and squeezing it affectionately, wanting to convey once again all that she meant to him. I''ll send you first. We''ll see what I can do while he''s busy reviving Morrigan, he concluded, looking into her eyes. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. How touching! -Seth scoffed as a small portal opened over his hand and from it a small sphere of color-changing energy emerged. But neither of you can escape from me -he added with a smile plagued by himself as the black mass in female form continued to recreate Morrigan''s physical body. Seth did not even move from where he was so as not to interrupt the spell, while the ether strands continued to recreate the new body of the dark saintess. Now little Kalysto, it''s a shame that we must part ways when we finally meet. But you see, we have a little problem. You did a very stupid thing, he added patiently, like someone explaining a life lesson to a small child. I am the only living God with two avatars and one of them cannot answer my call because her soul is fragmented, he explained, but a second later his face abandoned all trace of kindness... And all this is your fault! And this is all your fault! You absorbed a large part of her soul! Dozens of dark crystal spikes formed out of nowhere, attacking them. Quickly Aegir tried to create a shield to protect them, but it was useless. The shield shattered into thousands of pieces and Kalysto had to transform into shadows leaving only one hand with physical form to grab the demon king by the waist and quickly dodge the familiar black crystal stakes as she moved farther and farther away from where Tsuki was, finishing recovering. Shit, but even their attacks look alike! The thought flashed through her mind as she remembered that she had seen Persephone do something slightly similar, in fact, she learned how to create the black mana stakes from what she had seen Persephone and Aegir do. Master! Fenrir shouted in her mind, worried for her. Don''t even think of coming here! she scolded him immediately, knowing that having the full focus of the god''s wrath it wasn''t safe for him to be near her right now. Dark mana tentacles sprouted from Seth''s back and more black crystal stakes sprouted from them like guns, all aimed at Kalysto, who had to finish materializing her body to charge Aegir. Let''s split up! said Aegir. And Kalysto immediately threw him away from her. The demon king was agile enough to land gracefully. Just as she had thought, Seth stopped attacking Aegir and concentrated only on her. Even though I promised little Persephone not to kill you, I don''t think I can keep that promise anymore, he added with a sinister smile. Now because of you, I will have to personally take on the tedious task of extracting what is left of her soul that is in your body. Several waves of darkness erupted from his body. The first two destroyed the entire floor of the huge courtyard that had become the battlefield. Even the altar behind him did not survive the attack. The ground shook beneath Kalysto''s feet, barely giving her time to pull out the duplicate she had of the demon king''s sword. Duplicating it and throwing it to him to protect himself as best he could while she ran to where Tsuki was lying, still recovering. Shit! I''ll have to take out one of the corpses so I can get Tsuki back into my shadow! The problem was, she didn''t know which one to get rid of. And if she took out any of Alice''s grandparents, Alice would never forgive her. Still, Tsuki''s life was more important than theirs. Another wave of darkness came swiftly before she could reach her destination. But unlike all the attacks she had seen so far a thick mist came out of Seth, spreading and advancing into the surroundings like the waves of the sea spread out on the shore of the beach. The fairy champion recognized the strange texture of the dark mist at once. Miasma, she whispered, fearfully. Knowing full well all that the fairy queen had to fight through it. Everything the black miasma touched withered until it finally turned to ash. The pattern was all too familiar to her. The black plague she whispered without being able to believe it. Immediately, fear seized her, running with more strength while evading the parts of the ground that separated as if it were an earthquake. While she jumped between the small islands that protruded from the ground and tried to reach where Tsuki was, at the same time she observed how the lower legs of her pet had been hit by the miasma. Just as she feared, he too began to turn to stone, as did Aegir to her left. Dispel Ezhil! She conjured several times until the miasma dissipated around her and her pet. As soon as the golden light of her ability dissipated the miasma returned with the force of a raging wave, almost hitting her. Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! unfortunately for the former saintess, the problem was that while she was immune to the black plague, neither Tsuki nor Aegir were. Book 3. Chapter 33 “When things dont go the way you want them to.” Part 3 Book 3. Chapter 33 When things don''t go the way you want them to. Part 3 Dispel Ezhil! She continued to conjure even though the amount of mana she was spending on dispersing the miasma and making it stop advancing could damage Aegir''s mana circles. But it was either that, or use ''Ezhil Purification'', a skill that would end up killing him. Although she could grudgingly admit that she was somewhat attracted to the demon king, the speed with which her pet''s body was turning to stone, made her begin to doubt whether she should switch to a much more effective spell. Especially as she watched Tsuki''s beautiful white fur turn black. But she didn''t have time to think of a counter-attack. Hundreds of gigantic wind blades erupted from the god''s body and headed towards Kalysto, cutting her arms. Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! she conjured swiftly until her limbs grew back. ... Mmm ... interesting, Seth murmured as he watched her ability to heal herself without screaming or writhing in pain while he kept feeding the resurrection spell with his ether, then a sadistic grin spread across his face. Let''s see how much you can take. A dark mana sword materialized in his right hand and after a couple of thrusts in the air in her direction, another set of wind arcs cut through the miasma, and although Kalysto was able to evade most of them, as soon as she moved away from her pet, the miasma quickly approached Tsuki again, continuing to infect him with the black plague. Shit! Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! She added trying to control how far or so the last spell spread by taking advantage of the fact that she was now on the opposite side of where Aegir was. Unfortunately that also meant that he was now far from her protection, and was being infected by the black plague. But before she could get close to Tsuki and finish healing him, Seth-Mainyu attacked again, without even moving from his position. Hell! he muttered, raising his sword above his head and a couple of meters away a gigantic fireball materialized out of nowhere, to then be launched against Kalysto, who barely had time to take Tsuki in her arms and run away. While successive attacks of hundreds of gusts of wind cut the ground in front, to the side and behind her. Making it practically impossible to escape. Although only a couple of seconds had passed since the first attack, Seth made sure not to give her any time to respond or teleport. Only fractions of a second to heal herself and deplete her mana reserves. Just at the moment when he saw that she was starting to get tired, and stop to cast a new spell, he threw his sword together with several dark mana crystals and gusts of wind. But Seth did not direct all his attacks towards her, but towards Tsuki. Giving them no chance to flee this time. The gusts of wind cut through the ground, kicking up dust and particles of dirt and rock that she barely managed to dodge as she did her best to keep her pet safe from the attacks that seemed to have no end, but just when she had to turn to protect Tsuki, Seth''s sword pierced her leg, cutting just below the knee. Causing her to lose her balance. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And before she could keep the Fenrir inside her shadow, Seth stretched out his hand. Master, run away! - shouted Tsuki, but it was in vain, a powerful invisible force lifted Kalysto from the ground dragging her through the air as if she was as light as a leaf before the powerful wind, right in front of the open hand of the son of the dark god. Whose huge smirk covered almost half of his face. And now, where were we? -he asked with false innocence as if he himself had not destroyed more than half of the battlefield by chasing her with his continuous attacks. Ah, yes, I remember! You have something that is mine, and I want it back, he said. As a wave of pain as powerful as she had ever felt in her entire life exploded throughout her body. Concentrating especially on her head which seemed to be splitting into several parts from the inside. She could barely make out the blurry blur of notification windows that appeared to her left. [Warning! An unknown entity has disabled the skill Pain Resistance]. [Warning! An unknown entity has disabled the skill Mental Defense. All of the user''s stats have been reduced by 100%] Ahhhh! Kalysto screamed, as she had never screamed before since she arrived in Elinor as the excruciating pain robs her of even her breath and ability to reason. And in the midst of the continuous waves of pain, the tenth seal that she had already placed on Persephone, was destroyed. At the same time a thin thread of darkness began to flow from her chest traveling through the air until it reached the palm of the hand of the son of the dark god, who quickly summoned the small cluster of energy that had been floating behind him which he had earlier drawn from a small portal. The cluster of energy approached timidly, merging very slowly with the wisps of darkness that gushed from Kalysto''s body. Then for a couple of seconds as Seth concentrated on the remains of Persephone''s soul, the pain subsided a bit, allowing Kalysto to think. Jhil! Regeneration! Jhil! She conjured quickly in her mind trying to heal her injured leg, making it grow back as she felt that between the pain caused by the enemy and the weakness that seemed to increase with each passing second due to the massive amount of blood she was losing. And taking advantage of the distraction of his enemy, whose ether no longer surrounded every part of his body but was concentrated on the thin threads that were directed towards the black mass that was becoming the feminine figure of Morrigan, Kalysto summoned a thin but elongated mana crystal which sprouted from the palm to her left hand and buried it in Seth-Mainyu''s eye. How dare you hurt me? roared the god, letting out a portion of his magical pressure stealing the breath from everyone present, including the dark silhouette of the dark saintess, who fell to the ground losing her form as the ground began to shatter within the area of influence of Seth''s enormous pressure. But before he could take any kind of retaliation he realized the setback he himself had created in the expected awakening of his first avatar. And he had no choice but to cancel his own display of power. A loud growl escaped from his throat. Making it sound more like the sound an animal would make than a person would. As he began to imbue more ether into the regeneration of his first Avatar''s body. To then turn to Kalysto, holding her by the neck with his right hand. A scowl on his face, and hatred in his gaze. I''ll show you what happens to those who mess with me! I''m going to show you a long road of pain and suffering, little Kalysto! Less than a second later, the screams of the fairy champion filled the entire battlefield as the ninth seal she had already created was forcibly broken, just like the eighth. As was the seventh. With each seal that was broken a thin trickle of dark energy escaped from her chest heading towards the levitating mass next to Seth''s right shoulder. Ahhh!" as the former saintess''s face became disfigured with the excessive pain, the smile on Seth''s only seemed to grow even bigger. As did his confidence. To the point of not noting that as he broke the sixth seal, the demon king had stolen the sword the god had earlier used to cut off Kalysto''s leg, and with it, Aegir slashed the god''s wrist. Seth''s hand fell to the ground at the same time as Aegir, whose lower part of his body was wrapped in a cluster of shadows, grabbed Kalysto''s body. Even Tsuki, lying on the ground with half of his body turned to stone, joined the attack, dozens of lightning bolts burst from the Fenrir''s weak body as he tried to give his master some time to escape. But it was all in vain. Just as Aegir moved away from the god with Kalysto''s body in his arms, hundreds of black lightning bolts emerged from the god''s hand, crashing against the demon king''s back, charring it. Just before Seth used the huge sword with which he had cut his hand, and threw it against the back of his two enemies as they fell to the ground. Piercing both bodies with the same attack. Just a meter away from where Tsuki was. Book 3. Chapter 34. “A small light of hope.” Book 3. Chapter 34. A small light of hope. Seth-Mainyu''s sword pierced the demon king''s hard-back and Kalysto''s stomach. Agg! once again pain flooded her body just before partly notification windows popped out to her left. [The skill Mental defense has been activated] [The passive skill Mental Defense has been reactivated] Turn into shadows and pull out the sword. Aegir barely managed to materialize next to her. This is going to hurt. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! The golden light of her skills hit Aegir''s body just as he finished pulling the sword out of her stomach. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! She conjured again, taking advantage of the proximity of her pet to cure the black plague. Unfortunately the continuous use of the purification skill ended up burning the demon king''s skin killing him despite having cured him of the black plague. Resurrection! added the former saintess as she placed one hand on her stomach and another on Aegir. Jhil! Jhil! Looks like I''ll have to take care of the nuisance first, Morrigan! The god commanded, and the black mass was injected with ether causing a feminine silhouette to re-form and from her outstretched hand, the familiar scythe that Kalysto had seen the dark saintess use. Whose silent figure lunged at Aegir, who barely had time to pick up Seth''s sword and use it to defend himself. The tip of the scythe crashed into the ground just a few inches from Kalysto''s neck, although Aegir''s stolen sword tried to deflect the attack. Fortunately he managed to make the following ones stay away from the fairy champion. But despite the help, Kalysto barely finished healing when Seth stretched out his left hand causing her body to levitate in the air and be transported into the air at great speed and then hovered in the air just a few inches in front of him. It''s a pity we were interrupted, but we have a lot to do, smiled Seth, knowing that his saintess would take care of the hindrance. Then he finished destroying the sixth seal while Kalysto''s screams flooded the whole place. [Warning! An unknown entity has deactivated the skill Pain Resistance] [Warning! An unknown entity has disabled the skill Mental Defense. All the user''s stats have been reduced by 100%] Master! Tsuki shouted, his body trembling after all the blood he had lost. Don''t come closer! Kalysto shouted, too immersed in pain to realize that she had said it out loud. How touching! Seth scoffed. But you should be worrying more about yourself than about your little pet, he added, at the same time that another thread of darkness came out of the body of the ex-saintess and joined the cluster of energy that Seth began to crystallize thanks to several threads of ether that left his body. But the crystal that formed barely made up half a circle. Seth frowned, annoyed at the lack of progress. We''ll have to speed this up, as soon as the words left his mouth and strands of ether covered his wounded hand to prevent his blood from continuing to stain the floor as other strands of ether left his body and buried themselves in Kalysto''s chest. Destroying the fifth, fourth and third seals in less than three minutes. As Aegir tried to fight the dark saintess, aided from time to time with Tsuki''s continuous electric shocks, Kalysto''s piercing screams squeezed both of their hearts. And just after Seth broke the second seal, and a strand of darkness gushed from Kalysto''s body, she was able to rest for a second, in which she watched in horror as Aegir''s body fell lifelessly to the ground, while Morrigan approached Tsuki with the intention of killing him. Absorb ether! Dark mana creation! Dark mana manipulation! She thought, absorbing the ether Seth had used to invade her body at the same time as thirty-one tentacles of dark mana sprouted from her body, thirty from her forehead, crystallizing and piercing Seth''s chest. At the same time the one that came from her back stretched stealthily across the ground. But before she could reach her prey the god''s wrath exploded. Insolent one, it''s time you learned your place! He shouted, as he spent his ether on healing her wounds at the same time as a huge puff of wind-fueled fire erupted violently from his hand, hurling Kalysto several feet backwards. Unaware that she was immune to fire. Giving her the opportunity and the perfect smokescreen to with the tentacle of darkness that had sprouted from her back, catch Morrigan by the waist just before she severed Tsuki''s head and drag her in front of her, using her as a human shield while forcing her to receive the full power of the attack. Morrigan! Seth shouted, at the same time Kalysto transformed into a cluster of shadows with the intention of taking human form again in front of his pet. But the god, in a fit of pure rage, manifested all magical force throughout the battlefield, crushing Tsuki''s lungs while Kalysto could barely struggle to breathe and was forced to materialize by force, almost a meter away from her target. Tsu...Tsuki, she could barely mumble as the pressure in the air increased and she could feel her lungs being brutally crushed. Jhil Ezhil! She whispered. But the enormous magical pressure mixed with the god''s ether seemed to be able to override her skill. Jhil! She tried, stretching out her fingertips, reaching for the trembling figure of the shivering, shaggy sacred beast in front of her. A soft golden glow illuminated her fingertips but it wasn''t enough to reach her pet. So she forced her body to cover herself with ether before trying again. Jhil! She conjured several times, trying to concentrate her mana and expelling it through thin golden threads that reached to touch one of Tsuki''s paws-, starting to heal the wounded puppy''s body after Morrigan''s attacks. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Kalysto''s eyes were covered with tears when she saw the bad state Tsuki was in. Master... it''s so cold, whispered the little one''s weak voice in her mind and Kalysto''s heart squeezed painfully. As soon as she opened her mouth to answer him, words of encouragement died the moment a voice she did not expect to hear again so soon echoed inside her. <> No, not at all! In fact I think you were much better off where you were before. ?Purification Ezhil! She thought but a wave of miasma washed over them, as the pressure of Seth''s magical power seemed to eclipse her skill to purify, causing her to watch in terror as Tsuki''s body became infected with the black plague again. Jhil! Jhil! Jhil! she conjured in despair. Don''t die Tsuki. I can''t lose you too, she whispered between tears, knowing that if his body would turn into ashes thanks to the black plague she could no longer revive him. Then she noticed with growing fear how the back paws, together with Tsuki''s fluffy tail, turned to stone. Dispel Ezhil! Ezhil Purification! Jhil Ezhil! Added quickly, but just like the previous times his area skills were nullified. Jhil! Jhil! She added, desperately trying to form more strands of golden light and bring them to Tsuki''s body, despite the great effort she had to make to get it. <> Shut up! Nobody gives a shit about what you want, not even the god you serve the one who until a few seconds ago was willing to kill me! <> But Kalysto didn''t give her time to continue. Either you shut the hell up or I''ll finish absorbing you and you''ll disappear forever! I''m in no mood for your shit! Jhil! But a couple of notification windows appeared to her left, at the same time she noticed Seth busy reviving Morrigan again. [Warning! The user has less than 10 MP left. Please wait a few minutes before attempting to use any skills again or your health will be severely affected] Are you serious? Kalysto forced the ether in her to vibrate more strongly allowing her to pull out the last ten remaining mana crystals and absorb them. Jhil! Jhil! she conjured several times straining to make the strands of golden light thicker so she could bring more energy to her pet while the pain from all the internal damage Seth caused her, barely let her move. Unfortunately, when she tried to fight the god''s power and get closer to Tsuki, Seth was much faster, and Morrigan was revived with his huge scythe in hand. And before she could finish healing herself or her pet fifteen black crystal stakes buried themselves into her body, pinning her to the ground. Three in each of her legs and arms, another pierced her lung and the last two pierced her chest. Each of the stakes was glowing with ether. Kalysto coughed up blood, as she slowly felt the last of her life begin to slip through her fingers. Master! ....please...run away.... I can''t...leave you she managed to reply, straining to extend her shadow and try to reach him before being interrupted. How touching! Seth murmured with false tenderness. Stop it at once or you''ll make me start throwing up! He growled as he approached them, at the same time summoning his sword. It''s time to finish you off. You''re too much trouble to be left alive, I''ll see how I comfort Persephone after your loss, he added just before he and his first Avatar swooped in with weapons raised ready to finish her off. Jhil! Shit! Kalysto didn''t even have time to react, or carry out her plan to pull Natasha''s mom''s body out of her shadow so she could pull Tsuki inside and use the transportation spell to get the hell out of there. Less than half a second later, the tip of Seth''s sword was already less than three centimeters from her neck, as was the tip of Morrigan''s scythe, which was pointed at her eye. It was then that for the second time in her life, Kalysto witnessed time stand still. She could feel the power of the fairy queen surrounding her as she nullified a little more than half of Seth''s power, allowing her to breathe again. But even though the queen had slowed the passage of time, to almost a complete halt, Seth''s sword was much closer to her neck than the queen''s summoning symbol had yet to finish drawing beneath her. A warm tear began to slide down her cheek, knowing that she would die long before the queen could save her. Worst of all, Tsuki was not inside the summoning circle. I don''t want to lose you! She thought, sending the last of her strength into healing the puppy, and giving it a chance to escape while Seth and Morrigan''s attention was fixed on her. Noticing how time began to run less and less slowly. But despite her efforts the entire battlefield was covered with miasma. And the black plague, despite her continued efforts, had already petrified half of Tsuki''s body. And it was still advancing. Master!... The faint whisper came to her mind as she could feel the bond with Tsuki weaken as life drained from his tender blue eyes. Noooooo! she screamed in her mind, but no one answered her. The pain of loss burst inside her and her heart broke, Don''t leave me, I can''t lose you too! she sobbed, her eyes bathed in tears. Jhil! Jhil! She wailed again and again in utter despair as she watched the queen''s summoning circle finish drawing itself. Tsuki! <> Persephone suddenly spoke, at the same time threads of ether sprang from Seth''s body breaking the queen''s seal and nullifying her summoning of Kalysto''s body. And as the seal broke, and time began to run again albeit slowly Kalysto''s body glowed with ether as she tried to finish healing him. Resurrection! Jhil! Jhil! but again the golden glow of her skills was being blocked. And as the fairy queen''s power weakened, Seth''s grew stronger and stronger. But just as the tip of Morrigan''s scythe was about to bury itself in her eye and Seth''s sword in her throat, a pair of notifications appeared to her left. [The skill Jhil Ezhil has leveled up to 100 level!] [Congratulations, the user has acquired a new skill: Sacrifice. Level 1!] Immediately, Kalysto remembered Alice''s words and didn''t hesitate for a split second to use it. Sacrifice! Take me as far back in time as you can! Let me save Tsuki! She thought with desperation as she felt the darkness begin to devour her consciousness as Persephone took control of her body. [The skill Sacrifice can''t be used! The user doesn''t have enough mana to send its consciousness that far back in time!] Damn it!...Sacrifice!...Take my body! All my stats and skills! Even everything in my inventory and inside my shadow! I offer you everything I have, but send me back in time and save Tsuki!.... A wave of weakness enveloped her at that moment as the darkness grew stronger and stronger, blurring her vision. Sacrifice! Making it increasingly difficult to think clearly. [The skill Sacrifice cannot be used! The user doesn''t have enough mana to send its consciousness that far back in time!] [The user only has 10,000 MP and 45,000 MP are needed to activate the skill Sacrifice!] Her chest sank as she read those words while watching a pair of tears run down Tsuki''s cheeks, and Morrigan''s scythe about to pierce her skull. At the same time Persephone regained almost all control over her body. It was then, when she felt that there was nothing left to do and gave up, that from her right hand a thin thread of white light burst from her body. And it broke the window. Then the darkness devoured her. Author''s note: ok guys that''s all for now. Just an epilogue and we''ll be done with book 3. This was a pretty rough book for Kalysto. Still, I hope you guys enjoyed the ride. See you Tuesday with the epilogue. Have a nice weekend.